Cut Off

So the believers are CUT OFF now? From BABYLON?? I came across a post on FB which Lord willing, I thought might be worth sharing. In an effort, AGAIN, to force the Bible to fit May 21, 2011 some, it seems, continue to twist it more and more. They claim to be open to correction, but yet ignore correction when offered. They claim to compare scripture with scripture and yet show little, if any, scripture to support their doctrines. They claim to be bereans and yet are not willing to be bereans to the studies of others. Bottom line is, unless God Himself, in His mercy would allow us to come to truth, we will continue to be hardened in lies. If error is built on error, we can only arrive at MORE error, not truth. Therefore from the Bible’s perspective, if we are not gathering, then we are scattering (Lu 11:23). Unfortunately, though, it seems PRIDE has a way of holding us captive when we don’t leave a back door open for correction, forcing us to dig our own graves? And Lord willing, we’ll remain blind and close our ears, while at the same time try to convince ourselves that we are serving God (Joh 16:2). Also unfortunate are those to whom the Lord is not giving understanding so that they might be separated from Babylon. But then again, according to the Bible, God can allow this to take place as a form of judgment when we choose to hear what we want to hear versus what we need to hear (2Ti 4:3).

The verse in question is the following:

Jer 50:16 CUT OFF <03772> the sower <02232> from BABYLON, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

The Bible, for the most part, uses the language of being CUT OFF to point to JUDGMENT, not salvation. And this context, Lord willing, will confirm that. The believers are not the only ones called SOWER. The unsaved CHURCH, professing Christians also sow seed. Just as God speaks of them as watchman who are blind, elsewhere in the Bible. Let’s take a closer look at being cut off:

Na 1:14 And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown <02232>: out of the house of thy gods will I CUT OFF <03772> the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.

Jer 51:6 Flee out of the midst of BABYLON, and deliver every man his soul: be not CUT OFF in her INIQUITY; for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.

Isa 14:22 For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and CUT OFF from BABYLON the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

Zec 13:8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be CUT OFF and DIE; but the third shall be left therein.

Zec 9:6 And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will CUT OFF the pride of the Philistines.

Zep 1:4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will CUT OFF the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;

Mic 5:13 Thy graven images also will I CUT OFF, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

SOWER: THE UNSAVED CHURCH, BABYLON?

Jer 50:16 Cut off the sower <02232> from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

Mic 6:15 Thou shalt sow <02232>, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.

Ho 8:7 For they have sown <02232> the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

Pr 22:8 He that soweth <02232> INIQUITY shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

Job 4:8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow <02232> wickedness, reap the same.

So Jeremiah 50:16 would not be talking about believers being cut off from this physical world that some want to make Babylon. It is talking about the death of the CHURCH as God uses FALSE PROPHETS to destroy it at the revelation of Christ (unsealing of the Bible). The sower (professing Christians) FALL in judgment as in Babylon is Fallen, is Fallen (Re 14:8). God, it seems, is more concerned with the SPIRITUAL wickedness taking place in HIS NAME.

Of course, there are those (in or outside the church) who will always try to find a way to explain away verses based of knowledge in Greek or Hebrew, trying to make the Bible fit one’s understanding… but what we fail to see, AGAIN, is that God is the one who reveals truth since He defines His own terms. He can purposely write the Bible so that if we’re trusting in our skills, instead of God, we end up blinded to truth, no matter how many years we may claim to have studied the Bible. Sometimes, of course, a word could have been translated differently that would shed light on its context. But, for the most part, the use of strong’s numbers will not lead anyone to truth:

Lu 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.

I know May 21, 2011 was a tremendous blow and defeat for many. But it’s OK to let go people! Salvation is not based on how long one can HOLD ON to anything. Some might have you think that you are being TESTED if you don’t believe this or that. But beware! testing or the trying of the faith of the elect took place in TRIBULATION. Therefore, if we are past the tribulation, then there is no longer any testing of the believers. Unless of course we are looking at testing literally in terms of what we do or don’t do. The WORK of trying to show others how much I can hold on to physical persecution, I propose has nothing to do with salvation. Physical persecution can often come as a result of SIN and more specifically the sin of not being faithful to the whole counsel of God. It is my prayer that perhaps here or there, one might develop a greater desire to CAREFULLY study the Bible as they patiently wait on God.

May the LORD be merciful to His Own according to His perfect will and timing.