The Man With the Inkhorn

The Bible contains a great deal of knowledge. Most of the
knowledge is historical and many people find the old stories
to be inspiring and instructive but some of the most important
information is prophetic. Deep in many of the old accounts
from the prophets are their prophecies that have lain dormant
for many centuries. Strange events took place long ago that
will lead to even stranger events for the people of today.
Ancient prophecies are being fulfilled right before the watchful
eyes of the world, but the world does not comprehend what is
transpiring! Consider an event long ago that was recorded in
the Bible. This is what occurred long ago when Jehovah sent an
angel to deliver a message to the prophet named Ezekiel:

1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will
speak with thee.  2 And the Spirit entered into me when he spake
unto me, and set me upon my feet; and I heard him that spake unto
me.  3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children
of Israel, to nations that are rebellious, which have rebelled against
me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me even unto
this very day.  4 And the children are impudent and stiffhearted: I do
sent thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the
Lord Jehovah.  5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they
will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that
there hath been a prophet among them.
(Ezekiel 2:1-5) (American Standard Version)

Here we see that Jehovah is displeased with His people and has
dispatched His prophet to give the people fair warning. Despite
Ezekiel's efforts, the people refused to change their ways.

4 And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel,
as in the vision I had seen in the plain.  5 Then he said to
me, "Son of man, look toward the north." So I looked, and
in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol
of jealousy.  6 And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see
what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the house
of Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my
sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable."
(Ezekiel 8:4-6) (NIV)

When the time came to take action against the disobedient people,
Jehovah first needed to mark the people who were innocent.

1 Then I heard him call out loudly, "Executioners, come!
And bring your deadly weapons with you."
(Ezekiel 9:1) (The Message)

The angels designated to carry out Jehovah's judgement
appeared with their weapons, but among them was one who
was armed only with an inkhorn, a marking device.

"And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate,
which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon
in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen,
with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood
beside the brasen altar."
(Ezekiel 9:2) (King James Version)

This one angel had a job to do before
the executions could begin:

3-4 The Glory of the God of Israel ascended from his usual
place above the cherubim-angels, moved to the threshold
of the Temple, and called to the man with the writing case
who was dressed in linen: "Go through the streets of Jerusalem
and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is in
anguish over the outrageous obscenities being done in the city."
5-6 I listened as he went on to address the executioners: "Follow
him through the city and kill. Feel sorry for no one. Show no
compassion. Kill old men and women, young men and women,
mothers and children. But don't lay a hand on anyone with the
mark. Start at my Temple." They started with the leaders in front
of the Temple. 7-8 He told the executioners, "Desecrate the Temple.
Fill it with corpses. Then go out and continue the killing." So they
went out and struck the city. While the massacre went forward, I
was left alone. I fell on my face in prayer: "Oh, oh, God, my Master!
Are you going to kill everyone left in Israel in this pouring out of
your anger on Jerusalem?" 9-10 He said, "The guilt of Israel and
Judah is enormous. The land is swollen with murder. The city
is bloated with injustice. They all say, 'God has forsaken the
country. He doesn't see anything we do.' Well, I do see, and
I'm not feeling sorry for any of them. They're going to pay
for what they've done." 11 Just then, the man dressed in linen
and carrying the writing case came back and reported, "I've done
what you told me."
(Ezekiel 9) (The Message)

These events were fulfilled when Jerusalem was
captured by the Babylonians in 586 BC.

From: http://www.bartleby.com/65/ez/Ezekiel.html

Ezekiel's vision was highly symbolic but nonetheless led
to a nonsymbolic event where some of his people were
killed and some survived, just as his vision foretold. The
ones who survived were invisibly marked.

Are the conditions that Jehovah complained
about back then - about the same as today?
Is the land swollen with murder? Are the
cities bloated with injustice? Does anybody
care about Jehovah's laws at all? 

A few people in the world do. That is why
the "man with the inkhorn" is back!

1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners
of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to
prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea
or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from
the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in
a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power
to harm the land and the sea: 3 "Do not harm the land or
the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of
the servants of our God." 4 Then I heard the number of
those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
(Revelation 7:1-4) (NIV)

These people are marked for the purpose of being our leaders.
There is no provision for the general public to reside in Heaven
with them. The Bible shows that these sealed individuals have
a specific function for a limited time:

4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been
given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who
had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and
because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the
beast or his image and had not received his mark on
their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and
reigned with Christ a thousand years.
(Revelation 20:4) (NIV)

What about this other mark?
Who is marked on the forehead and hands?

11 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth.
He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.
12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his
behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the
first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he
performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to
come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.
14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf
of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.
He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was
given power to give breath to the image of the first beast,
so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship
the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small
and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark
on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one
could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name
of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for
wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number
of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.
(Revelation 13:11-18) (NIV)

Who has the mark of the beast?

