Mark 06 Small lunch of a boy feeds 5000 men

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Jesus goes to Nazareth and His own family rejects Him

Jesus had been operating in the region of the Sea of Galilee.

MARK 6:1   And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

He then went to Nazareth where He had grown up.

MARK 6:2   And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

People take for granted what they are familiar with. Thus they cannot accept that somebody who grew up amongst them has suddenly become very famous.

They were very impressed with His teachings and His awesome power. They just could not understand where His amazing talents came from.

MARK 6:3   Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

The people of Nazareth were baffled. The rest of His family were ordinary people. Joseph and Mary had four sons and some daughters after Jesus was born. But these children wanted nothing to do with Jesus.

When you accept the Lord, often your own family is against you.

MARK 6:4   But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

A prophet is rejected by his immediate family and his extended family, as well as by his nation. We struggle to believe that God can suddenly decide to use someone that we know.  It is other nations and people who tend to be impressed with Him.

MARK 6:5   And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

In Nazareth, where He had grown up, Jesus could achieve very little.

MARK 6:6   And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

Jesus was amazed at their level of unbelief. Rather like modern Christians who celebrate the Lord's birth despite never being asked to do so in the Bible. So they invented the unscriptural word Christmas on the unscriptural date 25 December and make this the biggest unscriptural celebration of the year. Unbelief is when you believe unscriptural things. Think of "Good Friday" , "Easter Monday", Lent, Easter eggs, and Easter bunnies.

Jesus is the Word of God.

Christians have got so used to carrying Bibles around that they are no longer aware that much of what they do and believe is not written in the Bible. Church traditions have taken over from Scripture. Christians criticize what they think are faults in the Bible but do not criticize the church they belong to. Christians prefer their church ideas to the Bible truths just like the Jews preferred their Pharisees to Jesus.

MARK 6:7   And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

Jesus selected His 12 apostles and ten sent them out two-by-two.

Preachers must learn to trust in God

MARK 6:8   And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

They were to totally rely on God and take nothing with them. No food and no money.

Disciples were taught to serve without focusing on self-gain.

A scrip is a small bag that shepherd's carried with them into the fields. Without this small carry-bag the disciples could not carry much, if anything for their own comfort.

When David was a shepherd then he used a scrip as his bag to hold the stones for his sling.
I SAMUEL 17:40    And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook,

and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip;

and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

The staff helped the disciples to walk. God wanted action.

MARK 6:9   But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.

They had to take the minimum.

The sandals enabled them to walk around and preach. The coats added to their comfort so Jesus limited them to one coat. Preaching the Gospel is not about money or comfort. It was hard and dangerous work.

The feet of Daniel's Gentile image represented the seven church ages. The head of gold represented the wealth of Babylon.

The focus was on the feet, walking through the seven church ages to teach the truth of the Bible. There was no mention of the head with its thoughts of money that so occupies modern Christians. The modern church-goer keeps saying, "Look at how much money I have got, God is blessing me".

MARK 6:10   And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.

The disciples could bless those homes that welcomed them and wanted to learn.

The early church met in houses. Small groups in a house stopped one man from being elevated above the church as the Bishop of the church. A one-man-head-of-the-church is what caused the early Christians to go wrong. The first building that was used as a "church building" (an unscriptural term) was dated about AD 220. So, modern-day church buildings were not how the New Testament church operated.

The only famous building was the Temple in Jerusalem. And Jerusalem was regarded as the main church. But God destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem in AD 70. After that, God focused on spreading the Gospel from house to house. Ambitious men focused on being elevated above the Christian people in search of power and money. The church leaders wanted the power to take the people's money. (The people are actually the church because the church is not a building). Bishops lived in the biggest and best houses. Career Christianity became a well-paid job for the preachers.

MARK 6:11   And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

If people rejected them, they were just to move on.

