Summer 2000
By Martha Lucia
In previous newsletters we have written about God’s redemptive plan and how everything in the Old Testament that required a blood atonement has been paid for by the blood of Jesus. Once again we want to turn our attention to redemption, this time focusing on redeeming the altar.
"And Elijah said unto all the people, come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down." (1 Kings 18:30) This altar had been destroyed by Jezebel and her prophets of Baal. Elijah gathered together all the people of Israel and said, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him." Elijah took twelve stones and built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he made a trench about the altar that would hold two measures of seed. Then he seeded it with the most precious commodity in the land at the time–water. He poured twelve barrels of water in the trench. In the Bible twelve is the number of government and rulership. Elijah was re-establishing the government and the rulership of God in the nation that Jezebel and her false prophets had overthrown.
It is time for a confrontation of the false voices and altars that have invaded this nation. "The government shall be upon His shoulder: and of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end." (Isa. 9:6-7) Have you imagined how that will take place? If God be God, then let’s serve HIM by redeeming and re-establishing His altar!
Throughout the Old Testament we find that the altar was a place where covenants were ratified between God and man. It was to be a place where a legally binding agreement between man and God occurred and where solemn promises were made. It was a place where the holiness of God met with the sinfulness of man. Here man could right his relationship with God through an atoning sacrifice.
The altar was so significant that God instructed Moses to build an altar as part of the furnishings in the tabernacle. The tabernacle, the altar, and the priest who served there had to be consecrated and atoned for according to God’s divine order. The consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests required that blood from the altar and anointing oil be sprinkled on them and their garments. After Aaron and his sons were consecrated, they were instructed to purify the altar so it would be holy. Each day for seven days a bull was sacrificed as a sin offering to make atonement for the altar. T hey were also instructed to anoint the altar to consecrate it. From that point on, whatever touched the altar had to be holy. At the entrance of the tabernacle, sin and thanksgiving offerings were to be made daily before the Lord. All of this was part of the preparation needed to sanctify the tabernacle so the glory of God could reside there. (Ex. 29:43)
All these requirements regarding the altar and those who sacrificed upon it give us some idea of the holiness of God. The altar was God’s provision for the people to stay right with Him. Unfortunately, due to the corruption of man, it became a place where false gods were evoked and worshiped. The following Biblical examples describe the altar and its use.
Noah built the first altar mentioned in the Bible after the waters of the flood had subsided. On it he offered every clean animal and bird as a statement of covenant with God. God had graciously delivered Noah and his family from corruption and death. When God smelled the sweet fragrance of this offering, He said, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." (Gen. 8:21, 22) God received Noah’s sacrifice, blessed him, and established His covenant with Noah and his sons. (Gen. 9)
In Genesis 12, God directed Abram to take his family, leave his country, and go to a land He would show him. When Abraham first entered the land, God made a promise of the land to Abraham and his descendants. At Bethel Abraham built his first altar signifying that ownership of the land had changed from the gods of the Canaanites to the God of Abraham and his descendants. Abraham was to be the founder and representative of this nation which God had entrusted to him. As he traveled through the land, he built altars at various places including Bethel. Even in the time of testing, out of obedience Abraham prepared the altar at Mount Moriah on which his son Isaac was to be sacrificed. Generations later David bought the land at that same spot and the people continued to sacrifice upon that altar for years.
Throughout Isaac’s life, God the Provider met with him just as He had provided a substitute sacrifice for him on Mount Moriah. In the time of famine, God instructed Isaac to remain in the land given to his father Abraham and sow there. In turn God blessed him with a hundred-fold return. This is only one expression of God’s promise spoken in Genesis 8:22.
