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Check out the beauty of New Zealand in motion, awesome http://www.newzealand.com/travel
New Zealand: Population: 4,035,461 (July 2005 est.) European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census) |
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Meet Dale & Linda Tooley, Hasten The Light Ministries About Hasten The Light Ministries: From the website biography (excerpt) "By the early eighties I had become a seasoned debater with , as one reviewer put it "an implacable thirst for knowledge" . By 1978 I had debated various biblical issues, but was mystified and perplexed by the prevailing views on prophecy expounded by my fellow Pentecostals and Evangelical believers. A set of audio tapes on the Book of Revelation , by Pastor Malcolm Smith of Malcolm Smith Ministries, greatly stirred my heart and I decided to study the views of the different schools of thought. By early 1979 I was thoroughly convinced of the basic Amillennial position but I found that there were many gaps that were not explained and also many questions to be answered. I could not find a satisfactory book that covered all that I had now discovered and which I wanted to share with others. When involved in newspaper debates I often felt inadequate for the task and became increasingly dependent on the Holy Spirit to provide the material I needed to answer my adversaries and antagonists. I reasoned that if I was to write a book sharing my convictions, the same Holy Spirit who helped me in my letter writing would also fill in all the missing pieces as I went along. I depended on my own Bible study notes, first and foremost, But I also continually investigated the thoughts and convictions of others. Books such as "A New Heavens and a New Earth" by Archibald Hughs, "The Momentous Event" by W.J. Grier , and "More Than Conquerors" by W. Hendrickson gave me wonderful confirmation. The first edition of "All Things New " was launched in 1983, at the same time as my other book "Salting The Press". The smaller book, "In That Day" followed in 1995." Excerpt from another page on their website: I A Nutshell: Amillennialists, Evangelicals, Charismatics & Pentecostals
should Kiss and Make up! Dale & Linda Tooley |
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Comment from Cephas Ministry: their teachings have a wonderful feel to them because most of it is from the Bible. Sorry to say but we do not agree with their message. Dale professes Amillennialism as well as ecumenism which is the Pope's as well as the new global position ala Billy Graham, Ken Copeland and many more. At 04:15 AM 8/15/2005 +1200, you wrote: The New Jerusalem The basis for the following article is Revelation chapters 21-22 Chapter 21 of Revelation begins with these words: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there in no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, saying, "Behold the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain, the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." The New Jerusalem is NOT a physical city that will descend from the sky and perhaps hover over the tiny nation of Israel in the Middle East. There is so much about it that plainly shows us that, like everything else in the book of Revelation, it is "signified". In fact, the New Jerusalem, is one of the easier Revelation pictures to understand when comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:13). There are two major keys leading to a right understanding of the symbolism in the book of Revelation. One is found in the statement, "Behold I am making all things new (above). The other is found in the words of Revelation 21:9 and 10: ...I will show you the bride of the Lamb! And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, set down in the New Heavens and the New Earth is the final perfected outcome of everything that started new, in embryo, in the New Covenant. We have seen in other studies that: 1) We have already become new creatures in Christ Jesus (2
Corinthians 5:17). However we await the putting on of new immortal bodies and
the New Heaven and New Earth. The ministry gifts are born of God. The aspirations, calling
and ministry of God's people are all born of God, or they are
not part of the New Jerusalem. (Ephesians 4:10-16. Galatians
4:26) Hebrews 12:22 clearly tells us, But you have come to the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels. The Jerusalem below
stands for legalism and bondage. The Jerusalem above receives
and declares God's grace. John heard a loud voice saying, Behold
the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among
them. Did not Jesus say, a long time ago, Wherever two or three
are gathered together in My Name, there I am in the midst of
them? (Matthew 18:20) Are we to perceive a difference between
"among" and "midst"? John noticed that the bride, seen pictorially as a city, came down out of heaven having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone of crystal-clear jasper. We first saw this jasper radiating from the Throne of God. (Rev. 4:3) Hear Jesus again: The glory which Thou has given me I have given to them. Revelation 20:18 says: And the material of the walls was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The clear glass image of the gold is not surprising because the glory of God shines out through us! Remember that Revelation 3:12 presented us with this image: He who overcomes, I will make a pillar in the temple of God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the New Jerusalem, the city of My God, which comes down out of heaven from My God. Is anyone eagerly looking forward to being a literal pillar in a literal temple? Surely, the pillar just mentioned is symbolic, and the temple associated with it is also. Revelation 21:12 shows the city with 12 gates with the names of 12 tribes. Three gates on four walls. We believe that 3 x 4 (equaling 12) represents God working in the world. When God worked in the New Covenant He did through 12 Apostles and that is why their names appear on the 12 wall foundations (verse 14). Therefore, all these aspects of the New Jerusalem are symbolic of God's chosen ones and His working. Ephesians 2:19-22 also supports this thought: So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of God's household, having been built on the foundations of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. John said: And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. (Revelation 21:22) As in the Ephesians image the whole city is in effect a temple. The Spirit of God within us, shining out as through transparent glass, makes us His temple. In 2 Corinthians 6:16 we read: ... for we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. After this John said: The one who spoke to me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates, and its walls. (Revelation 21:15) "To measure" we learned from Ezekiel 42:20 is to "divide between the holy and profane". This is to ensure God's protection, presence and glory. It is therefore interesting to observe that the very next verse to our 2 Corinthians reading (above) says: Therefore come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord. And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me", says the Lord Almighty. The city is seen as a perfect cube, twelve thousand furlongs in each direction. Far too immense in height for earthly materials - including pure gold. Dr. Hugh Ross, of the Reasons To Believe organization, says it will be made of entirely new physics of a entire new universe. It would certainly have to be! I have a lot of respect for Dr. Ross and his organization but really... We need not go further than the symbol. The only other cube in the Bible is the Old Covenant Holy of Holies which was 20 cubits in each direction. We have already seen, in a number of studies, that the community of believers, the Christian Church is God's true holy of holies. (Ephesians 2:21 margin, (NASB) The 12000 cubits represents 3 (for the Triune God) x 4 (for
the earth) x 10 x 10 x 10 (for completion). Notice that the gates of the New Jerusalem are never closed. Revelation 21:26 says: ...they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abominations and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. In this connection the Apostle Paul says God will ... render to very man according to his deeds: To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but to those who are selfishly ambitious, and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. (Romans 2:6-8) The city has a river of the waters of life coming from the
Throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1). Please notice
that this river of living waters flows FROM the Throne of God
and not BY the Throne of God as some literalists have to have
it, and as it is often presented in a popular song. Humanistic involvement in programs and plots to bring about "social justice" and "equality" will not do it. The curse is removed by the redeeming work of the Cross! Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us - for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. (Galatians 3:13) The Old Covenant holy of holies had no natural light but was lit by the glory of God alone. So too in the New Jerusalem. (Revelation 21:23, 22:5) Chapter 22, verse 7 says: And behold I come quickly. Blessed is he that heeds the words of the prophecy of this book. John testifies here that he also was a fellow-servant of those who heed the words of this book (22:9). The book is not a sealed book as the book of Daniel was during the period of the Old Covenant (verse 10) for the time (even then) was near. And the Spirit and the Bride say, "Come". And let the one who hears say, "Come." And the one who is thirsty, "Come"; let the one who wishes, take the waters of life without cost. Here is the compassionate Jesus, not willing that any should perish, pleading through His Church, unctioned by the Holy Spirit, for men and woman to turn from their folly and live. Dale Tooley |
