NELSON WATERS WORST THEORY OF THE IDENTITY OF THE BEAST (REVELATION 13:1)

BEST Theory About the Beast's Fatal Wound Identifies WHO THE BEAST IS (youtube.com)

Nelson Walters' chaotic attempt to identify the beast of Revelation 13:1 as a fallen angel is inconsistent. Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of the prophetic scriptures should reject this theory outright.  

Walters makes three false assumptions.. 1. the sea in Revelation 13:1 is the abyss, 2. the beast is a demon/fallen angel/chimera, 3. the ten horns (kings) are fallen angels. 

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. (Revelation 13:1 cf. Revelation 11:7).

Walters: "The abyss is frequently referred to as the deepest part of the ocean.. Satan sees the beast coming up out of the abyss.. If he comes out of the abyss, he is a demon or an angel who has been imprisoned there.. The beast in his essence is a demon or a fallen angel.. When it (the beast) arises it already has ten horns (ten kings), they are already formed..  So if the beast is a supernatural fallen angel and he is one of the first seven, they are all supernatural fallen angels.."

 1. The sea

The view that "the sea" in Revelation 13:1 represents the great, restless mass of wicked humanity is widely acknowledged. (Isaiah 17:12-13,57:20; Jude 1:12-13). This interpretation is corroborated elsewhere (Daniel 7:2-3 cf. Daniel 7:7:17; Revelation 17:15), especially in Daniel 7: Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.  The "sea" here represents the agitated world of nations out of which four "beasts" (kingdoms) arise. The four winds of the heaven is a term that describes the four points of the compass. The same expression is found in Daniel 8:8,11:4; Zechariah 2:6,6:5 and Esdras 13:5. This expression is further evidence of the earthly origin of the little horn (the Antichrist) who came up amongst the ten horns (kings). (Daniel 7:7).

And he stood on the sand of the sea (thalassēs). And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. (Revelation 12:17-13:1)

The Greek in the above verse is thalassa (sea). Strongs: "2281, the sea, in contrast to the land, (b) a particular sea or lake, e.g. the sea of Galilee (Tiberias), the Red Sea." 1 

Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. (Revelation 13:11). The second beast (the false prophet), rises out of the earth (land).

Precept Austin: "These contrasting terms are indicative of the origin of the two beasts. The sea may symbolize the Gentiles (Rev. 17:15+; cf. Dan. 7:2-3) and if this is the case here, the opposite term, the earth, symbolizes the Jews. There is precedence for the Gentile origin of Antichrist in the Old Testament allusions, and the Jewish identification may be strengthened if here 'the earth' has technical sense of 'the land' [of Israel] as it sometimes may in Revelation (Rev. 11:18+; cf. Dan. 8:9).11"2 

Given that John had no hesitation in making direct reference to the abyss elsewhere (Revelation 9:1-12,11:7,17:8,20:1-3), the widely accepted symbolic interpretation that "a beast rising out of the sea (Revelation 13:1)" represents "the great restless mass of wicked humanity" is the obvious interpretation.3 

Barnes: "The natural idea, therefore, in this passage, would be that the power that was represented by the 'beast' would spring up among the nations, when restless or unsettled, like the waves of the ocean."4 

Walter's statement that "the deepest part of the ocean" is a holding place for fallen angels appears to be based on Genesis 1:2. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. (Heb -tehom). This great deep is void and otherwise undefined. In the context of Genesis 1, the Hebrew term תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, deep) refers to the watery deep, especially the primeval ocean that surrounds and underlies the earth. (Genesis 7:11). What we know about the abyss is that it is an unfathomable depth located in the heart of the earth, the entrance of which is approached via a pit or shaft. (Revelation 9:1). Gebhardt: “These expressions are based upon rabbinical representations, originating from such O.T. statements as Psalm 81:10; Psalm 107:26; Isaiah 14:15 (cf. Isaiah 5:14; Isaiah 30:33), according to which there is under the earth an abyss or bottomless pit, with a lake or sea in which brimstone and fire seethe together.5

In the New Testament, descriptions of the abyss are sparse.

He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. (Revelation 9:2).

..chains of gloomy darkness. (2 Peter 2:4).

2. The beast 

And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, (Revelation 11:7).  

In the prophetic scriptures the term “beast” describes a wicked nation or king. Daniel refers to the higher echelons of fallen angels as princes (rulers). (Daniel 10:13,20). Satan is described as "the prince of this world" (John 12:31,14:30,16:11; cf. Ephesians 2:2). Michael is referred to as a celestial "chief prince". (Daniel 10:13,21,12:1). Strongs 8269: "sar: chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince."6  The point is that fallen angels are never referred to as "beasts".

John directly refers to "the bottomless pit" (not the sea) in Revelation 11:7. This reference to the beast that rises from the bottomless pit corresponds with the beast “about to come from the abyss” in Revelation 17:8 cf. Revelation 13:1) and is mentioned here in prolepsis.7 

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. (Revelation 17:8).
As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. (Revelation 17:11).

The beast's ascension from the bottomless pit coincides with the ten horns (kings) handing over their power and authority to him. (Revelation 17:12-14), and "one hour/a little while" i.e. forty-two months, when he will be given satanic authority over every tribe and people etc. (Revelation 13:3-7 cf. Revelation 12:12). 

One of its heads seemed (ὡς) to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”(Revelation 13:3-4).

..it (the beast) was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. (Revelation 13:7).

In some sense the Antichrist/beast will mimic Jesus' resurrection from the dead. (Ephesians 4:8-10; 1 Peter 3:18-20; 2 Peter 2:4-5; Matthew 12:38-45; Luke 23:43). Whether the Antichrist literally receives a mortal wound and is resurrected, or whether it is a satanic deception is disputed due to the adverb ωσει hosei ho-si': as if -- about, as (it had been, it were), like (as).8 In any event, this man becomes satanically possessed and rises from the abyss just before the abomination of desolation event at the midpoint of the 70th week of Daniel. (Revelation 17:8). 