The believers formed the clay in the feet of the Gentile image that were made of clay (believers) and iron (denominational Christians whose beliefs are subject to the organizational efficiency of a one-man-head of the church). The unbelievers who reject the Word are then just the dust under the feet who never became part of the clay.

The Old Testament unbelievers in Sodom and Gomorrha were consumed in fire for rejecting the truth of their day. But now Messiah Himself had arrived. Rejecting Him was a far more serious sin.

MARK 6:12   And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

They preached repentance as that is the first step towards people getting right with God.

MARK 6:13   And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

The disciples manifested the supernatural power of God.

There is no marriage and divorce and remarriage

Any man or woman who is married and divorces their spouse, may not re-marry while that original spouse is still alive. The marriage vow is until death us do part.

There is no other way of ending a legal marriage.

MARK 6:14   And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

King Herod thought that Jesus was John the Baptist who had been resurrected from the dead.

MARK 6:15   Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

Nobody could grasp that Messiah had come as a Man.

They kept trying to say that Jesus was some Bible prophet.

Today we have the opposite. Jesus has not come as a Man, he has come as the revealed Word. Many message-people make a huge mistake as they keep claiming that the end-time prophet is Jesus.

MARK 6:16   But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

The reason for killing John the Baptist was that John had dared to speak out about marriage and divorce.

MARK 6:17   For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.

Philip's wife had divorced Philip in order that she could marry Herod.

MARK 6:18   For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

John the Baptist was fearlessly outspoken. Nobody can divorce and re-marry.

That belief cost him his life.

That is why most churches allow divorce and remarriage today. It is a popular doctrine that people want. If pastors refuse to allow divorce and re-marriage then those people will leave their church.

Church leaders want to be popular and attract people to their church by allowing them to believe whatever they want to believe.

Divorce and remarriage is just a form of adultery. Only the original marriage vow between husband and wife is valid. That vow remains valid until one of them dies. No second marriage vow is valid while the original marriage partner is still alive.
MARK 10:11    And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

:12   And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Herodias, the so-called wife of Herod hated John for exposing her "legalized" adultery.

MARK 6:19   Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

Herodias as a woman represented the church. They do not want to hear the blunt truth of the King James Bible. They do not want to hear William Branham as the end-time prophet.

The church just wants to serve God in a way of their own choosing so that they can do whatever they want to do. The religion of convenience. The prosperity Gospel. Christians want the crown but not the cross.

MARK 6:20   For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

Herod respected John and was glad to hear his preaching. As long as he did not have to clean up his own life.

But when Herod had to choose between John the prophet and his daughter (a woman representing a church) then he chose the woman and killed the prophet.

Message-people reject Scripture and what brother Branham says in other places when the message-church insists on a certain interpretation of a quote.

Message-believers insist that brother Branham is infallible as the Son of man.

Yet he said that he was not infallible and as the seventh church age angel-messenger he was not the Son of man.

62-1007 THE  KEY  TO  THE  DOOR
... and they're preaching that men should leave their wives and hunt for their spiritual mate, and that I am perfectly infallible. That there's nothing... And, oh, some of the awfullest things you ever heard.

65-0725  THE  ANOINTED  ONES  AT  THE  END  TIME
…"the seventh angel's Message, opening up the Seals."  What is it?

Not the angel is the Son of man;

but the messenger is revealing the Son of man.
Can you get it separated now?   

MARK 6:21   And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

Our human obsession with birthdays. It is a convenient day for a big festival where we easily end up being unscriptural.

No birthday of a righteous person is ever mentioned in the Bible.

The Bible never asked us to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

A birthday led to the killing of the first prophet who had appeared to Israel in 400 years.

Then the Jews would go on to kill Jesus Himself. Jesus is the Bread of Life.

When Joseph was in prison in Egypt with a baker and a butler (the bread and wine used at the Last Supper) it was the baker who was killed by Pharaoh on his birthday.

The bread was broken at the Last Supper as a symbol of the death of Jesus.

So Pharaoh also killed on his birthday, symbolic of the future death of Jesus.

