PUTTING
THE HANDS ON
THE PLOW
WITHOUT
LOOKING BACK
Rev. William Soto Santiago, Ph.D.
Sunday, June 24th, 2012
Cayey, Puerto Rico
Very good afternoon, beloved friends and brethren present and those in other nations; may the blessings of Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, be upon you all and upon me too. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
For this occasion we read in Luke, chapter 9, verse 57 to 62, and the Scripture tells us as follows:
“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
May God bless our souls with His Word and allow us to understand It.
Our theme is: “PUTTING THE HANDS ON THE PLOW WITHOUT LOOKING BACK.”
Putting the hands, where? On the plow without looking back.
To put the hands on the plow, that Scripture teaches us that it is to receive Christ and follow Christ our Savior, it speaks of people who have received Him as Savior, and there are some who turn away from Christ, they stop to following Christ, because they look back as Lot’s wife, who was with Lot and his daughters escaping from the divine judgment that would fall upon Sodom and Gomorrah, but she began to look back, when the order was to escape, to run without looking back.
She looked back and became a pillar of salt, she looked back thinking about the things she had in Sodom and Gomorrah, her heart had remained in Sodom; and where your heart is, there is your treasure, and “where your treasure is there is your heart.” [Matthew 6:21, Luke 12:34].
Those who have put their hands on the plow and go on following the Lord Jesus Christ, and then look back, in other words, they look back at the things they left behind, the things of the world, and looking back, coming back to them by looking back at the things they left behind, and turn away from Christ, leave the way of Christ, stop following Christ, they become pillars of salt (in spiritual terms).
And Lot’s wife became ‘a pillar of salt’ was not saved, she could not escape from the judgment that would befall Sodom and Gomorrah. Really looking back to turn away from the path traced by Christ to those that follow Him, turns the person into a …person … or that person is cursed, he looses the opportunity of salvation and eternal Life which Christ our Savior offered.
In the Letter of Paul to the Hebrews, chapter 10, he says, verse 26 onwards:
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”
In other words, there is no other sacrifice that would be made for sin, there is only one Sacrifice for sin, and was carried out on the Cross of Calvary by Jesus Christ, and then, what remains for the person? It says:
“… there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
But a certain fearful looking for a judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.”
That’s what’s left for the person who turns away from Christ, who puts his hand on the plow and looks back:
“He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing
, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
In other words, he who tramples the Son of God, Christ, and counts the Blood He shed on the Cross of Calvary as an unholy thing, which is the Blood of the Covenant, of the New Covenant, of which Christ spoke at the Last Supper with His disciples, taking bread and giving thanks to the Father and breaking it and giving His disciples who were with Him at supper, He said to them, He says to them: “Eat, this is my body” (Paul says, “This is my body which is broken for many”), and then He took the cup of wine and thanking the Father gives to His disciples saying: “Drink it all, for this is my Blood of the New Covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
There is no other way, nor other sacrifice, nor another blood for the remission of sins, but the Blood of Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary in His Sacrifice of Atonement for the sins of the human being. And he who tramples the Son of God, Jesus Christ and counts His Blood as unclean, he departs from Christ, there is no other sacrifice that has been made or that will be made, there will not be a sacrifice of animals for the sin of that person.
So it is so important that if anyone left to Christ, may wake up to reality as soon as possible, return asking forgiveness of Him before Christ finishes His Work of Intercession in Heaven; because when He will have finished His work of Intercession, there will no longer be Blood on the Mercy, on the Mercy Seat in Heaven, then Christ will be as Judge, as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, to take the Book of Redemption, the Lamb’s Book of Life, the Book sealed with Seven Seals, which is at the right hand of God the Father, and opens it and carries out His Reclaiming Work, to claim back everything He has redeemed with His precious Blood.
Therefore, it is important that everyone be aware that there is no other Sacrifice for the sin of the human being and that there is no other blood to cleanse the human being from all sin; it is the Blood of Christ, typified in the blood of animals that were sacrificed in the past covenant, the old covenant, by which the Hebrew people offered sacrifices of animals to God, which are a type and figure of the Sacrifice that the Messiah the Prince in His First Coming carried out as the Lamb of God .
