GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

MATTHEW

"Ancestors, Concerning Jesus Christ, Royal Line."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson.

Matthew in the Hebrew tongue means "the gift of Yah [God]". The word "Gospel" is from the Greek, and in the English means "the good news". In Mark 2:14 Matthew is called Levi, and many feel this is in reference to his tribe.

Matthew is the first of the four Gospels, and starts out in the generations of Jesus Christ. Matthew covers His genealogy, and the mission that He would accomplish as foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament. This is why Jesus said over and over; "Have you not heard, it is written...", and then He quotes one of the prophets.

Matthew 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham."

This would be the book of the pedigree of Jesus Christ. We will see that the New Testament is a replay of the Old Testament. In II Samuel 7:12; the prophet Samuel gives record that the Messiah shall come from the seed of David. "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom."

Samuel the prophet is telling David that when he is dead and gone to be with his fathers, God will "set up", as to place one on a throne, a seed or children of his.

II Samuel 7:13; "He shall build an house for My name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever."

In this prophecy that was written to David, that in his pedigree one would come that would establish His kingdom, and that kingdom would be forever; and that person to come is Jesus Christ. And so it is.

Matthew 1:2 "Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;"

Jacob's name was changed by God to Israel, and though the seed line of the scepter was coming through Judah [Judas], he also had eleven other brothers, and the offspring of Judah and all his brothers are called the whole house of Israel. They are the Israelites that grew from one family of twelve brothers, to twelve tribes [later thirteen], and in captivity in Egypt grew into a nation that Moses would later lead to the promised land.

Genesis 48 records how the Abrahamic covenant, or blessings were passed to Joseph, but the scepter and law giver rights went to Judah. It is from Judah, the son mentioned in Matthew 1:2 that Jesus Christ would come, and this establishes His right of Ruler ship.

The word "begat", in the Greek means to engender. It shows the "father to son relationship"; to sire. This then, is the following of the family tree directly from Abraham to Jesus, as years would go by.

We will see a difference in the spelling of names between the Old Testament, and the New Testament, and this is because the New Testament is from the Greek form, while the Old testament, the Hebrew language.

Matthew 1:3 "And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;"

Matthew 1:4 "And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;"

Matthew 1:5 "And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;"

Matthew 1:6 "And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;"

Matthew 1:7 "And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;"

Matthew 1:8 "And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;"

Matthew 1:9 "And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;"

Matthew 1:10 "And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;"

Matthew 1:11 "And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethern, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:"

Matthew 1:12 "And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;"

Matthew 1:13 "And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;"

Matthew 1:14 "And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;"

Matthew 1:15 "And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;"

Matthew 1:16 "And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, Who is called Christ.

Well we have gone through this long genealogy, and now we have found that this is the genealogy of Joseph, the husband with Mary. Joseph was not the father of Christ, but the husband of Mary. Mary had already conceived by the Holy Spirit of God when Joseph married her. We know that Almighty God was the father of Jesus Christ. So we see that Joseph's genealogy has nothing to do with the pedigree of Jesus Christ, with the exception of one thing. This blood line is the adopted lineage of Jesus Christ, through His adopted father Joseph.

If you have an adopted son, you could be German, and your adopted son could be Jewish. There is no connection whatsoever, as far as bloodline is concerned. Therefore the bloodline in this first chapter has nothing to do with the bloodline of Jesus Christ.

However, when we see through this adoption, we get a better view of what Christianity is all about. Those that believe upon Christ, are automatically the stones raised [children] unto God. The actual date of Jesus birth is represented to be December 25, However this is assumed, and placed there for the convenience for the old Roman Empire. Lets go to Luke 1:5 and see what the scriptures have to say about this.

Luke 1:5 "There was in the days of Herod, the King of Judeas [a wicked king], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth."

Zacharias was John the Baptist's father. Elisabeth had to be a full blood daughter of Aaron to be a priest's wife, this is to say, a full blood Levite. What is important in this verse is the identification of the birth of John the Baptist through the feast date that John's father [Zacharias was serving. The "feast of Abia" was the eighth of the ministration in the Temple [I Chronicles 24:10], and occurred twice a year.

The conception of John the Baptist was the night following the feast date, or to place that to our calendar, June 24, 5 B.C. Now lets skip on to verse thirty six, in documenting Jesus genealogy. Luke 1:36; "And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. If Elisabeth is a full blood Levite, and Mary is her cousin, then Mary is also of the blood line of Aaron. We see also that there was a marriage, because the actual genealogy is given in Luke 3:24-38.

In Luke 3:23; "And Jesus Himself begin to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the Son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli," The phrase, "as was supposed", should read, "as reckoned by law", or in another way to put it, "to lay it down by law". If you are married, then your spouses mother is your mother in law. Do you get the point. This genealogy given in the next fifteen verses is Mary's genealogy.

There is one point that should be pointed out, because there is an error made by an Kenite scribe, and that error is because Cainan simply does not exist here in the Massorah text, Cainan was Ham's son that was cursed by Noah. In Genesis 11:13 we read, "And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters."

This was the custom that if there were no sons born to a family, then the lineage would be passed on to the daughters husband, in that marriage, as by law. Therefore Joseph took on the genealogy of Mary. Then through Joseph the seed, or genealogy would continue; the seed of the family. There is another thing to pay attention to here; Do you see any "begats" in this lineage? Of course not, because this is Joseph's lineage by his legal wife, it is his wife Mary's lineage. This lineage is by law, and not by siring, through the marriage. This bloodline is through the tribe of Judah.

Mary's father was of the tribe of Judah, and he married a Levite, therefore Mary was a mixture between the tribe of Levi, and Judah. So we see that Jesus was of both houses, that is to say the King line, and also of the Levitical priest line of Aaron. This is the priest line after the order of Melchizedeck, the king of the elect [just], as also given in Genesis14:18-20.

When our Lord comes as the King of kings and Lord of Lord, he carries the full title by lineage of the authority that God gave to Abraham, and passed on to Jesus Christ.

So we can see by all this that the conception of Jesus Christ on December 25, is not His birth. There is no problem with this, for this also establishes that God began to dwell with man at the time of conception. The spirit of the baby [soul] in Elisabeth [John the Baptist] was six months maturing; and when Mary entered the room following the conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, John leaped at the presence of the Christ in the womb of Mary.

Matthew 1:17 "So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations."

This genealogy is divided up into three parts. These divisions are the periods marking the times before, during and after king David's families.

Matthew 1:18 "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: when as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit."

"Was on this wise", states that this is exactly as it happened. When Jesus' [Jesus'] mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, and before they were married, Mary, the virgin was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:19 "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily."

Joseph, the man engaged to Mary, was a just man, and had no desire to ruin Mary's reputation. He did not want Mary to be held up to public ridicule, decided to put her away privately, so she would not be embarrassed in public. Joseph did not want Mary's child to be a illegitimate child.

Matthew 1:20 "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that Which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."

As Joseph was considering what to do about all this, at night an Angel of the Lord God came to Joseph, and revealed to him exactly what had happened between Mary and the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind that the entire society were students of God's Word, they knew the Old Testament of the prophets. He understood exactly what this meant in the term; "for that Which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." This was the Messiah that they were all looking for, that was prophecied from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:15; "And I [God] will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman, and between thy [Satan's] seed [the Kenites] and her Seed [Eve's Seed who is Jesus Christ]. It [Jesus] shall bruise thy head [put Satan to parish], and thou shalt bruise His heel." The bruising of Christ's heal was done at the cross of Calvary by Satan's offspring the Kenites. All the books of Moses were well known to all, and especially to Joseph. Joseph know what it meant to be "conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."

Matthew 1:21 "And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His People from their sins."

In the Hebrew language "Hoshea", and Greek language, "Jesus" means "Yah [God] Savior", or "God Who is our salvation" to man.

Matthew 1:22 "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying,"

This is prophecy that was written by Isaiah saying;

Matthew 1:23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

In other words, God with us in the flesh. Let's go to Isaiah 7:14; "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah was a well known prophet, and all his writings, and this Angel of God repeated exactly what the prophecy of God was from Isaiah. Joseph knew exactly what that Angel was telling him, for it was well written, and prophesied. That sign was given through Joseph to Mary.

This is only one case where the virgin birth was written of in the Old Testament, by the prophets of old. As we continue studying the words and works of Jesus Christ, it has to be completely obvious that a supernatural person had to have walked on this earth, to accomplish the things that Jesus did. Jesus conquered death so that we could have life, eternal life. This eternal life starts at the instant you repent, for should death come to the flesh today, the soul continues eternally with the Father in Heaven.

