The Last Days and the Holy Spirit

Just a few words today on the divine virtue of true spiritual understanding, and its value to believers in Christ. The angel of the Lord who told Daniel of a number of events that would take place in the end time, said some things about having understanding that should not be overlooked: "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever... Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand" (Dan. 12:3,10). So we see that "the wise" who will "shine as the brightness of the firmament" will be those who truly have understanding from God, and thereby make themselves pure. Jesus said the same things about those in the end time as did that angel, when he told the parable of the "ten virgins." Speaking of end time events before his second coming, he said that in that time the kingdom of God would be like unto ten virgins, with five being wise and five being foolish (Mat. 25:1,2). Now it should be noted what it was that he meant about "the kingdom of God" being like ten virgins. The kingdom of God is defined in the Bible one time, saying, "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17). So to say that the kingdom of God would be like ten virgins is to say that the people who have been baptized with the holy Ghost would be like ten virgins (1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 4:20). What that tells us is that those who have received God's Spirit and are looking for the second coming of the Lord will be divided into those who are wise, and those who are not wise. As the parable goes, the wise are able to "endure unto the end and be saved," whereas the foolish allow "the love of [God] to wax cold," and are turned away at the end by Jesus (Mat. 25:8-12; Mat. 24:12,13). These are the same people that the angel spoke to Daniel of, saying that "the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."

The simple reality is that divine understanding will either make us or break us, depending on whether we have it and keep it, or we lack it and suffer the consequences. "He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good" (Prov. 19:8). True understanding is simply being able to define things as God does. It is a gift for those who are obedient to God's will, and have a true love for holiness (Eccl. 2:26; Jn. 14:26; Jn. 16:13; 1 Jn. 2:27). The scriptures tell us, "Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee" (Prov. 2:11). So what is it that we need to be preserved and kept in? The only thing that matters, the love of God of course. "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost," but those who do not understand will allow the love of God to "wax cold," as the scriptures have shown us (Rom. 5:5). So those who MISUNDERSTAND holiness and the love of God will NOT "endure unto the end [and] be saved." The scriptures also plainly declare that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). Holiness is the state of being literally without sin, which is altogether what Jesus died and rose to provide for us (Rom. 6:6; Heb. 9:13,14). Religious man has tried to define holiness in every way he can think of apart from its one true meaning, which is to be without sin in the heart, soul, and mind (Mat. 5:8; Rom. 6:1,2; Rom. 8:2,13). The truth is that every defining of holiness apart from the simplistic and pure truth of the matter, is not understanding; but rather it is MISUNDERSTANDING, and it will not preserve, keep, or save the soul. The beloved apostle surely agreed with this, and he also gave us one of the most powerfully confirming statements of this truth in the entire Bible; which takes us full circle to the second coming of the Lord, and those in the kingdom of God before his coming: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall APPEAR, we shall be LIKE HIM; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath THIS HOPE in him purifieth himself, even as HE is pure" (1 Jn. 3:2,3). And that is exactly what the angel of the Lord said to Daniel about those in the end who would be wise and would have the simplistic, pure understanding of God's holiness and truth. Amen.