John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus, he says: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” there is no other sacrifice that can take away the sin of the world, only the sacrifice of Christ, His blood cleanses us from all sin.
The sacrifices of animals are no longer accepted before God because a perfect Sacrifice was carried out on Calvary’s Cross by Jesus Christ our Savior. There is no other sacrifice to be carried out by the human being, because the one of Christ was a perfect Sacrifice, giving His life for me, and who else? For every one of you too.
Paul says:
“He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Those who forsake the Lord have no longer hope of eternal Life, but a fearful expectation of the wrath of God, of divine punishment. In Hebrews, chapter 6, verses 4 to 8 the apostle Paul says:
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. (It is impossible, therefore, He cannot be crucified again for those people).
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
That in type and figure shows what will happen to people who are typed in thistles and thorns, and in the earth that produces thorns and thistles, which is the person without Christ, and those who have turned away from Christ: it is near to being cursed, and whose ends is to be burned.
In the parable of the wheat and the tares, the tares will be burned; the wheat will be gathered into the storehouse of God. In the parable of the sower people who depart from Christ are those who hear the Word and then cares of this life, and riches, make that earth unfruitful, that land. And those who are on rocky ground also have similar problems.
He says the parable in Matthew chapter 13, verses 18 to 23:
“Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.”
That is the one that was sown by the wayside. There are people who hear the preaching of the Word of God and do not understand, and then the evil one comes using anyone and speaks negatively to that person, it shows him people who have problems, he can also show him anything, and the person loses the blessing of the Word that was sown in his heart, because faith comes by hearing the Word, for which preachers are sent:
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned. “
Therefore, in the heart of the person was sown that Word; but the wicked one, the devil comes, using anything or anyone, to discourage him not to follow the Lord, not to receive Christ, and the person does not receive Him, the devil rooted out that Word from the heart of the person that; that person was planted … he is the one who was sown by the wayside, the ground by the wayside, then: “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it. (and therefore, he receives Christ as Savior with joy),
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
Those who stumble in the Gospel of Christ when trouble comes, when persecution comes, affliction comes, whether to the person or to others, or to the Church, what do they do? Christ says that they endure for a while, they depart from Christ, they say: “I’m not going to keep on going to Church, I stay at home, I keep myself busy with my work (which is good, you should always take care of your work), I will take care of my family (which is good, you should always care for your family, but he gave more importance to those things than to Christ and His Word).”
“If anyone loves father, mother, children, spouse, children, home, more than me is not worthy of me,” says Christ. Christ is first, Christ is above all things in the life of every individual. His material goods cannot give him eternal Life, his father, his mother, his wife, his children, cannot give him eternal life, there is only One, and that is Jesus Christ, He is the most important One.
The Scripture says: “Love the Lord your God above all things,” above your family, above your work, above friends, above all things, and then: “And thy neighbor as thyself.” In other words: as you love yourself, love your neighbor, but God above all things.
There are always different kinds of believers and different kinds of people who hear the Gospel of Christ; here in this parable we can only mention three kinds of believers because the first one, which was sown by the wayside, the devil came and took away what was sown in the heart, he did not understand, was snatched away, was rooted out from the heart that which was sown and he did not receive Christ as Savior, did not follow Christ, he did not believe and did not receive Him as Savior, therefore, that one was left outside.
Then here the fourth one, notice, you cannot stumble at any stage of the Christian life, because if the person stumbles over a problem he has, for some problem another person may have or the Church may have, he stumbles and turns away from the Lord, he put his hand on the plow and looked back and lost the blessing which Christ had for him in His Kingdom.
And now we turn to what was sown among thorns;
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”
The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches does not allow the Word to bear fruit in the individual; but he heard the Word, received Christ as Savior, but he is always busy with material things, in the cares of life, in riches, always looking for riches, and then they say: “I have no time to go to the cult, I have no time to work on the Work,” and then he does not bear the fruit that he is to bear as a believer in Christ in the Work of Christ.