3. The ten kings

Walters further speculates: "If the beast is a supernatural fallen angel and he is one of the first seven, they are all supernatural fallen angels."  We know that the beast rises from sinful humanity. (Revelation 13:1). We also know that he rises from the abyss after his mortal wound just before the midpoint of the 70th week. (Revelation 13:3-4).  As such neither he nor any of the horns are supernatural fallen angels. (Revelation 17:15; Daniel 7:8).     

And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. (Revelation 13:2-3).

Walters "The beast is one of these first seven heads. That answers our question about what kind of kings these heads are. It has to be a supernatural head, a supernatural king. The seven kings are supernatural kings. So if the beast is a supernatural fallen angel, and he is one of the first seven, they are all supernatural fallen angels. It also tells us he was the supernatural king of one of the first five empires. How can we say that? The beast was (it happened in the past before John), is not (it was in the abyss already so it couldn't have been Rome because Rome was ruling at that time); and it's going to come back and go to destruction." 

Walter's speculation that the beast is "one of the first seven heads/kings" is based on "he belongs to the other seven". (Revelation 17:11). The correct interpretation of this verse is that the final beast is an embodiment of all seven, he is not literally "one of the seven". 

Alford: "..he himself (or, this) also is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth unto perdition (this eighth, the last and worst phase of the beast, is not represented as any one of his heads, but as being the beast himself in actual embodiment. He is ἐκ τῶν ἑπτά,—not, “one of the seven,” but, the successor and result of the seven, following and springing out of them."9 

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown: "The eighth is not merely one of the seven restored, but a new power or person proceeding out of the seven, and at the same time embodying all the God-opposed features of the previous seven concentrated and consummated; for which reason there are said to be not eight, but only seven heads, for the eighth is the embodiment of all the seven."10 

Walters keeps digging a deeper hole and he discounts Rome as a possibility because of his idea that the "supernatural king/angelic ruler of Rome" was not in the abyss when John wrote Revelation. ..the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, (Revelation 17:9-10). Since Rome (one is) is included in the seven kings/kingdoms, the seven heads must be human kings, they cannot be angelic rulers. 

Walters: "{There are} five possibilities for the head that receives the fatal wound., Babylon, Syria, Egypt, Persia, and Greece. They all received fatal head wounds and were all replaced by the next empire.. Revelation 13:2 it is primarily a leopard.. the Greek empire was the empire of Alexander the Great then split among his four generals known as the Diadochi. The greatest shadow of the Antichrist in history comes from the Seleucid empire, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a former leader who matches the Antichrist action for action. Doesn't it make sense that it was the Greek empire, the prince of Greece, the demonic leader of the Greek empire? Daniel 10:20 the prince of Greece will come.."

Walters eventually whittles his choice of "beast" down to the supernatural prince of Greece on some very flimsy evidence 1. because the final beast is predominantly a leopard (Revelation 13:2);  2. because Michael says to Daniel:  when I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come. (Daniel 10:20) 3. because Antiochus IV Epiphanies is a major type of the Antichrist. 

There is no evidence for Walters' questionable assumption that five princes, including the princes of Persia and Greece, are in the abyss. Rather it appears that the ongoing angelic battle between Michael and his angels and Satan and his angels will probably continue until the Parousia.

The angels who were cast into the abyss appear to have committed a definite sin which is hinted at but not specified. The information we have is sketchy, but there seems to be some connection with Genesis 6 and also the book of Enoch. 

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; (2 Peter 2:4).

And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—(Jude 1:6)

  

Cambridge Bible: "For if God spared not the angels that sinned] Better, spared not angels, there being no article in the Greek. Here the nature of the sin is not specified. We may think either of a rebellion of angels headed by Satan, such as Milton has represented in Paradise Lost, or of the degradation of their spiritual nature by sensual lust, as in Genesis 6:2. Looking to the more definite language of Jude, 2 Peter 2:6-8, where the guilt of the angels is placed on a level with that of Sodom, it seems probable that the Apostle had the latter in his thoughts. He does not specify the sin, whether rebellion, as in Revelation 12:7; or uncleanness, as apparently in Jude 1:6, 7, and Genesis 6:4."11 

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19).

As well as being completely isolated, Walters' interpretation of Revelation 13:1 is a non-starter. With such weighty warnings against misrepresenting the book of Revelation, I am always staggered when people rearrange it to suit their own purposes. I cannot imagine why Walters is teaching this nonsense other than to muddy the waters or gain followers. (Acts 20:30). Mark and avoid this false teacher! (Romans 16:17-18). 

1. Strong's Greek: 2281. θάλασσα (thalassa) -- the sea
2. Revelation 13 Commentary | Precept Austin
3. Revelation 13:1 Commentaries: And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.,
4. Revelation 13 Barnes' Notes
5. Revelation 9 Meyer's NT Commentary
6. Strong's Hebrew: 8269. שָׂר (sar) -- chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
7. Revelation 11:7 Commentaries: When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
8. Strong's Greek: 5616. ὡσεί (hósei) -- as if, as it were, like
9. Revelation 17 Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary - Alford
10. Revelation 17:11 Commentaries: "The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
11. 2 Peter 2:4 Commentaries: For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;

NELSON WATERS BRASH STATEMENT: THE "TRIBULATION" HAS BEGUN (DANIEL 9:27)

(54) ANSWERED! 8 Tough Questions on Whether the TRIBULATION Really Started - YouTube

In his own words, Nelson Walters describes his claim that the 70th week of Daniel began on October 2nd as "a brash statement". Walters: "There is a 95-99% chance the 'tribulation' began on October 2nd.2024." Walters consistently makes the error of referring to the 70th week of Daniel as the "tribulation". The tribulation begins at the midpoint of Daniel's 70th week following the “abomination of desolation” event. (Matthew 24:15,21 cf. Daniel 9:27).*

Strike 1: Misinterpreting Jesus' parable of the ten virgins 

According to Walters, the reason people are unconvinced that the 70th week of Daniel has started is a sign based on the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. He claims that everyone will be asleep before the 70th week begins.     

As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ (Matthew 25:5-7).

If "all became drowsy and slept" then how is it that Walters is awake? Apparently, Walters believes he is the exception because he is an Ezekiel-style "watchman" based on Ezekiel 33:6. The problem with this logic is that Ezekiel was a true prophet who brought forth the very word of God, Nelson Walters is not!