The New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and though we call it "New", it is the continuation of the promises of the Old Covenant. What is interesting is that most of the New Testament is history to us today, whereas most of the Old Testament is still prophecy that is future to us living in this final generation. The Old Covenant [Testament] is alive today, and don't let others rob you of the wealth of information that we need to stand against the Antichrist in these serious times ahead.

Matthew 1:24 "Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:"

Joseph did exactly as the angel of God had told him to do. He went right out and married Mary. Joseph had no problem with doing this, because he understood what was about to happen with Mary. She was going to give birth to the promised Messiah. He now understood that Mary's pregnancy was of God, and Mary would be the mother of our Savior.

Matthew 1:25 "And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn Son: and he called His name JESUS."

There is so much truth jammed into this one chapter, that volumes of books could be written, with all the prophecies surrounding it. This chapter relates Joseph's relationship to Mary, and to our Heavenly Father.

Matthew Chapter 2

"Concerning the Wise Men; Jesus Christ's Flight to Egypt"

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 2:1 "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem."

"From the east" in the manuscripts is including the north and the south, and is singular. East and west are also relative to the north and therefore occur in the plural. This name Bethlehem in the Hebrew means "House of Bread", and Jesus Christ our Lord's body has become the very "Bread of Life" that we place on the sacrament table to represent His body, along with the wine, the blood of Christ.

Matthew 2:2 "Saying, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews" for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him."

It is not important to know the number of wise men, however "His star", is the light to show the way. Christ is called the "Morning Star", and to understand this a little better, let me draw your attention to the fact that the prophecies in the Massoretic text relating to the star that was seen, was not a star in the sky, but a the vision of the Christ child, as recorded in Numbers 24:15-19.

The location was given in other prophecies, so that the wise men already knew the location to be in Bethlehem. This is why these wise men went to Herod, for Herod's palace was very close to Bethlehem. By today's standard, a five minute drive. They came to Jerusalem two years after the birth, and this fact was related by the wise men to Herod.

The star that brought them finally to the location of the house where the young boy was, could have been another vision, for their knowledge of Christ's birth in Bethlehem was well known, and well versed among all people of the day. The text is as follows:

Numbers 24:15-16; "And he took up his parable, and said, "Balaam the son of Beor hath said, And the man whose eyes are open hath said: [15] He hath said, which heard the words of God, And knew the knowledge of the Most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:" [16]

The words and the knowledge of the most High is the parable of God telling of this same thing.

Numbers 24:17 "I shall see Him, but not now: I shall behold Him, But not nigh: There shall come a Star out of Jacob, And a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and Destroy all the children of Sheth." [17]

It wasn't time for the Savior to come, however, here is that Star that the wise men saw. "Sheth" should be translated "all the children of confusion."

Numbers 24:18 "And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; And Israel shall do valiantly." [18]

Edom is Russia of today. Israel is the true House of Israel, and they are the Christian nations of today.

Numbers 24:19 "Out of Jacob shall come He that shall have dominion, And shall destroy him that remaineth of the city." [19]

The builder of cities was Cain and his children.

Numbers 24:20; "And when he looked on Amelek, he took up his parable, and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall be that he perish for ever."

Remember that it was the sons of Cain that were the first city dwellers, that first of the nations this is aimed at those city dwellers called Kenites.

Numbers 24:21; "And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable and said, "Strong is thy dwelling place, And thou puttest thy nest in a rock."

Kenites is a Hebrew word that is only transliterated here, it means "sons of Cain". God is saying that they think that they are so well protected that even a lion cannot dig into your nest through a solid rock.

Numbers 24:22-23; "Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive. [22] and he took up his parable, and said, "Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!" [23]

In the end, it will by Jesus Christ which will cause the Kenites to be wasted. Asshur, is Satan, the father of Cain the first murderer. That Star out of verse seventeen, is Jesus Christ.

Even as Jesus complimented the two churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia [Revelation 2:9; 3:9], for they knew who the Kenites are, and know and understand who those that say they are Jews [Christian] , but lie and are of the synagogue of Satan. Unless you know who the Kenites are, you will not be able to understand who they were that came against the Star, Jesus Christ.

The promise here in Numbers was that this Star, Jesus the Christ, would come and release the strangle hold that the Kenites have held on the Children of Israel for thousands of years. Spiritually it is completed, while it will be done for each child of God the moment that they receive Christ, and open their eyes to who the Kenites are. Satan has done a good job in hiding his children form the Christians, for it is almost never taught. No wonder they can stand up in the church houses and twist the truth, and never be challenged. Christians are ignorant of them.

Matthew 2:3 "When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him."

Kings get real excited when another king shows up in their territory unannounced. These three wise men have showed up looking for a king that Herod knows nothing about.

Matthew 2:4 "And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the People together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born."

Herod knew were to go to get the truth. Even a heathen king knew that it was written that Christ would be born of woman. So he went to the priests and demanded of them where the Christ child would be born.

Matthew 2:5 "And they said unto him, "In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,"

It is written in Micah 5:2 exactly where the Christ child would be born. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." There is nothing new under the sun, for what will come to pass is written in His Word. Nothing happens by accident with respect to God's Word.

Matthew 2:6 "And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a governor, that shall rule My People Israel."

This is the promise of Messiah, our Savior and Redeemer.

Matthew 2:7 "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared."

Herod wants to know just what time these wise men saw this star. The word "diligently", would be more accurate with "deceitfully". The reason that he wanted to know, is that He wanted to have all the little ones killed that were born in that time period of that sign.

Matthew 2:8 "And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and search diligently for the young Child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also."

Matthew 2:9 "When they had heard the king they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was."

Many people today just don't believe this report. However our Heavenly Father controls nature.

Matthew 2:10 "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."

There will also be great joy at His second coming, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, when all the saints in Christ will be changed into the new incorruptible, and immortal bodies. this event is recorded by Paul in I Corinthians 15:50-54.

Matthew 2:11 "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

The fact that there were three wise men is not written, but the idea is given because their were three gifts. The number of wise men is not important.

Matthew 2:12 "And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way."

Notice God came to the wise men in a dream. They did not bring any report back to king Herod.

Matthew 2:13 "And when they were departed, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

Notice that when God protects one of His own children, that protection is complete. He will let it be known what has to be done, when and how to do it, for the safe keeping of His own. Just as He protected the Christ child from Herod's sword, He will also protect His elect from the wicked one, the Antichrist Satan, in that day of deception. He knows the minds of our enemies, and His Spirit dwells in us with communion with our minds. The mind is the intellect of the soul, which houses our spirit.

God knows in advance all things that each of us will be confronted with, and when we are in His will and Spirit, He will control our steps and words. We do have free will, and He doesn't know or control that part of our free will, but when we study His Word, then His Word will direct our path. But God does know what the enemy shall bring against us.

Matthew 2:14 "When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt:"

Joseph followed the Lord's instruction, and took good care of the mother and the Christ child.

Matthew 2:15 "And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt have I called my Son." "

This prophecy came from Hosea 11:1; "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt."

Matthew 2:16 "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men."

God's divine intervention had already taken the Christ child out of Herod's reach, when Herod had finally figured out that the wise men had no intension of returning. To make sure that this child had not escaped to endanger his throne, Herod gave the order to kill all the children in Bethlehem and the rural area around the town.

Matthew 2:17 "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,"

Do you want to know what Jeremy said? Jeremy is the prophet Jeremiah, and this prophecy comes from Jeremiah 31:15; "Thus saith the Lord; "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not." Ramah in the Hebrew means "the high place", evidently a high place near Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 31:16; "Thus saith the Lord; 'Refrain thy voice form weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy." Your work is not in vain, is what he is saying to Rachel. Remember Rachel is the mother of both Joseph and Benjamin, the tribes of both Houses, Israel and Judah. Some day I'm going to join those children of the tribes of Israel back to Israel. We know that will be in the Millennium age, and it will be upon His return to Jerusalem, when His feet touch down on mount Zion.

Lets go back to Genesis 35:18; "And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin." "Ben-oni", in the Hebrew means "son of my sorrow", she named him that because his birth brought about her death. Jacob however, called him Benjamin, which is "son of my right hand".

Genesis 35:19; "And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem." Place where Rachel died weeping for her children, will be the same place where the Jesus Christ the Messiah would be born. The last of Jacob's sons was born where Jesus would later be born, and this is why the Lord said in Jeremiah 31:16; "Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded.

Matthew 2:18 "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."

Though the weeping for the small children that were slaughtered went on, our Lord is reminding us that the true eternal comfort will be coming at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. God said, "Don't weep Rachel, it is going to be alright," and we know it will be. Jesus will gather them all back to Him.

