Dear Friends,
The first Book God prepared for the canon of Scripture (Job) was a poem; Jesus’ first miracle was performed at a wedding; the miracle itself followed this same pattern of grace and artistic beauty: turning water into wine. Satan tries to characterize Jesus as a prudish and puritanical killjoy who plays Whac-A-Mole with mankind, an authoritarian ready to crush anyone who wants to have fun. In reality, however, the enemy is merely projecting his own method of operation on Christ and his kingdom. Satan only offers things like drugs and illicit sex as bait for random victims; once he gets full control of a society, Satan is the ultimate dictator. This was seen in the dark ages with the Inquisition, and it can still be seen today behind the veil of Islam: separating the women from the men; making the women completely cover except for an eye-slit, no alcohol allowed—in short, authoritarian rule on steroids and beheadings for those who refuse to comply. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Give us understanding Father, as we read thy word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
John 2:1-11
1 And the third day [from the call of Nathanael] there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
Mary knew Jesus more intimately than anyone else. At this point, she was the only one who really knew for sure who Jesus was. (She knew He was virgin-born.) She may have been getting a little impatient after waiting thirty years for Him to begin his public ministry. Maybe she thought she needed to give Him a little push.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
I disagree with the commentators who say Woman was a term of respect. Any Israeli can tell you that calling his mother ‘woman’ would be considered rude. I believe Jesus addressed Mary this way because He knew that people would try to deify her as the ‘queen of heaven’. (Mary is not the queen of heaven and she needed a Saviour just like the rest of us.) [M]ine hour is something that Jesus (and John) often mentioned, referring to the Passion. (John 4:21; 5:25; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 12:27; 13:1; 16:32; 17:1)
5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
This is a great verse to show Catholics. These are the last recorded words of Mary: Do whatever Jesus tells you. An even better one is Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
A firkin is 9 gallons, or 34 liters. There must have been a lot of guests, requiring lots of wine to make it through a seven-day celebration. (Jewish weddings were seven days long in John’s day.)
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
Jesus did not use this miracle to draw attention to Himself. He saved the groom and his parents the embarrassment of not being able to provide for their guests.
10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
A few things to consider here: First of all, there are those who say Jesus performed miracles as a child, but verse 11 says this was the beginning of miracles. Secondly, Jesus is not a legalist. Although the Bible has many warnings against the dangers of alcohol, Jesus meets people where they are and relates to them in terms they can understand. In other words, Jesus knows that new wine must be put into new bottles; He knows that once people receive Him, they will no longer desire wine because the Holy Spirit is much more satisfying. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better. Thirdly, Jesus used his miracles as object lessons. John, in particular, helps us understand these lessons. The waterpots were stone, ie earthen vessels. Therefore, the waterpots are symbolic of us as believers (2 Cor 4:7). Water is symbolic of both the Holy Spirit (John 7:39) and the word (Eph 5:26). Wine is symbolic of the joy the Spirit gives us (Jgs 9:13; Ps 104:15). Some say it was unfermented grape juice, but that does not seem to fit, since the governor of the feast commented that most wait to bring the good wine until after men had well drunk. Jesus always saves the best for last. For example, the last thing Jesus created was the woman (Gen 2:22) and the last miracle that John recorded was the raising of Lazarus from the dead after four days (John 11). Fourthly, only the servants knew what happened. Oftentimes Christians will see miracles that the world does not see or understand, yet in John 15:15 Jesus says He no longer calls us servants but friends. Finally, Moses’ first miracle was to turn water to blood; Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water to wine. Moses’ first miracle was figurative of God’s judgment in great tribulation period (Rev 16:6); Jesus’ first miracle was figurative of God’s grace and his deliverance from the great tribulation period (see below). When we see judgment in the Bible, deliverance is always linked to the same event. For example, in the Exodus we see the judgment of Egypt and the deliverance of God’s people. In Jesus’ Passion we see the judgment of sin and the deliverance of mankind.
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
John 2:1-11
The miracle before us took place on the third day from the call of Nathanael, which took place on the fourth day in our narrative. Therefore, the wedding takes place on the seventh day. This shows why John carefully recorded the days on which the events took place. Jesus was creating an illustration: He performed his first miracle at a wedding on the seventh day. When the Bible says a thousand years [are] as a day, it refers to God’s seven-thousand-year plan and how it relates to the seven days in the creation account. God created the sun on day 4, a type of Christ. (Ps 19:5; Mal 4:2) Jesus likewise arrived on or around the 4000th year from the beginning of creation. On the seventh day, He rested, which is a type of the seventh millennium of rest when Christ will reign on earth. This seventh millennium of rest will be preceded by both judgment and deliverance. While the judgment of the great tribulation period is taking place down on earth, the deliverance of the marriage of Jesus to his bride will be taking place in heaven. The typology of the marriage of the Lamb was embedded into the ancient ceremony of the Jewish wedding feast. This is how the wedding in our narrative would have been observed:
1. The first part of the process was the selection of the bride. Marriages were usually arranged by the parents, figurative of how God arranges our marriage to his Son—the Father draws (John 6:44), the Spirit convicts (John 16:8).
2. Though the marriage was arranged, the bride had to consent. John 6:37 shows how our marriage to Christ is both arranged by God and consented to by us.
3. A price (Heb mohar) was established that would have to be paid for the bride. The price Jesus paid for us was His life. (1 Cor 6:20)
4. The bride and groom were betrothed to one another. Betrothal legally bound them together in a marriage contract. The betrothal period was typically two years long. (Figurative of the two-thousand-year-long betrothal of the church?)