In context, the parable of the ten virgins is a continuation of Matthew 24 regarding the coming of the Lord. (Matthew 24:31,50). In other words, it refers to the prewrath rapture which occurs between the sixth and seventh seal of Revelation. Walters has detached this parable from its original context and has shifted the specific timeframe from the Parousia to the onset of Daniel's 70th week. From a prewrath rapture perspective, the time difference between the first and sixth seals of Revelation is significant. (Revelation 6:12). 

Jesus' parables are fictional stories with a spiritual lesson. They convey literal truth, but they should not be pressed in every detail to force a connection of our own making. (2 Timothy 2:15). The message of the parable of the ten virgins is to watch. They all fell asleep (?) The parable is not intended to affirm as fact that no one will be ready for Jesus' return, rather it emphasizes the length of the delay. Jesus summarises this parable with a warning: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:13 cf. Matthew 24:50; Luke 21:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 3:3). This parable ties in with Luke 17:22 ff. One will be taken and the other left. (Luke 17:34-35). 

Walters claims that the jigsaw pieces all fall into place, but even on a cursory examination, they do not!

Strike 2: Walters: "The main impetus of this covenant was to force Israel to divide their land under the guise of a false peace." The United Nations Pact for the Future is not an imposed covenant upon Israel! The Pact is a broad non-binding agreement i.e. it does not impose legal obligations on UN Member States. Various global conflicts were mentioned in non-specific terms, but the proposed two-state solution and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were not directly mentioned at the summit.   

Strike 3: Walters: "God's immediate reaction was to permit Hurricane Helene to devastate the USA." This is speculation. The pact was signed by more than 140 countries at the UN's headquarters in New York. Hurricane Helene did not significantly affect New York, and it did not touch most of the other countries that signed the pact. Beware of newspaper eisegesis!

Strike 4: Walters: "The world's immediate reaction to the covenant was an international alliance headed by Saudi Arabia designed to divide Israel in a two-state solution."  Walters disproves his own claim by admitting that various nations continue to push for a two-state solution. This is evidence that the "strong covenant with many" did not come into existence on October 2nd. (Daniel 9:27). 

DUBAI, Sept 27 (Reuters) : "Saudi Arabia has formed a global alliance to push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the country's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said on Thursday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York."2 

Strike 5: Walters: "The exact day the 'tribulation' (70th week) must begin is on the feast of Trumpets." Rosh Hashanah is the first of three Fall festivals: the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur (aka the Day of Atonement), and the Feast of Tabernacles. Rosh Hashanah is not mentioned specifically in the bible; rather it is referred to as the day of the blowing of the shofar or the Feast of Trumpets. (Leviticus 23:23-25). Walters' view is very odd since the onset of the 70th week and a covenant with the Antichrist hardly represents a "holy convocation" or a celebration. It is more likely that Rosh Hashanah will begin when the trumpet sounds at the rapture when Jesus returns. (Matthew 24:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:15).

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.” (Leviticus 23:23-25).

Strike 6: Walters: "God marked this day with signs in the heavens; a bright visible comet; a supernova; and a solar eclipse." This foolishness is comparable to the false speculations concerning the zodiac constellation Virgo in 2017 hailed by false teachers as the sign of "the woman in labour" based on Revelation 12:1. Walters regurgitates this so-called "sign" of "the woman in labour" to refer to October 2nd and the 70th week. We should not be relying on astrology for biblical evidence of end-time events. It is possible for anyone to employ Stellarium to justify this or that momentous "sign" as evidence for whatever they want it to signify.

Strike 7:  Where is the Antichrist? According to Walters, the covenant doesn't have to have occurred on exactly October 2nd based on the Hebrew verb gābar (hiphil stem) which is causative.3 Walters theorizes that the Antichrist can cause the action to happen secretly behind the scenes without being revealed. This seems unlikely since the Antichrist will be the prime mover of the covenant. Walters confuses the issue by claiming that the 70th week has begun without any reasonable evidence that it actually has! No doubt this is why no reliable teachers are making the same claim.

And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he (Antichrist) shall confirm (gābar) the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abomination ns he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27 cf. Daniel 12:11).

Blue Letter Bible: "גָּבַר gâbar, gaw-bar'; a primitive root; to be strong; by implication, to prevail, act insolently:—exceed, confirm, be great, be mighty, prevail, put to more (strength), strengthen, be stronger, be valiant."1 

Strike 8: According to Walters, the daily sacrifice and the temple are not tied to the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel. The daily sacrifice and the temple must be in place before the mid-point of the week since the Antichrist will stop the sacrifices and will sit in the temple and proclaim himself to be God at this point (the abomination of desolation event). (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:4). It seems likely that the Antichrist will at least agree to the restoration of the daily sacrifice and the rebuilding of the temple as part of his "strong covenant" with Israel. In my view, these things cannot come into existence without the specific endorsement of the Antichrist. 

Strike 9. Based on Daniel 11:22, Walters submits that "the prince who is to come" is not likely to be the Antichrist. He argues that the man who makes/renews the covenant will be destroyed by the Antichrist. Walters: "This prince seems to appear later, again in Daniel 11:22. I personally have never heard anyone else talk about this.." Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant. (Daniel 11:22). The reason no one else talks about Daniel 11:22 as a direct reference to the Antichrist is that Daniel 11:1-36 refers to the rise and fall of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid king who persecuted the Jews who is a type of the Antichrist. According to many expositors, a shift occurs in the narrative from Daniel 11:36 onwards from Antiochus IV Epiphanes to the future fulfillment i.e. the Antichrist "the wilful king". (Daniel 11:36). Walters' reference to Daniel 11:22 is therefore invalid because the destruction of the prince referred to is a past event.

Crying wolf!