Remember that Christ is first, and then the added things. First the things of God: “Seek ye first (what says Christ?) … Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and these things shall be added.” [Matthew 6:33]. Notice, there were three persons previously, three kinds of ground, which were not good, but there is one:
“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Then the other grounds did not bear fruit, there that Word that was sown among thorns was unfruitful, it did not bear fruit, and the other one, when the pressure came, affliction, and persecution, he stumbled, and therefore he turned away, he did not bear fruit either, and he who was sown by the wayside either, because the devil took out of the heart of the person that which was planted there in the soul, in the heart of the person.
But he that was sown in good ground is he who hears and understands the Word. The Gospel is not only to be heard being preached, but the Gospel is to be understood:
“…is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
We are to bear fruit, each one according to the capacity that God gave him to bear fruit, as Christ says in the parable of the vine of Chapter 14 of John, He says: “I am the true vine, ye are the branches,” in other words, the branches of that tree or plant of grapes, and it is the will of God that we bear what? Much fruit; it is the fruit of Christ, the Vine, through the branches producing grapes on the Vine, bearing fruit through believers, the fruit of Christ through the believers.
The good earth are those who hear and understand and bear fruit, they have time for the things of God, and try to be on time always in the things of God, and they try to be on time in the things of God, they try not to arrive at the end, because that’s to come almost by commitment, so that people don’t say they did not come.
It is important to be in time to be meditating, asking God for His blessings, asking also God to forgive for any fault, mistake or sin the person may have committed, knowing that we are in the House of God. The House of God is the Church, and each temple typifies the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now which things do those who put their hand to the plow and look back miss? Christ said: “Fear not little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom,” they miss the Kingdom of God. See here in Revelation, chapter 1, verse 4 onwards, says:
“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come
(in other words, from Christ); and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Notice, who washed us with His Blood and made us kings and priests unto God His Father. All believers in Christ that make up the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, those born of Water and the Spirit, which are those that have entered the Kingdom of God, Christ said: “He that is not born of Water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God,” says to Nicodemus in John, chapter 3, verses 1 to 6.
Now, in chapter 5 of Revelation, verse 5 onwards, says:
“And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
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, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and
tongue, and people, and nation;
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Christ with His Blood has done what? He has been cleansed us of all sin, He has redeemed us with His Blood unto God, and has made us kings and priests and we shall reign with Christ on Earth, and we shall reign on the Earth in the Messianic Kingdom, in the millennial Kingdom of Christ, there I will be with Christ reigning on Earth, because all that Christ is heir to, so are all believers in Christ, therefore, who else will be with Christ reigning on this Earth? Each of you believers in Christ who have put their hand on the plow without looking back.
Look also at another angle of the Kingdom of the Messiah, the Messiah’s millennial Kingdom, in Revelation chapter 20, verses 4 to 6, says:
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
In the Kingdom of the Messiah, the millennial Kingdom, all those people who have washed their sins in the Blood of Christ will be with Christ reigning. If they died, they will be resurrected in eternal, immortal, glorified bodies. If they are alive when the resurrection of the dead in Christ takes place, the believers in Christ who are alive will be transformed, and we will all have eternal, immortal, glorified bodies, as the glorified body of Jesus Christ our Savior. It continues:
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”
In the first resurrection will only rise, will resurrect, those who will reign with Christ a thousand years, which will be in the Kingdom of the Messiah:
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”
These are the believers in Christ washed in the Blood of Christ who have put their hand on the plow without looking back, but rather they follow Christ throughout the path of Christ, they follow Christ in their life. And if any one weakened, he will rise and will continue to follow Christ, for Scripture says there is also weak ones; as there are weak sheep in the flocks, there are weaklings in the fold of the Lord, represented in sheep, and Christ: the Good Shepherd, and the Fold: the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is important to know all these promises, so that our faith may be grounded on the Word of Christ, the Word of God, following Christ all the days of our life, for He went to receive a Kingdom and to return, and while He has been in Heaven as High Priest making intercession for all written in Heaven in the Lamb’s Book of Life, He gave talents or mines … in Matthew says: talents, chapter 25, verses 1 onwards, and in Luke says: mines. Matthew, chapter 25, verse 14 and onwards, 14 to 30, and in Luke 19, are called mines. And notice here, chapter 19, verse 11 onwards, says:
“And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.” They thought that the Kingdom of God was to be established already in those days that Jesus was going to Jerusalem. That’s why when He entered Jerusalem, notice how the people proclaimed Him, in chapter 19, verse 37 onwards, says … or a little before, says … 33 and onwards says:
“And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?
