What is a generational curse?

THE VOICE: What is a generational curse?

Larry Huch: The world says it like this, “Like father like son.” The Word says it like this, “The iniquity of the father passes on from generation to generation.” Many times we translate the word “iniquity” as “sin.” But it’s not the sin that passes on from generation to generation. It’s the curse, the penalty. A curse is a spirit that passes from generation to generation until someone finally figures out how to stop it in Jesus’ name. (But in America, we don’t like that word “curse.”)
When Jesus was walking with His disciples they asked if the man was blind for something he did or something his parents did. Jesus didn’t rebuke them for asking a foolish question because being Jewish they understood the Old Testament where it says, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes but the children’s teeth are set on edge.” In other words, the fathers have done something but the children pay the price. One of the great Scriptures is in Matthew 16, when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” And they said, “Some say you’re this and some say you’re that.” And then Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?”
This is the basis of everything. Peter’s response was a Jewish response, a Hebrew response. He said, “You are the Christ.” The word “Christ” in Hebrew means “the anointed one of God who will remove the burden and break the yoke.” The burden is the wages of our sin – death. The yoke is the curse that passes from generation to generation because of sin. Jesus is not only the one that forgives us of our sin but He also breaks every curse that passes from generation to generation.

THE VOICE: When did God first call you into deliverance ministry and how did He reveal that calling to you?

Larry Huch: One day in anger, years ago, I knocked my little boy down. Without even thinking I said these words to myself, “I’m just like my dad.” So I went to the Bible and asked, “Is there something in the Word of God that says what’s in my dad can pass on to me?” I found out that it’s not only in there, but it’s in there over 325 times. Through that I learned privately that I could break the curses of anger, poverty and addiction off of my life. I learned that Jesus did not just die for me on the cross; He also took the curses off of me. But I never taught this in my own church until a few years ago because I was a little embarrassed to admit that, even as a Christian and a pastor, I had some problems. Benny Hinn and Oral Roberts encouraged me to teach this revelation to the Body of Christ.

THE VOICE: I’m sure you’ve seen many different manifestations of generational curses in your travels. What are the most common types of curses you see plaguing people today?

Larry Huch: One of the most common curses in the Church is in the area of finances. We see so many people sow seed and never see a breakthrough. The weeds always choke out the harvest. The Bible says that sometimes the Word gets thrown amongst the thorns. The thorns are symbolic of the curse. In the Garden of Eden man was to live in abundance, but the ground became cursed with thorns and thistles. Jesus took that symbol of the curse and He said that the curse would rise up and choke out the Word. We have to first kill that curse or those weeds then the blessing will come.
The Bible says that, “My people are destroyed because a lack of knowledge.” Jesus said, “When you know the Word or when you follow me you’ll be free.” The disciples asked, “What do you mean free? We are the children of Abraham.” And Jesus said, “No, he who has committed a sin is yoked to that sin. He is cursed. But when I set you free, you will be free indeed.” That word “indeed” means not only will I forgive the sin but also I’m going to break that curse. This is why I believe the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous. We have been waiting for the harvest to come in but we haven’t learned to kill the weeds. Now when we do kill the weeds all that harvest that has been waiting is going to come into our lives.
Other common curses are anger, depression, divorce and sickness. For example, the doctor will ask you, “Is there any family history?” In other words, “Is there any generational curse?” So what we do is break that curse because of what Jesus did.

THE VOICE: Do different types of curses befall different cultures, races, nations or geographies? Or do these curses cross such boundaries?

Larry Huch: It goes across the board. But there are spirits and curses in certain cities. There are spirits and curses on certain states. There are spirits and curses on certain cultures. We accept it as a cultural trait. So this curse hides behind a disguise. We are teaching people that grandpa and grandma may have had anger or poverty but who the Son sets free is free indeed.

THE VOICE: How can someone discern if they are living under a generational curse? Or how does one know he or she is cursed?