 

According to Walters, even if he is wrong about October 2nd it doesn't matter because people will be prepared. What! Walters gives himself a convenient get-out with his 95-99% accuracy claim, but God is not mocked! (Galatians 6:7). Making end-time predictions is an extremely reckless, counterproductive and reputationally risky business. We have all witnessed the fallout from various false date-setters like the NAR "prophets" and the false Trump "prophets". These people are the scourge of Christianity! When the 70th week does actually begin and we bring the evidence, many people are likely to reject it on the basis that "prophecy experts" like Walters have been wrong in the past. 

Wannabe prophets and their "brash" statements 

Walters' admission to making a "brash" statement is a red flag. (Matthew 12:36-37).

WordHippo describes "brash" as: "Excessively or recklessly confident or bold." Synonyms for "brash" are: foolhardy, audacious, daredevil, madcap, overbod, reckless, temerarious, overconfident, rash, heedless, incautious, imprudent, irresponsible etc..4 

There is one whose rash (reckless) words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18).

The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. (Proverbs 15:7).

* WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION FALLACY (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)

1. H1396 - gāḇar - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org)

2. Saudi Arabia forms global alliance to push for Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution | Reuters
3. Stem Hiphil — unfoldingWord® Hebrew Grammar 1 documentation (uhg.readthedocs.io)

4, What is another word for brash? | Brash Synonyms - WordHippo Thesaurus

NELSON WALTERS CLICKBAIT ESCHATOLOGY: THE PRINCE WHO IS TO COME (DANIEL 9:26)

Who is the Prince of the Covenant that Just Launched the Tribulation? We NAME NAMES! (youtube.com)

In the above video, Nelson Walters speculates that the covenant that initiates the 70th week of Daniel (Daniel 9:26) is the Pact for the Future adopted by the United Nations on the 22nd of September 2024. According to Walters the 70th week of Daniel was launched on October 2nd when globalism and new powers were given to the International Court of Justice to become the ultimate source of judicial power in the world.  

United Nations: "New York, 22 September 2024 – World leaders today adopted a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. This Pact is the culmination of an inclusive, years-long process to adapt international cooperation to the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow.1 

The Pact contains a number of pledges related to international peace and security, including calls for all countries to comply with the decisions of the International Court of Justice;" 2 

Walters discusses the identity of "the prince who is to come" in Daniel 9:26, i.e. the man who renews the covenant that launches what Walters refers to as the seven year "tribulation". Although many teachers refer to 70th week of Daniel as the "tribulation", technically this is not the case. The tribulation begins at the midpoint of Daniel's 70th week following the “abomination of desolation” event. (Matthew 24:15,21 cf. Daniel 9:27). Prior to the midpoint of the 70th week, the first four seals will likely be broken by the Lamb (Jesus Christ). (Revelation 6:1-8).

The overwhelming consensus among prewrath teachers is that "the prince who is to come" is the Antichrist aka "the man of lawlessness". (2 Thessalonians 2:3). 

..who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4; cf. Daniel 7:25,11:36; Revelation 13:5–6).

Based on Daniel 11:22, Walters submits that "the prince who is to come" is not likely to be the Antichrist. He argues that the man who makes/renews the covenant will be destroyed by the Antichrist. Walters: "This prince seems to appear later, again in Daniel 11:22. I personally have never heard anyone else talk about this.." Then a flood of forces will be swept away before him and destroyed, along with a prince of the covenant. (Daniel 11:22). The reason no one else talks about Daniel 11:22 as a direct reference to the Antichrist is that Daniel 11:1-36 refers to the rise and fall of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid king who persecuted the Jews who is a type of the Antichrist. According to many expositors, a shift occurs in the narrative from Daniel 11:36 onwards from Antiochus IV Epiphanes to the future fulfillment i.e. the Antichrist "the wilful king". (Daniel 11:36). Walters' reference to Daniel 11:22 is therefore invalid because the destruction of the prince referred to is a past event.

Walters: "It is possible that there are actually two princes; the Antichrist, who makes or causes the covenant with the many on the one side, and the prince who actually signs that covenant on the other side. So could one prince be an Israeli and the other the Antichrist who forces or causes the covenant upon the Israeli? It's entirely possible.. Maybe the prince who is to come is a secular person who just enforces the covenant on Israel or maybe it's the Antichrist who does this.."  The Antichrist is the prince who enforces the covenant upon Israel. (Daniel 9:27). The scriptures do not mention "two princes" in relation to the covenant. 

And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he (Antichrist) shall confirm (gābar) the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abomination ns he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27 cf. Daniel 12:11).

Based on the Hebrew verb gābar (hiphil stem) which is causative, Walters proposes the novel suggestion that the Antichrist causes or orchestrates the renewed covenant behind the scenes and that he is not directly involved.3 He doesn't seem to have considered the possibility that the Antichrist could be both the cause and the enforcer of the covenant.     

For the 70th week to begin, the confirmation of the covenant specified in Daniel 9:27 is generally expected to be an enforced covenant of peace with "many" (Israel). It is also anticipated that daily sacrifices will be reinstituted on the Temple Mount since "he (the Antichrist) will put an end to sacrifice and offering" at exactly the midpoint point of the 70th week. (Daniel 9:27). The Temple Institute, Yaraeh, and other groups consider building the Third Temple on the Temple Mount imperative, although all that is strictly required is an altar. 

Walters regurgitates an old argument cooked-up by Walid Shoebat and Joel Richardson in 2008. In their reckless attempt to authenticate an Islamic Antichrist, Shoebat and Richardson attempted to show that "the people of the prince who is to come" (Daniel 9:26), will be Islamic based on the idea that Syrians and other Middle Eastern peoples made up the majority of the Roman army that destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in 70AD. There is good evidence that Titus authorized the destruction of the Temple; Roman generals oversaw the operation; and Roman forces carried it out. Note: Historian Sulpicius Severus (apparently based on Tacitus' lost history) contradicts Josephus' account of this event.4 The plain sense of this passage is that Rome was the rod of God's judgement, not the soldiers fighting for Rome. I recommend Chris White's excellent series debunking the Islamic Antichrist theory.* 

I have written a number of posts exposing Joel Richardson's false teaching.5

On the strength of his speculation that the 70th week began on the 2nd of October, Walters digs a deeper hole in a follow-up video in which he claims that the "pretrib rapture" has failed to take place.6  Pretrib teachers JD Farag and Amir Tsarfati are heavily featured in this second video. Walters' fallacious information is likely to provoke contempt from the pretrib camp since they will not find it difficult to demolish his argument. Walters' ill-advised speculations will no doubt cause further confusion to the deluded followers of Farag and Tsarfati if they dignify his video with a response.

