Bro Bill
April 26th, 2007, 12:00 AM
Beasts, Blind Watchmen & Sleeping Dogs
by Bill Harper
All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
- Isaiah 56:9, kjv:bible
The Bible teaches that before Jesus Christ comes again there will first be a great "falling away" ( Greek word 'apostasia', i.e. apostasy ), a departure by many from the truth of biblical Christianity in the churches ( 2 Thessalonians 2:3 ). That day has come as prophesied. The primary responsibility for apostasy in the Church must be placed on the religious leaders, the pastors, the teachers and theologians. They are called by God to be "watchmen" to warn others of spiritual deception and "shepherds" to lead God's people, feed them with the Word of God, and look out for their spiritual welfare. Unfortunately many of them are themselves "ignorant" of the Scriptures and ill-equipped to see the spiritual dangers and their failure to faithfully teach God's Word keeps their congregations ignorant as well. Many of them are in it solely for financial gain and the love of money; and so they tickle the ears of their flock with the 'prosperity gospel' which their deceived congregation loves to hear. They refuse to warn of the impending judgment of God that is going to fall on the wicked and the signs of the times in which we are living in; and so they say that "tomorrow will be as this day." In reading about the "wine" and "strong drink" in this passage, I am reminded about the story I once read of a very popular religious leader in evangelical circles who got drunk and became obnoxious to a flight attendent on a plane en route to one of his speaking engagements.
Such religious leaders leave their flocks unprotected against the ravenous "beasts", in other words the spiritual predators, seducers and deceivers, and the antichrists that are continually attempting to infiltrate the churches of God. It is such apostasy on the part of religious leaders and their congregations which will culminate with the rise of THE antichrist whom The Bible calls " THE Beast ", prophesied of throughout the Book of Revelation, who will deceive the whole world with great signs and wonders and will sit in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and declare himself to be God. When he is revealed he will find very little protest or dissent in those churches because they will be too spiritually blind to see what is happening to them. These religious leaders are about as worthless and useless as the watchdog you buy to protect yourself and your property from thieves; but while you are gone the thieves break in, rifle through your house and steal your goods while your watchdog comes up to the thieves to lick their hands.
On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the church goer or the layperson to recognize the signs of apostasy, to expose it and try to do something about it. Unfortunately, many of them are too spiritually lazy to care and others are spiritually sleeping. They are like Peter was in the Garden of Gethsemane who was too sleepy to watch and pray for even one hour with the Lord Jesus (Mark 14:37) and so they become vulnerable to every temptation and snare of the Devil. That is why The Bible warns that Jesus will come as a thief in the night ( 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 ) and why Jesus told his disciples to be awake and alert in the end times before He comes again, saying to them:
WATCH ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you SLEEPING. And what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH
- Mark 13:35-37, kjv:bible
by Bill Harper
All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
- Isaiah 56:9, kjv:bible
The Bible teaches that before Jesus Christ comes again there will first be a great "falling away" ( Greek word 'apostasia', i.e. apostasy ), a departure by many from the truth of biblical Christianity in the churches ( 2 Thessalonians 2:3 ). That day has come as prophesied. The primary responsibility for apostasy in the Church must be placed on the religious leaders, the pastors, the teachers and theologians. They are called by God to be "watchmen" to warn others of spiritual deception and "shepherds" to lead God's people, feed them with the Word of God, and look out for their spiritual welfare. Unfortunately many of them are themselves "ignorant" of the Scriptures and ill-equipped to see the spiritual dangers and their failure to faithfully teach God's Word keeps their congregations ignorant as well. Many of them are in it solely for financial gain and the love of money; and so they tickle the ears of their flock with the 'prosperity gospel' which their deceived congregation loves to hear. They refuse to warn of the impending judgment of God that is going to fall on the wicked and the signs of the times in which we are living in; and so they say that "tomorrow will be as this day." In reading about the "wine" and "strong drink" in this passage, I am reminded about the story I once read of a very popular religious leader in evangelical circles who got drunk and became obnoxious to a flight attendent on a plane en route to one of his speaking engagements.
Such religious leaders leave their flocks unprotected against the ravenous "beasts", in other words the spiritual predators, seducers and deceivers, and the antichrists that are continually attempting to infiltrate the churches of God. It is such apostasy on the part of religious leaders and their congregations which will culminate with the rise of THE antichrist whom The Bible calls " THE Beast ", prophesied of throughout the Book of Revelation, who will deceive the whole world with great signs and wonders and will sit in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and declare himself to be God. When he is revealed he will find very little protest or dissent in those churches because they will be too spiritually blind to see what is happening to them. These religious leaders are about as worthless and useless as the watchdog you buy to protect yourself and your property from thieves; but while you are gone the thieves break in, rifle through your house and steal your goods while your watchdog comes up to the thieves to lick their hands.
On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the church goer or the layperson to recognize the signs of apostasy, to expose it and try to do something about it. Unfortunately, many of them are too spiritually lazy to care and others are spiritually sleeping. They are like Peter was in the Garden of Gethsemane who was too sleepy to watch and pray for even one hour with the Lord Jesus (Mark 14:37) and so they become vulnerable to every temptation and snare of the Devil. That is why The Bible warns that Jesus will come as a thief in the night ( 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 ) and why Jesus told his disciples to be awake and alert in the end times before He comes again, saying to them:
WATCH ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you SLEEPING. And what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH
- Mark 13:35-37, kjv:bible