The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has shown it unto them.
In the prior post and many before, we have discussed the harpazo, the word the false prophets have twisted into an off the planet rapture. We have seen the LORD use the word in John 10:12 describing the wolves who “caught” and scatter the sheep when the hirelings fled. Later in the same chapter He again uses it, rendered twice as “pluck,” to tell of the Father’s work gathering the sheep, saying when He does no man will pluck (harpazo) them from His hand. He goes on to add the full context by quoting Psalms 82:6, which we saw describe the judgment when the LORD will rid us (His sheep) “out of the hand of the wicked.”
In past discussions we have often examined the Greek word katecho, meaning to hold down. It is the word rendered “hold” in the title, which is quoted from Romans 1:18 & 19. In 2 Thessalonians 2:6 it is the word rendered “withholds” describing the wicked who are already at work in the temple of God, sitting in His place (of judgment) showing themselves as if they are Him, while opposing and exalting themselves above everything He is showing them. Paul goes on in the chapter to tells us these are those who now “let,” meaning they were already holding down God’s people, and he says they will hold them down (let – katecho) until they are taken out of the way.
These are the hands that catch and hold the sheep, and the hands from which we are freed by the LORD. It comes at the judgment: now, when the events spoke of in Romans 1 above and in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 & 17 are realized. The voice spoken of by Paul in both passages is the LORD speaking by me: in Romans as the LORD’s wrath, His words making known the truth, which these men hold (katecho) in their unrighteousness. In Thessalonians, it is God’s people who are held down by the same unrighteousness, 1 Thessalonians 4 saying it is the LORD’s voice (word) that rids us from the hand of the wicked, as we are caught up (harpazo – pulled from the hand of the wicked, into the Father’s hand, into heaven: where there is no confusion and understanding reigns by the rightly divided word of truth). 2 Thessalonians 2 plainly says these men perish because they receive not the love of His truth, which He has shown them. Verse 8 describes it as them being consumed by the Spirit of His mouth and the brightness of His coming.
Romans 1
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet [received in themselves a just reward for their corrupted ideas, which was deserved].
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind [a mind God does not approve of], to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful [all these perfectly describe the modern leftist – godless: full of aberrance and anarcho-communism]
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death [those who commit such things choose to remain in death, and in this condition, rejecting the knowledge God has shown them, cannot be raised to life], not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
We see in this last statement Paul using the same words as in 2 Thessalonians 2:12 speaking of those who trust in lies, who the LORD sends even stronger delusion, “that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness.”
1 Thessalonians 4
9 But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
10 And indeed you do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia [speaking of the shambles, the house of dead flesh, where the dead are sleeping]: but we beseech you, brethren, that you increase more and more;
11 And that you study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
12 That you may walk honestly [without lies] toward them that are without, and that you may have lack of nothing.
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the LORD, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the LORD shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the LORD himself shall descend from heaven [from where there is no confusion] with a shout, with the voice of the archangel [these words], and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [harpazo – snatched into God’s hand] together with them in the clouds, to meet the LORD in the air: and so shall we ever be with the LORD.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
As we know the “air” is the Greek word aer, which is only used seven times, and is the words used in Ephesians 2:2 telling of the air we were held in, before we were quickened to life and joined with the LORD in His air.
Ephesians 2
1 And you has he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [aer], the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;)
6 And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
11 Wherefore remember, that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both [the two groups {living and dead – those with and without Christ} spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 & 17] have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the LORD:
22 In whom you also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.
These two airs are seen in Revelation as the word aer is used therein twice. It first appears in Revelation 9:2 to tell of the devil, the angel of bottomless pit: which we know describes the never-ending fall, the degeneration into depravity that once started never ends. It says that when he opens the pit out of it comes smoke, and out of it locust, meaning those devouring every living (green) thing with their mouths. It says this smoke darkens the sun and the air; the sun, as we know, representing the church shining God’s light (understanding) on the earth, and the air telling of the spirit breathed out of one into another. Here it is words that have been turned into bringing spiritual death and darkness.
Revelation 9
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star [Lucifer] fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air [aer] were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power [to rot men from the inside].
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
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 strikes a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
The second air (aer) appears in Revelation 16:17, when at the battle of Armageddon, which we know means the mount of the rendezvous (the appointed time), and is the mount of the LORD’s transfiguration, where in the cloud His glory is seen by those who have gone up with Him. It tells of when the seventh angel, the archangel of 1 Thessalonians 4:16, pours his vial into the air, and the voice of God the Father is heard, as it was on the mount of transfiguration, but this time saying “It is done!” This is the same Spirit of the LORD mouth poured into the air, as is spoken of by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 as the brightness (light and understanding returned) of His coming.