And they said, The Lord hath need of him.
And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.
And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.
And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;
Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.”
They are thinking that He was already going to establish the Kingdom. Now, in Zechariah says that this was how the Messiah had to be received in Jerusalem, with gladness, with joy, Zechariah, chapter 9, verse 9 onwards, says:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”
And that’ how the first Coming of the Lord had to be fulfilled in His entrance into Jerusalem:
“And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought.”
And now, Christ had already said that He had to leave, so He was not going to establish His physical Kingdom, which is the Kingdom of God being restored on the Earth, which is the restoration of the Kingdom of David, it says, we continue in chapter 19, verse 11 at the end says:
“… because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
He said therefore (Verse 12), A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. “
There Christ is showing that He had to go to Heaven, to the House of the heavenly Father, where He will receive the Kingdom, all the rights of the Kingdom, the Title Deed, to carry out His Reclaiming Work and then to claim His Kingdom back, the Kingdom of David; notice it here, Luke, chapter 1, verse 31 onwards, says, Luke … Chapter 1, verse 31 onwards the Angel Gabriel says to Virgin Mary:
“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
Therefore, it is in Heaven wherein God gives Him all the rights of the Kingdom as God hands the Title Deed over to the Lord, which is the Book sealed with Seven Seals, in Revelation, chapter 5, to then claim the Kingdom back, claiming the whole planet Earth, claiming back everything He has redeemed with His precious Blood, the world, the entire Earth, Israel, the Kingdom of David, the Throne of David, all that He has redeemed with His Blood, all the things that belong to Him as the Son of God and Son of David and Son of Man and Son of Abraham, that’s why verse 12 says … of Luke, chapter 19, verse 12:
“He said therefore, A certain nobleman …”
That nobleman is Christ, Jesus Christ, He is a descendant of King David, therefore, He is a Prince descendant of King David, heir to the Kingdom and Throne of David, He is a noble Man of the house of David and the of the heavenly Kingdom.
As the Son of David, He is of the nobility of the house of David’s monarchy, and therefore He is the heir to the Kingdom and Throne of David; the Archangel Gabriel says to Virgin Mary which is why it says that He will give Him the Throne of David: “And He will sit upon the Throne of David and reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end.”
The Throne of David is the Throne of Jesus Christ, the heavenly Throne where Christ is seated at the right hand of God is the heavenly Throne of God, it is the Throne where the Holy Spirit, the Angel of the Covenant has been forever, and where Christ is sat down at the right hand of God, the right hand of God’s power, and apparently there are two persons sitting on the Throne, but it is that Christ is the veil, the physical likeness, where God with His angelic body, which is the Angel of the Covenant, the Holy Spirit, is within that glorified body of Jesus.
And He is making intercession with His own Blood; He turned the Throne of God into a Throne of Mercy, Throne of Intercession. But He says that that is the Throne of God, but that He has a Throne, where does it say that? someone may ask; if it’s in the Bible, and Christ says it, is true; and then we say: Amen. Revelation chapter 3, verse 20 to 21, says:
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
It is a spiritual super. The Word is spiritual food, because man shall not only live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, Christ says in Matthew, chapter 4, and Luke, chapter 4, and Deuteronomy, Chapter 8 … I’ll give you the verses of Deuteronomy, chapter 8, verse 3 says:
“And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.”
And what comes from the mouth of God? The Word, which is like a sharp sword, and it is also spiritual food for the soul of the human being. Amos speaks of that too, chapter 8, verse 11 onwards:
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.”
