Matthew 23 - 7 Woes on the religious leaders

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Church leaders are not subject to Scripture

The wrong leaders are in charge as they oppose the Word, not obeying the Word

Jesus is the Word of God.

So what you say about the King James Version of the Bible, you are saying about Jesus.

Church leaders have taught the people to claim that there are errors in the King James Bible. Very few regard the King James Bible as the Absolute and infallible truth.

Matthew 23 is a harsh and fiery criticism of the Jewish religious leaders by Jesus. A warning to the religious leaders of today’s churches where over 100 different versions of the English Bible are used. They now claim that there is no Absolute Truth.

Church-goers are fooled into thinking that they have to agree with their church leader. They prefer not to think for themselves because that is hard work.

There were no pastors in the Old Testament. So when Jeremiah condemned pastors six times, he was being prophetic.

Pastors are thus mentioned only once in the New Testament and condemned six times in the Old Testament. This ministry has no right to be the head of the church. The apostles never placed a pastor in charge of a church.

There is nothing wrong with a pastor exercising pastoral care over the people as he helps and counsels them to cope with their various problems. But this gives him no Bible authority to be the head of the church.

The Jews had a similar problem. Pharisees were not mentioned in the Old Testament, yet they were in charge of the synagogues when Jesus arrived. They also had no Bible authority to be the head of a synagogue.

This wrong religious structure had opened the door to error. One-man-headship of the church is unscriptural.

The wrong religious structure was a stronghold of the enemy.

With the wrong person in charge, he would energetically resist the Word of God that would depose him if things became strictly Scriptural.

All people fight for their jobs to protect their income.

That is a weakness of our materialistic world.

Each time Jesus says, “Woe,” He also says, “Hypocrites.”

A hypocrite is an actor on a stage pretending to be someone else. By acting out an unscriptural role as the followers of the prophet (Moses), the Pharisees claimed a greater authority for their interpretations.

Pharisees and Sadducees were not Old Testament titles. The prophet Moses had never placed them in charge. Thus, they had no Scriptural authority to be in charge of the Jewish Temple and synagogues. They were usurpers who had hijacked the leadership. Rather like the airplanes of 911. The hijackers seized control and told the passengers to relax as they were flown to their deaths.

We have a similar problem today. Nowhere in the New Testament was a pastor ever made the head of a church. The apostles never put one man in charge of a local church. There are many Scriptures that the pastors cannot answer, so they just tell the church-goers to relax as those Scriptures are not important. In addition, they tell them that the King James Bible is not the Absolute. They claim it has mistakes. Church-goers today thus reject the infallible King James Bible as flawed, just like the followers of the Pharisees rejected Jesus. Thus, the passive, relaxed, and complacent church-goers fly comfortably to their doom in the 3.5 years of great Tribulation that is fast coming up because they refuse to interrogate the church leaders with Scripture.

The Jewish leaders rejected Jesus and then, what was worse, got the people to reject Him.

So, in this Chapter, Jesus places the blame on the Pharisees, the leaders who corrupted the people.

The Pharisees will pay for what they did, but the people will also pay for listening to them and rejecting Jesus, Who is the Word.

Pharisees quote the prophet but reject the Word of God

Jesus breaks the people up into two groups. The disciples who have the truth, and the rest.

MATTHEW 23:1   Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

We must only believe what the disciples wrote down in the New Testament. Anything that is not written in the New Testament is wrong.

MATTHEW 23:2   Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

“Seat” means authority. The religious leaders kept saying, “The prophet said…” as they quoted Moses.

They kept claiming that their authority came from Moses. Then nobody was allowed to argue with them.

“You cannot correct the prophet” was their claim.

Even though the prophet Moses smashed all ten commandments and struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it. Prophets can make mistakes.

Only Jesus, the Word, is perfect.

By repeating their interpretations of the prophet Moses' quotes, they effectively turned the people away from Jesus, Who was the revealed Word.

MATTHEW 23:3    All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

Message pastors today keep saying, “The prophet said…” to claim authority for their ideas as they pretend that they only say what the prophet said.

But then they claim that “The seven Thunders have uttered,” which is a statement that brother Branham never made.

They say that brother Branham is the Voice of God. The New Testament never promised us the Voice of God.

So, just like the Pharisees, they say unscriptural things.

The Jewish religious leaders quoted the prophet Moses but rejected Jesus, Who was the Word of God.

Message preachers quote the prophet where it suits them but reject what is written in Scripture when the Scripture contradicts their man-made ideas.

Famous TV preachers refer to the verse for confirming the covenant:

DANIEL 9:27   And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:

And then they dare to read this as “He shall MAKE a covenant with many for one week.”

