Don't Be a Dried Up Worm

Some of my earliest memories are fishing with my grandfather. I could not swim, so he strapped me into an ancient, ill-fitting lifejacket that reeked of old fish. I hated it, but hanging out with my grandpa made wearing the wretched thing worth it. He taught me to cast a rod and bait a hook. I liked digging in the worm bucket, searching for the juicy ones, his term, not mine.

So, worms don't freak me out, and I developed an unusual habit as an adult. If I see a worm on the pavement, I put it back in the grass because dried up worm carcasses are just sad.

Dried Up Worm

Today, I spotted a struggling worm, barely moving, and beginning to dehydrate.  I stopped to pick it up but did not quite get a hold of it.  To my surprise, it started thrashing like mad, which startled me. For a second, I considered abandoning it to its fate. But when I tried to pick it up again, it kept twisting, and I could not catch it. In the end, I scooted it back into the grass with my toe.  It took a couple of tries, but the worm finally made it.

As I walked away, I realized the worm had no clue it was going to die if it stayed on the path it set for itself.  It certainly did not know I was trying to assist. Instead of embracing the help, it viewed my intervention as an attack and fought to continue its journey to destruction.  But I had a better view of what the future held and took care of the worm, whether it knew it or not.

How often do we behave like the thrashing worm, and how much more important are we to God than a worm?

Sometimes in life, God is like a loving grandfather who puts us in a stinky lifejacket for our safety. Uncomfortable or unhappy in our surroundings, He might be teaching us valuable lessons or giving us treasured memories. And when the time comes to go, instead of struggling when He picks us up, why not relax in the palm of His hand?  If we thrash around, we will miss the view from above and never realize this is a rescue, not an attack. We will be back in the cool of the grass soon enough.

Don't be a dried up worm. He's got you.

(Originally published August 5, 2013)

When God is Dead - Holy Saturday

The idea for this post occurred to me during the lowest point in my life, in a moment when God seemed to be gone, everything lost—Holy Saturday. I have never heard preaching on this subject, but there are powerful life applications for the believer.

As you read, forget your knowledge of the Resurrection, forget you know the end of the story, go to the upper room with the Apostles and imagine... because minus the physical horrors of the Cross, Holy Saturday, when Jesus' body lay in the tomb, is the darkest day in history.

The Apostle John and the women at the Cross heard Jesus utter the most heartbreaking lament ever spoken, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?' Those words must have shaken His followers to the core. Had Christ been rejected by the Father? From their perspectives, it must have appeared so.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Holy Saturday

After the crucifixion and Christ's entombment, the Apostles hide. Having witnessed the trial and execution of the most powerful man on Earth, they held no illusions about their future or the fate. Peter, the bravest and most faithful among them, did not deny Christ without reason; the Apostles knew the brutality of the Romans. But worse, with Jesus gone, the men who cast out demons in His name, realized Hell was coming for them. Thus, they are defenseless, hunted, and terrified.

Judas Iscariot fell prey to the lies of the Devil and religious leaders. Despite everything, Judas was their companion, their friend, who betrayed them, as well as the Lord. When news of his suicide reached the upper room, they learned his body was hanging in Potter's Field, unattended, desecrated. For a Jew, this is particularly abhorrent. As the caretaker of the money, it is reasonable to assume Judas stole their funds when he left. His death destroyed all hope he would repent and return. Scripture says after the crucifixion, Christ's followers scattered, leaving the disciples with no one, and in the upper room they are broke, with a price on their heads, trapped, and mourning not only Jesus, but Judas.

Imagine their disillusionment. They gave up homes, business, and position in the community to follow Jesus. Scripture confirms their families thought they were crazy and condemned them for being irresponsible. On Holy Saturday, the Apostles faced the crushing possibility they were wrong and wasted three years of their lives for nothing.

