Now on to subject of this lesson. The riddles of scripture prompt questions, such as, Who is the viper? Or who is the cockatrice? Answers concerning the riddles are resolved by gathering clues from prophecies wherein those harsh insulting names were used, and then allowing the gathered information to form a profile of the offense. Then, in order to gain further benefit from the riddles, they must to be applied to the parables.
One such riddle is about: the asp. The riddle of the asp pertains to those priests which have deemed the covenant message, absolutely absurd, and utterly ridiculous, but they have not studied it. “They are gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable…the poison of asps is under their lips… The way of peace have they not known (Romans 3:12-17).” Asps are unprofitable to God because their vision is out of step with his: they are watching for iniquity. In other words, these priests are relying upon mistaken beliefs and the erred teachings of their forefathers for all of their end time understanding. “All that watch for iniquity are cut off (Isaiah 29:20).” “The drink offering is cut off from the house of the Lord (Joel 1:9).” Before continuing on with the interpretation of the asp, it is beneficial to know the meaning of the parable word, wine. In prophecy, the word "wine" represents end time teachings, and end time interpretations of prophecy. According to God's word, the end time teachings of the asp, are corrupt. “Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps (Deuteronomy 32:33).” Their teachings are of no value to the congregation, because they are disregarding God's messengers, and they have not consulted the scriptures. The consequence of such negligence is that their own congregations will get mad, and they will turn against them. “Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter (Deuteronomy 32:32).” “His meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him (Job 20:14).”
After perceiving the cause and effect of the asp's offense, believers can then apply that information, along with the insulting name, unto the corresponding parable name which was used in prophecy. In this case, see how the doings of the asp, align themselves with the doings of the Assyrian. The name "Assyrian" was used in prophecy to represent every priest or prophet which has heard the covenant message. Despite whether they believe the message, or not, prophecy refers to these priests as Assyrians, until the day that they stand up and openly confess their mistakes, and share the newly revealed truths of prophecy with their congregation. It is not unreasonable to conclude that there are many, so called, Assyrians. The riddles of scripture serve to break the group apart, and allow God to deliver a rebuke against the offense that some of them are making, so that those who are guilty of making the offense can correct themselves. Despite seeming to the contrary, Asps are included among those leaders whom God has sent unto his people for their good: Assyrians play a vital role in God’s end time plan. These leaders were sent before the day of the Lord to tread down the strongholds which divided the religious denominations. So, asps are believing priests, but they are making a very grievous mistake. “Behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria… and he shall pass through Judah… he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. Associate yourselves… and give ear… gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces… for God is with us (Isaiah 8:7-10).”
The emptier is another riddle which pertains to leaders that are so called, Assyrians. The offense that these priests are making, is that regardless of whether they believed the covenant message, or not, they are continuing to withhold the controversial aspects of God's end time plan from the congregation. When emptiers became privy to the covenant message, and they did good, for they turned away from some of their past mistaken religious beliefs, and they stopped discrediting other religious denominations in order to promote their own religious agendas. “Fortify thy power mightily. For the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellecy of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out (Nahum 2:2).” By teaching some of newly revealed truths of prophecy, they have emptied out some of their own vain religious philosophies, and they have fulfilled prophecy, for they have weakened the strongholds of every religious denomination. “The brooks of defense shall be emptied (Isaiah 19:6).” So once again, emptiers are believing priests which are doing some good, however they too are making a grievous mistake.
“Behold, the noise of the bruit is come (Jeremiah 10:22).” The bruit is another riddle which pertains to the so called, Assyrians. The offense that these priests are making is that they are refusing to turn from their past religious beliefs, and they are continuing to stand forth and condemn people of other religions. “Pastors are become brutish (Jeremiah 10:21).” “Presumptuous are they, self willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities… But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption… cursed children: which have forsaken the right way (2Peter 2:10-15).” “They are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities (Jeremiah 10:8).”