The psalmist would say: “My soul panteth, panteth for the living God.” It is important to know that the hunger and the thirst that humanity would have in the end time, would not be of bread and water, but of hearing the Word of God for the time they are living, in other words, the message God has for that time, which is the Word of God, the Spiritual Food for the time the person is living, and that will be to hear God in the time that the person is living, and that is to hear the Voice of Christ and to follow Christ our Savior.
Now, while He would be in the House of the heavenly Father, a distant place for the human beings, He would be doing something for all believers in Him, notice, it says:
“He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country…”
This is Christ ascending, going up to Heaven, when He was resurrected in a glorified body, and after spending forty days with His disciples, He ascended into Heaven, He went into a far country, to a distant place, He went to the House of the heavenly Father to receive a Kingdom and return.
Let’s see here, Daniel, Chapter 7… we are in Bible school on Sunday, it is Bible school, so it is time to search the Scriptures and to take root in the Word of God, the Gospel of Christ. Daniel chapter 7, this is the Book of Revelation of the Old Testament, chapter 7, verse 13 onwards, says … verse 9 also, let’s read 9, it says (verse 9 and 10):
“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him
(thousand of thousands is the Church Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ): the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
And there was given him dominion, and glory
(What was given to him? Dominion, glory and Kingdom, there the Kingdom is given to the Messiah, to Christ, the Son of Man), and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him (which is, so that all nations and peoples and tongues were subject to Christ’s Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Messiah. All nations will be under the crown of the Messiah, ruled by the Prince of Peace: Christ our Savior): his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.”
In other words, the kingdom of Babylon with Nebuchadnezzar, those four kingdoms are the four stages of the kingdom of the Gentiles, starting with Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom, (represented in the head of gold, of the statue Daniel saw)… then came the breast and arms of silver, the Medo-Persian empire, then came the belly and thighs of bronze, the empire of Greece with Alexander the Great, and then the legs of iron and feet of iron and clay, of the Roman Empire, which was the empire that was in the days of Jesus and crucified Christ.
And after the legs of iron, the literal Roman empire, then comes the feet of iron and clay, which is also the Roman empire which had been wounded in one of it’s heads, a wound like unto death, but his wound was healed. And then proceeds to the stage of the feet of iron and clay, until the Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ at the Last Day, where the stone not cut by hands, which is the Second Coming of Christ, will impact the kingdom of the Gentiles, and what was seen in the vision will come to pass. Chapter 2, verse 43 onwards, says:
“And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men
(this is the stage of the feet of iron and clay): but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
And in the days of these kings
(of the ten kings) shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people (this is the Kingdom of the Messiah), but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”
That’s what will happen in this end time in the final stage of the kingdom of the Gentiles represented in the statue that king Nebuchadnezzar saw and was interpreted by the prophet Daniel.
Since the fall of the Roman kingdom or empire, the kingdom of the Gentiles passed on to the feet of iron and clay, of which we will not explain much now, but someday we will explain all the mystery that pertains to each of these stages of the kingdom of the Gentiles, and especially the one corresponding to the feet of iron and clay, which is the stage that will be at force in the kingdom of the Gentiles at the time for the Coming of the Lord in the Last Day, it is the last stage of the kingdom of the Gentiles. Chapter 7, verse 17 onwards, says:
“These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.”
“Fear not little flock, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom,” and in that Kingdom of the Messiah the believers in Christ will be as kings and priests, and judges; that Kingdom will have its capital in the City of Jerusalem; Jerusalem will be the capital of that Kingdom, because that Kingdom will be for the Jews, but the believers in Christ will be there with glorified bodies with Christ as the administrative Cabinet of the Kingdom of the Messiah.
Therefore, it will be a great blessing for Israel, there will be no political problems, no problems of mismanagement, no problems of any kind, for the Messiah with His Cabinet, the believers in Him that have already been changed and everyone with glorified bodies, they will be in charge of the administration of that Kingdom. That’s why it will be the greatest blessing that Israel will have received when that Kingdom will be already established, when the Kingdom of God comes to the Earth, and it is established on Earth, and therefore Israel will be blessed.