So is God really interested in birthdays?

The Bible never told us to celebrate the birthday of Jesus.

MARK 6:22   And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

A young girl dancing impressed Herod. Such are the short-term distractions of female beauty.

MARK 6:23   And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

A very unwise decision. How on earth can you promise something unknown to a young female dancer?

A woman represents the church.

Christians are unwise enough to promise to believe whatever the church tells them to do and believe.

MARK 6:24   And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

The daughter asked the mother who demanded the death of the prophet who was bringing the Word.

The daughter symbolizes the Protestant churches. The mother symbolizes the Roman Catholic church. Thus, at the end time, the Protestant churches will return to the beliefs of the mother church as long as they agree to destroy the prophet's revelation of the true Word of God.

MARK 6:25   And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

Error is active at the end.

"Straightway with haste" shows how anxious the Devil is to corrupt the end-time revelation of the Bible mysteries by the prophet.

The churches either ignore William Branham or exalt William Branham to the godhead as the infallible Son of man who speaks as the Voice of God. Thus the quotes of William Branham replace the Scriptures instead of revealing the Scriptures.

"Voice of God " is never mentioned in the New Testament.

MARK 6:26   And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

Herod did not want to kill the prophet.

But the women representing the churches were insistent. The message-churches will interpret and manipulate quotes to produce doctrines that are contrary to what is written in Scripture. Message-people seldom study the Bible anymore. They seldom prove their revelations just by using the Bible.

MARK 6:27   And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

Once again a murder happens on a birthday. What is God trying to tell us?

John's corpse represented the state of the Jewish nation. The head was being cut off from the body of the Jews. Their Head, unknown to them, was Jesus. The preaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees and priests was effectively separating the people from Jesus.

Today, the misinterpreted quotes of the message-preachers are effectively separating the message-believers from the King James Bible (that they hardly read anymore). Bible illiteracy has become a huge problem.

MARK 6:28   And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

Mother and daughter had just committed a horrendous act. They had killed the prophet who had introduced Jesus as a Man.

The unscriptural doctrines of the churches is effectively killing the influence of brother Branham who tried to get believers to prove for themselves the revelations that he brought, just by using the Bible.

Brother Branham introduced Jesus to us as the revealed Word.

MARK 6:29   And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

Andrew was the only disciple of John who became one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus. Being a follower of the prophet John the Baptist did not mean that those people became followers of the Word.

The people had been so impressed with John the Baptist that they struggled to pay attention to Jesus.

God had to remove John before Jesus could really get going with His ministry.

The prophet's quotes often blind us to the fact that we have to be Scriptural.

MARK 6:30   And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

A feast in the wilderness

MARK 6:31   And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

The world can be a tough place to live in. Much goes wrong and people have many needs.

Thus they would continually approach Jesus because they knew He could heal them.

Eventually, the crowds left them no free time even for a meal.

Jesus then decided to take them to a desert place, a little south of Bethsaida.

The place is shown on the map below with a green oval. That is the place where Jesus would end up feeding the 5000 men.

This is the only miracle that Jesus did before His arrest that is recorded in all four Gospels. So it must have great significance.

MARK 6:32   And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

They sailed away privately but the crowds chased the ship by running along the coast.

MARK 6:33   And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

The crowd was desperate to get to Jesus.

MARK 6:34   And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

These people who never learned the real truth from their religious leaders were very keen to listen to Jesus as He taught.

MARK 6:35   And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

MARK 6:36   Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

:37   He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

:38   He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

Seven items of food represent the seven church ages.

The apostles will establish the New Testament church which will be a foundation of truth for all seven church ages.

Bread represents the Word of God.

Five church ages will be established by the Word of God.

A fish swims out of sight under the water.

Two fish represent the true church being persecuted during two church ages. The truth was destroyed in the third church age at the Council of Nicaea when the church was forced to accept the unscriptural Trinity.