Matthew 2:19 "But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,"

Again note the control of our Heavenly Father, He is in control of your future also, and once we repent and come to Him with a repentive heart, and believe on His Name, then God will direct our ways, through His Word, and with the dwelling of His Holy Spirit within us. Upon repentance, God stamps you with approval, as though you were perfect. With total forgiveness under the shed blood of Christ, you are clean in God's eyes, and that is where it counts.

Matthew 2:20 "Saying, "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young Child's life."

Matthew 2:21 "And he arose, and took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel."

Matthew 2:22 "But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:"

We see that Joseph followed immediately the directions given by God, and took Mary and the Christ Child back from Egypt to the land of Judaea, however the fear never came until Joseph got back to Judaea. God lead Him back, and when Joseph took his eyes off of God, the fear came. He looked and saw that the son of Herod was now on the throne. God however, gave Joseph more instructions, after he was back in Judaea, to pass right through Judaea, north to Galilee.

Everything that has happened in the lives of Joseph, Mary and Jesus took place exactly as it was written. When Joseph was in the reality of living out the prophecies that were written years before, the control came by God in the dreams.

We are living in the latter days of this earth age, and many prophecies that seem strange to us that apply to what we will see and hear, just won't make sense until we see them come to pass, and live through them ourselves. However when they do, as God's elect we should note them and find comfort in our Lord, for He does have control over all men at all times.

Matthew 2:23 "And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarrene." "

Joseph's trouble that caused him to leave Judaea was no accident, but a controlled event. This is because it was written that Jesus would be raised a Nazarene. This prophecy is given in several places; lets go to Judges 13:5; "For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come on his head for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

So we see that the Old Testament told us where He would be born, and the book of Daniel tells us the time that He would be born, and many things that Jesus Christ would do living the life as a man. Every detail surrounding Jesus last days, His death, resurrection, and Christ's ascension into heaven was given through the prophets hundreds of years in advance. This is all made possible so that we can have confidence in His Word, and know that He loves us and cares for us.

Matthew Chapter 3

"The Forerunner; Baptism, John's Threatening."

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea.."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Matthew 3:1 "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,"

So we see that many years have gone by since the births, between Matthew two and three. This is the John that was in the womb of his mother Elisabeth, the cousin of Jesus' mother Mary. The last time John was mentioned he was leaping for joy at the presence of the Christ child, Jesus Christ. The time was six months after the feast of Abia, and that made Christ's conception December 25. This now is thirty years later, and John is now out in the wilderness.

Matthew 3:2 "And saying, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

"Repent" means to have a change of heart and mind. To feel remorse for your sinning against God, and your turning from the things, and thoughts that will give you a new direction. It will change you for the better.

Many people today feel that if they become a Christian, they will miss out on all the good things of life, however that just is not true. Christians enjoy everything in life more, their entire life is more peaceful, and a more trouble-free life. The "do-this", and "don't do that" boys would like to regulate your Christian life, however the freedom that we enjoy in Christ excludes those boys. Instead, we can study to learn more about our Heavenly Father, and then His Holy Spirit will direct our path, and we become regulated by our own conscience, which is regulated and in tune with God's Spirit.

Instead of strife, regulation, and judgment from the Kenite type mind from without; theirs is a calmness, and peace that only Jesus can give, when we know that our sins are forgiven, and we are at peace with our maker. We have the assurance that God will pick us up when we are down, and build a wall of protection around our mind, and family when it looks like the road is getting a little tough. We become "can do" type people when we are in God's will.

Matthew 3:3 "For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.' "

This is but a part of the full quotation that John gave in his sermon. The quotation is taken from Isaiah 40:3-31.

Isaiah 40:3; "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

Isaiah 40:4 "And every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

Isaiah 40:5 "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

John the Baptist's sermon went on to cover the rest of that the chapter, that announced the coming of and arrival of the Messiah. It told how all the nations will submit to him, and lives would be changed. It is well worth the time to continue to the end of the chapter.

Matthew 3:4 "And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey."

The camel's hair, leather girdle and meat of locust and honey were the identifying features of a prophet.

Matthew 3:5 "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,"

Matthew 3:6 "And were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins."

Many felt that John was Elijah the prophet, and he was very successful in preaching and turning many to God. However John wasn't, and he never claimed to be Elijah. When he was asked once; "Are you that prophet?" His answer was No.

In Luke 1:16 we read that John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah.

Luke 1:17 "And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias [Elijah], to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Later in Matthew 11:14 Jesus was asked by the Kenites about John the Baptist, if he was Elijah, Jesus answered them. If they have believed, he would have been Elijah." However they did not believe, in fact they beheaded John the Baptist. They killed John, and they crucified the Lord. That very last promise that our Lord God made to us before closing out the Old Testament, was the promise of the return of Elijah before the end of this flesh earth age.

Malachi 4:5-6; "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: [5] And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

Matthew 3:7 "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"

The "generation of vipers" are serpents. They are the offspring of the snake. We are talking about the "Kenites", the Hebrew word that is properly translated, "sons of Cain". These are the same ones that Jesus spoke of in Saint John 8:44; when He said, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

This is not spiritualizing a truth, but stating a fact. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were Kenites, and were offspring from the Nethinims that took over the Scribes and priest's duties that Ezra and Nehemiah wrote about. They are of the lineage of Cain, their father, that was born through the seduction [beguiling] by Satan of Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Who was the first murderer? It was Cain of course. Genesis 4:8; "And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him." Jesus goes deep into identifying the Kenites, as to who they were in Matthew 23. We see that Jesus is addressing the Scribes and Pharisees, and giving a warning to them. Then in verse thirty three;

Matthew 23:33-35; "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" [33] "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of the shall ye scourge in your syagogues, and persecute the from city to city: [34] That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Able unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the Temple and the altar." [35]

We see that though the religious leaders of today have turned their back on what Jesus told us to learn, both John and Jesus alike knew who the Kenites are, and where they came from. In that, they knew the mind of the Kenite was of their father, Cain the murderer, and Satan the Devil. This is the cause of most of our trouble today, just as it was then. The mind of the Kenite, of lies, deceptions, and even murder come straight from Satan, through his son Cain.

You must keep these Kenites identified as you continue to study the Bible, for they are the negative force, that has rooted themselves into the religious orders of Judaism from Babylonian captivity to our Lord Jesus Christ's time, and hold high positions in the Temple as well as the government. The position of the Chief priest was appointed by the king of Roman rule, and the Sanhedrim, or "council-chamber" of the Temple, and government, which was like the Supreme Court of the land, were filled with Kenites. Those around Jesus, knew who they were, and their identification is what the "parable of the fig tree" is all about. We will discuss this in detail in Chapters thirteen, and twenty three. The thing to remember is that though they claim to be of Judah, they lie and have no Israel blood in them. This is where the warning of Jesus is aimed in Revelation 2:9; 3:9.

These Kenites carry the negative spirit within themselves, and when you get near them, you can discern it.

Matthew 3:8 "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:"

John the Baptist is saying, you can repent, and have salvation, but bring me the evidence of your repentance. The evidence is your love from the heart, rather then the deceiving, lying, and combative attitudes that were brought by these lawyers of that day. The Kenite Pharisees and Sadducees came out to rebuke and belittle John. John is saying to them, show me your evidence of repentance, if you claim to be of God.

Matthew 3:9 "And think not to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham to our father:' for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."

There is quite a play on words here in the New Covenant. In the New Covenant it opens up that "whosoever shall believe on the Lord shall not perish, but have eternal life." This is everlasting life. The word "Abraham" in the Hebrew means, "father of many nations", and we see that in the word Abraham, are the many nations that will come forth as part of God's elect, to make up His people. They will come from all races, and tongues, and they all have one thing in common; "They all believe on the name of the Lord", and are raised up to Eternal life that God has extended to them.

This is where we get that Abraham is the father of all nations, for if he is, God can raise up any Gentile nation He pleases, and graft them to Himself. Why? Because Abraham had faith in God, and would offer even his own son up when He knew that He was too old to have another son. He knew that somehow God would restore Isaac to him, for God made a promise, and Abraham knew that God would keep that promise, even if God would turn the rocks into his children. With this faith, Abraham took the blade and was in the process of not even withholding Isaac, because God asked it of him.

It was by divine intervention that Isaac was born, when Sarah was years beyond childbearing, yet God promised that the seed [children] of Abraham would be as the sand of the sea shore, and the stars of the sky. On that day of sacrifice, God provided Abraham the ram in the bush as the sacrifice to Him; however, John the Baptist is now announcing that the true sacrifice that has come, and it will be Jesus Christ that would be the sacrifice for the sins of the World. Though God's hand held the hand of Abraham; God did not hold the hands of the executioners, as they slay the Son of God, and shed His blood. God did this because He loves you, and His Son Jesus Christ was in the will and obedience to His Father.

