Kingdom Testimony: Walking in the Kingdom of God

We finish the apocalyptic book of Baruch where Baruch sends the epistle to the tribes telling them why they were carried away captive. Baruch reminds them that Moses predicted they would transgress the law. We read the Prayer of Manasseh, where Manasseh repents and knows God will forgive and save; however, Baruch talks about a Manasseh back in chapter 64, and says this Manasseh faces torment. But it sounds like the same guy. Then we read Bel and the Dragon, revealing there is more to the story about how Daniel ended up in the lion's den and how the prophet Habakkuk is transported supernaturally to feed Daniel. Tomorrow is a mystery read, Monday is the apocalyptic book of 2 Esdras (aka 4 Ezra).

Baruch tells of the last bright waters, Jesus, and the last dark waters, the Great Tribulation. The Most High tells him again that he will be taken soon and to tell the people what will happen at the consummation of time. Baruch is told he will not die but will be taken alive and will be preserved until the end. Then Baruch goes and tells the remnant that are left all the words given to him. The people request that Baruch write it all in an epistle for the rest of the tribes which were taken to Babylon, he obliges. The copy for the tribes close by was to be taken there by three men but the copy for the nine and a half tribes far away was to be delivered by an eagle. Baruch tells of how the dove served Moses, the ravens served Elijah, birds obeyed Solomon, and the eagle will obey in delivering the message. We'll read this epistle to the nine and a half tribes tomorrow and that will finish up the book.

The fourth bright waters of Baruch's vision is Moses and the Promised Land. The heavens were shaken when Moses was shown the heavenly Temple and it's pattern, the depths of the abyss, the weight of the winds, the number of the drops of rain, wisdom and understanding, the height of the air, the greatness of Paradise, the beginning of the day of judgment, the earths which have not yet come, the splendor of the angels and their multitude, and the treasuries of light (among other things). This is why his face shone. King David and Solomon are the bright sixth waters. The bright eighth waters is King Hezekiah and the supernatural war in which the enemy's bodies were burned but their raiment and arms were not. The black ninth waters was evil King Manasseh, the bright tenth waters was King Josiah, the black eleventh waters was what Baruch was going through then. Tomorrow is the 12th bright waters, which is Jesus and our age.

The discussion on the living "dead" and the living righteous that are glorified as the angels but even more so, in the consummation of time while still on the earth. Baruch has another vision of 12 black and bright waters. We left off on the 4th bright waters. These waters represent Israel's history: the sin of Adam, the fallen angels coming down to the women on earth to produce the nephilim; Abraham and the Israelites in Egypt. The vision picks up with Moses tomorrow.

Cliff hanger for the weekend: Baruch is having a discussion with the Lord who is showing him what is to come at the consummation of time and what will happen to the wicked. Next God is telling Baruch about the end and how the wicked seem to become zombies and the righteous go from glory to glory and become beings of light. We started chapter 50 but will repeat the 2 verses we got into because of the zombie/light beings concept that is frankly blowing me away. Monday should be really good, but I'm not going to read ahead.

Baruch is given the course of events that take place at the consummation of time. It is the same as Matthew 24 and Revelation, but not enough detail is given to match up seals, verses, etc. Baruch withdraws to the destroyed Temple and sits alone weeping in the destroyed Holy of Holies. Baruch is of the Zadok priestly line and is a contemporary of Jeremiah.

The apocalyptic book of Baruch. Baruch is questioning God as to what is happening to the nation of Israel and the takeover by the Babylonians/Chaldeans. Baruch thinks it's the end of time. God is explaining to him what is taking place and the final judgment to come.

Discussion of the missing books that were left out of our Bible but were considered scripture up until a few centuries ago. We'll try to examine the apocalyptic books first. Baruch is Jeremiah's scribe and is also one of the prophets of that day. The word of the Lord comes to Baruch regarding the destruction of Zion, the temple, but the angels actually destroy it before the Chaldeans get to it. The angels take all the articles out of the Holy of Holies and bury them for "the last days". Baruch laments over the destruction and prays for darkness and no fruitfulness to be left on the land for the Chaldeans to enjoy.

Today we finished 2 Enoch. A lot of it reads like Jesus' words and the beatitudes. Enoch relays to his family, before he is taken up to heaven alive, how time in this aeon will cease and only the righteous will escape and make it to the eternal great aeon. Darkness covers the land when Enoch is taken so no one gets to see the angels take him away this second and final time. The date and hour Enoch was born is the same when he was taken 365 years later, in comparison to everyone else living 900 or so years. Tomorrow we'll start on the apocalyptic book of 2 Baruch.

God shows Enoch how He created the world. Enoch is instructed to bring what he has learned back. Enoch wrote down everything he was shown, as well as all the angel's names. I share a dream.