Pillar in the Sky

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

PART 1
The Serpent - Beelzebub - Reptilians

I was five years old when the strange behavior began. I would rest to fall asleep at night staring out into the dark hallway outside my bedroom. I remember experiencing different levels of vibration within my own body when I would concentrate on a particular feeling or emotion. Fear always seemed to be the easiest emotion to feed on and I would push myself a little bit more each night to see how much energy I could fill my body with. I began to see things like glowing eyes in the hallway or I would become paralyzed and could talk to someone through my mind.

The being would often talk me to sleep and then would still be there in my dreams. The dreams were lucid as I was fully aware of what I was doing in them and could consciously make decisions for myself with in the dream.

One night when I was seven years old he came to me and talked me to sleep showing me a spinning black hole from far. He told me to follow him and I would receive great power. I asked him who he was and he told me he was Beelzebub. He told me to come into the hole with him and I would be powerful. As I floated above the hole I was overwhelmed with fear. As I looked in the hole which I had been invited, I saw souls upon souls lying upon souls. Some looked as if they had given up or had been there for a very long time and others were clawing as if to try and climb out, but that was impossible. When I saw the site of the souls within the black void I screamed, No!, Your Evil!, and I awoke.

I opened my eyes and sprung awake. Standing 3 feet in front of my face through the window was a being not of this world. The being was scaly like a lizard or fish. He had very long fingers and nails like a bear. The scariest feature however was not the nails, hands, or scaly skin, but the large black eyes the size of baseballs. This being was highly intelligent and far more advanced then our race. I screamed at the top of my lungs at the site of the being and ran out of my bedroom to my parents room.

From that night forward I slept with my lights fully on until I was a teen. This seemed to stop me from the snowballing fear emotion of past years allowing the being to materialize.

Could this really be Bellzebub? Could Beelzubub be the serpent from genesis? Ever think Beelzebub and his fallen angles / demons could be the reptilians everyone is talking about? The being I saw had lizard type scaly skin like a reptile and admitted he was Beelzebub and wanted to me follow him.

Very interesting wouldn't you say? This concludes the first half of my story and I would be interested to see if anyone else believes there could be a Reptilian, Beelzebub, religious demonic link.

Now I will go on to part two and make things even more interesting.

PART 2
That Pillar In The Sky

Years had gone by of sleeping in my bedroom with the lights on and it seemed to have worked as I had forgotten all about the early childhood years. One afternoon after taking a nap I awoke from my slumber with the most amazing feeling of joy and fullness. I began to feed into the feeling and trying to make it stronger within me. It was like pushing my love, joy, and happy emotions to the farthest extent possible in my body. It was at that moment the first miracle happened.

The Spirit descended on me and I felt God. I was in Him and He in Me. I said "God I feel you" - for you are my only true father and I am honored with all the joy in the world. I began to feel more joy and happiness, more then 1,000,000 perfect lifetimes. It was better then anything I have ever felt before and could ever feel other then itself. The feeling of happiness and love has no bounds IN God and you can continue to experience to no end when you are IN His Spirit. This is a habitable place but it is within the mind that it exists. It is linked directly to your consciousness and since all doorways are open between your mind and God there is only Truth! God speaks only Truth and his Word and Truth Lie in His Spirit which is a habitable place.

The Spirit descended upon me and It was like the sound of a raging stream. I began to scream in joy at the top of my lungs "Hear 'O Israel, The King has Returned!" The more I said the words the more I wanted to say them because it was making me gitty and happier the more I said it.
"Hear 'O Israel, The King has Returned!"
"Hear 'O Israel, The King has Returned!"
"Hear 'O Israel, The King has Returned!"
I walked upstairs to my bathroom and looked out the window up to the bright blue cloudless sky.

It was then, The Lord spoke to me the 10 commandments and told me important points of my own life what would happen in the future, all the way up until the day I die. ( This only has proven to me the existence of God as my life is known before it has happened)

I began to cry to God for knowing I cannot live a perfect life. I begged "Please dear God do not judge me or my mother and father for our sins, for we are so sorry and we feel so helpless." "I wish I didn't live in this world of sin and wars." God told me to "live by my commandments or you will be in the fire.? I begged God to take my soul and do as he please just please do not destroy the world. "Wouldn't it be better even if just to save the animals to refrain from destroying the world.?" I cried out. I began to get noisious and stood over the toilet of the bathroom I had been standing in now for probably close to an hour.