This is why John was able to say that God is able to raise up children to Him, from even these stones.

Matthew 3:10 "And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

Trees are symbolic for people. The evil root of those trees that were in the garden of Eden, was the "tree of good and evil", and that tree is Satan, the Devil. It was Satan who God addressed as the serpent. The good fruit are those that have repented and know Jesus Christ as their Savior, however the fire that will consume the bad wood, or evil wood [Kenites and followers of Satan] will be consumed in the lake of fire. Jesus spoke of this time in Revelation 20:10-15.

Revelation 20:10; "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." This is following the time of the great tribulation of this earth age, Millennium age, and also the final Judgment. We see in verses twelve and thirteen that; "And they were judged every man according to their works." This is given twice. You will be judged by the things written in the Lamb's [Christ's] book of life, for the deeds and words spoken in this life.

Revelation 20:14-15; "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, This is the second death." [14] "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." This my friend, is what John was talking about to those Pharisees. It is the parable of the tares, given in Matthew thirteen, and God tells us to leave them alone, it is not for us to judge them, for at the appointed time, it will be He and the angels that gather them and cast them into the fire.

These Kenites have grown to the point that their four hidden dynasties, Economics [banking and industry]; Education; Religion; and Politics are fused into one under their United Nations flag, and at God's appointed time, the gathering will take place. However, if one of those tares turn to Jesus Christ and repents, then he is no longer a tare, and this gathering of the wood to be burned does not apply to him. He is no longer a wicked one, but a son of the Living God by adoption, the same adoption that you and I claim in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He That cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" "Holy Ghost" is better translated, "Holy Spirit" from the Greek..

This "fire" came on Pentecost day by the Holy Spirit of God, and those that spoke there on that day, spoke in that cloven tongue. That tongue was not the turkey calls babel that is mouthed these days, but it was a clear speech that needed no interpretation. Check it out for yourselves, by turning to Acts 2. Those that speak confusion, are from Babylon, which in the Hebrew tongue is "confusion". But the voice that came from their mouth, when the words of the Holy Spirit was given was understood by all men that were present from all over the world.

"Tongues" means "languages"; and Acts 2:7-8 reads; "And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? [7] And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" [8] Did you get that, in the very dialect of the neighborhood that they were born in. There is no confusion to this tongue given by the Holy Spirit. That Spirit, which is the fire of God came down and entered into them. That fire warms the heart of them that love Him, and is a consuming fire to the wicked ones.

Matthew 3:12 "Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

This fan spoken of here is a "winnowing shovel [fan]". God's fan gets rid of the chaff; while Satan sifts to get rid of the wheat [Luke 22:31]. The wheat is symbolic of the rich golden grain, that is God's elect. Those that have repented and turned their lives around. While the chaff are all those whose names are not written in the Lambs book of Life. Those are the tares and things that look like wheat when it is beaten out on the thrashing floor. God's winnowing shovel will seperate thase tares from the wheat, and the chaff will be cast into the fire. As the wheat is dropped to the floor, the chaff blows away.

Matthew 3:13 "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him."

John knew and recognized Jesus as He walked up, for John and Jesus were cousins.

Matthew 3:14 "But John forbad Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" "

John was a very humble person, because in John's eyes it should be the other way around. John thought that Jesus should be the one to baptize him.

Matthew 3:15 "And Jesus answering said unto him, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he suffered Him."

John understood that it was necessary that Jesus be baptized, for His time had come, and so John went ahead and baptized Jesus. The word "baptize means to totally submerge. It comes from the word used to dye material. If you are going to dye a piece of material red, you have to have a container of water with red dye dissolved in it. The result then when the material is "baptized" or submerged, is that the material is completely red, inside and out.

When you ask, how do I know if and when I should be baptized? Well, Christ was, and baptism is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God, through your outward commitment, that shows the world, and marks you as Christ's. Baptism by submerging in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the rite or ordinance by which you enter into the Body of Christ. It is your personal public profession of faith and discipleship to Jesus Christ. It shows your death to sin, and your washing afresh to a new life in our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Baptism we freely ask the Holy Spirit of God to enter and control our lives.

Baptism is essential to the believer, of the head of the church, Jesus Christ was baptized, and it is your public confession to the world of your faith in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 3:16 "And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him."

This is recorded as prophecy is Isaiah 11:2. Lets start with verse one. "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:" This rod is David, and the Branch that came from the root of David is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 11:2; "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear [reverence] of the Lord." Here are the seven spirits of God. These are the gifts that are given by the Holy Spirit, and these are what God will give us, as He sees our need for them. These "Spirits" or gifts are not given alike to every believer, however we are to use the gifts that He gives each of us, according to our abilities. The gift of "fear, or reverence" before the Lord, is ones gift of intercessory prayer, and this gift should be held very high.

Matthew 3:17 "And lo a voice form heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Truly our Heavenly Father was well pleased in His Son, Jesus Christ, who filled that position of the God head, and made the pathway complete, whereby man can have a way back to the Father, in repentance for man's sins. The blood of Christ paid the price, and the name of Jesus is the only name on earth whereby we can be saved.

Every part of Jesus life was foretold in the prophecies of the Old Testament, and when confronted by the Kenites, Jesus response was always, "It is written"; "Have you not read?"; and so on, to show that what He did was in accordance with what was foretold.

This is also applied to us in these end times, what will happen will also be as it was foretold, and this is why we must continue to study God's Word, that we will not be deceived by the lies and wonders of the Antichrist.

Matthew Chapter 4

"Jesus Christ's Temptation; Beginning of Ministry."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

The Messiah has been baptized, and anointed and is going to begin His ministry. Note where His ministry begins, and that immediately He went into the wilderness for this temptation. The first message that Jesus gave was to Satan himself. When your ministry begins, it's better that you come out ready to take on the enemy right at the first.

Matthew 4:1 "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

It was intended that Jesus would be tempted right from the start. Following the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it was the Holy Spirit that led Him to the area of temptation. Why would this be? Because Christ is setting the example for you to what you will face when you repent and are saved. Upon your repentance is not when your temptations are over, but the start of the most fierce spiritual battles that you will face.

Sometimes you will falter, miss the mark and yield to those temptations, and fall short. So we see that the first thing that Jesus shows us, in our walk as a Christian, is that the strongest temptations will come in the beginning. Just like Jesus had the victory over Satan, so also you can have victory over Satan, and this chapter is the demonstration showing us how we also will have victory over Satan's temptation.

Matthew 4:2 "And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered."

Fasting forty days would put the flesh in a very weak condition, it would give the advantage to Satan' over the flesh. There were probably many other temptations that came to Jesus, but those named here are most likely the strongest, and the ones we are to learn. The first Adam was tempted in the garden, while this second Adam was tempted in the wilderness. The first Adam fell to temptation, while the second Adam stood against all the temptations Satan sent His way.

The first Adam brought sin into the world, while the second Adam brought victory over Satan, and eternal life back to man. In I Corinthians 15:45-48 tells of this. "And so it is written, "The first man Adam was made a living soul;" the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." [45] The term "quickening spirit", means living spirit. "Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. [46] The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. [47] As is the earth, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly." [48]

When we believe in Jesus Christ, and are baptized into the new life, the Spirit of God quickens us, puts a new life in us, and that life is a Heavenly life, which is a spiritual life.

Matthew 4:3 "And when the tempter came to Him, he said," If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."

The tempter, Satan is very wise, and notice that Satan will use the scripture in his attack on you. He knows the Bible more then you will ever; and this is why we must study, and go back to it when under spiritual attack. Satan loves the Scripture, but are you wise enough to know what he does with the Scripture. The Kenites are also are great twisters of the truth. God warns us in that in these latter days, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ [claiming to be carrying a message from God]; and shall deceive many." Matthew 24:4, 5

Today the truth from God's word is presented in such a fashion that it sounds so good, but in many cases it is twisted to the point of becoming a lie. People are placing their eternal life on the words of these deceivers, and in the end, God will turn them to be turned over to the Antichrist. They have allowed themselves to be deceived. Watch and learn from the example given here by Jesus Christ.

Matthew 4:4 "But He answered and said, "It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"."

Did you get that; "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God". You have to take the entire Scripture, and not throw parts out, like is done in many churches today. Our answer to Satan, or any of those in Satan's service is what is written in God's Word. Jesus is quoting from the prophecy that God gave to Moses in Deuteronomy 8:3.