Then in the 4th church age, during the Dark Ages, tens of millions of dissenters were killed by the Roman Catholic church. Those who disagreed often had to flee and hide in the wilderness. The Pilgrim Fathers fled to North America.

MARK 6:39   And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

The people all sat in their different groups so that the disciples could bring them bread and fish meat which are both symbols of the Word of God. In other words, the Bible feeds us with the doctrines whereby the apostles established the early church.

MARK 6:40   And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

Every Christian is born at some time in some place where he or she serves God by believing the doctrines of the apostles.

MARK 6:41   And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

The Bible truths were divided up amongst the seven church ages. Each church age faced different challenges. The first church age had the truth.

Then they began to lose this truth after the apostles died because they began to elevate Bishops to be the head of each church. Over the next three church ages more and more of the original apostolic truth was progressively lost.

The third church age was bad as the Council of Nicaea killed the enthusiasm for Bible truth by introducing the unscriptural Trinity and Good Friday. The Roman Catholic church then began to persecute non-Trinitarians who were forced to go underground and out of sight, like a fish.

The persecution of non-Catholic Christians intensifed in the 4th church age. This was the second age represented by a hidden fish that desperately hid away out of sight, as tens of millions were slain by the Catholic church.

Then God began to turn things around with Martin Luther's Reformation in the fifth church age that restored Justification, the just will live by faith.

John Wesley in England added holiness to produce the doctrine of Sanctification in the sixth church age.

The Holy Ghost baptism was introduced in two stages. The Pentecostals restored the supernatural gifts and brother Branham in America revealed the deep mysteries of Scripture. Thus the final church age could be restored back to the beliefs of the early apostles.

JOHN 16:13   Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:

The evidence of the Holy Spirit baptism is when we can understand the mysteries of the written Word.

MARK 6:42   And they did all eat, and were filled.

The Gentile churches were sustained in each of their church ages by the truth or spiritual bread that was revealed by the messenger to that age. Each messenger tried hard to steer the church for his day back to the written Word of God as best he could for his age.

The natural Jews ate the natural bread until they were full. Then they threw aside or rejected the many scraps of bread that they did not want to eat.

These rejected scraps or fragments of bread were symbolic of the Jews rejecting the spiritual Gospel bread or doctrine that Jesus brought.

MARK 6:43   And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

The 12 baskets of rejected scraps of bread are significant.

MATTHEW 16:9   Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

What must we understand about the 12 baskets of rejected scraps?

The Jews would reject the Gospel at Calvary. The disciples then gathered up the rejected Gospel and collected these rejected scraps as the New Testament.

Then, when the seven Gentile church ages are over (symbolized by the 7 items of food), the Gentile church will reject these revealed New Testament truths that the first church age believed. Twelve baskets of these rejected scraps symbolize that the revealed Bible truths that the Gentiles reject at the end of the 7th church age will be carried back to the 12 tribes of Israel in the 3.5 years of great Tribulation. This rejected Gospel will then be accepted by the 144000 Jews.

MARK 6:44   And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.

A woman is a symbol of the church.

By emphasizing men, Mark is not referring to the church but rather to the Jews.

What does 5000 represent?

From the fall of Adam up to the time of Jesus was about 4000 years.

Then the Jews rejected Jesus and they dropped out of the Will of God.

The Jews will come back into God's Plan during great Tribulation. Two-thirds of today's 18 million Jews will die and one-third will survive the battle of Armageddon and go into the Millennium Kingdom of 1000 years of peace.

They and their descendants will serve God for 1000 years.

The one-third of the Jews who survive have nothing to do with the 144000 Jews who receive Christ. The 144000 are the defenders of the Bride who protect the Lamb's Wife.

Thus the total time that the Jews will have served God is 4000 + 1000 = 5000 years.

That is symbolized by the 5000 Jews who ate the loaves and fish.

ZECHARIAH 13:8And 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.

