Prophecy – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

PROPHECIES FULFILLED

December 12, 2025

Trekking to Christmas (Part two)

December 11, 2025

Jeremiah 31:15 is another verse that predicts events of the birth of the Messiah. It mentions Rachel weeping for her children. This is fulfilled in the massacre of the children under two years of age mentioned in the gospel of Matthew. We will discuss this more when we reach that passage. This is the aftermath of the visit of the astrologers.

Biblical prophecy often speaks to the current time and to a future where the interpretation is slightly different. This is the case in Hosea 11:1. it appears to be discussing the fact that Israel was brought out of Egypt by Jehovah and is going to be sent into exile from the Promised Land. In the New Testament, the story changes and the one coming from Egypt is Jesus, the actual Son of God. Joseph was told to take his family there in response to Herod’s coming attack on the children of Bethlehem.

Micah 5:2 is the source of the prophecy that tells that Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, but it tells more if you read on. Bethlehem was still a small village like in David’s day. It is now much larger but still considered a village. The one to be born there is from the distant past. Not a bad description for someone who is fully God and completely human.

During King David’s time on the throne, he was told by the prophet Nathan that Jehovah would reward him with the Davidic Kingdom being eternal. 2 Samuel 7:16 is where you will find this promise. Even when the kingdom of Judah was destroyed the prophecy held true.

In the book of Luke, we are introduced to Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth who wanted a child and were unable to have one. While serving in the Temple a messenger from Yahweh delivers the news that they will have a son, and his name is to be John.

John is the one that we know who came before Jesus. His father is told that he will be the Elijah that was predicted. Being an old man he has difficulty believing this message. I hope I will have an easier time believing in the Lord when He gives me this kind of good news. I might not be better than this Levite.

In Luke chapter one in the twenty-fifth verse Gabriel, the messenger that we saw earlier, goes to a girl named Mary. The message to her is that she will also have a child. His name is to be Jesus which is the Greek for the Hebrew name Joshua which means Yahweh is Salvation.

The birth of the baby is shown in Luke chapter two. Remember that the prophecy told of the birth in the town of Bethlehem. This is the boyhood home of King David. The prophets never told us about the manger that the baby would be laid in after He was born. The swaddling clothes is another detail that was not written about earlier.

Did you notice that the shepherds are spoken of in Luke but not the wise men. Matthew tells us about them. Chapter two talks about their visit to King Herod. He knows nothing about a newborn king. He is interested. This new baby is a threat to him. Notice that the number three is not even mentioned.

As you read further you see the number three applies to the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh that they brought for the baby. When they meet Mary and Jesus they are now staying in a house. There are no shepherds, no stable, and no sheep, or other animals.

These are astrologers that represent a king. They are not kings. They follow the signs of the stars. That is how they knew about Jesus. God wrote His birth in the heavens years before man was even created. That is the kind of God I want to believe in and worship. How about you?

Trekking to Christmas

December 9, 2025

Let’s look at the story of Christmas as recorded in both the Old and New Testaments. The life of Christ is first shown in Genesis and continues throughout the Bible. We will read the prophets that predicted the coming of Jesus and what they said about him, and then proceed to the gospels that tell how these prophecies were fulfilled.

Our trek through the birth of Jesus begins in the little book of Malachi. In chapter 3, verse 1, a messenger is to be sent before the Lord comes. Then, in chapter four, verses five and six, he says that Elijah will be that messenger sent to bring the hearts of the children back to their parents. In Luke 1, we will see this fulfilled in John, who is called the baptizer.

Let’s walk back to Isaiah 7:14 and read the prophecy that a virgin shall give birth to a son. The fact that a woman who had never been with a man sexually could have a baby is amazing to all of us. His name is “God is with us.” The virgin birth is critical for this to come to pass. The child must be God and man. God in soul and spirit, and man in body. To be a man, He must have a mother and father. God is His father and a human woman His mother.

Isaiah 9:6-7 is one of the most quoted prophetic passages about the Messiah. A male child will someday be born. He shall be our ruler. He will be wonderful, and a counselor, or it could mean he will become a wonderful counselor. We all need counsel at some point. He will also be God and will be mighty. In addition, He is our Father, but not an earthly father. This father always was and will remain forever. He will bring peace as we allow him to rule in our lives. He will take over David’s throne in Israel but will expand it to the entire world. Jehovah God has guaranteed this and will see that it comes about.

When we look at Matthew and Luke and the story of Jesus’ birth, we will read the lineage of Joseph and Mary. Isaiah 11:1 says that David’s kingdom will be cut off. Judah was still in existence at that time. Later, it was conquered by Babylon and mostly destroyed. When Nehemiah and Ezra tell us about the Israelites returning to their homeland, they have no king. The Medes rule them. Isaiah encourages them by stating that a branch will grow from this stump, meaning a new ruler will someday come from the Israelites. This was the man we call Jesus Christ, who is the Jewish Messiah.