"And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou kewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." This is the first speaking of the teaching of the Scriptures, declaring "It is written", and we see that the first teaching is to Satan, and not man.

Matthew 4:5 "Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple,"

This holy city is Jerusalem, and it is there that the Antichrist [Satan] will stand and declare himself to be God. This is the same type of temptation that we will see Satan in very shortly, which Daniel called the Abomination by the Desolator, in Daniel 9:27. Satan will commit his abominable act before the coming of the Lord, and most of the people living today on the earth will witness it, and believe that he is the true Messiah.

Paul writes in II Thessalonians 2:4; "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." This is exactly what Satan is tempting Jesus with. Though Satan will claim to have all the earth, and he will have. However, when he declares himself to be God, that is the abomination that will seal his doom. Jesus will be given the kingdom of the earth, but it will be at the appointed time, and that time has not come yet. In this earth age, Satan's is the prince of this world now. But his time of reign will end at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, and the return of Jesus Christ as the King of kings.

Satan is the prince of this earth age, and it is still given unto Satan to tempt man, and deceive man, if man will allow himself to be deceived. Each soul of man must make its own mind up whether he [she] will love and obey God, or yield to Satan. Satan is the prince of this world, and he will offer you what ever it takes to get your soul. Who do you listen to?

Matthew 4:6 "And saith unto Him, "If thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone."

This is Satan talking to Jesus, and he has the gull to quote Scripture to Jesus the Messiah. Satan is quoting the Scripture like most preachers today, for he is misquoting it, taking it out of context, and using it for his own gain. Satan is garbling it by omitting the essential words. The quotation is found in Psalm 91:11, 12; "For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. [11] They shall bear thee up in their hand, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." [12]

Did you get what was omitted? "In all thy ways." A "way" is a path, or a course that you set for yourself. These verses are aimed to the person that sets a path that he will follow, and while following that path, God's angels will protect you along that path. When you leave that path then the angel will not necessarily give that protection to you. You must be obedient to the Word of God to expect this type of protection.

When you leave part of the text out, or take it out of context, you lie, and deceive others, just as Satan did here. Most of the quote is true, however what was left out made the entire quote void. It turned the quote form the authority of God, to nothing more then a selfish motive.

When people, or even your pastor quotes Scripture to you, do you have the knowledge to know whether they are lying to you, or if it is fact is it in God's Word. There is only one way to protect yourself, and that is to check it out for yourself. Satan does more damage from the pulpits, that from bars, or any place else.

Matthew 4:7 "Jesus said unto him, "It is written again, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God'."

Christ is the Living Word, He is the Scripture, and that is why there is no way He could be tripped up by Satan on the Word. Know this, that Satan will tempt you also, exactly as he has tempted Jesus. If you have a weakness Satan will find it, and if you can be bought then Satan, will pay the price to get you, for he is the prince of this world, and his offspring, the Kenites are in control of the dynasties of this world. However when you set the course that is given in the Bible, then God's Spirit will protect your every path.

This is Jesus answer to Satan. Jesus again is quoting from the Word of God, and that passage is found in Deuteronomy 6:16. However let's start with verse 15. "(For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee form off the face of the earth." [15] "Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted Him in Massah." [16] "Massah" in the Hebrew text, is "desert".

Matthew 4:8 "Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them ;"

We are in an age now that this verse is very important to us. This verse documents that Satan is the head of the fourth and final kingdom, that we refer to as the "Daniels image". It is the "non-descript beast". It is none other then Satan himself, because the nations of all the world, were not even known at this time, for all nations will be one. This verse is looking to the future, even in this final generation.

We are going into "One Worldism" and that is a fact. The entire world will be part of that system, and all of the power of the world will soon be wrapped up into one big lump, with Satan at the head. When Satan shows his world kingdom to you, will it be tempting to take part in it? God's elect will see it for what it is, just as Jesus did, and our response to Satan will be the same that we will see Jesus giving here.

Every one of God's elect know that Satan will come first, and they will see right through the lies and deceptions, and deceiving wonders that will be performed to deceive all of mankind. That knowledge in your heart, which is your mind and intellect, is the seal of God spoken of in Revelation 9:4. They also know that that time was cut short for their sake [the elect's], and the time of Satan's rule will be only five months, as recorded in Revelation 9:5, 10.

Revelation 9:5; "And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man." The ones doing the striking are Satan's locust army of followers during that great tribulation, and the ones that are being struck are all people that are not sealed of God in their foreheads, that are living in that day. The striking will be with lies and deceptions, and the entire world will believe them. This generation will face Satan's lies.

So now we will see the example that Christ sets for us.

Matthew 4:9 "And saith unto Him, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."

Are you going to worship Satan? He is coming as the false Messiah, and if you are looking to fly out of here through some rapture theory, you will be deceived. Daniel tells us that when Satan comes, he will offer you peace and prosperity. The war that Satan brings as the Antichrist, is a spiritual war, and that is what will deceive all but the elect.

Daniel 8:24; "And his [Satan's] power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy People." We are told in Revelation 9:1, and in II Thessalonians 2:9, 10 that the power and authority that Satan has to deceive the world is given to him by God. Satan will use that authority to work wonders to convince Christians that he is their Messiah, and they will believe it. Why? Because they were taught such in their church houses, and led by the Kenites.

Daniel 8:25; "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken with out hand." The policy are the limits that are set, and under the policy all matters dealing with the running of that company, or government are stated. In this case, the government is a religious beast system, that has Satan as it's head, and under Satan's control he can offer you whatever it takes to get your obedience to him, and to bow to him.

Notice that Satan, the Antichrist will come in and cause craft, or business to prosper. He will present himself to you as one who can satisfy all your needs, keep your business strong, and cause peace throughout all the world. However if you accept Satan's peace, even in ignorance, you will be destroyed, as the entire world will, except God's elect. It will be your soul that will be destroyed, and the destruction is spiritual, which is everlasting.

So you see that Satan will offer to you, exactly what he has offered to Jesus, now here is what Jesus tells us to answer, when we are given Satan's offer through his new world order.

Matthew 4:10 :Then saith Jesus unto him, "Get thee hence, Satan:: for it is written, 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.' "

Here it is again, friend, our defense is from the Word of God. This is why we need to get use to standing on it. This again come for Deuteronomy 6:13. Even though it looks on the surface that Satan has complete control over the entire earth; in the name of Jesus we have power over Satan and all of his forces. That power comes from the Holy Spirit of God, that came down and entered Jesus at the baptism, and there is no power anywhere that has authority over Him. When we repent, and call upon the name of Jesus we have that power.

Though mankind gets confused over who Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit is, the demons, and Satan do not, they know exactly who He is, and they submit completely to God upon His authority. God allows them to exist, and tempt man, however man has free will to chose whom he will, and at the appointed time of God's choosing, they will all be destroyed.

Keep in mind that you have authority over Satan, and until you give in to him, he has no power over you. So your answer is the same one that Jesus gave. "Get thee hence, Satan", or in today's terms, "Get behind me, Satan." You order Satan out of your house, and your life. He must go. and you order it "in the name of Jesus Christ." That is how you anoint your house and your life.

Today there is a modern teaching that is promoted by some of the new versions of the Bible, and it is all part of this "New Age Movement". The new teaching is that there is no devil, and there is no Satan, and that the base root of word "Satan" in the Hebrew is "destroyer". They want you to use the word "adversary" instead. They want you to use the base word "adversary" rather then placing the name of Satan on a man; and as such they say that this "adversary" is just a negative part of you. If you are so ignorant to believe this, then you would believe that there was no one in the wilderness tempting Jesus, and then God's Word becomes a lie to you.

If you accept this doctrine of the "New Age" movement, then you would be saying that Jesus the Son of God had a negative side also, and sin could exist in Him, and this cannot be possible. It is a doctrine of the devil [promoted by the Kenites], and if it is taught in your church, run from it, for your very soul is in danger. If Christ had a negative side then Christ's death and resurrection would be of no value to sinning man, and Jesus Christ could not have been perfect. To say this is a lie, yet that is what will be believed largely by most, very shortly. When this is accepted by most Christians, salvation will be void to them.

Christ was a spotless sacrifice, and the many doctrines of demons that many churches entertain today, makes Christianity very confusing to those on the outside. Satan has many names, and each name identifies him by the many roles that he played in the Bible; however he is one person, he is real, and he will tempt you just as he did Jesus.

Matthew 4:11 "Then the devil leaveth Him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto Him."

After Jesus ordered Satan away, the angels came and ministered to Jesus. He hadn't had food for the past forty days. Ministered does not mean that they preached to Him, but tended to his physical needs. Notice that the first one that Christ ministered to was Satan, and now that this role of Satan is over. In the end of the Millennium age, Satan will be turned to ashes in the pits of Hell and be gone forever.

