Bible Study from June 17th, 2023

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Download or read CLear Correct Teaching, by Herbert EUstace, See pages 439-448 to read chapter – Definition Of “Beast,” “False Prophet,” “Dragon”; and pages 911-958 to read chapter – Translation Of “The False Prophet” Of Revelation Into Mind Ending All Warfare Copyright 1953 By Herbert W. Eustace

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Christian Science is not a dweller apart in royal solitude; it is not a law of matter, nor a transcendentalism that heals only the sick. This Science is a law of divine Mind, a persuasive animus, an unerring impetus, an ever-present help. Its presence is felt, for it acts and acts wisely, always unfolding the highway of hope, faith, understanding. It is the higher criticism, the higher hope, and its effect on man is mainly this — that the good which has come into his life, examination compels him to think genuine, whoever did it. A Christian Scientist verifies his calling. Choose ye!

— from Miscellany by Mary Baker Eddy, page 3

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Resurrection:

The period having arrived when people do not die any more, the only thing remaining to demonstrate completely the unreality of death is to prove that those of former generations seeming to have died did not die,-that their estate was not changed,-that their seeming to have died was only a false belief imposed on humanity by the devil. This demonstration can be made by bringing those who seemed to have died, and to have passed to “the other side” (into the next belief) visibly into the presence of those living “here” (in this belief). There is no space in truth, in the true consciousness; and, on careful analysis, it can be seen that there is no space in error, since error is merely false consciousness. The belief of space inheres in the belief in matter; but matter itself is merely a false belief, an objectified state of general mortal belief. Matter being merely an illusory dream, the sense of space is only a part of this dream. At the root both truth and error are states of consciousness; and to consciousness, whether true or false, everything is presence, if in consciousness at all, and there is no absence. Hence, those “here” are separated from those “there”, not by space, but merely by a difference of conditions in the two beliefs,-the two beliefs formed by general mortal belief and mesmerically imposed on those “here” and those “there”, until general mortal belief shall have been so much overcome by the knowledge and application of the truth, that it can no longer maintain this imposition. As those “here” and those “there” work and demonstrate their way toward the same truth, they will demonstrate their way more and more toward the one Christ-consciousness, and finally they will do this to such an extent that there will be no difference between their states of belief, because they have come into one consciousness. At this point, the difference of belief which has so long separated those “here” from those “there” will be broken down ; and they will all seem to be together in one place, on a glorified earth, and perhaps on an enlarged sense of the earth. When those “there” thus come visibly into the presence of those “here”, it will appear to those “here” like a “resurrection of the dead.”

— from Revelation Interpreted by Rev. Kratzer, page 340

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Revelation 20 – ‘The second death’ (from a student’s notes).’

Verses 1 and 2. Science and Health is the angel sent down from heaven. M.A.M. is the bottomless pit, and Science and Health gives us the key to it. It unlocks the mystery of ages, and its declarations of Truth are the chain which binds that old serpent, the devil, for a thousand years – that is, it reduces sin, sickness, and death to a ‘unit of nothingness.’

Verse 3. Unity of Good is the seal that was put upon the devil and Satan, for its teachings make it impossible for him to longer deceive the nations.

Verses 4-6. They who have been taught of Science and Health, the heavenly messenger, are they who sit upon thrones and have judgment given unto them, for they declare the Science of being over all error, and their judgment is the judgment of God. Then the good that is the reflection of God, is separated from the good that is only a false belief or the error which has upon it the mark of the beast. Then the true reflection of God, good, reigns with those who sit upon the thrones overcoming the unit of error. They who are thus taught, reign with the Christ, whose second appearance ‘is the first resurrection.’

Verse 5. ‘But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.’ Final ultimate good will only be discerned by us, as the arguments of the ‘loosened’ unit of error are met and destroyed.