Larry Huch: Proverbs says, “A curse without a cause doesn’t come.” In other words, a bird just doesn’t fly around blindly and accidentally land on a branch where its nest is. There is something in that bird that draws it. It can draw it 1,000 miles. If there is something that is blocking the blessing the probability is we inherited that. We have all heard of the Kennedy curse. These aren’t bad people that God doesn’t love, but somebody down the line opened the door. That’s the same thing with the people that are reading this article. You can stop that thing that keeps passing from generation to generation in the name of Jesus.

THE VOICE: How do you get free? Can a believer break a generational curse off himself? If so, then how does one go about doing this?

Larry Huch:  You can break it off yourself; you can break it off of your family members. The first step is to understand that Jesus died to forgive us of our sin so we can have every curse broken because “cursed is every one that hangs on a tree.” Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law with His blood on the cross. At the whipping post He took stripes and shed His blood again. By His stripes we are healed. But we just don’t pray for people to be healed. We pray for the curse of disease to be broken by the blood of the Lamb.
Why doesn’t prosperity work for some? When Adam and Eve were in the Garden, they lived in a land that flowed with milk and honey. They lived in abundance. But when Adam and Eve were removed God cursed the ground with thorns and thistles, a symbol of poverty. Then God said to Adam, “You’re on your own and by the sweat of your brow…” Four hundred years later Jesus wore a crown of thorns that caused His brow to bleed and the curse of poverty to be broken. When you apply the redeeming blood of the Lamb, God stands at the door and forbids the curse.
The blessing of the law is ours; let’s break those curses so we can get those blessings. You break a curse by the power of the cross and put the blood of Jesus on the same seven places that Jesus shed His blood, and on the door of your family, then that curse cannot come back in anymore. You will see instant miracles.

THE VOICE: So after someone is delivered from a spirit of anger, if there is a curse involved that spirit will come right back in?

Larry Huch: It comes right back in. Jesus said you send the demon out but it comes back in and finds the door still open and you are worse than you were before. The blood redeems us. Where did Jesus shed His blood? In seven different places. In Leviticus they took the blood of a lamb and sprinkled it on the mercy seat seven times. Jesus shed His own blood in seven different places. In the garden of Gethsemane He said, “Father not my will but yours be done,” and He sweat drops of blood. He bought back every drug addict’s will power, every alcoholic’s will power.

THE VOICE: Do you feel there is enough awareness of generational curses in the Body of Christ? Or is this still a revelation that relatively few accept?

Larry Huch: I still think Christians have a misconception. See, I’m really in the people business. I would love to say, “The moment somebody gets saved everything is perfect.” But it’s not true. I run into people all the time who tell me cancer keeps passing on from generation to generation. This is a curse that is in the world. We teach people that we are in this world but we are not of this world. Jesus just didn’t die and say, “I hope you just make it.” He died on the cross to break every curse so finally God’s people can be that glorious bride without spot or wrinkle.

THE VOICE: What is the most striking revelation you have received about generational curses during the course of your ministry?

Larry Huch: That even Christians today have accepted that, “I am just like my dad” or “I’m just like my mom.” They are hoping a problem will go away, but they don’t have to hope it will go away. It will go away when you realize that this is a curse that is robbing you of your blessing. If all Jesus was going to do was die for your sins, He could have done that when they beat Him. He could have died when they tortured Him, but He had to get to that cross because He wasn’t coming just to die for our sins but also to finally break the curses off the human race so we can be the light of the world and live in that unspeakable joy.

THE VOICE: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the Church today and how are we going to overcome them?

Larry Huch: We need to admit that there still are some problems and we need a spiritual answer. There is nothing wrong with admitting that we’ve got a curse blocking the blessing. A curse doesn’t mean that we are bad; a curse means something bad is happening to us. In James chapter 5 it says, “Confess your faults” – not sins, faults. When we are talking about a curse. We are talking about a spirit. It’s not to put us down; it’s to give us the revelation that will set us free.

THE VOICE: What is the Holy Spirit saying to you about where the Church is headed?