Matthew 4:12 "Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee;"

This is the start of Jesus ministry to mankind. The disciples have not been chosen yet, and in the word "cast", meant that John had been delivered up for his first trial.

Matthew 4:13 "And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:"

To explain what the words mean in the original text; "Nazareth" means "the guarded one". The word "Capernaum", comes from the Hebrew word, "Nahum" which is "to be given", or "consolation", and "Zebulon" means "habitation", and Naphthalim means "my wrestling's". These words were chosen, and gives prophecy within themselves.

So lets use the original test language. "And leaving the guarded one he came to the place of consolation, which is on the sea coast of the borders of habitation, and the start of His ministry [wrestling's]. Wrestling with Satan.

Matthew 4:14 "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,"

Matthew 4:15 ""The land of Zabulon, and the land of Naphthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;"

This is a quotation from Isaiah 9:1, 2: Notice that Galilee at this time was the land of the Gentiles. The people living there were not of the House of Israel, which were scattered seven centuries prior, and they also were not of the Jews [The house of Judah].

Isaiah 9:1; "Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at first He lightly afflicted in land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and after ward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations."

Isaiah 9:2; "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

We know that it was written long before Christ came as a Child to the earth, that this Scripture would be fulfilled. That most of His teaching and ministry would be in Galilee, just as the Prophet Isaiah had prophesied from God.

Matthew 4:16 "The People which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up."

This prophecy was given over seven hundred years before it came to pass, and that is how you tell a true prophet from that false one. The test is if what he said comes to pass, and if it doesn't, then he is a fake. We have many so-called prophets today that write their books on prophecy each year, because they make their correction on an annual basis. Yet people buy the books and just can't wait until the next version of lies and disinformation comes out.

Isaiah was a true prophet, for what he said was of God, and did come to pass. The "Great Light" was Jesus Christ and wherever Jesus went He brought light, spiritual light to the souls that saw and heard Him. When He laid hands on them, they were healed, and shadow of death went from them. Jesus ministry has begin. There is nothing in that ministry that was not foretold, and written in the Old Testament.

Matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

"Repent" is not just a magic word, but a true change of heart and mind. It is being truly sorry for the sin that is in your life, and the wrong that you have caused others. It is setting a new course in your life, a new path and the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will hold us up and give guidance and protect our minds, when that path is following the course set forth in His Holy Word.

A "Kingdom" is a "King and his domain", Christ is the King, and all those that repent are part of Jesus Christ's domain. God's dominion is where ever He chooses. The kingdom of Heaven is in your heart, which is the intellect of your mind. It is what you know to be true, and believe in. When you repent, your heart is clean and you enter into that kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 4:18 "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers."

Peter and Andrew were not sports fishermen, but commercial fishermen. They made their living by catching and selling their fish.

Matthew 4:19 "And He saith unto them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

"Fishers of men", means seekers of men's souls. Notice that when Jesus saw them, He called out and they came immediately. There was no altar call, and begging to come with Him. They heard, understood and came immediately. Did they wait to straighten up their nets, and think about it first? Was there even a choice given to them?

When the truth of the living God enters your heart and strikes your mind, you will hear Him say "follow me", and there is no hesitation. You go! You know you have a destiny and a purpose.

Matthew 4:20 "And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him."

Jesus just came out of the wilderness, and was tried by Satan; if you drop what you are doing and follow Christ in His pathway, will you be able to handle the strong temptations that Satan, and his band of Scripture lawyers can throw at you. That is why the first thing you must do when you follow Jesus is to get into His Word, so that you cannot be deceived.

Today there are many of Satan's warriors preaching from the pulpits to rip you off for your finances, and to gain control of your mind. Anything done to line ones own pockets, in the name of God is Satan's work. If you listen to them, you become their daily bread, and their pension fund. When you drop your old life of sin, and your mind is cleaned of those filthy ways, it must be filled with God's Word through study, or Satan's demons will come back and enter your mind, and you will be worse then before.

God expects for you to be intelligent and learn from His Word, and not allow some "snake charmer" [a dabbler in the Scriptures] to control your mind, with half truths and and distortions from the Bible. When Christ says to "follow Me", He expects you to take control and tell Satan to get off your back. He expects you to stand up and become one of His soldiers, in the service of the King. Physical health has nothing to do with this, this is a spiritual battle, and it is the preparation of your heart, by girding up your mind that prepares you for that spiritual battle.

Jesus Christ simply said follow Me.

Matthew 4:21 "And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them."

Matthew 4:22 "And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him."

Here again there is no altar calls, no time to consider "should I, or not?", they dropped what they were doing, and left their father in the boat, and followed Christ. When you have a destiny, and God touches your life, and gives you understanding, you will know it. Christ didn't fool around, and play games with them, He called them, and they responded "immediately". They knew the truth, and when the call came, like a true soldier, they went.

Matthew 4:23 "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people."

Jesus took His four followers, and went right to the churches [the synagogues]. He began preaching the "Gospel of the Kingdom". He preached the entire Word, the Gospel of His kingdom, of the King [Christ] and his dominion [those that repent and become part of the body of Christ].

Matthew 4:24 "And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them."

Jesus not only tended to their spiritual needs, and filled their minds with the Gospel of the Kingdom, but He tended also to their physical needs. He healed their diseases and things that gave them pain, and cast out the devils [demons] that were in them. Notice the word "Lunatick", in the Strong' Greek dictionary, # 4583, "Seleniazomai, sel-ay-nee-ad'-zom-ahee; to be moon-struck, i.e. crazy: be lunatic." Jesus Christ even healed those with mental problem, which today we refer to as being crazy. He healed those paralyzed, and with all the sickness of that day.

Jesus Christ tended to both their spiritual and their physical needs, and He works today as He did then. It take much prayer and fasting on the part of the Christian, fasting is the same as feasting that will come in the end times, the famine, as written in Amos 8:11; "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:"

So-called ministers of healing can heal no one. You may say that he can heal, but he can not. It is Christ that does the Healing, and when anyone is healed, it is because they were touched of Christ. No man can heal, for only Christ can do the healing to those that He determines should be healed, and they are healed for His purpose. There are many time that people are healed, and the healing starts through the heart, however there are many times that Christ will not heal. Poor old Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, could never get his healing, while he was the one that Christ used to heal many others. Paul had been to the third heaven, and God kept that thorn in Paul kept him humble.

Matthew 4:25 "And there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan."

What was Jesus fame all about? Jesus Christ fame went out as a healer, and to most people the Gospel was secondary. They were not so much interested in Jesus as the Messiah, but as one that could cast out demons.

"Decapolis" in the Greek, means "a ten city region", and shortly there will be another ten dominion ruler that will try to take captive the hearts of men. That man is Satan, and we read of it in the book of Revelation, and Daniel. The ten regions or cities are areas of power and authority that are beginning take charge of the entire world today. These powers are all linked to the new world order, that is a political beast, and shortly will be given over to the religious beast that Satan will rule over as the Antichrist.

So this is the start of Jesus Christ's three year ministry, and at this time four of his Apostles have been chosen, and commanded to follow Him.

Matthew Chapter 5

"Disciples Taught, "The Sermon on the Mount".

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson

Additional Suggested Study: Companion Bible

In Matthew 23 there is an opposite to these blessings, and it is called the "eight woes". To understand one, you must understand the other.

Matthew 5:1 "And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him:"

Jesus was now getting away for the multitudes that followed Him in Matthew 4. The ones that He was teaching were His disciples.

Matthew 5:2 "And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying,"

"Opened His mouth", is an idiom saying that He spoke in the teaching manner. Jesus is now filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and Jesus is now ready to reveal to His Apostles a commentary showing that His teaching is connected with the proclamation of His kingdom. Parts of this address are repeated in His ministry, and as well as the ministry of the Apostles. This address by Jesus became part of the "gospel of the Kingdom", and is given in part in Luke 6, and 7, though many critics claim that there is "discrepancy" between the two, there is not. The later repetitions in Luke were given in "a plain", and after the calling of the twelve Apostles. In Matthew 5, Jesus had called only four Apostles, and the sermon is given on the "Mountain". Modern critics are assuming that the two accounts are identical, and given at the same time, when they are not.

Before we give an ear to the critics, remember that they assume the Bible is incorrect from the start. They assume it is by man, and the weight that is given as being from the Holy Spirit, is different then that of a believer. When there is doubt as to the meaning, the error is not in the Word given by God , but in the understanding of that Word by man. Many times we have seen that the translators missed the mark in taking it from one language to another, or even understanding the idioms, and figures of speech of that day. If you're willing to put the time in to Study, with the proper reference, the Spirit of God will lay on your heart the words of His message.