I regained my strength and walked over to the double sink vanity in the bathroom and looked into the giant mirror at myself. I looked down at the sink and asked God again in tears with all my heart and love for all the people of this world and again speaking In The Spirit of God in Truth I begged please do as you wish with my soul for I do not care what you may torment or put me to suffer as long as you save the world that is all that matters. 1,000,000 torments is an easy sentence for the saving of the animals and people of this world.

Then God said to me to follow him and he will give me a crown in a land which was unfamiliar to me but on Earth. I remember God showing me the name Haile Sellasie and I saw the image of a black male in the times of great troubles on Earth. I do not remember the significance

[edit on 9-12-2007 by Raphael]

Continued....

I walked out of the bathroom and into my brothers bedroom and over to his desk. I began to feel more energy surge through me and I began to move my lips and said a few words without me actually saying them. I moved over to my brothers bed which was next to his window and layed down looking up at the sky again. It is here that Miracle 2 Happened.

"Righteous art thou, O Lord; Everything you do is mercy and truth, and you do offer true and righteous judgment for ever. Remember me and look favorably upon me; do not punish me for my sins and for the sins my fathers committed before you. For they disobeyed your commandments, and you gave us over to plunder, captivity, and death; you made us dispersed and now your many judgments are true in exacting penalty from me for my sins and those of my fathers, because we did not keep your commandments. For we did not walk in truth before you. Now deal with me according to your pleasure; command my spirit to be taken up, that I may leave this world and become nothing. For it is better for me to die than to live, because I have heard the screams of our sins and I can't deal with the sadness anymore. "

I pleaded to die over and over. I began to shake uncontrollably like a convulsion. I cried out God help me. The convulsions were getting worse and I cried out again God help me! I was crying uncontrollably and felt like I was actually about to die.

On the word, as I cried out Jesus. a bright light appeared in the sky. It was like a bright white star in the shape of a cross. It descended from heaven in a blaze of glory and righteousness and it was one light which then became three.

The lights descended upon me. Two of the lights went off to my right and became still hovering in the blue sky. The other bright light moved back and forth to and fro above my head as if inspecting me from different angles. It then descended to the tree line and a orb type light like an emerald hourglass shot in through the window and went behind me. I was paralyzed and could not move or turn around. I did however hear some kind of charm or jewelry and I smelled a beautiful smell.

I began to recite the Sh'ma which is found in Hebrew texts. It is essentially a prayer proclaiming to Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. The amazing thing is I could not speak Hebrew and in no way did I have that prayer memorized.

I then saw an arm like a metal arm which moved in front of my body and began moving toward my forehead between my eyes. One of the lights then descended upon me and I was engulfed in light and lost consciousness. When I awoke It was night time and I saw three lights in the sky like Orions belt. I felt like there was still a feeling like I was not alone. I asked using telepathy if anyone was there. There was an answer Yes! I asked "Who are you?" Then the voice replied I am Raphael, and he then told me I was now Rock. Then the lights spun in a circle and were gone back up to heaven.

A few days later a piece of gold fell out of my teeth and I couldn't figure out where it came from. small square shape thin piece of gold.


The Book of Tobit also tells a story of a boy who was being tormented by Asmodeus at night and Raphael bound the demon and healed the boy. Interesting similarity to me meeting Raphael and also someone stopping the demon who came to me at night. Maybe he bound him for me too?


Am I a prophet? Why do I have so much understanding? How did I receive my life's future before I lived it or knew it, yet it still came true? For example knowing who my wife would be before I was even out of high school. Knowing I would have a son and what his name would be. God even told me he would take care of my son as he took care of Zachariah in the fiery furnace. Strange comparison? I was told my mother would die of cancer early in my life which she did last year. My father is also going to die in a plane crash and I will eventually die of a heart attack too early in life leaving my wife and son in this world. God showed me my wife in utter complete sadness with loss of all motivation in life after I die. She will go through the world of troubles alone with our son to raise..

Do you have any idea what it's like living your life knowing how much pain people you know are going to go through? How about knowing your going to die and everyone you know is going to suffer? All the while somehow not becoming some bitter monster at the world knowing the clock is ticking away and we are on the brink yet everyone doesn't care because they are safe in their lexus bubble.