We read Malachi’s prophecy about the predecessor to the Messiah. In Isaiah 40:3-5, we are told he will straighten the path for God’s ultimate messenger. The glory of the Lord will be seen by everyone. What do all these words mean? John is coming to guide us in becoming the kind of people who will accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. We read John’s words and can see how the Baptizer’s ministry was crucial to many of the disciples of God’s son, choosing to accept Him. The plot thickens.

Stay tuned, and we will continue with the rest of the story and go through to the birth of the baby that will change the course of the world. I hope you join me in a couple of days.

Ezekiel and the exiles

December 12, 2020

12 Jun 22 Ezekiel Prophesied to the Exiles from Hickory Grove Baptist Church on Vimeo.

Ezekiel is with the Exiles in Babylon at the start of chapter one. Five years into the exile of King Jehoiachin, the Priest received the word of the Lord. This is the first of his visions from Jehovah. The two creatures that he sees will recur often throughout the book. The four faces are unique, human, lion, ox, and eagle. They could travel straight ahead in any direction. They had wings and a wheel that they rode on. Another figure appears above the vault over them. This figure was like God.

Have you ever wanted to speak directly to Jehovah? In Ezekiel 2 he has that opportunity. He is being sent to the Israelites. They may not accept him and his message. Here he is called Son of Man for the first time. The advice given here is for all of us. Do not be afraid of those who refuse to listen. You are to listen to the Lord. He will give us His word as He did Elijah.

We do not eat our Bibles as Ezekiel did in chapter three. God’s word is always sweet to our taste. He is going to people that should be easy to communicate with. They will not be. The wings of the living creatures begin to flap, and the noise is loud. He returned to Israel near Tel Aviv.

His job is to be a watchman. He is warned about what will happen if he fails to warn the people whether they listen to him or not. The Spirit comes into him again and lifts him. His road will not be easy, but he can never say he did not know what to expect.

Injustice and violence in Judah

December 12, 2020

Injustice, strife, and violence are some of the complaints in Habakkuk chapter one. Babylon will conquer Judah is the answer to the question of when will Yahweh stop this? Violence and injustice will be met with the same. Why is a question every parent of a former two-year-old knows? That is what the Prophet asks next. The dichotomy of this situation is disturbing. Why is one nation that is so evil allowed to vanquish the wicked King of Judah? That does not seem fair. What do you think?

Habakkuk stands his watch and gives the Lord’s answer in chapter two. We are shown the difference between the righteous and the evil. Greed, theft, extortion, murder, and arrogance are traits of the wicked. Drunkenness, sexual sin, and idol worship are other acts that are condemned.

Habakkuk’s prayer in chapter three of his book. Jehovah’s deeds and fame are remembered. His praise and splendor are recalled. None of His enemies will subdue Him. They fall before His might. Those who do His will today will face His wrath, tomorrow. Our strength comes from Him.

The Potter

October 19, 2020

Jeremiah is called to go to the house of the potter in chapter 18. Every town of any size had tradesmen that did different kinds of work. This artisan worked in clay. The vessels he made were formed on a turning wheel. Unlike modern potters these times required the worker to purify the material as they created a pot. Lumps would come to the surface and need to be removed. This would spoil the creation and it would need to be reshaped. Jeremiah witnessed this process.

“You are like clay in the potter’s hands” comes from verse six. He is creating us to be what He desires for us. Jehovah as the creator has power over everything in our lives and the lives of nations. We do not see Him at work as the prophet did, but He is there sculpting the world around us. For His children He changes us as well.

You have a choice. Follow God’s plan for your life and obey Him or refuse and suffer the consequences. This is what Judah is being warned about in this scripture. They, like us, can follow the will of the Lord or they can refuse. Their refusal led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

Once again Jeremiah is attacked. When you follow God, are you ever challenged by those in authority. I am teaching through Facebook and my website for this reason. My local church leaders have decided not to allow me to instruct as I once did. You are now my class. This is ordained by Yahweh just as our writer was forced into a pit that had been dug for him.

Jeremiah buys a pot from the potter’s shop and takes it to the gate where broken pots are destroyed. The city officials are taken with him. He, again, announces the calamity that will fall on the city. As a word picture he smashed the container in his hands as he proclaims destruction.

Their crime was being stiff-necked and would not listen to what God wanted from them. I am sure that you have never done this. We are perfect and would never disobey the Lord. In 1974 I was accepted to the school of journalism in Columbia, Missouri. I declined that opportunity and transferred to a college in Bolivar, Missouri to study the Bible. My life has been different because of that choice.