Jesus predicted His death and resurrection a number of times, but His words remained hidden, as if He had spoken in code the Apostles failed to hear or understand. Pentecost had not yet come, so without Christ or the Holy Spirit, they existed in total darkness, without hope Jesus would return from the dead. This is demonstrated by their disbelief on Easter morning and Thomas' rejection of the testimony of the ten.

Holy Saturday buffeted the Apostles, forced them into doubt and reflection. By design, it brought them to the lowest point in their lives and prepared them for the work to come. Holy Saturday demonstrates what Christianity would be without the Resurrection—dead.

We all encounter Holy Saturdays in our lives. We face betrayal, the loss of our loved ones, and the devastating fears financial insecurity brings. Enduring the death of dreams, hopes, and aspirations, we curl up in pain, mourning, and condemnation. There is nothing fanciful about Saturday; the experience is brutal.

But take heart, Sunday is on the way, and there we find victory, new life, and resurrection! Praise God.

(Originally Published 04/23/2011)

Revelation 17 - The Final Rebellion

It has been years since I did an in depth bible study. Alas, the final three books of The Millennium Series required a return to Scripture to ensure the series culminated on strong biblical footing, and this week I dove back in.

One challenge in writing about the Millennium is the lack of text and commentary to draw upon. The Millennium is two steps forward in the Biblical timeline, and as a result most scholars focus on the Rapture and Tribulation, leaving the Millennium as a mere footnote. I found myself fascinated by it in 2015 and wrote The Millennium Bible Study. If you are unfamiliar with the subject, I encourage you to check it out.

Digging into Scripture for clues about the final rebellion at the end of the Millennium, I believe I have an interpretation of Revelation 17 that is both unique and doctrinally sound, surmising it is a Millennial prophecy. Most commentaries attribute the chapter to the Tribulation, understandable given the language, symbolism, and location in Scripture. However, a careful study reveals several key differences that set it apart.

The primary texts used in this study are: Daniel 2 & 7, Revelation 12, 13, 17, & 20.

I must admit after several years of writing novels, digging back into prophecy I was rusty. As such, a review of symbols and times became essential. With all the beasts rising, I found myself a bit cross-eyed, so here are some basic explanations of the terms:

1. Beasts - Kingdoms but also the Tribulation Trinity of Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet
2. Heads - Historical or coming kingdoms or kings
3. Horns - Kings
4. Diadems - Crowns
5. Mountains - Kingdoms
6. Seas/Waters - Multitudes of people, typically the unsaved Gentiles

Discerning the difference between Tribulation prophecy and Millennial prophecy required a study of beasts, heads, and diadems, which all denote Satanic Kingdoms, both past and future. A big shout out to the folks at Revelation Logic for doing a ton of the legwork for this post, and while some our our conclusions differ, their work is well thought out and organized.

Seven Kingdoms

We see in Scripture numerous references to the rise of evil kingdoms, both in the Old and New Testaments. Some are mentioned more frequently than others, but it is reasonable to extrapolate there will be seven Satanic kingdoms.

Revelation 12:3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

Revelation 17:10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.

I believe Revelation 12:3 is a depiction of Satan at the beginning of the Tribulation and Revelation 17:10 depicts his rise at the end of the Millennium, and I will attempt to walk you through the logic.

To get started, here is a list of the kingdoms in order:

1. Egypt
2. Assyria
3. Babylon
4. Persia
5. Greece
6. Rome
7. Tribulation Government

For my own edification, I mapped out the physical territory of the first six kingdoms, and while I am not a cartographer, the visual will give you the gist.

Egyptian Kingdom - First of the Five who have fallen

Assyrian Kingdom - Second of the Five who have fallen

Babylonian Kingdom - Third of the Five who have fallen

Persian Empire - Fourth of the Five who have fallen

Greek Empire - Fifth of the Five who have fallen

Roman Empire - The Kingdom "that is" at the time John wrote Revelation

Note, they become progressively larger. In Daniel 2, we begin with Babylon and the great statue of Nebuchadnezzar's dream:

1. Babylon - Head of gold
2. Persia - Chest and arms of silver
3. Greece - Belly and thighs of bronze
4. Rome - Legs of iron
5. Tribulation - Feet of clay and iron

Jack Kelly notes, "While each metal is less valuable than its predecessor, indicating a decline in the quality of its rule, each one is also harder and therefore stronger, showing it to be more powerful than the kingdom it replaced."