Larry Huch: People need to realize that God is not just this Being that wants us to get to heaven. He is a Father and He wants to set us free. I believe the world is sick and tired of being sick and tired. The world is getting crazier all the time and I believe that people are starting to come in from all around the world saying, “It’s time to let God set my life free.” Then when they are free it’s amazing. They immediately go back to their family and friends and say, “I have good news for you.” When asked what the good news is, they tell people this: Jesus loves you just as you are and you can come to Him, He’s going to change your life.

The power behind their power

Ezekiel 31: 1 – 18

1 Now it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with fine branches that shaded the forest, and of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs. 4 The waters made it grow; Underground waters gave it height, with their rivers running around the place where it was planted, and sent out rivulets to all the trees of the field. 5 ‘Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees of the field; Its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long because of the abundance of water, as it sent them out. 6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; and in its shadow all great nations made their home. 7 ‘Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches, because its roots reached to abundant waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; The fir trees were not like its boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like its branches; No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty. 9 I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches, so that all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God.’ 10 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height, 11 therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness. 12 And aliens, the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys; its boughs lie broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow and left it. 13 ‘On its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens, and all the beasts of the field will come to its branches— 14 ‘So that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height, nor set their tops among the thick boughs, that no tree which drinks water may ever be high enough to reach up to them. ‘For they have all been delivered to death, to the depths of the earth, among the children of men who go down to the Pit.’ 15 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘In the day when it went down to hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. 16 I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the depths of the earth. 17 They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm dwelt in its shadows among the nations. 18 ‘To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord GOD.”

We now come to the firth oracle against the Egyptians. You will remember from our study of our Holy Father’s Judgment against Tyre and how He zeroed in on the king of Tyre separately in chapter 28. We also realized that there was a power behind this leader, namely Satan. Interestingly enough, our Precious Master takes similar action against the king of the Egyptians and He also addresses the power behind this evil empire.

“ 1 Now it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Indeed Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with fine branches that shaded the forest, and of high stature; And its top was among the thick boughs. 4 The waters made it grow; Underground waters gave it height, with their rivers running around the place where it was planted, and sent out rivulets to all the trees of the field. 5 ‘Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees of the field; Its boughs were multiplied, and its branches became long because of the abundance of water, as it sent them out. 6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; and in its shadow all great nations made their home. 7 ‘Thus it was beautiful in greatness and in the length of its branches, because its roots reached to abundant waters. 8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide it; The fir trees were not like its boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like its branches; No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty. 9 I made it beautiful with a multitude of branches, so that all the trees of Eden envied it, that were in the garden of God.’

We see a very startling description of the Egyptian king – He wasn’t Egyptian! He was an Assyrian. Does this sound strange? Let me do a quick history lesson for us. The first known World Empire was the Egyptian. We then see the Assyrian Empire emerge followed by the Babylonian Empire; then Media- Persia Empire; Greece; and lastly the Roman Empire.

If you look on a globe you will see what is referred as the 10/40 window. The Middle East falls within this area. After the flood mankind starting over with Noah bean to settle in this area. This also became the sector for intense spiritual battles. Look at these Scriptures.

Genesis 10, 8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).

Genesis 11, “ 1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.”

Nimrod was an Assyrian. He built the city of Nineveh. We then see another Assyrian show up that will cause the Israelites significant problems in Egypt.

Exodus 1: 8 “8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” This king was from Assyria. From historical records we find during the Exodus that a new dynasty started the Hysops. These people migrated from Assyria and settled in the southern part of Egypt. Due to political instability this group became dominant and the new king [Pharaoh] came from this group. When it says that he did not know Joseph it does not mean that he never heard of Joseph. Joseph was around 33 years of age when he was promoted to second in charge of the land of Egypt. He ruled for 80 years. Therefore, this new king had to know who Joseph was. What this statement is inferring to was that he did not accept Joseph’s style of rule, nor did he accept Joseph’s God.