And all the people are too intimidated or brain-washed to notice the error.

Such is the lack of respect that modern-day preachers have for Scripture.

Such is the ignorance of the listeners that they do not even notice.

MATTHEW 23:4   For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Preachers and church-goers claim to be Scriptural, but they can no longer prove all their beliefs just from the Bible.

So, they make up various man-made traditions that the church-goers have to follow.

Preachers burden their followers with ideas like Trinity, Christmas, and Good Friday. As well as explaining what the unwritten 7 Thunders are and claiming that the voice of the 7th angel is the Voice of God.

The leaders invent these doctrines that church-goers cannot understand or prove, however hard they try.

Their Trinity removes the name of God because you cannot find one name for three Persons, and the church-goers are left for the rest of their lives trying to dodge the big issue that their Christian God has no name.

Pentecostal preachers interpret prophecy in terms of a future political leader called “the antichrist,” although there is no Scripture that says “the antichrist.”

The Bible just says “antichrist” and “many antichrists” that were already present 2000 years ago.

I JOHN 2:18   Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that

antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists;

whereby we know that it is the last time.

So preachers just make up artificial and unscriptural beliefs that cannot be proven from Scripture which make their followers look like fools if somebody questions them.

The church-goers cannot prove these beliefs, and the church leaders condemn them if they do not believe these unscriptural ideas.

Church leaders love to be addressed with titles

Church leaders love to be seen and noticed in public.

MATTHEW 23:5   But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

Fancy clothes are a must for modern-day preachers. If they wear casual clothes, they favour expensive sneakers (shoes) or belts, etc. Their appearance must testify to their wealth. If they preach for God, they expect to be well paid and dress expensively.

MATTHEW 23:6    And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

Church leaders love public recognition and to be seated in public where they can be seen. Special seats are reserved for them in the front of the congregation. Special parking spots are reserved for them.

This desire to be noticed is a defect of church leaders.

Women, money, and fame are three critical weaknesses in any man. Especially the fame of being recognized in public.

MATTHEW 23:7    And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

Nobody in the Bible had the word “Pastor” attached to his name. Today you are expected to say, “Pastor Tim” when you address him as if that is a requirement. (Assuming his name is Tim).

MATTHEW 23:8   But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

We should just call people by their names without the need to attach a title before their name.

GALATIANS 1:18   Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

:19   But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

Notice, that Paul mentions no titles.

Paul addressed about 27 people in the last chapter of Romans just by mentioning their names, without attaching any title to any name. He just mentions two names that were well thought of amongst the apostles.

MATTHEW 23:9   And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

You have a physical father as you are his physical seed and owe your natural life to him. But you have no man as a spiritual father as you can only be born-again of the Spirit of Christ. God alone is your spiritual Father. Then you are born-again of the Seed of the Word of God as Christ alone can give you eternal life; no other man can.

Calling a Roman Catholic priest “Father” is wrong. Calling the Pope, “Holy Father” is wrong.

MATTHEW 23:10   Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

Slaves have to obey the masters who own them. To call a person, “Master” implies that you are their slave. Then, you are not free to decide for yourself.

In Revelation Chapter 18, the false church Babylon the Great, is condemned for her vast business dealings and investments and dealing in spiritual slaves and the souls of men.

REVELATION 18:13   And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots,

and slaves, and souls of men.

A spiritual slave has to obey and agree with his owner, who thus controls his soul because a slave is not allowed to think for himself.

Subjecting your soul to a church leader makes you a slave to that spiritual organization.

The group of elders who are supposed to be the leaders of the local church can only ask you to do what is in the Bible. That way, it is the Bible that controls your thinking and actions, not the men.

MATTHEW 23:11   But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

The leaders are to serve the people by explaining the Scriptures to them and getting the people to follow the Scriptures, not the opinions of the men. Careful checks must be made to see if the leaders are proving their point from Scripture or just giving a popular opinion.

MATTHEW 23:12   And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

God is not interested in anyone being above anyone else.

Whatever ministry a man has makes no difference as it does not elevate him above anybody.

A ministry from God just gives a person the gift he needs to serve the people.

It does not make the gifted person superior to anyone.

All  born-again people are priests

However, the only person who was above a priest was the High Priest.

Jesus Christ is our High Priest. He is the only Person Who is above a priest.

I PETER 2:9   But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,

Church leaders cannot explain just from the Bible

1. Leaders can't explain the Bible mysteries and this stops people from finding the Truth

MATTHEW 23:13   But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Woe 1. Church leaders limit the people to their own understanding.