From the passage we see that just about everybody has the
mark of the beast. Almost everybody has to buy things in
this modern world as a normal way of life. Many people
sell things. Having the mark of the beast upon us is nearly
unavoidable, but that is not the problem!

What, then, is the problem?

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and
their armies gathered together to make war against the
rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was
captured, and with him the false prophet who had
performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With
these signs he had deluded those who had received
the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
(Revelation 19:19-20) (NIV)

The problem is not being marked, it is worshiping the beast
while marked. We can see that military personnel have the
mark. All countries having a military require their personnel
to pledge their allegiance solely to their country and their
commanders. Their god is the military (the beast).

What is the fate of the people who have
the mark of the beast and worship it?

19-21I saw the Beast and, assembled with him, earth's kings
and their armies, ready to make war against the One on
the horse and his army. The Beast was taken, and with him,
his puppet, the False Prophet, who used signs to dazzle and
deceive those who had taken the mark of the Beast and
worshiped his image. They were thrown alive, those two,
into Lake Fire and Brimstone. The rest were killed by the
sword of the One on the horse, the sword that comes from
his mouth. All the birds held a feast on their flesh.
(Revelation 19:19-21) (The Message)

So we can conclude that being marked by "the man
with the inkhorn" is desirable but being marked by
the beast can be fatal. Those of us who are marked
by the beast cannot worship it and expect to survive
when Our Messiah returns to destroy the beast.

What is a better idea?

34 Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, And he will exalt
thee to inherit the land: When the wicked are cut off, thou
shalt see it. 37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright;
For there is a happy end to the man of peace. 38 As for
transgressors, they shall be destroyed together; The end of
the wicked shall be cut off.
(Psalms 37:34,37,38) (ASV)

By Their Fruit You Will Know Them

Christ came to us almost 2,000 years ago to teach us a
pure religion that the apostles and disciples began spreading
throughout the known world. He did not use force or threats
in the course of doing his Father’s work. There is not one instance
where he ever told his followers to use coercion or violence.
This is not the case with Christendom. The following is a small
example of just the Catholic Church's violent ways:

Historical Overview of the Inquistions

(Excerpt)

"Prior to the founding of the Roman Catholic Church
and the establishment of their version of Christianity
as the official state religion of the Roman Empire in
the 4th century, the punishment for heresy among
Christians was usually excommunication from the
church. However with the marriage of church and
state that arose in the 4th Century, people that the
Roman Catholic Church considered to be heretics
also came to be considered as enemies of the state,
and were subject to many forms of extreme punishment,
including death. It wasn’t until the 12th century that
official inquisitions were organized and sanctioned by
the Roman Catholic Church to officially deal with what
they saw as a rise in organized heretical groups within
the Roman Empire."

This event was prophecied long before it happened by the Apostle John:

“¹ And there came one of the seven angels which
had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying
unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the
judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon
many waters: ² With whom the kings of the earth
have committed fornication, and the inhabitants
of the earth have been made drunk with the wine
of her fornication.”
(Revelation 17:1-2) (King James Version)

The excerpt continues:

"The first of the Inquisitions is known as the Medieval
or Episcopal Inquisition and refers to the various
inquisitions that started around 1184. It includes the
Episcopal Inquisition (1184-1230), as well as the
Papal Inquisition (1230), which arose in response to
large popular movements in Europe that were considered
to be heretical by the Roman Catholic Church. It was
during this time (1231) that Pope Gregory IX shifted
the power to punish heretics away from the local bishops
and put the inquisitors under the special jurisdiction and
authority of the papacy. He also established severe
penalties for those found guilty of committing heresy,
and his decree set forth new guidelines for investigating
and punishing heresy in the Roman Empire. Generally,
when an Inquisition was set up to investigate heresy in
a particular area of the Roman Empire, the Pope would
appoint two inquisitors, each of which had equal authority
in the Inquisition or tribunal. Because these inquisitors
had the power to investigate and excommunicate even
princes, they yielded enormous power and influence in
the Roman Empire.

While some of the inquisitors had reputations as being
men of justice and mercy, others were known to subject
people to cruel and unusual punishment, including many
different kinds of torture, which is what the inquisitions are
generally remembered for. Because they could imprison
suspects that they thought were lying, some inquisitors
used torture as an attempt to get them to admit what the
inquisitor wanted to hear. In 1252 Pope Innocent IV
officially sanctioned torture as a way of extracting the
“truth” from suspects. Prior to that time, this type of
extreme punishment was foreign to church tradition and
practice. During the Spanish Inquisition alone, some
historians estimate that as many as 2,000 people were
burned at the stake within one decade after the inquisition
began.