Walters: "..But you might ask 'Why doesn't anyone else seem to see this, my favorite Bible teacher has nothing to say about this'. Jesus prophesied exactly that in the parable of the ten virgins, that all ten virgins, the entire Kingdom of Heaven, or what we'd call the church today, that they would be asleep prior to his return. Folks aren't going to wake up and realize this until the midnight cry that wakes them up, so Christians being oblivious is exactly what we should expect.. It's a blessing if you have seen that this has happened.. A much larger group are saying 'This can't be the tribulation' and you are going to find reasons to deny what just happened and you will argue it with fervour.."

These are very arrogant assertions considering Walters' claim does not pass the test of scripture. (1 John 4:1). Walter's perplexing assertions appear to be based on clickbait and are precisely what the body of Christ does not need to hear right now! Although globalism is increasing exponentially and the 70th week does not seem far off, it is not reasonable to claim that the 70th week began on the 2nd of October. At this present time, it is essential to trust in Jesus Christ while we keep watch for the Lord's return. (Matthew 24:42,25:13). 

I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. (1 Corinthians 4:6).

* Islamic Antichrist Debunked Chris White | Bible Prophecy Daily

   7 Pretrib Problems and the Prewrath Rapture (Full Movie) (youtube.com)

1. Press Release | United Nations adopts ground-breaking Pact for the Future to transform global governance - United Nations Sustainable Development
2. Summit of the Future Explainer: A new global peace plan for ‘uniquely dangerous’ times | UN News
3. Stem Hiphil — unfoldingWord® Hebrew Grammar 1 documentation (uhg.readthedocs.io)
4. Chronology of the War According to Josephus: Part 7, The Fall of Jerusalem
5. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: Joel Richardson (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
6. If TRIBULATION Began on OCT 2 - DId We Just Miss the Pre-trib Rapture?????? (youtube.com)

CHARLES COOPER: WHAT IS OUTER DARKNESS?

Crown Me (Part 4) – The Price of Victory | Bible Prophecy Daily 

Bible Prophecy Daily is a weekday podcast that is usually very good. I believe the prewrath rapture position is the correct view, and I normally have no hesitation in recommending this podcast to anyone interested in eschatology. It therefore pains me to write this critique of Charles Cooper's teaching regarding the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Some of Cooper's foolish remarks have caused me concern in the past, and this particular episode is misleading and inaccurate.

"In this episode, he (Charles Cooper) picks up at Matthew 25:24-30, where he now discusses the sad peril of the third man in the Parable of the Talents and the implications for the Christian who is faithLESS: “Derision”, “Demotion”, and “Divarication”."  

Evidently Cooper has discovered a new word, although it might have been more straightforward to have used the word "separation". According to Merriam-Webster: "The word 'divarication' derives from the Medieval Latin divaricatio, which in turn descends from the verb divaricare, meaning 'to spread apart.' Divaricare itself is derived from the Latin varicare, which means 'to straddle' and is also an ancestor of prevaricate ('to deviate from the truth'). The oldest sense of divarication, which first appeared in print in English in 1578, refers to a literal branching apart (as in 'divarication of the roads'). The word eventually developed a more metaphorical second sense that is used when opinions 'stretch apart' from one another."1   

Cooper refers to the Bema Seat of Jesus Christ and the rewards given to believers prior to the millennium. (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10). In particular, he discusses the fate of the third servant who made no increase on the talent he was entrusted with. This parable follows the previous parable about the ten virgins, five of whom are denied access to the marriage feast. (Matthew 25:1-12).  

For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them. The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you30 in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ (Matthew 25:14-23).

Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest. Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:23-30)

Cooper: Why would Jesus Christ give an unbeliever, who has no capacity to please God, the responsibility of watching over God's property? It makes no sense."

Cooper's reasoning.. because the third man is referred to as a "servant" he must be a believer in order to merit the Lord's trust with the talent. Cooper: "Is this man a believer or not? Many people think he is an unbeliever..  'wicked' is misleading..  the word that is translated 'wicked'.. one of the nuances is 'worthless'". This parable is related to the earlier parable of the ten virgins. It appears that the "foolish virgins" had a superficial belief in Christ and an outward profession of faith. The chilling words "I do not know you" excluded them from the wedding feast. (Matthew 25:11-12 cf. Matthew 7:23). In other words, they were not part of the bride of Christ and therefore not qualified to enter the wedding feast. The parable of the man at the wedding banquet with no wedding garment is another example: Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:11-14). There is something essentially lacking in both instances; the foolish virgins had no oil, and the man with no wedding garment was not clothed with the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness. (Isaiah 61:10 cf. Revelation 6:11,7:9,13). Gaebelein: “'For many are called, but few chosen.' The many which are called are all those who heard the call and made an outward profession, without having accepted the Lord Jesus Christ."2 

The NASB is the only version that translates πονηρός as "worthless". All the other versions translate πονηρός as either "wicked" or "evil".  Strong's Definition: "toilsome, bad; Usage: evil, bad, wicked, malicious, slothful."3  In the other occurrences of πονηρός in the New Testament there is no evidence for Cooper's translation of "worthless" e.g. Matthew 5:11,37,39,45,6:13,23,7:11,17,18,9:4 etc.4  I therefore concur with the majority of translations that in all but one instance translate πονηρός as "wicked".     

Pulpit Commentary: "Verse 26. - Thou wicked and slothful servant. In marked contrast with the commendation, 'good and faithful,' its vers, 21, 23. He was 'wicked,' in that he calumniated his master, who really seems to have been ready to acknowledge the least service done to him, and never looked for results beyond a man's ability and opportunities; and he was 'slothful,' in that he made no effort to improve the one talent entrusted to him."5  

Outer Darkness?