You now want to hear another startling point. In the future another Assyrian will cause the Israelites problems.. Look at Micah chapter 5, “1 Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek. 2 “ But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” 3 Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. 4 And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; 5 And this One shall be peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land, and when he treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princely men. 6 They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; Thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he comes into our land and when he treads within our borders. 7 Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, that tarry for no man nor wait for the sons of men. 8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through, both treads down and tears in pieces, and none can deliver. 9 Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. 10 “ And it shall be in that day,” says the LORD, “ That I will cut off your horses from your midst and destroy your chariots. 11 I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds. 12 I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no soothsayers. 13 Your carved images I will also cut off, and your sacred pillars from your midst; You shall no more worship the work of your hands; 14 I will pluck your wooden images from your midst; Thus I will destroy your cities. 15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury on the nations that have not heard.”

This Assyrian shall come against Israel by trickery but will not fool The Holy One Who never sleeps nor slumbers. He guards over His people Israel. Here is another important reference.

Isaiah 10, 1 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, who write misfortune, which they have prescribed 2 To rob the needy of justice, and to take what is right from the poor of My people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless. 3 What will you do in the day of punishment, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? 4 Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, and they shall fall among the slain.” For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. 5 “ Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off not a few nations. 8 For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings? 9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols, shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’” 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.” 13 For he says: “ By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, and have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. 14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, and as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; and there was no one who moved his wing, nor opened his mouth with even a peep.” 15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! 16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will send leanness among his fat ones; and under his glory He will kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. 17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day. 18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest will be so few in number that a child may write them. 20 And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God. 22 For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 23 For the Lord GOD of hosts will make a determined end in the midst of all the land. 24 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” 26 And the LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt. 27 It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. 28 He has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he has attended to his equipment. 29 They have gone along the ridge, they have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled. 30 Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish— O poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah has fled, the inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge. 32 As yet he will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. 33 Behold, the Lord, The LORD of hosts, will lop off the bough with terror; Those of high stature will be hewn down, and the haughty will be humbled. 34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.”

Besides being referred to as an Assyrian this Pharaoh revealed a puffed up beauty and power ego. The analogy was to a cypress tree which grew tall and straight and was beautifully symmetrical. As the cypress tree’s branches exceed the height of all other trees in a forest and provided shade and protection due to its thickness, so this king reached a height of false power and protection for his allies.

Scholars try to explain away verses 8 and 9 in all kinds of unique interpretations. Who are the top angels in our Holy Adoni’s Heavenly Kingdom? You might answer Michael the Archangel. I believe that cherubim are ranked the highest. At one time the head or anointed one over all was Lucifer. Which type and how many angels did our God place in the Garden of Eden to protect the Way [ our Lord Jesus Christ] to the Tree of Life. – two cherubim. Satan has been trying to stop people from getting to God and allowing them to follow the true Way [ Our Lord Jesus Christ as you know is the Way, the Truth, and the Life]. In his first temptation Satan used pride and greed, then he used the same with Pharaoh, and even today pulls the same stunts on us humans.

10 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height, 11 therefore I will deliver it into the hand of the mighty one of the nations, and he shall surely deal with it; I have driven it out for its wickedness. 12 And aliens, the most terrible of the nations, have cut it down and left it; its branches have fallen on the mountains and in all the valleys; its boughs lie broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the peoples of the earth have gone from under its shadow and left it. 13 ‘On its ruin will remain all the birds of the heavens, and all the beasts of the field will come to its branches— 14 ‘So that no trees by the waters may ever again exalt themselves for their height, nor set their tops among the thick boughs, that no tree which drinks water may ever be high enough to reach up to them. ‘For they have all been delivered to death, to the depths of the earth, among the children of men who go down to the Pit.’

After our Lord has taken the time to describe this king of Egypt, He now talks about Pharaoh’s ultimate downfall. As big and powerful as cypress trees are they can be brought down. Our Holy Yahweh will bring down this big shot. Why? For one thing as verse 10 points out, ‘Because you have increased in height, and it set its top among the thick boughs, and its heart was lifted up in its height,’ This guy’s pride was obviously a big problem. His punishment would be when the people he rallied to give him support in his military ventures turn on him.

In verses 11 and 12 we see that the heathen [all the people of the world] left him. Now that is really being abandoned. His ultimate destiny was the pit.