The next major Inquisition period is known as the Spanish
Inquisition. It was set up by King Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella of Spain in 1478 with the approval of Pope Sixtus
IV. Unlike the previous inquisition, it was completely under
royal authority and was staffed by secular clergy. It mainly
focused on Jews who had professed to be converts to Roman
Catholicism but who were suspected of having continued to
practice Judaism. Later on, with the spread of Protestantism
into Spain, the inquisition would also begin to persecute
Protestants who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church.
However, after the decline in religious disputes in the 17th century,
the Spanish Inquisition essentially became more and more like a
secret police that would investigate and retaliate against internal
threats to the Spanish authorities. The Spanish Inquisition is
probably the most infamous for its torture and the number of
people executed as a result of it. One historian estimated that
over the course of its history the Spanish Inquisition tried a total
of 341,021 people, of whom at least 10% (31,912) were executed."

From: http://www.gotquestions.org/inquisitions.html

The Monarchy and the Catholic Church became enormously
wealthy by murdering people, especially the rich, and then
confiscating their property. Neither the Kings nor the Catholic
Church has ever issued an apology for these outrageous
crimes and has never returned the stolen wealth to the helpless
victims. People still congregate to their churches today with pride!

Who were some of the victims?

"Waldensians, Protestant religious group of medieval
origin, called in French Vaudois. They originated in the
late 12th cent. as the Poor Men of Lyons, a band organized
by Peter Waldo, a wealthy merchant of Lyons, who gave
away his property (c.1176) and went about preaching
apostolic poverty as the way to perfection. Being laymen,
they were forbidden to preach. They went to Rome, where
Pope Alexander III blessed their life but forbade preaching
(1179) without authorization from the local clergy. They
disobeyed and began to teach unorthodox doctrines; they
were formally declared heretics by Pope Lucius III in 1184
and by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. In 1211 more
than 80 were burned as heretics at Strasbourg,
beginning several centuries of persecution."    

From: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Waldense.html

"Albigenses 12th century separated from the Church of Rome. 
All heretics who resided in Languedoc, Toulouse, and those who
in Italy were called Cathari and Bulgari.  They were the subjects
of Raymond, sixth count of Toulouse, having embraced the opinions,
received them under his protection. Innocent III was then the Pope
of Rome.  Hearing of the rapid progress of this sect and fearing its
future influence, the Pope resolved to exterminate them.  First he
excommunicated them, asking clergy to refuse them sacraments;
disallowed intercourse with them; and then a legate was sent from
Rome to demand of Raymond their destruction.  He refused and the 
legate was slain.  Innocent III called on the faithful everywhere to destroy
them.  In 1209 a large army was gathered and equipped under the
guidance of Simon, earl of Montfort.  Terrified by this host, Raymond
yielded to the demands of the Pope.  A nephew of Raymond prosecuted
the war, but was at last forced to submit.  Honorius III, the successor of
Innocent was determined to complete the work, he prevailed on Louis VIII,
king of France to march at the head of a great army, Louis IX finished the
work of his dad.  St. Louis's war, was a terrible and bloody war, which has
continued for several years, and thousands of innocent were slain. The
Church of the Albigenses were drowned in blood." 

From: http://www.religion-portal.com/ReligionFinder/religions/Albigenses.htm

Did Christ ever advocate violence?
Did he tell his disciples to kill or force people to listen to them?
Did he ever say torture and murder was acceptable?

Here is what he once said to his disciples, as an example
for all of us to follow:

^39"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek,
turn to him the other also.”
(Matthew 5:39) (KJV)

Consider then, the Crusades – also a product of false religion:

(Excerpt)

"The Crusades were in every way a defensive war. They were
the West's belated response to the Muslim conquest of fully
two-thirds of the Christian world. While the Arabs were busy
in the seventh through the tenth centuries winning an opulent
and sophisticated empire, Europe was defending itself against
outside invaders and then digging out from the mess they left
behind. Only in the eleventh century were Europeans able to
take much notice of the East. The event that led to the crusades
was the Turkish conquest of most of Christian Asia Minor (modern
Turkey). The Christian emperor in Constantinople, faced with the
loss of half of his empire, appealed for help to the rude but energetic
Europeans. He got it. More than he wanted, in fact.

Pope Urban II called the First Crusade in 1095. Despite modern
laments about medieval colonialism, the crusade's real purpose
was to turn back Muslim conquests and restore formerly Christian
lands to Christian control. The entire history of the crusades is one
of Western reaction to Muslim advances. The crusades were no more
offensive than was the American invasion of Normandy. As it happened,
the First Crusade was amazingly, almost miraculously, successful. The
crusaders marched hundreds of miles deep into enemy territory and
recaptured not only the lost cities of Nicaea and Antioch, but in 1099
Jerusalem itself.

The Muslim response was a call for jihad, although internal divisions
put that off for almost fifty years. With great leaders like Nur ed-Din
and Saladin on the Muslim side and Richard the Lionheart and St.
Louis IX on the Christian side, holy war was energetically waged in
the Middle East for the next century and a half. The warriors on both
sides believed, and by the tenets of their respective religions were
justified in believing, that they were doing God's work. History, though,
was on the side of Islam. Muslim rulers were becoming more, not less
powerful. Their jihads grew in strength and effectiveness until, in 1291,
the last remnants of the crusaders in Palestine and Syria were wiped
out forever."