Pashhur the priest puts Jeremiah in the stocks in chapter 20. This was punishment for prophesying against the temple. The beating he received before being locked in this wooden restraint was to intimidate him and prevent him from declaring the words he had been given by Jehovah. This seems foolish to us. It still happens to God’s messengers and not only in other countries.

Pashhur is renamed Magor-Missabib which means terror on every side. He will be carried away with his family and will die in Babylon. He will watch his friends be killed by the invaders. It contrasts with the meaning of his previous name that means deliverance will come about. This is not the only time this name was given to a child or taken by an Israelite.

Jeremiah complains to the Lord about this treatment. He cannot hold the words of Yahweh in his mouth. He must proclaim what has been given to him. He is considered terror on every side by Pashhur and his friends. The proclaimer of God’s words knows that he will be defended by his God and that his oppressors will be defeated. He still wishes that he had never been born. This is a common lament for many of us.

We see another of these men called Pashhur in Jeremiah 21. King Zedekiah sent Jeremiah to Pashhur the son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah. The attack by Babylon is imminent and the king wants the prophet to tell him that Jerusalem will be saved by God as in previous times. It ain’t gonna happen.

Jehovah will fight against Zedekiah and his rulers. They will die by plague, sword, and famine. They will not be delivered but will die or go into captivity for their disobedience and worship of false gods. If they want to live, they must surrender to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.

In Jeremiah 22 he goes to the king and tells him personally what God wants him to know. The way they have been treating people must change. Everything could be different for them if they stopped the violence and oppression. We need to listen to this in our world today. I as an individual must become more attuned to what my friends and neighbors need. I should be the solution not the problem.

A woe is declared by Jeremiah on those profit from others without paying them a decent wage. Some of the kings of Judah obeyed Yahweh and their kingdoms were blessed by Him. Zedekiah has failed to be the kind of ruler that was needed. That is why his kingdom will soon fall.

We are approaching the time for another Presidential election in this country. We choose our own leaders. Read what Jeremiah listed as the wrongs done in Jerusalem. Doesn’t this sound like Washington, DC. Many are endeavoring to make themselves rich and powerful and do not care about anyone else. We must look at their past decisions, both personal and governmental. Are they the leaders we need? The king of Judah was a descendant of David. He was not doing what he needed to do for the people. We have a choice. Exercise your right to vote.

Like a tree planted by the water

October 19, 2020

Part of the distress that is going on in Judah according to Jeremiah 14 is drought. The cisterns are dry. The ground is cracked. This is no symbolic lack of rain. The deer have nothing to eat.

They have no self-control. Once again God tells Jeremiah not to ask Him for anything for them. The prophets are speaking lies and arguing with the message that Jeremiah brings. He proclaims woe and they declare prosperous times. Even the other nations have no better luck.

Moses and Samuel could not change the heart of Yahweh to the Judeans is given in Jeremiah 15. There are only four choices for them: death, sword, starvation, or captivity. The life of a slave appears to be the best choice. Repentance is the only answer. Words are worthless.

How would you feel if God told you to never marry? In Jeremiah 16 this is what our prophet is instructed to do. Funerals, drinking, and feasting are also off limits. The exodus from Egypt will be eclipsed by the return from Babylonia.

Language in Jeremiah 17 expresses the engraving of Judah’s sinfulness as being marked on their hearts and altars. They lose their inheritance. The encouragement comes from verse eight where it says, “They will be like trees planted by waters.” God knows who is wicked and who innocent. He searches the heart and examines the mind.

Instructions for the observance of the sabbath day are included here. Obedience is still the rule of the day. Nothing else will bring forgiveness. The result of disobedience is the destruction of Jerusalem.

Just obey Jehovah

October 17, 2020

The Lord speaks again in Jeremiah 10. We often want to be like others that we know and envy. Trying to be who they were not led to the fall of Israel and Judah. No one is like Jehovah. In contrast to idols that are manmade, He should be feared and respected.

We know He is the true God because He made the Earth. Genesis tells us that in the beginning Yahweh created everything that we have today.

There is a covenant between Yahweh and Israel that began in Genesis and is being restated in Jeremiah 11. We must obey Him. If we do not, we face the curse. They are suffering from the curse because they failed to follow His will. Jeremiah must proclaim this to all of Judah.

The disaster of being driven from their land is the final step in the curse they have brought on themselves. The city of Anathoth has developed a plot to Murder the prophet. They will be the ones who are destroyed because they oppose God and His messenger.

Justice is described in Jeremiah 12. Why do wicked people not suffer the consequences of their actions? God is just. Why does He allow this? These evil people are the ones that have caused the devastation of Israel and Judah. This will be corrected.