Unable to explain all the Scriptures themselves, they use their authority to stop other people from explaining the Scriptures. Thus, if other people grasp newly revealed truths,  this knowledge is ignored because people can only listen to their pastor. They all feel that God can't move outside their specific group. They are simply uninterested in any Scriptures that their leader does not interpret. Every Bible verse that they cannot explain is regarded as unimportant or as a mistake of some sort.

65-0220  GOD'S  CHOSEN  PLACE  OF  WORSHIP

They think you have to belong to that certain church or you cannot go to Heaven. That's wrong. To believe that, is antichrist.

I'll say this:

if you believe such a spirit, you're lost.

Church leaders prey on widows

MATTHEW 23:14   Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Woe 2. Widows were always vulnerable to be told to leave their money and goods to the religious institutions where the religious leaders could benefit from them. In return, they would be rewarded with a long prayer on their behalf. Even today, the church writes up a widow’s will for her and easily persuades her to leave a third or more of her will to the church. Somehow the widow is persuaded that she can thereby pay her tithes after her death, or possibly buy a special pass into Heaven.

New Christians become converts to church traditions

New converts are bound to church beliefs, not the Bible

MATTHEW 23:15   Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Woe 3.  A proselyte is a person who has changed from one religion to another. But religious leaders bind people to their own personal opinions, not to the Scriptures. And the new convert is never allowed to disagree with the leader. It becomes a master-slave relationship.

The proselytes have to stop thinking for themselves and just accept what the leader says.

As such, the proselyte becomes a “second-hand” person with no real opinion of their own. They are only free to “parrot” what the leader believes.

This is a subtle form of mind-control. The converts then seek approval from the church leader, not from the Scriptures.

Money is more important than the Temple

MATTHEW 23:16    Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Woe 4.  Money issues are regarded as being the most important issue both in those days and in the modern church as well.

If people cannot make a profit, then they are not very interested in Gospel activities.

MARK 14:58   We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

The real Temple is the resurrected Body of Jesus. He arose within three days of His death. He died at about 3 o'clock on Thursday afternoon. One day would be 3 o'clock Friday afternoon. Two days would be 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon. The third day would be 3 o'clock Sunday afternoon. But He arose before 6 o'clock on Sunday morning, before sunrise. Thus He was in the grave for less than three days.

The Temple was God’s house where sacrifice ensured salvation. The money in the Temple was for the benefit of the religious leaders. The immediate financial needs of the individual religious leaders were regarded as being far more important than the manifest destiny of God’s salvation plan.

So, when Jesus threw the money-makers out of the Temple twice, on Palm Sunday and the next Monday, the Temple chief priests had enough. Jesus was the Truth but they were more interested in the money, so they killed Him 3 days later on Thursday.

The same applies today. Church leaders reject the revelation of deeper Bible mysteries because their income is now tied up with the beliefs of their churches. They cannot change their beliefs for a deeper insight because it would interfere with their income.

MATTHEW 23:17   Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

God’s Plan is far more important than any money that is involved in God’s Plan. We are supposed to be returning to the early church of the apostles. They met in small groups in houses and searched the Scriptures to establish what they believed.

MATTHEW 6:33   But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Christians are supposed to put the interests of God’s Kingdom first. Whether we gain or lose in the process is not important. We must leave it to God to supply our daily needs in whatever way He sees fit.

We must also learn to be content with less.

I TIMOTHY 6:8   And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

MATTHEW 23:18   And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

Once again, the emphasis is on the financial value of the gift.

MATTHEW 6:24   No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Church leaders see a ministry as a career path that unfolds to their benefit. You do your career for the financial rewards that you can get out of it.

A calling is not interested in the rewards. You do a calling for what you can put into it.

The natural world runs on money, and churches tend to be run as a business.

Some pastors have accumulated personal fortunes that are worth millions of American dollars.

MATTHEW 23:19   Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

This focus on money classifies the preachers as fools and blind men that have lost direction.

The Bible recognizes the great wealth of the church of the Laodiceans, which is the last church age at the end time.

REVELATION 3:14   And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;

:17     Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Despite all their wealth and apparent success, God condemns this last church age.

Their wealth has blinded them to the spiritual needs of the age. The need to understand the Bible's mysteries and get back to believing what the first church age believed.

MATTHEW 23:20   Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

The altar belongs to God, which is the important part. We need to know what God is doing in our day. God is trying to take us back to the Bible beliefs of the first church age. It is not our money that is important.

The altar speaks of sacrifice. Sacrificing our self-will and our own opinions until we become completely Scriptural and believe and behave as the first church age did.

MATTHEW 23:21   And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

The Temple is important because God dwells in the Temple. His Will must come first in our lives.