Cooper: "Many conclude that the phrase 'outer darkness' is the judgment of unbelievers, but I do not believe that any other places where 'outer darkness' is used refers to unbelievers. Hell certainly is not outer darkness. The lake of fire in Revelation 20 certainly is not characterized by darkness. In fact, the destiny of the damned, those who do not know God, is never, is nowhere, described as darkness. Darkness is not a characteristic of the place of assignment for unbelievers, nowhere in scripture. Hell is not dark, the lake of fire of course is not dark. This is a description of the state of believers who prove unfaithful.. The darkness outside is the place where those unfaithful believers will be assigned to spend, how long I don't know.. He is not describing hell here or the destiny of unbelievers. He is actually describing the destiny of the unfaithful believers who have no rewards. Because you have nothing to give, you receive nothing.  This is not talking about salvation, it is talking about sanctification and the reward for your faithfulness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; profound regret, wailing and weeping, they are going to be divaricated. It means to separate. There is going to be derision, demotion and divarication; criticism, condemnation and separation.."  

Cooper has been teaching this strange doctrine since 2020.6  

 

Cooper's eisegesis of the unfaithful servant in this parable is unacceptable. He seems to be describing something analogous to purgatory! His assertion that the destiny of unbelievers is never described as "darkness" is inexplicable. For example, the judgement of false teachers is described as "blackest darkness". Blackest darkness is reserved for them. (2 Peter 2:17; Jude 1:12-13).

The day of the Lord is described as "darkness".

Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? (Amos 5:20 cf. Zephaniah 1:15; Isaiah 13:9-10; Matthew 24:29).

The contrasting metaphors of "light" and "darkness" are ubiquitous within the scriptures. Darkness is a metaphor to refer to evil and sin, whereas light is a metaphor representing God’s presence and goodness. Darkness is often associated with death and wickedness.

I am the light of the world.. (John 8;12,9:5). 

God is light and in him is no darkness..  (1 John 1:5 cf . John 1:4-5,4:18-19, 8:12,3:19; Acts 26:17-18 etc.

GotQuestions: "Darkness is used as a symbol of moral depravity (Psalm 82:5; Proverbs 2:13; Romans 3:12). Darkness can also refer to trouble and affliction (Job 5:12; Proverbs 20:20; Isaiah 9:2) and to death and nothingness (1 Samuel 2:9; Ecclesiastes 11:8; Job 3:4-6)."7  

..while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12). "The sons of the kingdom" are the unbelieving Jews who reject Jesus as their Messiah.

The overwhelming view of bible expositors is that "outer darkness" refers to the place assigned to unbelievers. I have only come across one other instance of similar deviant ideas from false teacher Zane Hodges.*

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:14-15).

* The “Outer Darkness”: Heaven’s Suburb or Hell? | Bible.org

1. Divarication Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
2. Matthew 22 Gaebelein's Annotated Bible (biblehub.com)
3. Strong's Greek: 4190. πονηρός (ponéros) -- toilsome, bad (biblehub.com)
4. Strong's Greek: 4190. πονηρός (ponéros) -- 79 Occurrences (biblehub.com)
5. Matthew 25:26 Commentaries: "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. (biblehub.com)
6. The Outer Darkness - the Punishment for Unfaithfulness! (youtube.com)
7. What is the outer darkness in Matthew 22:13? | GotQuestions.org

DAVID HIND ONE CHURCH LEICESTER: TITHING DEBUNKED!

Jesus is passing by | David Hind (One Church Together, 21st July 2024) (youtube.com) 

For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. (2 Corinthians 11:4).

Here we have yet another false teaching from David Hind! One Church is shortly coming up to another "Vision Sunday" and I expect a further barrage of intense pressure to give to their so-called "church" on Frog Island. Once again I will debunk Hind's teaching and go through some of the biblical reasons that refute tithing in the New Testament. 

Abram/Melchizedek

Abram (later Abraham) gave a one-off free will offering to Melchizedek from the spoils of war, not from personal property. (Genesis 14:20). Abram did not give money, he gave 10% of the spoils. He returned the remaining 90% of the spoils to the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 14:21-24). Melchizedek is an obscure figure in the Old Testament and is described as a king/priest of Salem. (Hebrews 7:1). It is debatable whether Melchizedek was a type of Christ or a theophany/Christophany. (Hebrews 7:1-14). The phrase "resembling the Son of God" (ἀφωμοιωμένος) has sparked a debate amongst scholars since ἀφωμοιωμένος appears to distinguish Melchizidek from "the Son of God". (Hebrews 7:3).

Meyer: "ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ υἱᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ] on the contrary (therein) made entirely like unto the Son of God, namely, as type of the same.. This whole method of interpretation has against it the fact that ἀγενεαλόγητος—for not ἀγένητος is placed—can be understood without violence only of the neglect to cite the genealogical table of Melchisedec in the narrative of the Book of Genesis [comp. Hebrews 7:6]; and ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ must be taken conformably with the elucidatory ἀγενεαλόγητος, thus are likewise to be explained merely of the father and mother being passed over unnamed in the historic account, not of their actual nonexistence.."1 

Jacob's Vow

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” (Genesis 28:20-22).

The Lord said to Jacob: The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. (Genesis 28:13). Note: The land was not given to Jacob personally and Jacob did not tithe during his lifetime. God fulfilled His vow to Jacob (Israel) by giving the land to his posterity.

Adam Clarke’s Commentary: “Jacob seems to make this vow rather for his posterity than for himself, as we may learn from Genesis 28:13-15; for he particularly refers to the promises which God had made to him, which concerned the multiplication of his offspring, and their establishment in that land. If, then, God shall fulfill these promises, he binds his posterity to build God a house, and to devote for the maintenance of his worship the tenth of all their earthly goods. This mode of interpretation removes that appearance of self-interest which almost any other view of the subject presents. Jacob had certainly, long ere this, taken Jehovah for his God; and so thoroughly had he been instructed in the knowledge of Jehovah, that we may rest satisfied no reverses of fortune could have induced him to apostatize: but as his taking refuge with Laban was probably typical of the sojourning of his descendants in Egypt, his persecution, so as to be obliged to depart from Laban, the bad treatment of his posterity by the Egyptians, his rescue from death, preservation on his journey, re-establishment in his own country, &c., were all typical of the exodus of his descendants, their travels in the desert, and establishment in the promised land, where they built a house to God, and where, for the support and maintenance of the pure worship of God, they gave to the priests and Levites the tenth of all their worldly produce. If all this be understood as referring to Jacob only, the Scripture gives us no information how he performed his vow.”2 

Tithing.com: "Leonard C. Bupanda in his book, 'The Tithing Dilemma and the Triumph of Love' 'also agrees that Jacob’s vow was trans-generational, 'Now, since Jacob failed to deliver on his promise, God made him pay the tithe through his children who had emerged as a nation after his God-given name-Israel. Thus God’s promise to Jacob was fulfilled.'”3 

Malachi 3   

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (Malachi 3:8-11).