What are the three lights? If these are of good nature and intent then the only explanation I can find is:

GENESIS 3:24
So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

Many texts have attributed the Spirit of God as His Sword in my Experience his Sword or Spirit was absolute truth.

Did I experience the Cherubim, Jesus, God, The Pillar in the Sky which leads to God? Did I get read by God to see if I'm worthy of Heaven? Did I get sealed by God or is Jesus some cover for the coming Antichrist and what I got was the mark of the beast?

Was all of this some government operation to enslave the masses by faking an alien invasion or faking that they are God with their many miracles and the return of Jesus?

What do you think?


I know deep in my heart God is real but as far as I experienced I am still not sure if it was good or bad.


[edit on 9-12-2007 by Raphael]

Well, I give you credit for a fantastical ability to write.

But, in your first part, when you were a child and would have times where you could not move while going to sleep.. I would be willing to bet my kidneys that you were already asleep and having what is called sleep paralysis.

Children with overactive imaginations can "see" things when there is nothing there. For that matter, it is actually very easy for us humans to see things in shadows and other objects and think it is something other than it is. Example: finding objects in the clouds. Humans have a fascinating ability to find faces where there are none. It is part of how our brain works.

Can I disprove what you are telling us? No. But neither can you prove it. Still, that does not stop me from thinking that it is all an overactive imagination.

VV

It is the government that will claim it's an alien invasion, when Christ and His Holy angelic forces return at the Rapture and Armageddon begins. People must know that there are two things required to obtain eternal life. 1) A belief in Christ as our Lord and Savior and 2) a Good Heart Condition. For more information on this visit:

The Kingdom Message

One Truth

I agree children have overactive imaginations but when you grow up and find out 15 years later everything you experienced can be backed up with overwhelming circumstantial evidence to the point where you can no longer deny the experience as anything other then truth you kinda run with it and become hooked on research. This research has continues to only reveal more truths at each turn which vindicate my claims.

You have made a comment about my first experience claiming you believe it is sleep paralysis. This is the most common explanation by people who would not believe any kind of evidence besides first hand account for themselves.

There is no way this could have been sleep paralysis. Unless you think it's an overwhelming coincidence that I creatively came up with the name beelzebub and somehow coincidentally dreamed up the idea of a bottomless pit full of souls. Seems a little amazing for a five to seven year old to be able to experience through imagination the same claims thousands have made in bible. I am not looking for anyone to tell me if what I experienced was real or not I just need clarification and identification of the supernatural living beings.

Also it's easy to throw out the first story of mine as sleep paralysis but then you make no reference to my second experience as if refuting the first covers a rebuttal for my entire testimony. Denying truth is ignorance and one last question for you. How can you suffer sleep paralysis when you are not sleeping?

[edit on 9-12-2007 by Raphael]

reply to post by Raphael


I believe that you are a very religious person, and i believe the experience you had, comes from this belief.

I also believe that all of todays most followed religions, origin from more ancient times, and have been rewritten into todays religions.
I also believe the ancient's knowledge, was founded in Nature and the Universe.

So if one was to compare and symbolise, the names of your religion, and relate them with ancient knowledge and symbols, maybe the conclusion would be more clear?

But I am not the one to do this, and maybe it is a waste of time?


[edit on 9-12-2007 by Bluess]

I am a very deeply religious person now but to claim I had a clue about religion at five years old would be like to claim I am seven feet tall.

Lilith was the most important succubus from Hebrew folklore. A succubus is a female demon who arrives, usually at night-time, in order to tempt the sleep state of men with erotic dreams, and suck the life force from their bodies. Alternatively, an Incubus is a male demon who hunts the energies of woman while they sleep. While the Jewish Talmud texts mentions Lilith on multiple accounts, the Christian Bible speaks of her only once, in Isaiah 34:13, when yielding a barren, desert wasteland, stating: “And Lilith shall repose there”.

While she may not be mentioned prevalently in the Christian Bible, her origins are undeniably tied to the figure of Adam and the Garden of Eden in Genesis.

Some interesting similarity? Hmm sound more like the serpent again?

The 2nd Book of Enoch, also called the Slavonic Book of Enoch, contains references to a Watcher Grigori called Satanael.[3] It is a pseudepigraphic text of an uncertain date and unknown authorship. The text describes Satanael as being the prince of the Grigori who was cast out of heaven

Sound like Beelzebub?