Jesus is the Temple of God because the fulness of the Godhead dwells in Him.

I CORINTHIANS 3:16   Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

We can only be a part of the Temple God if the Holy Spirit dwells in us. That implies that we regard the Will of God as the most important aspect of our lives because the Holy Spirit motivates us from within.

The Holy Spirit will always guide us into Bible truth.

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

COLOSSIANS 2:9   For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

MATTHEW 23:22   And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Only one Person is sitting on the throne. If we accept Jesus, we must get involved in the plan He has laid out or predestined from His throne of inner and deeper thoughts.

To serve God His way, we need to be caught up in the Holy Spirit.

REVELATION 4:2   And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

REVELATION 5:6   And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain,

The Lamb is in the midst of the throne. That is Jesus, the Lamb of God. The real sacrifice for sin.

The innocent Lamb, as a Man, is obediently following the Dove, which represents the supernatural Holy Spirit.

He paid the full price for our sins in His agony at Gethsemane and Calvary.

REVELATION 4:7   And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

Around the throne of God the future is laid out.

If we want to be involved with the throne of God in any way, then we must fit in with God’s Plan to use the four beasts to guide the church through 7 church ages.

The lion-beast was the true Word given by the apostles. Three million Christians were killed by the pagan Roman Empire in the first two church ages.

Tens of millions would be killed by the Roman Catholic Church in the long Dark Ages, represented by the calf that grew up into a strong ox which is the beast of slaughter.

The man-beast saw human wisdom blessed by God to produce the Reformation, the translation of the King James Bible, and the age of holiness and the great missionary age.

The eagle-beast saw the return of Pentecostal power and then the revelation of the mysteries of Scripture which should take us back to the first age of the apostles.

But the sad decline of the Laodicean church followed as they lost the desire to understand the revealed Bible. Churches invented their own beliefs, and focused on getting rich and the prosperity gospel.

The seventh church age is the only age after the first church age that was granted a chance to understand the mysteries. But they preferred to chase after fame and money. They wanted to be considered clever as they thought up man-made ideas.

Fuss over small things but get big issues wrong

People happily accept that there are mistakes in the Bible but then claim that brother Branham is infallible.

MATTHEW 23:23   Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Woe 5.   Jesus condemned the Pharisees for focusing on tithes, even for tiny amounts, rather than being able to see the big issue, which was to recognize Jesus as Messiah.

MATTHEW 23:24   Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Strain at a gnat. They make a big fuss about small things like saying grace by praying over their food as if that makes them big Christians. Then they swallow a camel of unbelief by accepting the Trinity or Christmas or calling William Branham infallible.

Blind guides. The leaders were no longer being Scriptural. William Branham can be described as the voice of the seventh angel, but the message pastors have now elevated him to be the Voice of God. The Voice of God was never promised in the New Testament. But the people have swallowed this unscriptural belief and now call brother Branham infallible, which is an awful doctrine.

62-1007 THE  KEY  TO  THE  DOOR

... 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.

Outward show of big churches hides corruption

Big churches look impressive on the outside but inside the truth is corrupted

MATTHEW 23:25   Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Woe 6.  Churches look big and prosperous on the outside but inside the business focuses on deception.

Ambitious pastors want all the power and recognition as they unscripturally claim to be the head of the church. They cast out those who disagree and suppress the rest.

MATTHEW 23:26    Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Being clean from unbelief is only possible if the people are Scriptural. Washed in the water of the Word is the path to inner cleanliness.

A Scriptural church will produce clean beliefs.

Living a good Christian life is undermined by believing in unscriptural error.

Church leaders preach unscriptural doctrines of death

MATTHEW 23:27   Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward,

but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Woe 7.   Looking good on the outside does not hide the unscriptural beliefs on the inside that are spiritual death.

MATTHEW 23:28   Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Christmas is a lovely outward show that impresses everyone.

The Bible never asked us to celebrate Christ's birth.

But who told us to celebrate Christ’s birth? Pope Julius 1 around the year AD 350.

Where did he get the birthday of the Son of God from that he called Christ’s mass which became Christmas?

From the pagan Roman Emperor Aurelian who declared 25 December the birthday of the sun god in AD 274.

Only Catholics celebrate a mass. Thanks to Christmas, Protestants now also celebrate Christ’s mass.

The white horse rider of religious deception in Revelation Chapter 6 smiles as he deceives Protestants with this pagan-Catholic tradition.

On the outside, Christmas looks great. Inside it is paganism that infiltrated the Catholic church and then deceived the Protestants.