In Daniel 7, we see the kingdoms through a vision God gives to Daniel.

1. Babylon - First beast, a winged lion
2. Persia - Second beast, a bear
3. Greece - Third beast, a leopard
4. Tribulation Government - Fourth beast, unlike the others, more terrible than any before it

In Daniel 8, we see two of the seven.

1. Persia - The two horned Ram
2. Greece - The fast Goat

You may note that Egypt and Assyria are not listed specifically, but if we can include them in this list because they fit the profile and because they meet the criteria of "five have fallen", which means they must have predated Rome. 

What are the characteristics of a Satanic Kingdom?

1. Harlotry - both sexual and in worship, seductive, leading many astray.
2. Idolatry - worshipping beings or things as supreme other than God.
3. Hostility toward the Jews - they ALWAYS occupy Israel.
4. Great evil
5. Military power and conquests
6. Striking terror in the hearts of men
7. For a time, they seem invincible but crumble under the weight of their own wickedness.

Egypt and Assyria meet the above criteria.

The Phrase that Caught My Attention

My first novel, M1-The Black Key, opens with Revelation 20. After editing for three years, listening to the Audiobook a dozen times, and creating videos that included the Scripture, I can recite it in my sleep. But when I came across similar wording in another verse, it grabbed my attention.

Revelation 17:10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.

Revelation 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Looking up the original Greek, we see that while the English is translated the same, the original text uses different words.

1. Revelation 17:10 the word is Oligon, which translates to puny, neutered somewhat.
2. Revelation 20:30 renders the phrase mikros chronos, which translates to small, little, brief period of time especially in view of a sequence or succession of moments.

It struck me that the Tribulation is well defined in dozens of places, from Daniel's 70th week onward, we have a precise calculation of dates, durations, and markers, yet the most cataclysmic period on Earth is never rendered as a "puny" or "neutered" event.

Missing Crowns

The next thing that struck me as different was the lack of "diadems" in Revelation 17. 

Revelation 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

Compare the above to the rise of Satan at the beginning of the Tribulation.

Revelation 12:3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

In Revelation 12, his is the great red dragon and his kingdoms have crowns. In Revelation 17, he is the scarlet beast and has been stripped of his crowns.

Endurance of the Saints

The next clue that Revelation 17 might be describing the final Millennial rebellion and not the Tribulation was the outcome and the domination of Satan against God's people. Compare these passages:

Revelation 13:10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Revelation 17:14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.

We know from Revelation 20:9 the final rebellion is not a long protracted war... "and they did go up over the breadth of the land, and did surround the camp of the saints, and the beloved city, and there came down fire from God out of the heaven, and devoured them."

Basically, at the end of the Millennium, the Lord runs out of patience for this nonsense.

Who Was, Is Not, About to Rise - The Eighth

Revelation 17:8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

The above text is quite definitive, and I believe provides the key to anchoring Revelation 17 at the end of the Millennium. "Who was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit," to a Millennial audience, Satan was once on the Earth, he has been banished (he is not), and is about to rise from the bottomless pit. Satan is bound in the bottomless pit during the Millennium, not before.

Revelation 17:11-12 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 

The above indicates that Satan attempts to establish a final kingdom, an eighth, but he is unable to attain former dominance and the ten kings give him power for "one hour" in the final rebellion. Compared to the Tribulation, we know exactly how long it will last. Using Daniel's 70 week timetable, one hour could be as little as 30 days.