From: http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-madden110201.shtml     

Thus, false religion gives itself away. False religion converts
people at sword point. Quite often, people were slaughtered,
tortured and robbed mercilessly by these “religious” imposters.

Some people may say, "Oh, but that was so long ago.
They don't do things like that anymore these days."

Or do they?

NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 10, 2006 (AP)— "A Catholic nun has been
sentenced to 30 years in jail for helping militias kill hundreds of
people hiding in a hospital during Rwanda's 1994 genocide, an
official said Friday."

From: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2644027&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

How Did We Get the Bible?

The first recorded instance of God’s Word being written
down was when Jehovah Himself wrote it down in the
form of Ten Commandments on the stone tablets delivered
to Moses at the top of Mount Sinai. Biblical scholars
believe this occurred between 1,400 BC and 1,500 BC…
almost 3,500 years ago. The language used was an
ancient form of Hebrew.

THE PENTATEUCH

"The earliest scripture is generally considered to be
the “Pentateuch”, the first five books of Moses:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy…
though there is some scholarly evidence to indicate
that the Old Testament Book of Job may actually be the
oldest book in the Bible."
-History of the Bible
From 1,400 BC to 1,400 AD
The Bible Museum, Inc.,
Dr. Craig H. Lampe
International Dir. of the World Bible Society

"When the entire Pentateuch is present on a scroll,
it is called a “Torah”.  Sheep and animal skins were
written on to record the writings of Moses. An entire
Torah Scroll, if completely unraveled, is over 150 feet
long! As most sheep are only about two to three feet
long, it took an entire flock of sheep to make just one
Torah scroll."
-History of the Bible
From 1,400 BC to 1,400 AD
The Bible Museum, Inc.,
Dr. Craig H. Lampe
International Dir. of the World Bible Society

"The Jewish scribes who painstakingly produced each
scroll were perfectionists. If they made even the
slightest mistake in copying, such as allowing two
letters of a word to touch, they destroyed that entire
panel, and started over.  This demonstrates the level
of faithfulness to accuracy applied to the preservation
of God’s Word throughout the first couple of thousand
years of Biblical transmission."
-History of the Bible
From 1,400 BC to 1,400 AD
The Bible Museum, Inc.,
Dr. Craig H. Lampe
International Dir. of the World Bible Society

"The Old Testament scriptures were written in ancient
Hebrew, a language substantially different than the
Hebrew of today. These writings were passed down from
generation to generation for thousands of years on
scrolls made of animal skin, usually sheep, but sometimes
deer or cow. Animals considered “unclean” by the Jews,
such as pigs, were of course, never used to make scrolls."
-History of the Bible
From 1,400 BC to 1,400 AD
The Bible Museum, Inc.,
Dr. Craig H. Lampe
International Dir. of the World Bible Society

THE OLD TESTAMENT

It was almost 3,500 years ago when Moses wrote the first
books of the Old Testament. While we still have his words
with us today, those original documents have long since
been destroyed.

So how do we know what we have today
is what Moses penned many years ago?

"The answer lies in how those words arrived in our hands.
In ancient times, there were diligent Jewish scribes who
spent their entire careers copying material. These
individuals were very meticulous in regard to providing
an exact duplicate of the original document. One group of
scribes, known as the Masoretes, set its standards much
higher than all the other scribes. The Masoretes counted
every single letter, word, and verse of the Old Testament
in order to preserve its accuracy."
-December 2003 - 2[12]:45-R—46-R 
 How did We Get the Bible?
  by Brad Harrub, Ph.D.

So how, then, can we be sure today, when we read
accounts such as those of the Noahic Flood or Moses
parting the Red Sea, that such events were recorded
accurately?

Consider the evidence. In 1948, an Arab boy was looking for
a lost goat. This young boy entertained himself by throwing
rocks as he walked. He threw one of those rocks into a small
cave, and heard the sound of pottery breaking. Scampering up
the hill and into the cave, the boy found some leather scrolls
with ancient writing on them. Amazingly, he had stumbled across
what is known today as the Dead Sea scrolls. Inside the cave
were hundreds of scrolls, most likely written by a group of people
known as the Essenes.

Among the important discoveries from the caves were
copies of several books of the Old Testament. These
copies were produced from about 200 B.C. to A.D. 100,
making them almost 900 years older than the oldest
available copies of Old Testament books. Keep in mind,
the Dead Sea scrolls were found in 1948, and the King
James Bible was translated into English in 1611.

"One scroll found in the Dead Sea caves was of particular
importance. It was a scroll of the book of Isaiah from
which only a few words were missing! What was
amazing about this scroll was that, when it was compared
to the text of Isaiah produced 900 years after it, the two
matched almost word for word! Thus, we can be
confident that the Old Testament we hold in our hands
today is worded exactly as the original writers wrote it."
-December 2003 - 2[12]:45-R—46-R 
 How did We Get the Bible?
  by Brad Harrub, Ph.D.