:9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

The 6 million Jews who go into the Millennium will enable the Jews to serve God for another 1000 years. They will live amongst the unsaved Gentiles who never heard the Gospel and who managed to survive the battle of Armageddon.

II PETER 3:8   But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The 2000 years of the seven church ages does not count for the Jews as they rejected the truth at Calvary. Thus only the 4000 years of the Old Testament applies to them.

The 2000 years of the New Testament church does not apply to them.

But the surviving Jews join into the 7th Day or 1000 years of the Millennium or Kingdom of Peace.

Going before Jesus was a mistake

MARK 6:45   And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.

Jesus did not say “unto Bethsaida”. That would mean sailing directly to Bethsaida.

“Before” means “in front of”.

Jesus said, “Before unto Bethsaida”.

They must sail to the other side but not to Bethsaida, the homes of Peter, Andrew, and Philip. They must pass in front of Bethsaida which would have been their shortest and easiest journey. Christianity is not designed to be easy. Their journey would pass in front of their homes as they must complete that journey before they can go back unto their homes in Bethsaida at the end.

Bethsaida means House of Fish.

Jesus has to teach them how to be fishers of men before they can go back home.

The important lesson to learn is that our human decisions based on what we think is best will be wrong.

Then we will toil for hours getting nowhere. Then we have to be blown off our course in order to find the right direction. This will only happen if we accept Jesus into our vessel.

Jesus now has to leave them so that they can learn their lesson.

The disciples would be separated from Jesus and thus make a wrong decision.

MARK 6:46   And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

They were on their own. They now made their wrong decision. They must go in front of Bethsaida to the other side. The closest and most convenient destination would be Capernaum. It will not take too long and they could get some sleep and food while they were there. We humans always choose the easiest path for ourselves.

MATTHEW 14:22   And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

Humans must never go before God if they want to get to the correct destination.

Their journey would finally end in Gennesaret. That was the longer and more difficult journey that Jesus wanted them to make.

MARK 6:53   And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

They wanted to make the much shorter journey to Capernaum. So little do humans understand of God’s Plan.

JOHN 6:16   And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,

:17     And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

Left to themselves they chose Capernaum as their destination. Yet Capernaum was one of three cities that Jesus cursed. So little do we humans understand of God's Will.

Jesus was not with them. They decided what to do. So they ended up aiming at the wrong destination, Capernaum, rather than tackling the longer journey to Gennesaret.

Jesus allowed them to go before Him. They needed to learn this lesson.

We must follow Jesus, not go before Him.

A violent storm was the product of disciples going before Jesus.

Thus the disciples learned the hard way that Jesus must always go before them.

After the resurrection of Jesus.

MARK 16:1   And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

The Gospel of Mark ends by describing three women coming to the empty tomb and seeing one angel who said:

MARK 16:7   But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

By now the disciples had learned that Jesus must go before them. They must follow.

This symbolizes William Branham revealing the restoration of the true Word of God out of the death of the Dark Ages. The Bride from three church ages would restore the truth.

It would take three church ages before the Bride would fully learn to follow the Scriptures. And be restored back to the beliefs of the first church age.

Martin Luther in Germany restored Justification, salvation by faith alone. Church age 5.

John Wesley in England restored holiness which is sanctification. Church age 6.

The seventh church age had two stages. From 1906 the Pentecostals in America restored the gifts of the Spirit. This was the third stage of restoration.

Then William Branham in America restored the understanding of the Bible mysteries as the fourth stage.

JOHN 16:13   Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:

The evidence of the Holy Ghost baptism is the ability to understand the mysteries of Scripture.

63-0318  THE  FIRST  SEAL

…      for this alone, the mysteries of God, is the ministry of the seventh angel.

Hardships and difficulties puts us on the true course

MARK 6:47   And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

Evening time. The end of the seven church ages.

MARK 6:48   And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

God had to use a violent wind to cancel out their efforts that were in the wrong direction. They had to be blown off course (the solid red arrow) to find the true direction (the dotted red arrow) which was only possible when Jesus joined them.