Therefore, great blessings will come to Israel. The peace that Israel longs for so much and seeks, will be in the Kingdom of the Messiah; outside that Kingdom Israel can only get temporary peace through human treaties with different nations and leaders of different nations; but the true and permanent peace, can only be brought by the Messiah the Prince in His Kingdom, in the restoration of the Kingdom of God or restoration of the Kingdom of David, because the Messiah the Prince is the Prince of Peace that will bring peace to Israel, no other person can bring it to Israel. For which Elijah will come forerunning that Kingdom and proclaiming everlasting peace that the Messiah the Prince will bring in His Kingdom, and he will come showing how that peace will be established in Israel; not making vain promises to them that through human treaties they will get permanent peace, but speaking clearly to them, telling them that the peace through human treaties is temporary, and that “when they say peace and safety sudden destruction will come, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.” [First Thessalonians 5:3].
But true peace will be shown to them in the establishment of the Kingdom of the Messiah, he will show them that permanent peace will only be brought in the Kingdom of the Messiah by the Prince Messiah, he will show them that mystery of permanent peace for Israel and all nations; Isaiah speaks of it, chapter 9, verses 1 to 9.
Therefore, permanent peace for Israel and all nations will be in the Kingdom of the Messiah, that’s why they do not have peace at the present, because the kingdom of the Gentiles is in the stage of the feet of iron and clay, where there is no permanent peace for any nation, war in every nation, internal war, and wars between nations as well, nation against nation.
And the world, humanity, is like in the days of Noah, where the Scripture says that there was violence throughout the Earth; these problems of wars and rumors of wars is a situation of violence in the world, in the kingdom of the Gentiles, that’s how the kingdom of the Gentiles is found, full of violence, as it was in the days of Noah. We are exactly as in the days of Noah.
But there are great promises for the believers in Christ who have put their hands on the plow and walk on the Christian path, in the divine way, under the new Covenant, without looking back, without departing from Christ.
Christ Himself said: “My sheep hear my Voice and they follow me, and I know them and I give them eternal Life,” it is eternal Life that which the believers in Christ receive, who have put their hands on the plow and do not look back, but rather they look forward to the goal and to the blessings and promises that are for all believers in Christ who remain faithful following Christ every day of their life.
“PUTTING THE HANDS ON THE PLOW WITHOUT LOOKING BACK.”
For these people are all the blessings of Christ which He has promised. Therefore, while we’re in the way, in Christ, who said: “I am the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by me,” we are working on the Work of the Lord, that’s what those talents or mines were distributed for; for us to be working while He received the Kingdom and returned to Earth in His Second Coming.
In other words, He gave us work to carry out, and then everything the parable says for those who have used those talents for the benefit of the Kingdom of God to do, it says that He is going to place them, those who were faithful and gained five pounds more, He will put them over five cities, and those who gained a number of other mines, He will put them over a certain amount of cities.
These are the promises to the believers in Christ, it says: “Then came the first …” now, here chapter 19, verse 15 onwards, of Luke, says:
And it came to pass, that when he was returned
(in other words, the noble man, Christ), having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money (in other words, mines are money), that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
In other words, it was a mine that he gave to each one, on the talents, it says that he gave different talents to each of those to whom they were distributed. On the talent, we find here in chapter 25 of Matthew, it says: [verse 14]
“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey
(that is Christ going to Heaven).
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two
(he that received five and gained five, they are already ten; he that received two and gained two, they are already 4).
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.”
That is, he did not invest in the Work of God. The talents that God gives us is for us to work in the Work of God. Some use them for the things of the world, but they are given to be used in the Work of God:
“After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant…”
Whoever does not work in the Work of the Lord with the talents God has given him and buries them in the ground, he uses them for anything other than the Work of the Lord, he is considered by Christ as a wicked and slothful servant:
“…thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.”
In other words, he should have put his talent with the one that had two talents or with the one who had five talents, because with them those talents would had multiplied, and they would had received interest on those talents, in other words, that whatever was done with the money or the talent given to that other person, the gain that other person who had two or five talents would make, would be for his benefit as well:
“Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.”
Now notice, to those who were given talents, to whom were given five talents and multiplied by five more, and are ten all together, and he who had two and doubled it, and two and two make four, he had four, see, Christ says that the Lord, that Father of the household, which is Christ, says that the talent must be taken away from him who had one and did nothing with it, and to give him which had more talents:
“Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.”