15 “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘In the day when it went down to hell, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it. I restrained its rivers, and the great waters were held back. I caused Lebanon to mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. 16 I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to hell together with those who descend into the Pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the depths of the earth. 17 They also went down to hell with it, with those slain by the sword; and those who were its strong arm dwelt in its shadows among the nations. 18 ‘To which of the trees in Eden will you then be likened in glory and greatness? Yet you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the depths of the earth; you shall lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude,’ says the Lord GOD.”

On a general scale our Holy Maker describes the nation of Egypt as a cypress tree that will have a tree cutter take it down. Its branches will be cut off starting at the top. These will be scattered all over the ground. Then the tree will be taken down in sections until it is leveled. Egypt, which for centuries was great and impressive, will cease to be so. It will only be an archeological research area from now on.

On a spiritual level we see the final destiny of Pharaoh and all his evil cronies – it is hell. In addition look at verses 15 to 18 again. It is speaking about the power behind Egypt’s ruler – Satan. Just drop back a few pages in your bible to chapter 28 and see what our Precious King says to His fallen servant. Notice the words ‘cast down’.

“13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “ You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. 16 “ By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. 17 “ Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you. 18 “ You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst”

Satan will be cast down from Heaven to the earth.. Please note that the devil is not in control and has never been. He is not ordering people to shovel coal. He will be the chief prisoner. Our Supreme Ruler God Most High Is In Control – no one else. He assigned one angel to deal with Satan as the book of Revelation chapter 19 and 20 inform us, “19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.”

“ 1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. 7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Our Holy Master makes it clear through this chapter and the next that He Alone Is God. What He says will happen, as it did to Pharaoh, and it will happen again as His words speak of a future Judgment.


Credit: Thomas Swope

HOURS OF PRAYER

Ac 3:1 ¶ Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

Mt 20:

1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. (Early in the morning signifies 6am, the end of dawn, God sends Angels to come for our needs)

2 "Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. (Be careful not to underestimate God, the early in the morning people only did the landlord bargain with)

3 "And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, (6+3=9, 9am God comes around for our needs again).

4 "and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.

5 "Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. (6+6=12, 12noon and 6+9=15, 15GMT or 3pm)

6 "And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' (6+11=17, 17GMT or 5pm)

7 "They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'

8 "So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' (There is a need for us to come together a group to receive the answers to our prayers.)

1.      There is a need for us to pray not less than five times daily.(6:00,9:00,12:00,15:00,17:00). From 18:00, we begin to wait on God for answered prayers.

2.      The early people has the opportunity of bargaining whiles the latter do not.

3.      There is a need to come together as a group before the master to receive our answers.

SIXTH HOUR

Ac 10:9 ¶ The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.

Mt 27:45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.

Joh 4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

Joh 19:14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"

NINTH HOUR

Ac 3:1 ¶ Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

Mt 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

Ac 10:3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!" Ac 10:4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

THIRD HOUR

Mr 15:25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

Ac 2:15 "For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.

DANIEL

Da 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Two Minutes to Eternity

Why would God allow the miracle of birth to be followed so quickly by the mystery of death?
Marshall Shelley

Leadership                  Monday, July 11, 2011

I was with my son his entire life. Two minutes.

He entered the world of light and air at 8:20 p.m. on November 22, 1991. And he departed, the doctor said, at 8:22.

It seemed a very short time. Too short. My wife, Susan, and I never got to see him take his first steps. We barely got to see him take his first breath.

I don't know if he would have enjoyed softball or software, dinosaurs or dragonflies, machines or math. We never got to wrestle, race, or read—would he have enjoyed those things like his older sisters do? What would have made him laugh? Made him scared? Made him angry?

Those questions swarmed around my soul in the days following my son's arrival and all-too-hurried departure. So many things I wondered. But one question loomed larger than all the rest, haunting me for months: Why would God create a child to live two minutes?

Many tragic deaths can be blamed on human cruelty or foolishness. A stray bullet punctures a tenement wall and kills an infant. A driver loses control of a car and careens into a group of schoolchildren on the sidewalk. Senseless. Heartbreaking. But at least I know where to direct my anger.