It also appears that unlike the Ten Kings during the Tribulation, the Millennial Kings see the folly of their ways. Revelation 17:17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

The Great Prostitute

It is quite interesting to note that the only "female" character in Revelation or Daniel is the Great Prostitute, Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations. And while neither she nor the scarlet beast wear a crown, she arrays herself in gold, jewels, pearls, and royal robes. Most scholars agree this character represents the false religions born out of Babylonian worship, and I agree with this interpretation.

Consider, of the seven kingdoms, six will fall to utter defeat, yet one endures, one survives, one morphs and changes: Rome.

In Revelation 17:10, it is the kingdom "that is", and in Revelation 17:18 John clearly identifies her, "And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth." Note the use of the present tense in the verse, not will have, has dominion.

Finally, we see her fate Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 

The kings AND the beast hate her and turn on her in the end because God has put it in their hearts to do so.

And Then The End

Revelation 20:7-10 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, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

A fitting end, don't you agree?

I would be remiss, not to invite you to visit my new website, Alanthia.com, if you are so inclined to go on an adventure, I promise you will not regret it.

Maranatha, my friends.

New Adventures - Small Beginnings

Three years... I can't believe, but it has been three years since I blogged regularly. Have I stopped writing? Oh contraire. That is all I do, other than sleep a little and go to my job (the one I actually make money at). In October 2017, I finally committed to writing a novel that floated around in my head for six months. The process began after a snarky comment from a nasty client, but beauty came from the ashes, and there are now nine novels in The Millennium Series.

It is a joyous thing to discover your true calling, your passion, and reason for being. But would I have had the courage to write if it weren't for this little blog? Likely not. To learn, you must write. There are 500+ original posts here, although I cannot read them because my inner editor cringes. But you have to begin and accept that you will make mistakes. Scripture admonishes us to not despise small beginnings, the Lord delights to see the work begin.

I printed "M1–The Black Key" two weeks after "finishing" it. I cannot look at that either. Three full versions, twenty professional beta readers, countless edits, and hundreds of hours have gone into the final product. But I started, I began.

M1–The Black Key Cover

In January, I committed to publishing, to finally launch, and in the process acclimate to small beginnings. Opening my Author Page on Amazon, beginning a YouTube channel, revamping the website, everything starts minuscule... that does not mean we have to be small.

Millennium Series Book Covers

Beginnings do not have to translate to poor quality, shoddy work, or lack of commitment. Work, learn, and improve; recognize we control the effort, not the outcome.

Dreaming big is safe when you are doing nothing to achieve those goals, but "one day" never comes if you do not have the courage to embrace small beginnings.

M1-The Black Key Audible Cover

"M1–The Black Key", debuts May 1, 2021, eBook, paperback, hardback, and Audible. Take my hand; I am going to tell you an amazing tale.

(As of this writing, only the eBook is available for pre-order. I am wrestling with KDP, Ingram Spark, and Bowker for their systems to talk, and Audible only lets you pre-order 14 days prior to release. Like I said, small beginnings.)

Millennium is Coming

I am pleased to announce the official launch of my fiction author's website and home to the upcoming epic series, Millennium. Readers are captivated by this dynamic series. 

The next great age is foretold, written on the hearts of man, and rapidly approaching; Millennium, is coming.

The Golden City

The first novel, The Black Key, is a fast-paced epic journey, delivering heart-pounding action, adventure, and romance.

Paradise is shattered by brutal betrayal; one brother sacrifices the other. Two young princes discover the truth, one must flee, the other is left behind. More than murder taints the Palace, ancient evil, bound for a millennium breaks free. Princes Josiah and Peter travel paths they never imagined, caught in a web of deceit, intrigue, and rebellion. Davianna and Astrid protect a dangerous artifact with the power to destroy paradise. Lives and hearts collide in epic adventure, as they battle evil, and run from all who covet, The Black Key.

To become a beta reader and receive your free copy of The Black Key, please visit: Alanthia.com and sign up!