But he was given him five, but he already has ten because he multiplied it by five more and they are now ten, him who had received five, was given one more talent, he knew how to multiply the talents that God gave him. There are some who work hard and produce much, others work a little less; he who had five talents worked hard, did a lot with the five talents that were given to him, he who had two did much with what was given to him, he also worked a lot with the talents that were given to him, and made two talents more.
Now see, from the one whose talent was taken away, he was not given more opportunity, that talent was given to him who had ten, he had ten because he had multiplied it, five talents, and he now had ten, and he was given one more:
“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
(as it was removed from him who had received one and did not use it in the Work of God).
And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “
And this will be fulfilled fully in this end time, because the outer darkness is the great tribulation, and therefore those who have worked in the Work of the Lord and are alive, they will literally enter the Kingdom of Christ by entering with glorified bodies in the Kingdom of God that has not yet been established on Earth, but they will enter the Kingdom of God and then they will come to Earth with Christ, after the great tribulation, for the literal establishment of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth.
And he who had one talent and did not use it, it was taken away from him, he was cast into outer darkness, in the great tribulation, where he will die, and then he will not enter the Kingdom of the Messiah, and will not be raised in the first resurrection, and will be raised in the second resurrection after the millennial Kingdom to be judged; and if he was found negligent when his Lord came and had to give account for the talent that was given him, how will he come out in the final judgment?
But what interests us most is what will happen with those who received five talents and those who received two talents, of which I am one of them, and who else? Each of you also, for all those who will be working in the Work of the Lord in the present day, they are working with the talents God has given us.
King Solomon when he dedicated the temple to God, and others, like the Psalmist David, they said that they gave God from that which God had given them, in other words, what we do for God we do it with the same thing God has given us. No one can say: “This is mine,” No, God gave it to you, even life, He has given to you and me God’s life, because life comes from God, health comes from God, and so on.
And now, in the Kingdom of the Messiah there are great blessings for all believers in Christ, for those who will be working in this end time, like those of past ages, past stages, who have worked on the Lord’s Work.
It is important to be aware that we have put our hands on the plow and we are looking forward to the goal, according to the promises of Christ that were spoken by the Holy Spirit through the prophets, through Jesus Christ Himself, through the apostles, and through Christ Himself to John in the Book of Revelation.
“Putting our hands on the plow without looking back.”
Always working in the Work of the Lord, as He has said we should do in His Work. He says:
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Those who work in evangelization, whether going personally or contributing financially for evangelization, or by praying for evangelization, they are working on the Lord’s Work.
Those who work at every stage of the Church assisting in the construction of temples in Christianity, they are working on the Lord’s Work. Those who work evangelizing are working on the Lord’s Work. Those who work ministering, they are working on the Lord’s Work. Those who work in Sunday schools as teachers teaching children, young people adults or elderly are working on the Lord’s Work.
Everyone who is doing something in the Work of the Lord, in favor of the Work of the Lord, wether it be one way or the other, they are working on the Lord’s Work.
And they are among them that have received talents, either five or two talents or mines, a mine to work in the Work of the Lord, and therefore cannot be identified as the one that hid the talent or the mine, but in them which used it to work in the Lord’s Work.
These people have put their hands on the plow without looking back, looking always at what God has promised and working on what God wants to be done in the time the person is living, and believing all that God has promised to all believers in Him, and working so that the promises He made to His Church will become a reality, and awaiting the resurrection of the dead believers in Christ and the transformation of the living to go with Christ to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. For which we shall receive faith to be changed and taken with Christ to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb in the final manifestation of Christ through His Church.
We have the promise that there will be a great manifestation of Christ in the midst of His Church, in the midst of Christianity in this end time, we are waiting for it, and we will be part of those who will be working in that Work for the fulfillment of what Christ has promised to His Church, watching for the Coming of the Lord to His Church in this end time with our hands on the plow without looking back, with our heads lifted to Heaven, awaiting the return, the Coming of the Nobleman, Jesus Christ, who went to Heaven to receive a Kingdom and to return.