It is critical to note the background and the context of this passage. The entire book of Malachi is a rebuke against the priests (the sons of Aaron) who were responsible for breaking the covenant and causing many to stumble by their example and instruction. (Malachi 2:1-17). Malachi 1:6-14,2:1 records the profanity of the priests who were offering polluted food upon the Lord's altar. (Malachi 1:6). You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! (Malachi 1:13).

Malachi was prophesying during the time of Nehemiah who had the task of overseeing the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and restoring the spiritual and social order among the Jewish people after the Babylonian exile  Bible Hub: "Nehemiah 10 presents a transformative moment for the people of Israel as they pledge allegiance to God's law in a renewed covenant. The leaders, priests, Levites, and the entire community agree to uphold God's commands, embodying a collective commitment towards religious devotion and responsibility."4 Nehemiah 10:38 clarifies that the renewed covenant included bringing the tithes to the Levitical storehouses. Nehemiah 13:1-12 describes how Eliashib the High Priest had provided his relative, Tobiah the Ammonite, a wicked man who opposed Nehemiah, a room in the courts of the house of God in Nehemiah's absence. (Nehemiah 2:19; 4:3-7; 6:1-19 cf. Deuteronomy 23:3). On his return, Nehemiah threw all Tobiah's goods out of the room; he ordered that the rooms be purified; he had the articles of the house of God restored to them along with the grain offerings and frankincense. (Nehemiah 13:8-9). Furthermore, because the portions for the Levites had been withheld, they had gone to work in their own fields. (Malachi 2:8 cf. Joshua 14:4). In other words, the house of God was forsaken. (Nehemiah 13:11). 

The situation described in Malachi/Nehemiah was specific to the Jewish people and involved the restoration of the Law of Moses. Those who insist that tithing is an obligation in the New Testament pervert the scriptures and do not serve Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:16; Romans 16:17-20). If Christians are obliged to tithe, they must also obey all the commands written in the Law! The clear teaching in Galatians is that those who wanted to revert to circumcision were under a curse, and the same is true of those who wish to revert to the Old Testament principle of tithing. There is a lot of false teaching around about "generational curses" and "deliverance", but the wolves who teach tithing and other false doctrines are under a curse themselves and they put their followers under a curse. 

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” (Galatians 3:10).

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8).

Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:2-4).

The New Testament

But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. (Luke 11:42). 

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who were under the Law of Moses prior to the new covenant. No one in the Old Testament tithed from their money, they always tithed from the produce of the land. (Leviticus 27:30 cf. Deuteronomy 14:2). Traders were not required to tithe e.g. carpenters, fishermen, merchants etc.

The most detailed passage on giving in the New Testament is 2 Corinthians 8-9.

..whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. (2 Corinthians 9:6-12).

The above passage absolutely refutes the idea of the tithe; rather Paul encourages the Corinthian Church to give generously to the needy Jerusalem church. The benefit to the Corinthians in giving generously is not the selfish "prosperity gospel" of false teachers. 

BibleRef: "Paul is urging the Corinthians to be generous in their giving to suffering Christians in Jerusalem. He has said they should give willingly and cheerfully a portion of what God has given to them. Scripture presents Christian giving as something done out of love, not legalism, obligation, or command. That theme continues here in Paul's comments to the church in Corinth.
This makes an additional point, though: God is ultimately the one who gives. He is the one who provides both the seed for the bread and the bread itself. In other words, God makes the giver capable of giving. Paul adds that God will multiply the seed of those who give in order to increase the harvest of the righteousness that comes as a result. It's important to note that the increase is to the benefit of the one who receives—this is not a promise to financially prosper the giver.."5  

All the exhortations to give money in the New Testament were for the benefit of the poor and needy. "The saints" in the above passage were the impoverished church at Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8-9; Romans 15:26; Acts 24:17 cf. Galatians 2:10). There is not a single reference either to tithing or church buildings in the New Testament! The early Christians met in homes, and many are doing so again because they are disgusted with the false teaching and disgraceful antics of those who have usurped authentic leadership roles within the so-called churches. (Acts 20:29).

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (Matthew 6:1-4). It is no one else's business how much you give!  

The concept of civil taxes replacing the tithe has historical roots. Civil taxes have largely replaced the role of funding public services and infrastructure, which were once supported by tithes in the theocratic society of ancient Israel. Civil law plays a significant role in supporting the needy by ensuring their rights and access to essential services. Modern social welfare systems are based on the Elizabethan Poor Law Acts of 1601 which established the government's responsibility to aid its poor citizens, categorizing them based on their needs and ensuring they received appropriate assistance. 

The tithe in ancient Israel supported the Levites and the needy. (Deuteronomy 26:12-13; Numbers 18:21-32; Nehemiah 10:37). False teachers often make the appeal: "Bring your tithes and offerings into the storehouse". The storehouse within the Jerusalem Temple only received 1% of the tithe, the other 9% was stored in Levitical cities. (Nehemiah 10:37-38). The storehouses were simply that, they were not places of worship. The word "storehouse" is never mentioned in the New Testament as a model for the church. The Levitical system of worship performed at the Jerusalem Temple does not apply to the modern church. (1 Peter 2:5,9). Bible-believing Christians should definitely not be giving their money to false prophets connected with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), who appoint women pastors, who build their own kingdoms, and who spend other people's money on luxuries for themselves and on expensive and ostentatious "church" buildings. (1 Timothy 2:12). 