The Jews preserved the Hebrew Scriptures. Romans 3:1-2 tells us:

“What advantage then has the Jew? Or what profit is there
of circumcision? Much in every way: chiefly, because that
unto them were committed the oracles of God.”

THE NEW TESTAMENT

How can we feel confident that Bibles being printed
in 2009 still contain the words that God inspired
almost two thousand years ago?

"The New Testament was written between approximately
A.D. 35 and A.D. 100. Among the books in the New Testament
are letters that were sent to congregations of the Lord’s
church from the apostle Paul. Those letters were priceless
to those who received them. Because of that, copies
sometimes were made.  We still possess literally
thousands of manuscripts of the New Testament
A manuscript is a hand-written copy of a document
that was copied in its original language. Since the
New Testament originally was produced in Greek, the
manuscripts also are written in Greek. Over 5,300 old
manuscripts exist of various portions of the New
Testament."
-December 2003 - 2[12]:45-R—46-R 
 How did We Get the Bible?
  by Brad Harrub, Ph.D.

"Many of the New Testament manuscripts were produced
just decades after the apostles died. One manuscript,
the John Ryland’s Papyrus, has portions of the gospel
of John written on it. It was discovered in Egypt,
and dates back to A.D. 130—just a few years after
the New Testament was completed."
--December 2003 - 2[12]:45-R—46-R 
 How did We Get the Bible?
  by Brad Harrub, Ph.D.

How certain can we be that Christ's words have been
preserved for us today—nearly 2,000 years after the
final canonization of the New Testament?

Christ answers this in Matthew 24:35:
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.”

Notice another statement by Christ that expands on this principle:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you,
Till heaven and earth pass, not one jot or one tittle shall in no
wise pass from the law, till it all be fulfilled”
(Matthew 5:17-18) (KJV)

COMPLETE BIBLE MANUSCRIPTS

The oldest almost-complete manuscript of the Bible
which is now in existence is The Codex Vaticanus,
which dates from the first half of the fourth Century.
It is located in the library of the Vatican in Rome.
There are older fragments of the Bible that are still
preserved however-- the oldest being a tiny scrap of the
Gospel of John was found in Egypt, dating back to the
beginning of the second century. It is currently in the
Rayland's Library in Manchester, England.

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT

"By approximately 500 BC, the 39 Books that make up
the Old Testament were completed, and continued to be
preserved in Hebrew on scrolls.  By the end of the First
Century AD, the New Testament had been completed.
It was preserved in Greek on Papyrus, a thin paper-like
material made from crushed and flattened stalks of a
reed-like plant. The word “Bible” comes from the same
Greek root word as “papyrus”. The papyrus sheets were
bound, or tied together in a configuration much more
similar to modern books than to an elongated scroll."
-History of the Bible
From 1,400 BC to 1,400 AD
The Bible Museum, Inc.,
Dr. Craig H. Lampe
International Dir. of the World Bible Society

"These groupings of papyrus were called a “codex”
(plural: “codices”). The oldest copies of the New
Testament known to exist today are:
The Codex Alexandrius and the Codex Sinaiticus
in the British Museum Library in London,
and the Codex Vaticanus in the Vatican.
They date back to approximately the 300’s AD.
In 315 AD, Athenasius, the Bishop of Alexandria,
identified the 27 Books which we recognize today
as the canon of New Testament scripture."
-History of the Bible
From 1,400 BC to 1,400 AD
The Bible Museum, Inc.,
Dr. Craig H. Lampe
International Dir. of the World Bible Society

"In 382 AD, the early church father Jerome translated
the New Testament from its original Greek into Latin.
This translation became known as the “Latin Vulgate”,
(“Vulgate” meaning “vulgar” or “common”).
-History of the Bible
From 1,400 BC to 1,400 AD
The Bible Museum, Inc.,
Dr. Craig H. Lampe
International Dir. of the World Bible Society

RESTRICTED TO LATIN - Why?

"By 600 AD, the Bible had been restricted to only one language-
Latin  - the Latin Vulgate!  Why? Because the only organized and
recognized church at that time in history was the Catholic Church
of Rome, and they refused to allow the scriptures to be available
in any language other than Latin. Those in possession of non-
Latin scriptures would be executed! This was because only the
priests were educated to understand Latin, and this gave the
church ultimate power… a power to rule without question…
a power to deceive… a power to extort money from the people.
Nobody could question their “Biblical” teachings, because few
people other than priests could read Latin. The church capitalized
on this forced-ignorance through the 1,000 year period from
400 AD to 1,400 AD known as the ‘Dark’ and ‘Middle’ Ages."
-History of the Bible
From 1,400 BC to 1,400 AD
The Bible Museum, Inc.,
Dr. Craig H. Lampe
International Dir. of the World Bible Society

Today The Bible is the most widely published book in the world
available in over 2,000 languages. The Catholic Church tried to
lock the Bible away once from the common people but the time
has come for information to become freely abundant for all.
There are even many websites that offer a wide variety of Bible
translations in may languages such as WWW.BibleGateway.com.