With my son, no direct human responsibility could be charged in his death. It was a "chromosomal abnormality" called Trisomy 13. One of the 23 sets of chromosomes developed a third appendage. Despite genetic tests and the expert opinions of doctors, we discovered no known cause for this condition.

As far as I was concerned, this was a design flaw. And the Designer was directly responsible.

I remember the first time I heard the term "Trisomy 13." It was the same hour I first saw my son - as ghostly black-white-and-gray movements on the sonogram screen. In silence, Susan and I watched the embryonic motions as Dr. Silver manipulated the ultrasound, measuring the cranium and the femur and viewing the internal organs.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Let me complete the examination, and I'll give you a full report," he said. I noted his evasive answer and hoped this was merely his standard procedure.

Moments later, he announced his observations in a matter-of-fact voice:

"We have some problems. The fetus has a malformed heart - the aorta is attached incorrectly. There are missing portions of the cerebellum. A club foot. A cleft palate and perhaps a cleft lip. Possibly spina bifida. This is probably a case of Trisomy 13 or Trisomy 18. In either case, it is a condition incompatible with life."

Neither Susan nor I could say anything. So Dr. Silver continued.

"It's likely the fetus will spontaneously miscarry. If the child is born, it will not survive long outside the womb. You need to decide if you want to try to carry this pregnancy to term."

We both knew what he was asking. I was speechless. Susan found her voice first. Though shaken by the news, she said softly but clearly, "We believe God is the giver and taker of life. If the only opportunity I have to know this child is in my womb, I don't want to cut that time short. If the only world he is to know is the womb, I want that world to be as safe as I can make it."

We left the medical center that July afternoon stunned and saddened.

"Pregnancy is hard enough when you know you're going to leave the hospital with a baby," Susan said. "I don't know how I can go through the pain of childbirth knowing I won't have a child to hold."

Signs of the Pneuma

Summer turned to fall, and we were praying that our son would be healed. And if a long life were not God's intention for him, we prayed that he could at least experience the breath of life. We longed see that reminder of God's Spirit, the Pneuma, flow through him like a gentle wind.

Even that request seemed in jeopardy as labor began November 22. As the contractions got more severe, signs of fetal distress caused the nurses to ask, "Should we try to deliver the baby alive?"

"Yes, if at all possible, short of surgery," Susan replied.

They kept repositioning Susan and gave her oxygen, and the fetal distress eased.

And then suddenly the baby was out. The doctor cut the cord and gently placed him on Susan's chest. He was a healthy pink, and we saw his chest rise and fall. The breath of life. Thank you, God.

Then, almost immediately, he began to turn blue. We stroked his face and whispered words of welcome, of love, of farewell. And all too soon the doctor said, "He's gone."

Within minutes, our pastor, our parents, and our children came into the room. Together we wept, held one another, and took turns holding our son.

My chest ached from heaviness. Death is enormous, immense, unstoppable.

The loss was crushing, but mingled with the tears and the terrible pain was something else. I'm not sure I can describe it.

At the births of my three older daughters, I'd felt "the miracle of birth," that sacred moment when a new life enters the world of light and air. The pneuma, the breath of life, fills the lungs for the first time. Now this moment was doubly intense because the miracle of birth was followed so quickly by the mystery of death. The pneuma was here and now gone.

"It feels like eternity just intersected earth" was all I could say to our pastor. The pain of grief was diminished not at all, but it blended with the weight of overwhelming wonder at the irresistible movement from time to eternity.

"Do you have a name for the baby?" asked one of the nurses.

"Toby," Susan said. "It's short for a biblical name, Tobiah, which means 'God is good.' "

We had long thought about the name for this child. We didn't particularly feel God's goodness at that moment. The name was what we believed, not what we felt. It was what we wanted to feel again someday.

The words of C.S. Lewis, describing the lion Aslan, kept coming to mind: "He's not a tame lion. But he's good." We clung to that image of untamed and fearsome goodness, even as we continued to struggle with the question: Why would God create a child to live two minutes?

