Before going into the post proper I'd like to discuss Lucifer. There are a few theories as to whom Isaiah was talking about in chapter 14 of his book. "Lucifer" may have been a man--a king of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar, if the Assyrian deportations of the Northern Kingdom of Israel happened as late as 611 BC--but not as early as 732 BC. This passage may be speaking of the coming Antichrist or the planet Venus. And of course Lucifer may be Satan.
I doubt that Lucifer refers to Venus the planet. And I doubt that Lucifer refers to Nebuchadnezzar. Lucifer is spoken of as being "brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (Isaiah 14:15) This is for thinking that he could be as the most High and not repenting of such pride. Nebuchadnezzar also had pride, but he did repent of his pride--after God gave him the mind of an ox for seven years.
Neither do I think that Lucifer is Satan--before he fell into sin. What I think is that Lucifer may refer to this imminent Antichrist, and it may refer to a person (of the Anunnaki or the Ennead) named Osiris or Enki. I've read that Enki is an anagram of "Cain." And that his brother Enlil was Abel. Now Abel was a type of Christ Jesus. Hmmm.
Next I would like to discuss (once more) the thousand years in Revelation 20. I think that verses 4-15 are reiterating what verses 1-3 say. Verse 3 says, "And cast him into the bottomless pit...till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season." No where in the rest of this chapter is it said that Satan is chained up again for a period of a thousand years in the future. Thus when verse 4 opens with "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them..."--it is speaking of the same (current) millenium (not literal) that we're in. That's how I see it. Thus "the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus" (Rev. 20:4) are those saints--living in the Roman Empire--who were killed for their stand for the truth.
Now onto the subject of this post. Let's start out by reading a passage from Luke 12: "45But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
I think the above passage applies to false teachers. I'll look at certain teachers I suspect of being wolves in sheep's clothing: Carl Gallups, Tom Horn, the Vigilant Christian (a guy named Mario), and possibly some others. In this post I'll discuss my impression of Carl Gallups.
A few weeks ago I heard Pastor Butch interview Carl Gallups on the former's radio show. This interview started out with Gallups giving his credentials. Immediately I became suspicious. I find it sad that Christian hosts (for the most part) will only have as guests those who can present an impressive--by worldly standards, that is "speak foolishly"--list of credentials.
On Pastor Butch's program Gallup spoke of how a sizable number of people have viewed his videos on Youtube, if I recall correctly. (I guess the idea being that he's reaching many people for the kingdom of God.) The way I see it, I'm not concerned so much with somebody's past accomplishments so much as I'm interested in what they have to say.
In his second letter to the Corinthian believers, the Apostle Paul has some things to say about those who boast: "16I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. 17That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. 18Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. 19For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. 20For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face." Being smitten in the face here sounds similar to the wicked servant beating "the menservants and maidens" in the quote from Luke's Gospel above.
Continuing on Paul, in verses 11:21-28, gives his credentials: "Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant..." Then in verses 29-30 Paul says, "Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities."