Verse 7. It was necessary that Satan should first be ‘bound,’ and then ‘loosed (loosened) for a season.’ That which bound him was the scientific statement of being. That which loosed (loosened) him was the chapter on M.A.M. Verse[s] 8-10. M.A.M. first bound, and then loosed (loosened) again, goes out with redoubled energy, knowing that its destruction is near at hand, and encompasses the camp of the saints – those who are demonstrating the Truth, and who dwell in the City of Divine Science. The true meaning of Satan ‘loosed again,’ is found in the definition of the verb ‘to loosen’ – to be less tight, firm, or compact (Webster). But the saints meet each Gog and Magog, or statement of M.A.M., with the denial of error, and the declaration of Love, which is ‘the fire that comes down from God out of heaven.’ It is only as Satan is bound and then loosed (loosened), and each saint is compelled to meet every statement of the error, that the army of evil is devoured, and the devil that deceived, is ‘cast into the lake of fire and brimstone’. It is in the constant handling of M.A.M. that the dragon, and the serpent, and the devil or Satan, is tormented forever and forever. The angel of the devil is the false human concept, or unit of personality, that is made up of the ‘self of sense,’ and the ‘sense of self’, and they are as ‘numerous as the sands of the sea but they can prevail not against the saints whose identities are forever in Mind, or God.

Verse 11. The constant handling of M.A.M. enables the student of divine Science to discern the great white throne of pure good, and Him that sits upon it is Love, from whose face the heaven and earth of mortal mind — the beliefs of good and evil—flee away and no place is found for them, for they are not.

Verse 12. Thus we are enabled to see ‘the dead stand before God’ –– dead because of the belief of good and evil – alive because of the message of Science and Health, for the ideas of Mind are they which were dead and yet live, and whose names have been written in the book of Life from the beginning.

Rev. 12: 10. ‘And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.’

Verse 13. Love is the mighty conqueror that rends the vail [sic] of sense, and compels the sea of mortal mind, and death, and hell, to give up their dead –– to become dust, so that the reflections of good are no longer hidden. Verse 14. This uncovering and destruction of the error is the ‘second death,’ which they who have part in the ‘first resurrection’ of the scientific statement of being do no fear, for all outside that statement ‘is cast into the lake of fire,’ ‘where the beast and the false prophet are.’ Blessed are they who have part in the first resurrection –– who have the key to the bottomless pit, and who successfully resist Satan when he is loosed (loosened) again.

Rev. 22: 16. ‘I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.’

Rev. 22: 17. ‘…let him that heareth say, Come….And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.’

from “Essays Ascribed to Mary Baker Eddy” in, Essays and Other Footprints (the “Red Book”), by Mary Baker Eddy, page 137

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This is my support, that the male and female natures are equally expressed, coexistent in me. This is the way that I exist and is the reason I never lack. It is because I am of the nature of infinite completeness; there is never anything in my experience in which the male and female qualities are not infinitely at one, supporting each other. It is because my spiritual inspiration is perfectly balanced with scientific understanding; because my joy is perfectly balanced with courage, and because my love is perfectly balanced with strength. My tender emotional nature is perfectly balanced with thought, reason and understanding; therefore I am a state of perfect protection, perfect substance, and I am supported by my own infinity. I am the presence of substance, because there is no unsupported idea in me. My manhood takes care of my womanhood, defends, protects, and supports her. My joy is defended and protected by my courage. My love is protected and defended by my understanding, by the strength of my scientific understanding which is omnipotence. I am never undefended and my womanhood cherishes my manhood. My tender affection cherishes my scientific understanding and unfolds love to it, takes care of it, watches over it with love, and gives it every opportunity to unfold and demonstrate itself in perfect harmony, unity, equality, and unfoldment. So my nature is complete.

— from Divinity Course and General Collectanea, (the “Blue Book”), by Mary Baker Eddy, page 73

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Alleluia… Alleluia… Alleluia: This wonderful word, borrowed from Hebrew, occurs four times in Revelation 19, but nowhere else in the New Testament. It belongs here — because God’s people rejoice without restraint at His victory over Babylon.