Beelzebul (not Beelzebub) appears as prince of the demons and says (6.2) that he was formerly a leading heavenly angel who was (6.7) associated with the star Hesperus (which is the normal Greek name for the planet Venus (Αφροδíτη) as evening star). Seemingly Beelzebul is here simply Satan/Lucifer. Beelzebul claims to cause destruction through tyrants, to cause demons to be worshipped among men, to excite priests to lust, to cause jealousies in cities and murders, and to bring on war.

Hmm more similarities.
2004 and 2012 Transits of Venus - interesting similarities in everyones doomsday timelines.

Prince of Demons who was cast out of heaven? Beelzebub is associated with Venus and Prince of those who fly.

Beelzebub is commonly described as placed high in Hell's hierarchy; he was of the order of cherubim ( Please read my earlier testimony of who the Cherubim are including the scripture from Genesis )

Name of a demon mentioned in the New Testament as chief of the demons (Matt. xii. 24-27; Mark iii. 22; Luke xi. 15-18). When the Pharisees heard (of the cures performed by Jesus), they said: "This man doth not cast out demons but by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons"

[edit on 9-12-2007 by Raphael]

[edit on 9-12-2007 by Raphael]

reply to post by Raphael

everything you experienced can be backed up with overwhelming circumstantial evidence

Do you know what circumstantial means? Just wondering, cause I don't think it means what you think it does.

Unless you think it's an overwhelming coincidence that I creatively came up with the name beelzebub and somehow coincidentally dreamed up the idea of a bottomless pit full of souls.

All I have to go on about the age this supposedly happened is your word. However.. the name Beelzebub is not unknown.. hell, I had a cat named that. And the idea of a bottomless pit full of souls is not new either. You are not providing anything new at all, just merely asking us to believe everything you say at face value. Sorry, I take very little at face value.

Now, as I think I stated before, I do not think you were truly awake. It is not uncommon to have dreams where you fully think you are awake. That explains that.

Why did I not refute your second part? Because quite simply, I do not believe in the bibical god. I think that anything like that is merely A.) imagination/dreams or B.) A desire of the claimant to be more important/special than they are.

Just my opinion.

VV

reply to post by Raphael


Hello Raphael. I sent a U2U your way earlier . I really enjoyed reading your thread. And I have some questions for you. I was going to do this via U2U but I suppose this is just as good a place as any. I suspect that you practice Judiasm ,by judging from your avatar and by the reffrences made in your posts. It sounds to me in my opinion that you had an ecounter with the Most High.
Did you get the impression that the name you heard and figure you saw was the anti-christ?
As far as the "sealed" portion of your post goes. Have you ever read about the 144,000 that are sealed, as described in the book of Revelation?

everything you experienced can be backed up with overwhelming circumstantial evidence

I know what it means but here let me help you.

"Circumstantial evidence are a collection of facts that, when considered together, can be used to infer a conclusion about something unknown. Circumstantial evidence is usually a theory, supported by a significant quantity of corroborating evidence."

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by Raphael


Circumstantial evidence: Circumstantial evidence is indirect evidence which leads to, but does not prove as specific conclusion.

As I said, it does not mean what you are trying to use it for. Nothing you have posted has proven anything.

VV

Originally posted by highfreq
reply to post by Raphael

 

Hello Raphael. I sent a U2U your way earlier . I really enjoyed reading your thread. And I have some questions for you. I was going to do this via U2U but I suppose this is just as good a place as any. I suspect that you practice Judiasm ,by judging from your avatar and by the reffrences made in your posts. It sounds to me in my opinion that you had an ecounter with the Most High.
Did you get the impression that the name you heard and figure you saw was the anti-christ?
As far as the "sealed" portion of your post goes. Have you ever read about the 144,000 that are sealed, as described in the book of Revelation?

Hello highfreq,

Ty for reading the long post and enjoying it!

The memories which were spoken to me regarding the figure and the name are cloudy. Bits and pieces remain.

I am not familiar with the 144,000 other then it's often thrown around as the people who are "chosen." I know one thing. I would rather sell my soul to find the truth to save the world then be one of the 144,000 and live a paradise life while most of my brothers and sisters perish. The cost is too high and the pain too great. It eats away at the inner core of my soul on a daily basis as a search for ways to preapre for what is to come so that I may save as many people as possible before they come.