5. A contract (Heb ketubah) was drawn up. Our contract is the Bible. All the promises that God provided for believers are legally ours. (2 Cor 1:20)
6. Gifts were given to the bride and a cup called ‘the cup of the covenant’ was shared between the bride and the groom. Jesus gives us gifts as well (1 Cor 12). The contract was sealed by drinking wine from the cup of the covenant. The cup was first given to the groom to sip, then given to the bride. (cf John 18:11; 15:20).
7. The bride had a water immersion (Heb mikvah) as a ritual of cleansing. Water baptism is a ritual which signifies emersion in the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12:13)
8. The bridegroom departed and went back to his father’s house to prepare the bridal chamber, which was an extension added to his father’s house. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2) Before the groom left, he made a statement to the bride: “I go to prepare a place for you; if I go, I will return again unto you.” And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)
9. The bride waited for a period of time while the bridegroom was away building the house. Before the groom could go get his bride, his father had to approve the bridal chamber. It was not ready until the father said so. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Mat 24:36)
10. Because the groom did not know when his father would approve the bridal chamber and send him to get his bride, the bride had to be ready at all times. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. (Mark 13:35)
11. The groom returned for his bride with a shout, “Behold, the bridegroom comes” (cf Matt 25:6) and the sound of the ram’s horn would be blown (cf 1Thess 4:16-17; Rev 4:1). The time of the return of the bridegroom was usually at midnight (cf Matt 25:6). The marriage would take place under a wedding canopy (a picture of Heaven). When the groom approached the canopy, the cantor chanted, “Blessed is he who comes.” This expression means ‘welcome’. Jesus said that He would not return for his bride until these words were said. (Matt 23:39) (You may want to use this phrase in your prayers.) The groom and the bride were greeted like a king and a queen under the canopy. The bride and groom then went to the wedding chamber, where the marriage was consummated. They stayed in the wedding chamber for seven days, figurative of the seven-year tribulation period. The groom could go in and out, but the bride had to stay in the wedding chamber for the entire week. At the end of the week, the bride and groom could both come out.
12. Finally, there would be a marriage supper for all the guests invited by the father of the bride. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Rev 19:9)
….Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Revelation 19:7
Election Update: Despite overwhelming and indisputable evidence presented in unofficial state legislature hearings in Pennsylvania and Arizona and official State Senate hearings in Michigan and Georgia, not to mention video proof that has emerged, the ‘official’ narrative continues to be that there is no substantial evidence of election fraud. Following the release of the video proof, Governor Kemp of Georgia has called for an audit of the ballot signatures. The Arizona legislature has called for an immediate forensic audit of Dominion voting machines. Georgia is set to hold further hearings next week. Furthermore, there are possible Supreme Court cases pending. Wherever this is all going, it will come to a head in ten days when the Electoral College meets on December 14. Depending on what happens then, there is also the possibility of a failed election that falls short of the needed 270 electoral votes, in which case Congress could simply vote Trump in themselves. Although there is a Democrat majority in Congress, there are more states with Republican majorities. The vote takes place en bloc, meaning California would only get one vote, the same as Rhode Island. Ordinarily, one may think that the process the founders gave us will work and we just need to wait for it to play out. However, this has been anything but an ordinary year, or an ordinary decade for that matter. Moving forward, I think we should all pray for a miracle because it looks like that is what it is going to take to restore integrity to our election process. The election fraud that has been transpiring on a grand scale for years, ever since Dominion voting machines were put into the mix is finally being exposed and that is a good thing. However, it remains yet to be seen whether anything will be done about it. Incidentally, I do not expect big change if Trump wins election. I find it telling that his common-sense health advisor, Dr Scott Atlas, has resigned even as Operation Warp Speed moves forward with vaccine cards forthcoming for proof of vaccination—this while yet another top microbiologist contradicts the official narrative and warns against taking the rushed COVID vaccines. Furthermore, it remains yet to be seen whether the Durham investigation will bring any indictments and whether any of the traitors will get locked up, but it is looking less likely each day. Help us Father, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prophecy Update: Last July, I posted a prophetic dreams video from Pastor Dana Coverstone. Now that November has come and gone it is time to judge the dreams’ veracity, but I still remain conflicted. Although there was no literal explosion and no literal red-dawn invasion, dreams are hardly ever literal in nature and Pastor Coverstone did not attempt to interpret the dreams; he simply told us what the dreams were. We were indeed hit with what was arguably the worst case of election fraud in US history. If their coup is finally successful this time and they manage to steal the election, we will no longer have any semblance of a functioning republic. China is involved, and not only with respect to the Wuhan virus, which was used to help facilitate the election fraud by means of the mail-in ballots. The virus was also used as an excuse for nonsensical demands on poll watchers to keep a distance where they were unable to ‘watch’ anything. It was alledged in the Arizona hearing that China was also directly involved in the election fraud by providing illegal ballots. This all dovetails with the dreams. Therefore, I still tend to think there may be something to Pastor Coverstone’s dreams. The answer will be clearer once the election plays out. In conclusion, the only prophecies I am certain about are the ones in the Bible: A great tribulation period is coming but God will deliver his church from it before it begins at a time of his choosing. Receive Christ as your personal Saviour before it’s too late. Don’t get left behind.
Father, we pray for justice to be done though the heavens fall. We pray for your kingdom to come and your will to be done, that there may be peace in Jerusalem and peace on earth. We pray for You to send your Son for us soon. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen.