In Revelation 16 this comes after the river Euphrates is dried up, and the unclean spirit therein are revealed, who are the wicked deceiving and destroying the earth. They are the spirit of wickedness that has always been at work in the earth, which denies God and seeks to replace him.
Revelation 16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come [as words] out of the mouth of the dragon [the crocodile seen, who was lurking as death in their words], and out of the mouth of the beast [confusion], and out of the mouth of the false prophet [the experts of our time who pretend to know the future and know nothing – many saying “God says” – while in fact he hasn’t told them any of what they claim].
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame [his expectations be turned to disappointment].
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air [aer]; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightning; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great [these are all Spiritual manifestations of the LORD’s word and the understanding it reveals].
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon [the confusion that rules over the world] came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath [this word].
20 And every island fled away [the dry places without God’s word], and the mountains [the places risen against the LORD – the spiritual wickedness in high places] were not found.
21 And there fell upon men a great hail [see Ezekiel 13:11 & 13 below] out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
John mentioning Armageddon is referring to Zechariah 12:11 and what is there said of Megiddon, when the LORD pours out His grace upon His people, as does the angle in Revelation 16:17 above.
Zechariah 12
8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem [those taught and founded on the word that flows directly from God]; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning [see Matthew 24:30 below] of Hadadrimmon [heydad ramam – the shout on the mountain] in the valley of Megiddon [the rendezvous].
Matthew 24
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be [He shall light on every man who receives His word, as understanding/light returned to the earth, and God shall dwell with us in His people].
28 For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: [God’s church and government institutions, and God’s people – those claiming to be His, shall realize they have been unfaithful and have fallen away from their first principles.]
30 And then [when He has “spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them] shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near [the rendezvous that has now appeared], even at the doors.
The hail of Revelation 16:21 above is what breaks down the wall the false prophets have built, which has resulted in God’s people not proclaiming the LORD’s work, and not showing it is him coming to save those who will hear and understand. It describes the false prophets telling God’s people they will fly away to safety, when, in fact, there is no peace, and they should be standing in the battle.
Ezekiel 13
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say you unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear you the word of the LORD;
3 Thus says the LORD God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
4 O Israel, your prophets are like the foxes in the deserts [go not after them – as the LORD warns in Matthew 24:26 above].
5 You have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD [Today is the day of the LORD].
6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD says: and the LORD has not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word [their end is shame and disappointment].
7 Have you not seen a vain vision, and have you not spoken a lying divination, whereas you say, The LORD said it; albeit I have not spoken [any of their lies]?
8 Therefore thus says the LORD God; Because you have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, says the LORD God.
9 And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the LORD God.
10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace [instead of telling them to stand in the battle]; and one built up a wall [that the false prophets built, which they and the people trusted in to give them peace], and, lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar [mire – their lies]:
11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar [mire], that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing [mire] wherewith you have daubed [mire] it?
13 Therefore thus says the LORD God; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume [make a full end of] it.
14 So will I break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar [mire – their lies], and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and you shall know that I am the LORD.
15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;
16 To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, says the LORD God.
17 Likewise, you son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy you against them,
18 And say, Thus says the LORD God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes [cover the LORD’s arm so none see His works], and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls [cover the LORD face, His identity/character so they can trap people and make them their prey]! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and will you save the souls alive that come unto you?
19 And will you pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread [will you as Esau sell your birthright for morsels], to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?
20 Wherefore thus says the LORD God; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith you there hunt the souls to make them fly [telling them the lie that they will be saved from what {the tribulation} they have been and are now in the midst of, by rapturing them off the planet], and I will tear them from your arms [I will harpazo them of out of your hand and into Mine, where they shall forever be], and will let the souls go, even the souls that you hunt to make them fly.
21 Your kerchiefs also will I tear [and they will know Me], and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
22 Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:
23 Therefore you shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and you shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 14 & 15 then go on speaking to/of these men who have turned Jerusalem into Babylon, meaning they have taken the LORD’s foundational teaching of the ways of peace and civilization and with their mire turned them into worthless confusion. It says they will continue in the same ways and will not repent, therefore the remnant that has returned to the LORD should see and understand these men have chosen destruction.
Ezekiel 14
3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus says the LORD God; Every man of the house of Israel that sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that comes according to the multitude of his idols;
5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus says the LORD God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourns in Israel, which separates himself from me, and sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and comes to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekile 14
22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and you shall see their way and their doings: and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
23 And they shall comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings: and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the LORD God.
Ezekiel 15
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
4 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?
5 Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?
6 Therefore thus says the LORD God; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
7 And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and you shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.
8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, says the LORD God.
Revelation 18
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the LORD God who judges her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is your judgment come.
Revelation 21
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers [those using their words to manipulate people into doing evil], and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