Barna Research Group published a survey conducted among teenagers titled Third Millennium Teens. Under the subtitle "Displacing the Myths", the report said:

"The Myth: the teen years are evangelistically productive.
The Reality: if they're not saved by age 13, they probably never will be.

The report goes on to say, "The data shows clearly that the prime evangelistic years are those before a person becomes a teenager." (George Barna, Third Millennium Teens, p. 65)

If the most productive time of salvation are the pre-teen years, and if the pre-teen years are the most vulnerable – does it not stand to reason that Satan would fiercely attack this time?

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

If the world was past this time referenced in revelation 12:9 then what I witnessed in the sky would have to be good angels, otherwise they could be either or.

Baal Zebub, in his capacity as god of the hated Philistines, became the representative of the heathen power and consequently the arch-enemy, the foe par excellence, and therefore the name "Baal debaba" ("debaba" being the Aramaic form corresponding to Hebrew "Zebub") acquired the meaning of "hostility," the verb with the sense of "hostile action"

It has been suggested that the appellations Beelzebub and Baal Zebub are corrupt forms of what was originally "Baal Zebul" (Baal of the heavenly mansion, , and afterward "Baal of the nether world." The word "Zebul" (from "zebel," dung) is a cacophonic corruption of "Zebub," in order to give the name the meaning of "god of the dung." It is more likely that the name "Beelzebul" is a dialectic variation of "Beelzebub," as "Beliar" is of "Belial"; "dominus muscarum" (lord of flies) or Lord of those who fly.

Isaiah 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

In Rastafari, "The Lion of Judah" represents Haile Selassie I. Rastas hold that Selassie is a direct descendant of the Israelite Tribe of Judah through the lineage of King David and Solomon, and that he is also the Lion of Judah mentioned in the Book of Revelation.



[edit on 9-12-2007 by Raphael]

I found this about the man mentioned in your vision: Haile Selassie (although the spelling in the last name was a little off).

Is he significant to you in any way? Are you Ethiopian or do you live somewhere around there? You say you don't remember the significance but at least try to remember if what was said about him was good or bad. I say this because many believed him to be the Messiah (which he wasn't). If you can recall what this "angel" said to you about him, this should answer some of your questions.

If the being in the vision told you he was to be worshiped or followed in any way, odds are this being was not of God. Not sure why he was significant to you. If it was anything remotely vital to you, why would you forget the importance of it? So, try to remember at least if what you were told about him lined up with the Word of God or not.

Since a lot of your information about God comes from apocryphal texts, I would be very cautious of the things given to you in your vision. It seems you are trying to put two and two together not from the Bible but from nonbiblical texts. This can definitely set you up for deception.

My gut feeling tells me these were not visitations from a godly visitor but just the opposite.



[edit on 12/9/2007 by AshleyD]

Also, the man in your vision died in 1975. Was your vision before or after this date. Again, can you remember ANYTHING about this man or why you were given his name? The context is everything. Not to be condescending but if you were given a vision from God, do you really think it is something you would forget?

Originally posted by AshleyD
Also, the man in your vision died in 1975. Was your vision before or after this date. Again, can you remember ANYTHING about this man or why you were given his name? The context is everything. Not to be condescending but if you were given a vision from God, do you really think it is something you would forget?

My experience was after 1975, around 1990-1991.

I remember seeing him sitting on a throne.

Not to be condescending but if you were given a vision from God, do you really think it is something you would forget?

If you could comprehend what it felt like to be in the spirit you would understand one minute is like a lifetimes worth of splendor, information, and surprise. I spent hours in the spirit and remember every detail is difficult yet I have faith every moment will come back to me.

Originally posted by AshleyD
My gut feeling tells me these were not visitations from a godly visitor but just the opposite.

I have a feeling Satan was testing me once again. Why won't he leave me alone? This is not some metaphoric dribble drabble, I mean seriously, he is in my life! He has come to try and deceive the world and he has almost got me deceived. How can he know the future? Is he omnipresent like God? Then it has to have been God? Is Satan God and vice versa? What the hell is going on here im going to make my self fall over dizy out of my seat..

[edit on 9-12-2007 by Raphael]

reply to post by Raphael

My experience was after 1975, around 1990-1991.