We learn a great lesson as servants of God.

Hardships and difficulties drive us away from our ambitions and force us to call on Jesus. Accepting Him into our hearts as the Word of God gives us the true direction.

The storms that oppose our efforts do us good.

When we try to serve God in our own strength then we can toil in our labours for Him but just end up wasting our time. We might build up something impressive in the eyes of man, like the Vatican, but it is useless as far as restoring the truth is concerned.

The fourth stage of restoration of the Bible mysteries is when the Bride individuals are finally able to understand the Bible mysteries for themselves. Then they are able to see Jesus walking through the pages of the Bible.

If we ignore or change the verses that we do not understand then He passes us by.

We have to pray hard and seek the truth of those difficult Bible verses. We have to cry out and welcome a different idea into our hearts if we want to understand the deeper mysteries of Scripture

The fourth watch symbolizes the fourth stage of the restoration of truth. When individuals can prove their understanding of Scripture just by using Bible verses.

MARK 6:49   But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

"Cries out". The revelation of the Bible mysteries will make us cry out in surprise as it will be very different from what we expected or thought.

The sea is the restless nations and masses of humanity. Despite all that is going on in the ugly and tumultuous world of human politics, we must realize that Jesus is above it all as He is still in control of all world events. But it is a very troubling time and easy for people to be afraid.

MARK 6:50   For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

Again, the necessity for our faith to be based on Scripture and thus we need to understand the Bible mysteries so that God can speak to us through the Bible verses.

MARK 6:51   And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

At last they received Jesus into their vessel. That is the secret to Christian success.

Christ in you gives you an inner peace where you no longer notice the storms of life.

PHILIPPIANS 4:11   Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

ROMANS 8:28   And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

They had failed in their own efforts but welcoming Christ into their vessel had brought peace and calmness.

We are equally amazed that Jesus can work His own Will today despite the brutality, corruption, greed, hatred, and selfishness that dominate the turbulent nations.

MARK 6:52   For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

The twelve baskets of rejected bread scraps represented the Jews rejecting the Gospel and being separate from God during the seven church ages. Then at the end, the rejected Jews will be gathered back in Israel and accept the Lord during great Tribulation.

So, the Jews lost direction 2000 years ago but in the violent storm of great Tribulation they will be blown back on course to meet the Lord.

Gennesaret represents the Millennium of Peace

MARK 6:53   And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

Gennesaret means the Garden of the Prince.

The Garden of Eden was ruined in the seventh day when sin entered.

Jesus, as the Son of David, will rule in peace for 1000 years, the Millennium. Then He will truly be the Prince of Peace and the whole world will be His Garden.

So, during the Millennium the whole world will be Gennesaret, the Garden of the Prince. That will complete the seventh Day that Satan ruined in Eden because a Day with God is as 1000 years.

II PETER 3:8   But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

For six days (6000 years) God prepared the world for human life and created a Paradise, the Garden of Eden. During the 7th day or 1000 years, sin entered Eden.

Now 6000 years have passed with the earth ruled by Satan. When Jesus destroys the evil armies at Armageddon then He will rule the whole world for the 7th Day of 1000 years. The whole world will be the Garden of the Prince. Gennesaret. That is why Gennesaret was chosen by Jesus as the final end of the journey.

MARK 6:54   And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,

When Armageddon finishes the whole world will be under the rule of Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 2:10    That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

Having destroyed those powerful armies at the battle of Armageddon, everybody will shout out the name of Jesus because everyone will know Who He is.

MARK 6:55   And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

All the survivors of Armageddon will be exposed to the peace and healing of Jesus.

MARK 6:56   And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

It will not just be the healing of sick people, wonderful though that will be. It will also be the healing of nations. Nationalism and racialism will be removed.

People will realize that God is only interested in one race, the human race.

All of humanity will then be one large family.

One touch from Jesus will completely transform a person's health and attitude.