Each and every Assyrian, has, in effect, earned himself a number of insulting titles, including that of: treacherous dealer, transgressor, and oppressor. Collectively they are guilty of telling lies, because they are withholding God's truths: they have betrayed the Lord, and have dealt deceitfully with their own congregations. “The house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me… They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us (Jeremiah 5:11-12).” Withholding the truth, equates to oppressing God's people: for without knowledge, God's people are being kept out of the everlasting kingdom (Zechariah 9:11). “The Assyrian oppressed them without cause (Isaiah 52:4).” “The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go (Jeremiah 50:33).” Therefore Assyrians deserve the insulting titles of robbers, and murderers, because they are robbing God of his children. They are taking food which belongs to God’s children, and they are giving them a fouled version of their own understandings. “As for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet (Ezekiel 34:19).” Some rebellious Assyrians believe that the Christian priesthood aught to wait and continue to teach the things which are safe, until God pours out his prophesied end time sign. "A evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign (Matthew 12:39)." “As troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way of consent (Hosea 6:9).” “The leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed (Isaiah 9:16).”
“O Assyrian, the rod of my anger… he saith… My hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols… and by the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent… I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man… and as one gathers eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth (Isaiah 10:5-14).” Another riddle which is poised against the Assyrians, involves those eggs which they are so happily gloating over. Eggs represent new life, but, “the wicked… go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies (Psalms 58:3).” Assyrians are responsible for raising up believers which are relying upon, and trusting in, presumptions, and lies; and those who disagree with the Assyrian's policies are being crushed into silence. “None… plead for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch cockatrice’s eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper (Isaiah 59:4-5).”
Cockatrices are the deadly offspring that hatch out of the Assyrian’s teachings. “Behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you (Jeremiah 8:17).” Saying that a cockatrice will not be charmed, allows that his heart is hard. Cockatrices will not listen to the voice of reason, neither will they be persuaded by the words of truth (Psalms 58:5). Cockatrices are believers that have made a decision to stand against the covenant message, and they have wickedly banded themselves together in agreement. “There is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace (Isaiah 59:8).” Cockatrices will hedge up the way for the wicked Assyrians that hope to change their teachings after God pours out the affliction, making it impossible for them to retract their words. “I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths (Hosea 2:6).” Cockatrices are a punishment for some Assyrians, because their rebellious ways are transgression. “Whosoever diggeth a pit shall fall therein (Proverbs 26:27).”
The den is the sanctuary, or place wherein the Assyrian has schooled, and raised up the cockatrice: “The weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrices’ den (Isaiah 11:8).” Placing a hand upon them is exactly what believers are instructed to do. In other words, just tell them the truth. “Canst thou draw out leviathan… Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more (Job 41:8).” The deaf cockatrices will not be inclined to receive warning, because their goings are resolute. “Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips (Psalms 140:1-3).” The Hebrew word that was translated "cockatrice" was also translated into the word "adder" and it was used in a verse which refers to the effects of the cockatrice's false end time teachings: "At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a adder (Proverbs 23:32)."
Those crushed eggs which were deemed inconsequential by the Assyrian, are the very slayers that will slay him. “The triumphing of the wicked is short… the viper’s tongue shall slay him (Job 20:16).” “I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant (Isaiah 14:30).” The riddle of the viper correlates with a host of other riddles in scripture, including that of the breaker, the destroyer, the spoiler, and the waster. All of these riddles are conjoined in the parable of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and his followers, the people of the north. “I will make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon. He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land (Ezekiel 30:10-11).”
“This sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer (Ezekiel 21:11).” In prophecy, the name, Nebuchadnezzar, applies to an Islamic leader who fearlessly proclaims the covenant message. This leader, and his followers have not perfected their understandings of God's instructions, but they are bringing news of covenant message against the walls of Christianity, as well as against the people of the Islamic faith (Isaiah 11:14). “Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the Lord's (Jeremiah 5:10).” “I have created the waster to destroy (Isaiah 54:16).” “He shall destroy wonderfully (Daniel 8:24).” “The destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without inhabitant (Jeremiah 4:7).”
“The spoiler shall suddenly come upon us (Jeremiah 6:26).” Nebuchadnezzar and his followers are called spoilers, because they are wasting and spoiling every sanctuary and every house of worship wherein religion is still being practiced. "He shall come up as clouds, his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than was eagles. Woe unto us! For we are spoiled (Jeremiah 4:13)." "Thy walls shall shake at the noise of his horsemen... when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach (Ezekiel 26:10)." “The Lord is his name: That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled come against the fortress (Amos 5:9).” “Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as destruction from the Almighty (Isaiah 13:6).”