I remember seeing him sitting on a throne.

Ok, although he was a king (shown in the link I gave above- therefore it is obvious he could have sat on a thrown), if you had the vision 15 years after his death, what was the significance? If he was dead, what was the importance? Although, I am only asking if this guy was the same one since your spelling and Wikipedia's spelling differed.

If you could comprehend what it felt like to be in the spirit you would understand one minute is like a lifetimes worth of splendor, information, and surprise. I spent hours in the spirit and remember every detail is difficult yet I have faith every moment will come back to me.

That is what I was implying. I don't think God would give us a very important insight or prophecy only to have us forget it.

I can't give you a clear yes or no because I didn't have this experience. But, God says to test all the Spirits to see whether or not they are from God. You will have to see if what you remember from the experience lines up with the Bible. If it differs even in the slightest sense then I would toss it out.

Hello,
Raphael.
I think your experiences were from God and were as they appeared.
God takes care of new christians, He doesn't let them get misled early on in their faith.
Later on he WILL let you go into un-biblical and sinful delusions to let you know to study your bible and LIVE by faith in HIM.

That's a very powerful conversion.
I've heard it said by John Hagee, that we have as MUCH of God as we want.

I have been led astray in the past and thought I was O.K. in my sins because I had signs and visions.
If your life is lined up with what you know Jesus wants (sin-free)
you won't be derailed.

[edit on 9-12-2007 by Clearskies]

I just hope God is using me to expose the Serpent / Satan who I believe I have seen in the flesh, spoken to in the spirit, and been tested by throughout my entire life.

When people read revelations they often read about being tossed into the fire and what not but what if the meaning has been skewed. As I experienced the three lights which I would like to call Cherubim, they stood at the gates of heaven as I was repenting and they read into the depths of my heart and soul.


As I researched more into this experience I cam across Genesis 3 and began to ponder this thought,

"Then the Lord God said, ‘See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever’— 23therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 24He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life."

The sword flaming is the spirit of God which is linked with the mind telepathically.

If God were to enter and dwell in the minds of all people they would be out in the open and naked. They would no longer be able to hide behind their words as every thought and experience would be open to be read. "The books are opened" Those who did not live in righteousness and truth will be ashamed and the truth in the Spirit of God would be like consuming fire.


[edit on 9-12-2007 by Raphael]

reply to post by Raphael


I would completely expect Satan to be fully aware of the future and past, not because of omnipresence really, but even just from the idea that he would be on a different dimensional level then ours, presumably higher. I think that because of the higher dimension, time would appear linear to those creatures and spirits on that level.

That being said, remember even demons can do good as long as it fits their overall agenda. Some people even speak of summoning demons to do good acts, but this isn't an area to be treaded into lightly.

Acts 2:17 And it will come about, in the last days, says God, that I will send out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters will be prophets, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams

Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

Deuteronomy 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

Matthew 13:17 For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn't see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn't hear them.


A sword has been raised among the chariots. The day of judgement is surely close. As it is written "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew [born again] he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:1-3 RSV)

Jesus is here answering Nicodemus' question, "How can a man be born when he is old?" "By water and by the Spirit," is Jesus' reply.

It is clear from the context that Jesus is talking about baptism by God through his spirit.

Peter says we are "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible," (1 Peter 1:23 KJV). And he speaks of being "born to a living hope," (1 Peter 1:3). Paul speaks not only of being new creatures in Christ but of a new creation; of passing from death unto life, of a new, radical start. Jesus makes clear that this is the only way to enter the kingdom of God.

"You has he quickened [made alive] who were dead in trespasses and sins,"

Jesus answered him. "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (John 3:10-12 RSV)

Jeremiah had predicted a new creation that would be given; that Ezekiel had said that God would take out the old heart of stone and give a new heart of flesh. All through the Old Testament there are statements about a new birth, a new beginning, a new creation, a new life that would come as a gift of God.

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him." Hmm.. That's familiar.

Acts chapter 2, baptism in the Holy Spirit began on the day of Pentecost. This was in fulfillment of Jesus' words in Acts 1:5, "…but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." The Apostles experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. It resulted in them being empowered to proclaim the Gospel and lead thousands of people to faith in Christ (Acts 2:41)



[edit on 10-12-2007 by Raphael]