God's Son Is Ready
for the Harvest

The world is a shambles and getting worse every day.
People all over the world are asking:

Why were our homes destroyed by earthquakes,
fires and flooding?

Why is there so much violence and warfare?
Why is the economy so bad?
Why is my job gone?
What will happen next?

Why is the world a shambles?

Mankind was allowed to run amuck in this world
for many thousands of years. Just look at what
we have accomplished!

What does the world have?

Poverty and famines.
Widespread hatred.
Oppression, wars, pollution, disease, squalor, unrest and despair.

Not only that, but the problems are growing!

Not once have the governmental leaders of this world,
in their wisdom, ever solved any of these problems in
any country.

They never have and never will. Because of widespread
corruption and incompetence, the world’s leaders solely
look out for their own interests and disregard the problems
of the people they supposedly serve.

Who can save the world from certain disaster?

"...for they shall cry unto Jehovah because of oppressors,
and he will send them a saviour, and a defender, and he
will deliver them."
(Isaiah 19:20) (ASV)

"...At the time that God has already decided,
he will send Christ back again."
(1Timothy 6:15) (CEV)

That is wonderful news! Jehovah and His son
are about to do something about the havoc
and chaos in the world soon.

But what must occur first?

A small thing – and yet – a large accomplishment!

Before God’s son takes over, all of his true followers
must stop calling him "Jesus".

Why?

"The Hebrews called their coming Savior, the Messiah,
Jahshuawah (Jehoshua). The disciples of the Savior
accepted Him as such, and to them He was known as
Jahshuwah the Messiah. The Greeks, however, rejected
the Hebrew name, and called Him (IESOUS-Jesus) instead."
- The Origin of Christianity
by A.B. Traina

"It is interesting to note - that throughout his life - the
one now known as Jesus Christ never did hear himself
called by that name."
- "Man’s Great Adventure,"
by Edwin W. Pharlow, professor of history,
Ohio State University.

"It is known that the Greek name endings with sus,
seus and sous were attached by the Greeks to names
and geographical areas as means to give honour to
their supreme deity, Zeus."
-Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend
Professor J. C. J. Metford

That is why. God’s son is not Jesus! Just as the Bible
translators substituted "GOD" and "LORD" for God’s
actual name, Jehovah, they also painstakingly traded
"Jesus" for "Jehoshua" in place of Christ’s true name.

Has it always been that way?

"In the 1611 KJ New Testatment the name Yahshua
(Yehoshua) appeared originally wherever the Messiah
was spoken of. Yehoshua means Yehovah's (Jehovah's)
Salvation. Later the Messiah's name was replaced with
Iesus (Greek) which later in the 1600's it became Jesus
starting with the new English letter 'J' which was
introduced at that time. Further, the Greek 'Iesus'
comes from the name Zeus, the ruling God in the
Greek pantheon."
-Gospel of The Kingdom
True Names and Title
Dr. Henry Clifford Kinley
1931 - Ohio USA

Instead, true Christians will let go of Christendom’s
three-headed trinity god named Jesus and call our
savior by his correct name.

Jehoshua

Christ's name (Jehoshua) is of Hebrew origin and
is taken from the name Yehoshua, which in English
is often translated as Joshua. Yehoshua, in Hebrew
means "Yehovah Saves".
-Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Jehoshua was the name given to Christ by his
heavenly Father, Jehovah God. Many years
after his death - Rome changed his name to
suit their pagan heritage and to please their
pagan converts. "Ieous" was Greek for "Hail
Zeus", which was translated later into English
as "Jesus". And this error has continued to the
present. "The name Joshua (Jehoshua) derives
its greatest importance and highest sanctity
from the fact that it was sacredly chosen as the
name to be borne by the Messiah. This name was
corrupted and altered in time into the name Jesus."
--Personal Names in the Bible
by Dr. W.F. Wilkinson, M.A.
Joint Editor of Webster and Wilkinson's
Greek Testament: pages 342-343.

"Jesus. That was a name given to him many years after
His death. Rome wanted to remove any Jewishness from
the new church. They eliminated His Jewish name and
blended the name of Zeus in order to make it comfortable
for all those who had previously worshipped the Greek
and Roman gods. Since Zeus was the top god of their
experience, attaching the name Ioesus (hail Zeus) to
Yahshua - gave Him top priority in the worship hierarchy."
-Winds of Praise Broadcasting
Believer or Follower?
The Sound of the Shofar
By Jon Thompson

CHRIST DECLARED :

"I have come in My Father's name and with His power..."
(John 5:43) (AMP)

And as we can plainly see, that name is not "Jesus"!