“PUTTING THE HANDS ON THE PLOW WITHOUT LOOKING BACK.”
If there is someone who has not yet put his hands on the plow to walk forward without looking back, by receiving Christ as Savior, you can do it right now and we will be praying for you.
Those who are here present and those in other nations can also receive Christ as only and sufficient Savior, and children ten years and older can also come to receive Christ as only and sufficient Savior, because they are aware of good and evil.
Christ has a lot of people on the island of Puerto Rico, in the entire Caribbean, throughout Latin America, North America, and in all nations, and He is calling them in this end time to forgive their sins, to cleanse them with His Blood from all sin, after being baptized in water in His Name and to baptize them with the Holy Spirit and Fire and to produce in them the new birth and thus to enter the Kingdom of Christ our Savior.
God cannot close the door of mercy until the last one written in Heaven in the Lamb’s Book of Life has entered in, so we continue preaching the Gospel of Christ, the Gospel of our salvation, the Gospel of peace, because Christ being the Prince of Peace, He is our peace, who hath made of both people one.
We will stand on our feet to pray for the people who have come to the Feet of Christ our Savior. With our hands raised to Christ, to Heaven, and our eyes closed:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom Come. Thy will be done as in Heaven also on Earth.
And our daily bread, give us today.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Lord, heavenly Father, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You with all these people who are receiving Christ as their only and sufficient Savior right now, receive them into Your Kingdom, I ask You in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Now repeat after me this prayer those who have come to the Feet of Christ at this moment:
Lord Jesus Christ, I heard the preaching of Your Gospel and Your faith was born in my heart.
I believe in You with all my soul, I believe in Your First Coming, I believe in Your Name as the only Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, I believe in Your death on the Cross of Calvary as the only Sacrifice of Atonement for our sins.
I give public testimony of my faith in You recognizing that I am a sinner and I need a Savior, I give public testimony of my faith in You and receive You as my only and sufficient Savior, I pray to You, forgive my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood from all sin and baptize me with the Holy Ghost and Fire after I am baptized in water in Your Name and produce in me the new birth.
I want to be born in Your Kingdom, I want to live forever in Your Kingdom. Lord, You purchased my salvation on the Cross of Calvary, I ask You to make it a reality in my life. Save me Lord, make Your salvation a reality in my life. I pray in Your eternal and glorious Name, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and amen.
With our hands raised up to Christ, to Heaven, we all say: The Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all sin! The Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all sin! The Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all sin! Amen.
Christ has received you into His Kingdom, and now you will tell me: “Christ said: ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.’ I have believed and I want to be baptized in water in the Name of the Lord as soon as possible. When can I be baptized? ” It is the question from the depths of your heart. Inasmuch as you have believed in Christ, you can be baptized and may Christ baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire and produce in you the new birth.
Water baptism does not take away sins. Water baptism is in the likeness of death, burial and resurrection of Christ, that’s why we identify with Christ in water baptism in His death, burial and resurrection.
When a person receives Christ as Savior, he dies to the world, and when the minister immerses him in the baptismal waters, typologically, symbolically, is being buried. And when the minister raises him from the waters of baptism, he is being resurrected to new life: unto eternal Life with Christ in His eternal Kingdom.
Therefore, understanding the typology, the symbolism of water baptism, you may well be baptized, and may Christ baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire and produce in you the new birth, and we will continue to see each other for all eternity in the glorious Kingdom of Jesus Christ our Savior.
May the blessings of Christ be with you all who are present and those in other nations. Those who have received Him as Savior and are present and those in other nations, you can be baptized at this time. To which I leave to the minister, the minister for each country, and the pastor here, Rev. Jose Benjamin Perez, to let you know how to be baptized in water in the Name of the Lord.
We will meet next Sunday, God willing, where we expect great blessings from Jesus Christ our Savior. May everyone continue having a happy afternoon, filled with the blessings of Christ, without looking back, with our hands on the plow without looking back. May God bless and keep you all.
“PUTTING THE HANDS ON THE PLOW WITHOUT LOOKING BACK.”