Matthew 5:3 ""Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Poor in spirit" is in reference to the spirits of this world. There spirit is denying self, and given over to the Holy Spirit of God. Their spirit is part of, and in the kingdom of heaven. Blessed is better translated "happy". From these beatitudes you will become very happy, if your are humble in spirit.

Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted,"

This "mourning" is not for the "poor-me babies" of the world, who cry over every negative thing that comes their way. This mourning is for the deceived of this age, that mourn when they see their own relatives deceived by heathen doctrines that will lead them astray. They are not mourning for themselves, but for the spiritual loss of those who are around them, and in ignorance are blinded by Satan.

Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

The "meek" are the "praus" in the Greek; the humble before the Lord. To be humble before the Lord, doesn't mean that you stand by and allow bullies to push you around, but you have reverence before the Lord. You know from where your strength comes. The inheritance for this happiness, is an inheritance and reward which will be given you in the Millennium age.

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

"Hunger and thirst" is an Hebrew idiom, and it means that you have a "strong desire". You have a strong desire to love the Lord and learn from His Word. I know you do, or you would not be reading this book. It is your mind and soul that will be filled with God's Word, and in turn God's Spirit. That comes by studying His Word.

Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

The "merciful" are those that have compassion for others. They are not self-centered, but are concerned for the souls of the lost. If you give compassion to others, then you will receive mercy and compassion from our Lord. You set the pace of your own life, as well as the standards, and what is important to you. What you sow in this earth age, you will also reap, and not only in this life, but the next. When you learn to show compassion for others, then you will find pleasure and happiness in this life also.

Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

Your "Heart" is the intellect our your soul, it is your "mind". When you keep your mind pure, and free from guilt, then you will see God. A pure mind is obtained by flushing out the hateful things of this world, and seeing everything in a clean mind. This gives a new insight of the world and God, and brings you a real happiness.

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall called the children of God."

The peacemakers are the ones making peace, even when they are delivered up before the synagogues of Satan. In the final generation these children [sons and daughters] of God are called the elect of God.

Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

To be persecuted for righteousness sake, is to be persecuted because of your stand for Jesus Christ, and the Word of God. If you are persecuted because you are a trouble maker, there is no righteousness in that, and no happiness either. When you take that stand for Jesus and the Word, then your rewards will come through your blessings in the next age as well as in this life.

Matthew 5:11 "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."

These are the ones that are persecuted because they are Christians, and carry the "name sake" of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:12 "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

In this earth age of the flesh, don't ever weaken, or be discouraged in your teaching or preaching of the truth.

In the Companion Bible, that brings forth the Massoretic text writings into the English, there is an Appendix that covers these Beatitudes of Matthew 5, and the eight woes of Matthew 23. The best way to understand each of these; the blessings and the woes, is to see them side by side.

The BEATITUDES THE WOES (23:13-33)

1. The kingdom opened to the poor. (v3) 1. The kingdom shut. (v13)

(Psalm 40:17)

2. Comfort for mourners (v4). 2. Mourners distressed (v14).

(Psalm 119:136)

3. The meek inheriting the earth (5). 3. Fanatics compassing the earth (v15).

(Psalm 37:11)

4. Righteous sought by true desire (6). 4. False righteousness sought by

(Psalm 42:1,2) lies and moral breakdown (16-22).

5. The Merciful obtaining mercy (7). 5. Mercy "omitted" and "left undone" (Psalm 41:1) (vv23-24).

6. Purity within, and the vision of 6. Purity without, Uncleanness within.

God hereafter (v8). (Psalm 24:4) "Blindness" (vv25,26).

7. Peacemakers, the sons of God (9). 7. Hypocrites, and lawlessness (vv27,28)

(Psalm 133:1)

8. the persecuted (vv 10-12). 8. The persecutors (vv 29-33).

(Psalm 37; 39; and 40)

Please note also that these Beatitudes rest on special passages in the Psalms. For every positive there is an negative shown in God's Word.

Now we will look at what Jesus says about the law being done away with, by His coming.

Matthew 5:13 "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."

The "salt of the earth" are His disciples, those who study under Him, and those who came when Jesus said, "follow Me". When you repented and turned from your sinful ways, then you also became the salt of the earth. This is an analogy, and Christ is saying that you are the ones that are to save the kingdom of God, to sprinkle the teachings of His Word among His children, and bring the message alive to men of the earth, bringing the preservation of souls.

But if you as the salt, lay bare on the earth, exposed to the elements, you lose your savour, and the salt which was once full of flavour and making a difference, is now bland and of no effect, becoming fit not for preserving, but for the recycle pile.

This is similar to the leaven in the bread. If you are a true Christian, then when you put a little leaven [truth of God's Word] in the bread [world], the the world around you [which is the bread] will become leavened, or open to the truth.

What Jesus then is telling His disciples is that it is them, and all Christians that He is relying on to make the world salted with His Word. This is not talking about being abrasive, but a man or woman of God that knows how to represent our Lord in this world. We are to make a difference in the world that we live in, and if we can't make that difference, then of what use are we to God? To many people, their salt is given through their systematic financial support of a ministry, or as a prayer warrior. There are many avenues that God can use you, if you study His Word, and make yourself available in the ways that you have.

Most of the time, the salt is the least of all the ingredients that goes to make up the food that we eat, however if it is left out, it will change the entire taste and success of the cooking. The amount of salt, or added effort given by the Christian, can make a great difference, as Jesus pointed out with the widow's mite. God will use, and bless what you give from the heart, the first fruits of your labor, in His service. From that gift added to that of other tithes of dedicated Christians the Lord will build His kingdom, and each will share in the rewards equally at the close of the age. That is why your salt is important, what you add to the kingdom; it prepares you for service in the Kingdom to come. You give your tithe after the fact, to the place where you are taught.

How much more do you know of the Scripture today then ten, twenty or thirty years ago? If the answer is not much, then you are wasting God's money, and His tithe is not producing spiritual food with any flavor - but unpalatable spiritual food.

Matthew 5:14 "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."

This is addressed to the "salt" of the earth, the disciples and followers of Christ. The "Light" is the "phos" in the Greek. As long as you have the light of Christ's Word in your heart, people will see it, because it makes you different, when you also are the salt. The salt is what is in you, while the light is what others see coming out of you.

When you have that Light of the Word of God, then you are on a solid foundation, and your light becomes the beam that people can and will count on. You are able to help people with counsel and advice in a very simple way. It may be a smile or friendly greeting when needed, but when they know that your words are based on solid truths of God's Word, then those words become an anchor in a raging storm of life.

An example of this is when someone around you has just lost a loved one, and they come to you for consolation. By knowing the Scripture on "where the dead are" from I Thessalonians 4, and Ecclesiastes 12:6, 7; you know that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. You can explain this from both Paul and Solomon's writings. This is being a light to the world.

Matthew 5:15 "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."

The key is to study and to have patience. This verse uses a little common sense. You light a candle to give light, that is the purpose of the candle from the beginning. And when you study God's Word then that knowledge is to be shared with others. Sometimes it is shared in a simple way of everyday life, while to others that sharing can go deeper. We are to plant the seeds of the Word wherever we are, and if the interest is to go deeper, then be ready for it, however if there is strong resistance, leave it alone, it is not the time. However, water that seed that you have planted with prayer. The Holy Spirit will make it grow, if it should.

When you allow the warmth of Christ's love into your life, that love has to be felt amongst all those around you. You will give comfort to those that come around you when the Scriptures are more then just words, but promises that you count on and build your whole life around. If we left out the seasoning in God's Word, we would be pretty dull. If someone else tries to put the bushel basket over your light, then do all you can to reverse it, and allow your light to burn and the light to get out.

Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven."

Why do you let your light so shine before men? That they can see your good works and glorify our heavenly father. That is right, its our good works that must get out, not our faith. Our faith is our actions that are based on our belief, that is sustained by our confidence in God's Holy Word. It is the confidence that we place our hope in, because we trust in God to keep the Word that He has given us through the Prophets.

What are your good works? It may be a smile, or the helping of the neighbor when there is a need, or just anything that you can do in the name of the Lord, and with the right attitude. It may even be by the way you help in a ministry, whether singing, ushering, preaching, or just being faithful in your tithe. Whatever your works are, by being faithful in those works, God will reward you well for it. It is to be a light that men can see, for it gives hope in this mixed up world, especially in these end times. In the eternity those works is what your heavenly garment is made up of.

Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

Works has nothing to do with the law. The law is the teacher, or school master to show you how to do good works, while your works is a display that reveals your obedience to that law. Your works shows your discipline from God's Word being carried out in your life. While the attitude you have while doing your works shows your love for Christ in your life.

Many teach that when Christ came and went to the cross at Calvary, and shed His blood for us that the law was done away with. Jesus Christ Himself declares here that this is just not so. Jesus declared here that; "think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the Prophets", Christ's purpose for coming to earth, was to complete every last prophecy that came out of the Prophets of old. That included the law, for the law was given for guidance for man, and it is as current today as it was three thousand years ago.

God knew that man could not keep the law, and that is why He made the provision for man. When man broke the law, and the barrier came between God and man, and certain rites, ordinances, and rituals [sacrifices] were established by God to bring man back to God. These sacrifices were of the blood of sheep, goats and doves, and were a covering, [called atonement] that satisfied the Lord God for one year.

The only permanent sacrifice that could atone for mans sin, was a spotless sacrifice, sinless, and the only one that could do that was God's only Son, Jesus Christ. This was known long before the setting forth of the planets. God's plan was even written in the constellations of the heavens. The moment our Lord Jesus Christ died on that cross, the veil in the Temple was parted.

Matthew 27:50, 51; "Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. [50] And, behold, the veil of the Temple was rent in twain form the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;" [51]

My friend, this took place when every last rite, ordinance and sacrificial ritual that required a blood sacrifice of animals, (or part of those blood sacrifices) was done away with, for Jesus Christ's death on the cross fulfilled them all. However, those laws that deal with the governing of our everyday lives, were and are still on the books, and they are what God expects the true man and woman of God to follow. Those laws and commandments should be common knowledge to all mankind, for they are what all civilized law and government is based upon. The ten commandments, as Jesus will discuss later in this chapter, are just acting out plain common sense, and when anyone tells you that you don't have to follow the law because it is dead, and then you violate them, then you will deserve what ever punishment is given for it's violation.

Behind that veil [called the holy of holies] in the Temple is where the blood sacrifices were laid on the Altar of God. Only the Levitical priesthood could go into the Holy of Holies, behind the veil, and approach our Heavenly Father.

Now our love and belief in Jesus Christ, and His saving works on the cross, is what allows us to approach God, with our repentance for our sin, and the changing of our sinful ways. It is beautiful how our Heavenly Father made the way to Him so easy, but the price was very high, for it took the very life's blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. When you refuse that gift, you are throwing it right back in His face, and you will answer for that at the appointed time.

Don't spout off in public that you don't need that law, or they will think you are some sort of anarchist. They will think your a total idiot, for it is the law that sets order in all societies, even the most basic, and heathen even set their laws with God's standards. To become educated in the Word of God, puts you many steps ahead of the education of the world. Because your worldly education allows you to understand the methods of the world; and the Biblical education allows you to know what tomorrow will bring, and understand the mind of mankind-- righteous, and wicked alike.

Matthew 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."

This is Jesus teaching what we have just gone over. Not one word that has been written, or Prophesied in the Scriptures will be done away with, not one. The "jot" is the smallest letter in the Hebrew language, and appears like this " ' ", and it is recorded in the original Massoretic text 66,420 times. It is called "yod", and is pronounced "iota". However the jot, like the tittle have no sound where it is used.

The "tittle" is an small ornament that is placed over Hebrew letters, so you can tell the difference between the two letters that are very similar in appearance. It has no sound of its own, but eliminates the confusion of identifing Hebrew letters, such as telling the difference between R = resh [ ], and D = deleth [ ]. Jesus has told us that every marking of the original will stay in place, and apply to God's people, until that prophecy has come to pass, or the law has been fulfilled.

Many prophecies are already fulfilled, as well as all the blood sacrifices, and ordinances. Some of the law will not be fulfilled until after judgment day, when we enter the eternal age. Then all sin will be done away with, because the tempter, Satan, and all those that followed his ways will be turned to ashes. The health laws are in place to give us a long healthful life, while living in the flesh. To break those laws, is not so much a sin, but results in poor health, and sickness.

When anyone tells you the Old Testament is done away with, mark him well, for they could care less about your soul. The Old Testament tells us more of the end times, our generation, then all the New Testament combined. In fact, the most complete record of the Millennium age is given in Ezekiel, the last nine chapters, and the record of events of our generation are given in detail in the minor prophets. The reason the Christian nations are in the dark as to their far past, is that they reject much of the Old Testament, and they have come to believe the lies of the Kenites. "Those that say they are Jews, and lie, and are of the synagogue of Satan." [Revelation 2:9; 3:9]

Matthew 5:19 "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

The blood ordinances are gone, they were finish when Christ went to the cross, but not one of God's laws has been fulfilled. Jesus is telling His disciples and us that that if we break even the smallest law, we break them all. God holds those that go out and on purpose, breaks any of them, the least of importance in His kingdom. Did you get that? "and shall teach men so." I would think twice before teaching that the law was done away with, or if I did, it is time for repentance for you.

The breaking of the law does not make the law bad, but it makes man bad. When the law is broken, then we must follow Christ's first words of instruction, in Matthew 4:17; "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Until you repent, you will wear your sins. Being a believer does not wash your sins away. But when you repent in Jesus name, they are gone forever. We sin in so many things, daily, and this is why we must repent daily. We must die daily to our sinful nature, that is in conflict with the new nature that God has placed within us when we accept Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:20 "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

This is Jesus doing the teaching here, and these Scribes and Pharisees are the ones that sit in the seat of Moses, and claim to be the law givers, yet they are the Kenites. We know that five hundred years prior to this sermon, the Kenites, or sons of Satan virtually took over the duties of the scribes, and the Levitical priesthood allowed it to come to pass. This is recorded in I Chronicles 2:55; "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez [Jerusalem]; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab." These scribes were in charge, when the House of Judah came our of captivity in Babylon.

Most Pharisees were part of the priesthood, and Ezra and Nehemiah tell us that these Kenites, the "Nethinims" had taken over the Levitical priesthood while in Babylon, and took control over the duties of the priests in the Temple. Those duties were teaching the Law, and the ordinances.

By the time of Christ's birth, they had five hundred years to perfect their slant to God's laws, and add many of their own. This is why Jesus addressed them in Matthew 23:2, 3; "Saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: [teaching the law and judging] All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." In other words, they are hypocrites, and of their father the devil.

The law is important to us, and it is for us to know the law, and do our interpretation with the teachings of Christ, for if ye allow them to interpret it for us, it may cause us to miss out on the Kingdom. Our righteousness must exceed the Scribes and Pharisees for the simple reason that their ways are of their father Satan, the devil, and Satan's ways are not God's ways. God gave us the law in His written Word, and examples with that Word, it is for us to know them, and abide by them. Most of God's laws are natural, and just common sense.

Matthew 5:21 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:' "

Jesus is getting right down to the basic law with us, Then He states the sixth commandment from Exodus 20:13; "thou shalt not kill." This law is taken out of context, and is becoming a lie as presented in the modern world today. We see the good reverends going out to burn the candles at the executions of murders, and displaying their stupidity of God's Word before the world. If they took a little time to understand the true meaning and intent of God's Word, they would know that as it is translated in the King James, it is incorrect. It is a false statement even, for it is incomplete.

Lets go to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, # 7523; "Ratsach, raw-tsakh'; a prime root; to dash to pieces, kill a human being, especially to murder, to put to death, (man) slayer, murder (er).

In the Strong's Greek dictionary it is # 5407, "Phoneuo, fon-yoo'-o; from # 5406, to be a murderer (of), kill, do murder, slay." So lets go to # 5406, "Phoneus, fon-yooce' , A murderer, (always a criminal act [at least initial] homicide, 5407 is the term for a public bandit, 5406 is term for murderer."

When we go back and read the sixth commandment again, for what it really says, we see a totally different meaning. Christ has just told us that the law hasn't changed. The law doesn't say, "Ye shall not kill", it states "thou shall do no murder, criminal homicide", and that is the criminal intent beforehand to take a man's life. There is a great difference. "And whosoever shall commit criminal homicide murder shall be in danger of the judgment.

God's law spells out the righteous way of dealing with murderers, without a just cause, and this is addressed in Numbers 35:17-21, "The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him." The revenger is the next of kin, and by this righteous act of killing the murderer on the spot, the community will be free of them, "and others will see and these things will cease happening." When blood is shed, it is the innocent blood that we should be concerned with, not the murderer.

Jesus is telling us that if you murder, He will judge you.

Matthew 5:22 "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool', shall be in danger of hell fire."

There is a difference between the English and the Greek, for the word, "brother". The word "brother" is an Israelite by nation and blood;