Christ will not take action on behalf of his true followers
until they give up their "J-zeus" error. Only when Jehovah's
people begin to call upon "Jehoshua" - will they obtain the
Salvation that Jehovah has promised to them.

But some will balk against such a change!

They will resist this request from God's Chosen King.
For whatever reason, there are some that will rather
leave Jehovah's earthly organization rather than
call Christ "Jehoshua".

That would be "the weeds".

"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't
you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the
weeds come from?' 'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The
servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them
up?' 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the
weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both
grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the
harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles
to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "
(Matthew 13:27-30) (NIV)

All over the world weeds have been sown in with the faithful.
They have served Jehovah side by side for some time now
just as Jehoshua Christ said they would. The time has finally
come to sort the weeds from the wheat.

"Be patient like those farmers and don't give up.
The Lord will soon be here!"
(James 5:8) (CEV)

"...I know you can't stomach evil, that you weed
out apostolic pretenders..."
(Revelation 2:2) (MSG)

"...limp souls. Useless as weeds, fragile as grass,
insubstantial as wind-blown chaff."
(2Kings 19:26) (MSG)

"...Soon, oh very soon, her harvest will come
and then the chaff will fly!'"
(Jeremiah 51:29) (MSG)

"I know your deeds... You have kept My word,
and have not denied My name."
(Revelation 3:8) (NASB)

And it was for this very reason that Christ waited so
long to reveal this truth to his followers. The Harvest
wasn't ready and he didn't want to uproot the wheat
with the weeds. But now that will not be a problem
anymore because the Harvest is ready.

The First Command directed to Jehovah's people by
God's chosen King, Jehoshua, is to begin calling
Christ by his rightful name. It is not a difficult thing
to do but it will mean putting God and Christ first
in our lives and it may also mean a loss of favor with
the rest of the Jesus-worshiping world.

A similar but tremendous dividing work happened
when Jehovah God began to take out of the nations
A People For His name. When the International Bible
Students made the decision to become "Jehovah’s
Witnesses" - to fulfil Bible Prophecy and identify
themselves as His people, some fell away - as they
were weed-like and refused to be called by Jehovah's
Divine Name.

This same dividing or separating - is happening again
today - at this time of "The End". But now, instead of
Jehovah’s name separating true followers from the
unfaithful, this time it will be the name of God's Son,
"Jehoshua" Christ that will uproot the weeds that were
sown by Satan.

A choice has to be made. A choice will be made.
One way or the other - each of us will choose the
side on which we will stand. From such a small
change will come a tremendous accomplisment.

THE HARVEST IS ON!

The wheat and weeds are about to be sorted and gathered.

Which side will we choose?
"Jesus" or "Jehoshua"?

"Now what I am commanding you today is not too
difficult for you or beyond your reach. No, the word
is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart
so you may obey it."
(Deuteronomy 30:11,14) (NIV)

"...YOU will by no means see me until YOU say,
‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name.’"
(Luke 13:35) (NWT)

"There is salvation in no one else! God has given no
other name under heaven by which we must be saved."
(Acts 4:12) (NLT)

"Blessed is he who is coming In the name of Jehovah..."
(Psalm 118:26) (YLT)

And while we are at it…

ARE YOU SAYING "AMEN" – IN IGNORANCE ?

"By ending our prayers in 'amen'... one could very
well ask, "Have we been misled to invoke the name
of the Egyptian 'Sun-god' at the end of our prayers?"
-United Hebrew Congregation
Charles J. Voss

It is common to end a discourse on spiritual matters,
(or end a prayer) with (the word) "Amen". Few of us
realize that the word 'Amen' is an Egyptian word. It
refers to the Egyptian god of Thebes. The Hebrews
adopted the word and it passed into Christian use as
"Amen". It is a petition for (the god - Amen) to fulfill
our words.
- MYSTIC GIFTS FROM ANCIENT EGYPT
By Dr John Palo ; 1999

The Israelite exiles from Egypt knew that Jehovah was not
the same as the Egyptian god Aten, and so they presumed
he must be the equivalent of the great State God of Egypt.
It was decided, therefore, to add the name of that State-god
of Egypt to all prayers thereafter, and the name of that Egyptian
god was "Amen". To this day, the name of Amen is still recited
at the end of prayers in both Jewish and Christian religions.
- Genesis of the Grail Kings
by Sir Laurence Gardner; pg. 6

Finally, we may note that the word "Amen" occurs in gnostic
spells… especially of Egyptian origin, and a sort of magical
efficacy seems to have been attributed to this word.. The
practice of answering "Amen" at the end of prayers appears
in the Canons of Hippolytus (No. 146) and in the Egyptian
Church Order (p. 101).
- New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
Thurston, Herbert. "Amen."
The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Vol. 1. New York:
Robert Appleton Company, 1907.