By the way, on 22 December, the pagan Roman Emperor Aurelian beheaded the Bishop of Rome before declaring the 25 December birthday of the pagan sun god. This is the example that the modern church holds up in worship to God on Christmas. No wonder God says we make Him sick, and He wants to vomit us out of His mouth.

Lukewarm means partly Christian and partly pagan.
REVELATION 3:16   So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

God is talking to the church here, not to sinners.

Speaking about death. Aurelian who invented the 25 December birthday was killed the next year. Pope Julius 1 who introduced 25 December as the birthday of Jesus, was dead within about two years.

Christmas is full of dead men's bones.

Even today, the tragic death rate during Christmas traffic continues this trend.

The first church age ended in AD 170. The second church age ended in AD 312. So, the Lion-age of truth never celebrated Christmas that only began in AD 350. We are supposed to be going back to how they believed in the first church age.

Again, the emphasis is on death and tombs.

MATTHEW 23:29   Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

MATTHEW 23:30   And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

The Jews of that day claimed that they were better than the previous generations who had killed the prophets. Notice, they killed the prophets who tried to bring them back to God.

MATTHEW 23:31   Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

But the Jews of Jesus day were just as bad as the earlier Jews who had killed the prophets.

MATTHEW 23:32   Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

Both John the Baptist and Jesus were killed by the Jews of that day.

Those Jews were worse than the earlier Jews who killed the prophets because they killed the Messiah.

MATTHEW 23:33   Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

This was the culmination of the battle between the seed of the serpent and the Seed of the woman.

The serpent's seed starts with the male sex cell that looks like a snake.

This produces people who change the word of God like the serpent did to deceive the woman. A woman symbolizes a church.

The climax of the evil of the serpent seed (people born of sex) in those days was to kill the virgin-born Messiah.

The climax of the serpent seed today (people born of sex) is to pervert sex in the natural and deceive the woman (the church) in the spiritual realm. Then nobody will be left who believes that the King James Bible is the Absolute. Nor will people believe that we have to get back to what the early church believed.

MATTHEW 23:34   Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

The Jews had a dismal track record of destroying those who tried to bring God’s Word.

Churches today have a dismal record of rejecting and condemning anybody who tries to correct them from Scripture.

MATTHEW 23:35   That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

Abel to Zacharias. Jesus is actually saying from A to Z. In other words, all of them.

It is difficult to know who Zacharias, the son of Barachias, was. He does not seem to be mentioned in the Old Testament. Thus he probably was killed more recently, maybe even by this generation of Jews.

The Jews glorified the gift on the altar and the money in the Temple. But they were ready to kill a prophet between the altar and the Temple. An Old Testament prophet brought the Word of God, so the Jews had no real respect for the Word of God.

Preachers today also have no real respect for the Word of God because they do not prove their beliefs just from the Bible. They are happy to ignore certain Scriptures and contradict Scriptures that do not suit them. They are also happy to change words or claim that there are mistakes in the King James Version of the Bible (KJV).

When we find fault with the Bible, then we find fault with Jesus because He is the Word. No wonder Jesus stands outside the church. He does not appreciate being criticized by us.

The KJV Bible is either the Absolute or it is Obsolete. You must choose

MATTHEW 23:36   Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Our decisions are soon to produce a reaction from God.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was just an advance warning. God tells us that our modern-day churches are only fit to be closed down in the lockdowns.

Those who truly believe that the KJV Bible is perfect and believe that you must prove your beliefs from its verses will have one reward, a new body, and being caught up to the Wedding Supper. Those who believe that the KJV Bible has faults and that you can have beliefs that cannot be proven just from Scripture will enter the 3.5 years of great Tribulation. Hay and stubble have to be burnt off. They will emerge much sadder 1000 years later, but much wiser. As second-class citizens who can never be part of the Bride.

MATTHEW 23:37   O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Jesus tried hard to save the Jews, but they rejected Him.

God is trying hard to reveal the Scriptures to the church, but they are also rejecting Him in favour of church traditions and the numerous personal opinions of the self-elevated pastors.

MATTHEW 23:38   Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Jerusalem was destroyed in the most vicious and brutal and cruel attack on a city that ever happened in the Roman Empire. Over 1 million Jews perished.

The saved foolish virgins, who never thought that the KJV Bible was the Absolute, will be killed in the vicious, brutal, and cruel great Tribulation. A time of horror and death that will shock them out of their false beliefs.

MATTHEW 23:39   For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

The Jews will never see Jesus again until He comes to them late in the 3.5 years of great Tribulation in order to meet the 144000 Jews that will accept Him. That will be 2000 years later. They have endured 2000 years of suffering and persecution because they rejected the Word of God.

We must not make the same mistake. We must regard the KJV Bible as perfect. We must believe all of it without trying to change anything.