Everything has an inside

Shortly before we discovered Toby's condition, I read a book by Christopher de Vinck, The Power of the Powerless, in which he describes what he learned from his severely and profoundly retarded brother, Oliver.

I was interested because our third daughter, Mandy, was also severely retarded, unable to respond to her environment. And just three months after Toby's birth and death, Mandy also entered eternity. She was two weeks shy of her second birthday. One of the points de Vinck made about Oliver helped me with the God-directed questions I had after Toby's birth and death.

One of the greatest discoveries that a child or an adult can make, writes de Vinck, is that "everything has an inside. In our house, we split apples to look at the core, we crack walnuts to see the meat inside, we press a toy stethoscope to our chests to listen to the heartbeat."

The point: you can't always guess what's on the inside by looking at the outside.

The Bible says that "Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart." That was true then. It's true now. We're so outer focused. We're taught to judge people by the stylishness of their clothing labels. Political campaigns are crafted by scriptwriters, TV directors, and pollsters. Educational policies are based on appearances of political correctness. We're tempted to believe that image is everything, that outward appearances are most important. We ignore the inside, the heart, the spirit.

Each of my children also has an inside. With my two older girls, I get occasional glimpses of their interior life. Their words and actions give me clues about their inner worlds. With Mandy, the glass was darker. And with Toby, we never had a chance to see inside.

But Mandy and Toby both had insides. Despite the damage to the outer frame, the inside is to be treasured.

Our unearthly calling

Not long after we buried Toby and Mandy, our seven-year-old daughter, Stacey, told us she heard God's voice in the middle of the night telling her that "Mandy and Toby are very busy. They are building our house, and they are guarding his throne."

Not knowing how to respond to a child who had never offered a claim like that before, I found myself reading the Bible with renewed interest in descriptions of heavenly activities. Was this message consistent with Scripture? Our family discussions usually focused on heaven.

We saw that heaven is a place of activity, not just leisure or ease. God is preparing a city for the faithful (Heb. 11:16), where all will be made perfect and complete (Heb. 11:40). The Bible contains many descriptions of heavenly worship as active and intense.

And since Jesus said that in his Father's house are "many mansions" and he was going to prepare a place for us (John 14), we could easily envision part of our heavenly activity being to help prepare for those yet to arrive.

I must admit, however, that I was more intrigued by the image of guarding Christ's throne. Was this an honor guard? A ceremonial assemblage of children, whom Christ on earth had invited to be near him? Or perhaps seats of honor for those Christ had in mind when he said, "The last shall be first"? I can't think of many more "last" than Mandy and Toby.

But what if guarding the throne isn't ceremonial but actual? Daniel 10 describes the angel Michael in conflict with a spiritual foe. Ephesians 6:12 describes a struggle "against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Could it be that among the spiritual warriors in this conflict is one named Toby?

The Book of Revelation records battles involving heavenly armies (Rev. 19:19). Could it be that along with countless others of us, Toby will serve among the heavenly hosts in that final great war?

All of this, of course, is conjecture. But what is clear is that heaven will be a place of active duty.

And when the ultimate spiritual battle is over, our responsibilities continue.

The apostle John's vision of eternity suggests what's in store for all the saints: "The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads …. And they will reign forever and ever" (Rev. 22:3-5).

I don't know exactly what our service in that city will involve, nor can I be specific about how we will assist in reigning. But those tasks sound like they may have a bit more significance than most careers we pursue in our current lifetime.

Could it be that when I finally start the most significant service of my life, I'll find that this is what I was truly created for? I may find that the reason I was created was not for anything I accomplish on earth, but the role I'm to fulfill forever.

I realized that my earlier question had been answered.

Why did God create a child to live two minutes?

He didn't.

He didn't create Toby to live two minutes or Mandy to live two years. He didn't create me to live 40 years (or whatever number he may choose to extend my days in this world).

God created Toby for eternity. He created each of us for eternity, where we may be surprised to find our true calling, which always seemed just out of reach here on earth.

Marshall Shelley is editor in chief of Leadership Journal. This article was originally published in Christianity Today, May 16, 1994.