Although Nebuchadnezzar and his followers are working to forward the covenant message, their ways are not always good, for some of them are using violence to achieve their goals. “They shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses (Ezekiel 26:12).” “Look away from me: I will weep bitterly… because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity… of breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains (Isaiah 22:4-5).” God hates violence (Psalm 11:5). So whether it comes from his messengers, or whether it comes from the believers that are being provoked and confronted, violence is not of God, and it is transgression. “Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled… when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled (Isaiah 33:1).” “Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place (Proverbs 24:15).” God will punish every wicked transgressor that violently comes against any of his people. “Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out my hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain (Jeremiah 51:25).”
Another riddle of prophecy, is that of the fiery flying serpent: which is the fruit of the cockatrice. These are people which believe some of the newly revealed truths of prophecy. “Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent (Isaiah 14:29).” These fiery flying serpents have wings like birds, which allows that they have heard at least some of the covenant message, and have changed some of their teachings. The Hebrew word which was translated “fiery” was also translated into the word “seraphim.” This clue helps speculate that these are the believers that God will bring forth to defend Jerusalem. “As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem (Isaiah 31:5).” Note that the name “Jerusalem” is used as a parable in prophecy, and it stands for the church, because Jerusalem is the mother of us all: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, as well as the priesthood (Galatians 4:26). The fiery flying serpents are believers which will stand up and defend the people of their own religion, against the hypocrisy of an oppressor. “I will encamp about mine house because of the army… and no oppressor shall pass through them any more (Zechariah 9:8).” Nevertheless, although they have turned from some of their past religious beliefs, these believers are still working against God, because they are not convinced that God has given his people a new covenant. “O generations of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come (Luke 3:7).” “Outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (Matthew 23:28).” “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell (Matthew 23:33)?”
The acceptance of our new covenant is not optional. Jesus Christ served the Lord our God in humble obedience, and he willingly gave his body unto the religious authorities, knowing full well that they would allow him to be beaten, and crucified. What resulted was evidence that religion is guilty of making mistakes, and proof that hypocrisy exists within leaders which have religious authority. But Jesus Christ did not come to condemn anyone. Jesus Christ gave up the pleasures of this life and served God as a man without reputation. He modeled the kind of life that pleases God, and lived the essence of the doctrine that he was sent to proclaim. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).” It is highly beneficial for believers to learn of Jesus, not only because it is the new covenant, but also because nonbelievers are greatly benefited when God's people are perfected through Jesus Christ, and his teachings. Wherefore God has lifted his hand and testified: if you believe that Jesus Christ is of God, then God lives inside of you (1John 5:9-10).
God promised that he will not leave any of his children bound in the clutches of religion. “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contends with thee, and I will save thy children (Isaiah 49:25).” “I will make thine officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness (Isaiah 60:17).” We are all in this together, and therefore all of God's people will have to work together in agreement with God's word, keeping in mind that every soul is important to God. If you mistreat others, then you will be corrected. God is not a respecter of past accomplishments, and he will not spare from disciplining his children. He will punish every deceived and wicked offender, until they submit themselves to the authority of his word. “It shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks (Isaiah 10:12).”
“He opens their ears to discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity (Job 36:10).” End times are about God disciplining the uncooperativeness of his own people. “Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way (Proverbs 15:10).” Religion's mistakes will be corrected through the voices of many believers, as well as through the voices of the ancient prophets, but God will also be using discipline, because the proud will not heed God's warnings and stand corrected (Jeremiah 7:28). “Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain (Jeremiah 8:8).” End times present believers with a super-sized challenge. Everyone will need to know the new way in which God's people will be serving God forever, wherefore everyone that receives the truth of the covenant message must speak up and help promote it. All of God's people will be delivered: but not before they accept the truth. Uncooperative and rebellious people, will be disciplined. “When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth (Psalms 39:11).” The affliction that God pours out will benefit all believers, for it will get everyone's attention: it will work to insure that the newly revealed truths of end times are published, and that religion is completely destroyed. “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord… for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth (Proverbs 3:11-12).” “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him (Proverbs 22:15).”
The truths of the covenant message are being circulated before Salvation Day. These messages will increase the people's knowledge and preparation: believers are to help broadcast their existence, for these messages confirm how God's people can avoid God's discipline. Although the pestilence of Salvation Day is a form of punishment, God's primary objective for pouring out the pestilence of this day, is to cause his people to stand upon covenant understanding before the destruction of Judgment Day. “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes (Proverbs 13:24).”
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