“Anselm of Canterbury, considers it an angelic word, which cannot be fully reproduced in any language of man, and concurs with Augustine that the feeling and saying of it embodies all the blessedness of heaven.” (Seiss)

This is obviously loud, enthusiastic praise. While it is certainly possible to make praise and worship a self-indulgent focus on our feelings or a disorderly expression of the flesh, there is nothing wrong with loud, enthusiastic praise. And while there is something precious and irreplaceable about quiet times alone with God, there is also something absolutely thrilling about a large number of Christians worshiping God with sincere enthusiasm.

“We ought not to worship God in a half-hearted sort of way; as if it were now our duty to bless God, but we felt it to be a weary business, and we would get it through as quickly as we could, and have done with it; and the sooner the better. No, no; ‘All that is within me, bless his holy name.’ Come, my heart, wake up, and summon all the powers which wait upon thee! Mechanical worship is easy, but worthless. Come rouse yourself, my brother! Rouse thyself, O my own soul!” (Spurgeon)

“All Christian duties should be done joyfully; but especially the work of praising the Lord. I have been in congregations where the tune was dolorous to the very last degree; where the time was so dreadfully slow that one wondered whether they would ever be able to sing through the 119 Psalm; whether, to use Watt’s expression, eternity would not be too short from them to get through it; and altogether, the spirit of the people has seemed to be so damp, so heavy, so dead, that we might have supposed that they were met to prepare their minds for a hanging rather than for blessing the ever-gracious God.” (Spurgeon)

In righteousness He judges and makes war: Jesus comes as a judge and a general to make war. The world that rejected Him before rejects Him again, but this time Jesus judges those who reject Him.

“The world likes a complacent, reasonable religion, and so it is always ready to revere some pale Galilean image of Jesus, some meager anemic Messiah, and to give Him a moderate rational homage.” (L. Morris quoting Torrance)

“Any view of God which eliminates judgment and his hatred of sin in the interest of an emasculated doctrine of sentimental affection finds no support in the strong and virile realism of the Apocalypse.” (Mounce)

This is a Jesus we can’t control. Here we see Jesus as someone who demands not only our attention, but also our submission.

Excerpts from: Study Guide for Revelation 19, Jesus Returns As Conquering Lord, by David Guzik

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When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, “Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.” Matthew xxvi. 10.

The good work which Mary wrought upon Jesus at Bethany, by anointing him for his burial, is not the only one which shall live forever. The everlasting memorial of her simple faith, kept alive and tenderly cherished in a wicked world, is a promise that no act of duty shall ever be forgotten before God, or ever lose its power to do good.

Every purpose and every effort of right-doing shall have its record in the Book of Life, and its influence shall be kept alive to guide and to bless, to instruct and to save, as long as the world shall stand.

Good, by its very nature, is immortal. The humblest and poorest of the disciples of Jesus can impel waves of blessings, that shall deepen and widen as they forever flow.

The silent, teachable, trusting look, with which Mary watched the countenance and caught the words of Jesus, is still preaching to millions.

The world is indeed full of hurry, of violence, and of conflict, and it may seem to us a waste of breath to speak gentle words in the face of the whirlwind of strife; and yet in such a world God has promised that His gentleness shall make His people great.

Calmness, and the self-possession of a right purpose and a pure heart, disarm opposition, and win more than violence. The rudest nature, which would hurl back threatening and rebuke with fierce words of wrath, may be mastered and melted into penitence and love by a single look, like that which Jesus turned upon Peter.

You need not wait for great occasions; you need not ask for extraordinary abilities; you need not have a thought what the world will think of you: only let your daily walk be a living testimony unto Jesus, and God will keep that testimony in the world, widening and deepening and intensifying in power, as long as the Gospel shall be preached for the salvation of men.

In the service of Christ, effort is success, and a right purpose is victory; and no faithful laborer can fail to find many among the host of the redeemed who will call him blessed. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

“A Good Work Never Lost” from Christian Science Journal, August 1886 by M. E. N.

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Article — “Meekness and Restoration” by Florence Roberts

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Article — “God to Earth … God to Earth … Come In, Please” by Parthens

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