The dishonest will be uprooted like a weed. They will be carried away. Eventually the Judeans will return to their homeland and anyone who tries to lead them astray again will be removed and destroyed. We know that happened because of the nations that no longer exist.

Jeremiah tells us in chapter 13 that he has been told to buy a linen belt and wear it. Then he is told to hide the belt in the rocks at Perath. Of course, the belt is ruined. This is a visible example of what is being done to Judah. They will also be filled with drunkenness. They will go into captivity.

We want people to change their actions and become honest and courteous. Our society is going the opposite direction. Yahweh says that we can’t change our skin any more than a leopard can change its spots. If God asks you to change, you can change. It must be your desire. It cannot be something you are forced to do.

Go ahead and feel guilty

October 15, 2020

Jeremiah 7 has the prophet standing at the gate of the Temple. What is your greatest weakness? Do you believe liars? Do you treat others justly? Are you oppressive with others? To many of us allow ourselves to be deceived.

Verse eleven is the scripture that Jesus quoted when He threw the vendors from the Temple grounds at Passover. Jehovah reminds them of what happened to Shiloh because of their unbelief and unfaithfulness. Remember that this was the city where Samuel was raised in the Tabernacle and Eli’s sons were killed in a battle and lost the Arc of the Covenant. Moses gave the Israelites instructions to obey the Lord. All they remember is the sacrificial system.

Have you ever wished that you could just die because of circumstances in your life? Jeremiah 9 tells that the Jews will feel this as they are driven from their homeland. They will wish that they could perish where they are and not have to be displace.

Do you return after you leave? Do you get up when you fall? When you fail Jesus do you return to Him with repentance. God tells Jeremiah that Israel has refused to return to Him and rise when they have fallen. Even the scribes copy the scriptures incorrectly. They pervert His word. Have you ever heard a minister interpret the Bible in a way that does not sound like what was written? I have.

We sometimes are advised to ignore guilt from our sins and not feel any shame. If you want to do it, go ahead. You can make your own choices. You are Americans. You are free. We all feel hopeless and helpless at times. Do not despair. There is salvation in Christ alone.

Jehovah laments over His chosen people in Jeremiah 9. He wants to leave them and not have to listen to their disloyalty or see the terrible things they do to each other. Your tongue can be like a bow and shoot lies at others. I have shot my mouth off before. This is the reason I do not watch reality television. The contestants do not hesitate to say or do whatever it takes to win the prize. Therefore, they are so popular.

Wisdom is being ignored in our time as it was in Jeremiah’s. We follow the stubbornness of our hearts as they did. We do not have professional mourners now. We have television, movies, and recorded music to cry out our sorrows. Listen to your play list and tell me that I am wrong. We teach our children how to complain about everything. Christians are falling into this trap also. Break the cycle. Teach the children to praise the Lord.

Stop when God says to.

October 15, 2020

We continue speaking of Israel returning to Jehovah in Jeremiah chapter four. The Lord asks them to destroy the idols they have been worshiping and be truthful, just, and righteous. What does breaking unplowed land have to do with repentance? Judah is to circumcise their hearts. This is a cutting away of flesh that is of no use to them. It is an act of obedience to God. Plowing the ground symbolizes the change that needs to be made in their lives. The weeds and thorns that are buried by the plow are the sins that they promise to move out of their lives.

If they believe that the disaster that is foretold will come, they will move to the cities for protection. Yahweh’s anger is against them. Do they believe this? They have told God lies in the past. Are they going to keep their word now? Punishment is for something that we have done. He does not apologize for giving us what we deserve. They will cry as a pregnant woman does because of the discomfort of childbirth.

The challenge in Jeremiah 5 is to find one person who is honest. The city will be forgiven for one person who speaks the truth. In this election year, this is something we all desire, people to be honest with us. Swearing by God is no indication of their lack of falsehood. Why should we be forgiven when we and our children deny that God exists. We make science, knowledge, lust, or money our object of worship.

If there is a God, why do people violate His laws without suffering the consequences? That time is coming according to Jeremiah. The Judeans asked that question and believed that He would never punish them. Slowness should not be misinterpreted as apathy. His love continues when we are disciplined. This is for our growth as His children. Do not be one of those that rejects Jehovah to your eternal doom.

The warning in Jeremiah 6 is to flee from Jerusalem before the Babylonian army attacks. Siege ramps will be built. The fighting will be fierce. Before the walls are breeched starvation will set in. Judah will not listen. They are offended by God’s call to recognize Him as their sovereign. Deceitfulness will bring the doom. “They do not know how to blush.” We refer to that as having no conscience.

Sacrifices and burnt offerings mean nothing to the Lord. Mourning for their disbelief is all they can do now. Yahweh’s attempt to refine the Israelites as they would gold, silver, or bronze has failed. They are being rejected.

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Tag: Prophecy