Hind's multi-site church model contradicts the biblical blueprint of church structure laid down in the New Testament. Paul instructed Titus to ..appoint elders in every town as I directed you. (Titus 1:5; cf. Acts 14:23). In the New Testament, individual churches were autonomous congregations with their own local overseers directing their specific affairs. When church leaders fail to heed biblical doctrine and substitute their own ideas for the scriptures, they bring dysfunction and pain to the body of Christ and ultimate judgement upon themselves. 

If you have followed my posts about Trinity Life Church/One Church you will know that David Hind has repeatedly flouted and twisted the scriptures in favour of worldly values and ambitions. A qualifying requirement for elders/pastors is that they must be able to teach and to rightly handle the word of truth. (1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 2:15). It is pure folly for any bible believing Christian to gamble with their eternal future and to follow false teachers who pervert the scriptures to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:16).    

I recommend the following series on tithing from Caleb Corneloup. Corneloup provides shocking examples of the opulent lifestyles of greedy entitled false teachers, including Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Myer, Creflo Dollar, Jesse Duplantis, Benny Hinn, Robert Morris etc. 

Caleb Corneloup: "A lot of false teachers try to insist that Christians need to tithe because Abraham tithed. They say that tithing pre-dates the law and therefore we are commanded to tithe in the New Covenant. This is nothing more than false teachers twisting God's word to support their dodgy ministries and protect their income stream. Many pastors today are nothing more than hustlers and grifters. They have turned the church into a business and it's a disgrace and shame to the name of Christ."

Further Links

Tithing is Not a Christian Doctrine (youtube.com)
This two-hour video is based on a 19-point essay by Russell Earl Kelly, Ph. D. Further information can be found on Dr Kelly's website: Should the Church Teach Tithing? Taboo Answer - Dr. Russell Earl Kelly (tithing-russkelly.com)
04/10 - The Truth About Tithing (youtube.com)
APOSTASY, ERROR & DECEPTION IN WALES - the watchman4wales blog.: Tithing

1. Hebrews 7:3 Commentaries: Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. (biblehub.com)
2. Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary - Genesis 28 (godrules.net)
3. Jacob’s Tithing Vow (Part 2) – Tithing.com
4. Nehemiah 10 Chapter Summary (biblehub.com)
5. What does 2 Corinthians 9:10 mean? | BibleRef.com

CHRIS ROSEBROUGH VS ISAIAH SALVIDAR: GREAT WHITE THRONE OR BEMA SEAT?

Waiting in line on JUDGMENT day - What will you say? (youtube.com)

F4F | Isaiah Saldivar Is DEAD WRONG About Judgement Day (youtube.com)

Chris Rosebrough's omission of Isaiah Salvidar's obvious error in his short video about Judgement Day appears to be due to his skewed Lutheran eschatology. Salvidar is wrong from the get-go - believers will not be judged at the Great White Throne Judgement.  

Isaiah Saldivar:  "Imagine being on judgement day and wondering if you are getting in. Because we all will be standing at that Great White Throne judgement, and everybody will be judged, the living and the dead... 'Tell me some of your stories of the miracles, the fire, the power evangelism, signs and wonders, meeting home to home, breaking bread, making disciples.. water baptizing, baptizing in the holy ghost.. tell me some of the demons you drove out.. lameness blindness and deafness.'"  Obviously, I don't condemn all of those things, but Salvidar's emphasis on power, fire, casting out demons etc. is typical NAR rhetoric. Salvidar's appalling accusation is that if Christians do not perform extraordinary miracles then they do not know Jesus! Aren't many of those who perform what the ESV refers to as mighty works (dunamis) condemned by Jesus?  

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

What Salvidar is obviously ignorant of, and what Rosebrough fails to mention, is that the Great White Throne Judgement and the Bema Seat Judgement are two separate events. Believers will face the Bema Seat Judgment before the millennium and will reign with Christ for one thousand years. (Revelation 11:15-18). At the Bema Seat, believers will receive either reward or loss based on their work. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). The Great White Throne Judgement is reserved for unbelievers who will face the second death and be judged according to "what they had done" and sentenced to eternal torment in the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:7-15). 

The Bema Seat Judgement

The Bema Seat Judgement occurs after the seventh trumpet is sounded.

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” (Revelation 11:15-18).

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15 cf. Romans 14:10-12).

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.(Revelation 20:4-6).

The parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 describes three distinct judgements.

The separation of sheep (believers) and goats (unbelievers)
The judgement of believers' works
The judgment of unbelievers' works 

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,f you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46).

The Great White Throne Judgement 

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth..
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:7-8,11-15).

POPE FRANCIS: ALL RELIGIONS LEAD TO GOD?

Pope: All religions are paths to God (youtube.com)

Pope Francis' recent statement in Singapore: "Every religion is a way to arrive at God. Sort of a comparison, an example would be that they are sort of like different languages in order to arrive at God. But God is God for all. And if God is God for all then we are all sons and daughters of God. 'But my God is more important than your God.' Is that true? There is only one God and each of us is a language so to speak in order to arrive at God. Sheik Muslim Hindu Christian, they are different paths." 

Francis has attracted a lot of criticism with this blasphemous statement, even among Roman Catholics. Francis' religious pluralism denies salvation to people of other religions who desperately need the truth. It is the broad path that leads to destruction. (Matthew 7:13).

Is Francis greater than the scriptures?

  

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6).

The Vatican's failed attempt to change the statement's wording! (2 Corinthians 11:3).

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).

The ultimate result of religious pluralism is the wrath of God.

..when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. (1 John 2:18-25).

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:3-4).

The ecumenical initiative has long been a source of concern to discerning bible believing Christians due to the false teachings of the RCC and its incompatibility with the scriptures. This latest statement further reveals Francis' true agenda, which is to unite all religions. Perhaps the sycophantic NAR apostates who kowtow to the RCC and the Pope will now rethink their position, but I am not holding my breath!

Roman Catholicism is a False Religion | Mike Gendron (youtube.com)
NAR leaders meet with the Pope — Holly Pivec