When we did it in ignorance, maybe God looked past that.
But now that you know the truth, what will you do? Will you
continue to use the name of a pagan god to close your prayers?
Is it too hard to change that now? Because you’ve been using
the ‘amen’ tradition for a long time - will you rationalize and
justify why you keep on invoking the name of the Egyptian
god, Amen? Will you find a pastor or teacher to reassure you
that "it’s okay to say ‘amen’ - Or will you give thanks to God for
revealing His truth and stop using the name of a pagan god?"
-And they all Said, "AMEN"
by J.D. Roberts

The true followers of Jehovah and
His son will know what to do.

God Bless America?

Most Americans and many people around the world
regard the USA as a fine country, even “The Land of
Opportunity”. Logically, it would seem as if God favors
the USA by the way the country has apparently been
blessed in the past by so many good fortunes. Historically,
the country went from being an unimportant colony of
Great Britain in the early 1500’s to becoming a world power
less than 500 years later due mostly to an abundance of
natural resources and “Yankee ingenuity”. God is widely
worshiped by the citizens of this country, so it makes sense
that God must have given His blessing to this land a long
time ago. The citizens of this country seriously consider
America to be truly blessed by God.

Is it true that God favors the USA over all of the others?
Does God favor any country?

What does the Bible say?

16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in
Hebrew is called Armageddon. 17 The seventh angel poured
out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud
voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 Then there
came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a
severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred
since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.
19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the
nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and
gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.
20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be
found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred
pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account
of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
(Revelation 16:16-21) (New International Version)

This does not appear good for our country
or for any other country.

What will happen next?

 11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a
white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With
justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing
fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written
on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in
a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white
horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his
mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the
nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads
the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On
his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF
KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel
standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds
flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper
of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals,
and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of
all people, free and slave, small and great." 19 Then I saw the
beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered
together to make war against the rider on the horse and his
army. 
(Revelation 19:11-19) (NIV)

1 Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye peoples:
let the earth hear, and the fulness thereof; the world, and all
things that come forth from it. 2 For Jehovah hath
indignation against all the nations, and wrath against all
their host: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered
them to the slaughter. 3 Their slain also shall be cast out,
and the stench of their dead bodies shall come up; and the
mountains shall be melted with their blood.
(Isaiah 34:1-8) (American Standard Version)

21 And I will set my glory among the nations; and all the
nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and
my hand that I have laid upon them.
(Ezekiel 39:21-24) (ASV)

44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set
up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be
left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms
and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
(Daniel 2:44) (NIV)

1 Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain
thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the
rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against
his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bonds asunder, And
cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens
will laugh: The Lord will have them in derision. 8 Ask of me,
and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, And
the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou
shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in
pieces like a potter's vessel. 10 Now therefore be wise, O ye
kings: Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve Jehovah
with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the son, lest he
be angry, and ye perish in the way, For his wrath will soon be
kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him.
(Psalm 2:1-4, 8-12) (ASV)

26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers
gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.
(Acts 4:26) (NIV)

2 Jehovah will send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion:
Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 4 Jehovah hath sworn,
and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever After the order
of Melchizedek. 5 The Lord at thy right hand will strike
through kings in the day of his wrath. 6 He will judge among
the nations, He will fill the places with dead bodies; He will
strike through the head in many countries.
(Psalm 110:2-6) (ASV)

26 and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with
another; and all the kingdoms of the world, which are
upon the face of the earth… 29 For, lo, I begin to work
evil at the city which is called by my name; and should
ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished;
for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of
the earth, saith Jehovah of hosts. 31 A noise shall come
even to the end of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy
with the nations; he will enter into judgment with all flesh:
as for the wicked, he will give them to the sword, saith
Jehovah. 32 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, evil shall
go forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be
raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth. 33 And the
slain of Jehovah shall be at that day from one end of the
earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be
lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung
upon the face of the ground.
(Jeremiah 25:26,29,31,32,33) (ASV)

This does not look good for the USA either. These prophecies
indicate that all of the countries of the world – every “kingdom”
will be utterly destroyed. The rulers, the armies, the political
elements and the people in office will all be annihilated.

Why?

After centuries of inept, apathetic and corrupt rule by kings,
dictators, and other assorted rulers, Jehovah intends to take
over rulership of the earth with His Son as our King!

4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been
given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who
had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and
because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the
beast or his image and had not received his mark on their
foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned
with Christ a thousand years.

(Revelation 20:4) (NIV)

This was prophesied long before Christ was even born:

17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered, nor will they
come to mind.
(Isaiah 65:17) (NIV)

So what would be the wise thing for us to do now?

2 Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence
with singing. 3 Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that
hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep
of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into
his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name.
5 For Jehovah is good; his lovingkindness endureth for ever,
And his faithfulness unto all generations.
(Psalms 100:2-6) (ASV