God told Jacob to go to Bethel, the same spot where his grandfather had built the altar, and build an altar (Genesis 35.1). Before Jacob and his household could build the altar they had to rid themselves of idols, purify themselves, and change their garments. Jacob had recognized the need to right his relationship with God. He called the place El-Bethel, the mighty House of God. This was the same place that Jacob had earlier called the gate of heaven where heaven and earth met (Genesis 28:12). Through the blood of Jesus we have an open heaven. "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." (John 1:51)
Moses named the first altar he built "Jehovah-nissi," meaning God our banner (Exodus 17:15). It was under the banner of God that the people fought the Amalekites and it was under His banner that they experienced victory. God’s instruction to Moses was to make the altars out of earth and unhewn stones (Exodus 20:24-25). God separated Moses apart from the people to make it clear that, "You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves." The altar was to be a place where the people worshiped God, not a place where graven images were worshiped.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the people to corrupt themselves. While Moses was on the mountain meeting with God, the people beckoned Aaron to make them gods that would go before them. From this came the creation of the golden calf and an altar in front of it. Ex. 32:6: "And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play." Their sacrifices were to the god made of GOLD, and they worshiped it instead of the God of their fathers. When God revealed to Moses what the people had done, Moses responded with great anger and utterly destroyed the golden calf. He burned it with fire, ground it to powder, and then scattered it over the surface of the water. Moses would not allow the people to continue in their worship of idols, but would heed the instruction God had given him to worship no other gods. The people needed to regroup and rededicate themselves to the God of Israel. After they had purified themselves, God gave them marching orders to go into the promised land. God renewed His covenant, promising to go before them, and to drive out all the "ites" in the land so that the Israelites could possess it.
In 1 Kings 12:28, 29 the altar of Bethel, which had been a holy place of meeting between God, Abraham, and Jacob, was turned into a place where sacrifices to false gods were performed. Because God would not allow the false to remain, He sent a prophet to prophecy against the altar (1 Kings 13:1-13). The prophet foretold of the days when Josiah would utterly destroy the false altars that had been erected there. T his word was fulfilled in 2 Kings 23:15 when God used Josiah to destroy the high places of false worship that Jeroboam had established. We must walk in this anointing to strike down and destroy the false altars.
God’s instructions relating to the altar were very clear.
"Behold I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold I drive out before thee the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Take heed to thyself lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves; for thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:10-14)
As the Israelites began to possess the land the Lord had given them, they were to completely destroy the high places of worship, the altars, and the idols that they found in the land. God told them they were NOT to enter into worship in the same way those in the land worshiped. These words remain true today. As we look across the land, we can easily see there are many false altars and high places where the worship at God’s altars have been replaced by the false altars. I t is time to redeem and re-establish God’s altars, even as Elijah did. The face off between the false and the true is at hand.
The Word of God gives us some understanding of the purpose of His Kingdom and how it is to be established. The following is recorded in Amos 9:11-12:
"In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old that they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this."
This passage gives us a time line and a picture of what is to be restored. It takes us back to the tabernacle of David as the point of restoration. Jesus, the son of David, came to close up the breaches and restore the kingdom of David, that kingdom that will know no end. Through the atoning blood of Jesus the breaches between Judah and Israel, the house of David and the Church will be bridged and we will become united into the one new man.
The tabernacle of David was the second place of meeting built for God. God said He was going to do a new thing. No longer would only sacrifices of burnt offerings be given as God had instructed Moses when he prepared the first tabernacle. With the moving of the Ark of the Covenant into the tabernacle of David, new things began to happen. There was a new sound in worship, there were new levels of prayer and intercession, there were new understandings of the sacrifices that were to be given on the altar of God. The singers and the skilled musicians joined together with the dancers and celebrated the arrival of the Ark. King David exploded on the scene in such exuberant worship unto God that his wife Michal despised him. David was totally uprooting the old order of Saul and instituting God’s heart in the land.
We must begin to press into God in this manner so this type of enthusiastic worship is restored. Our hearts must be turned to God just as David’s heart was. He was a man after God’s own heart - a heart of worship of the Most High God. He laid aside his kingly robe and took upon himself the garment of a common man. This heart of humility before the Lord is what God is looking for: as we clothe ourselves in the garment of praise our sacrifice will become acceptable. Intercession must take on a new dimension and understanding. Prayer, praise, and worship at the tabernacle of David were occurring 24 hours a day! Paul wrote in Romans 12:1 (Amp.), "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies - presenting living sacrifices, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship." It will require us to give all of ourselves, including our future, to accomplish the purposes of God.
The purpose of rebuilding the tabernacle and restoring prayer, praise, and worship is to bring in the last harvest and see the kingdom of God established on the earth. The restored kingdom of David will possess the remnant of Edom and the heathen. "Behold the days come that the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them." (Amos 9:13-14) This is an exciting passage as it speaks of the last harvest. Yet even as we enter into this last harvest, God has a prescribed order for things to occur. In Romans 11:25 Paul told the brethren that Israel has experienced a blindness in part until the full or complete number of the gentiles come into the kingdom. He then said, "And so all Israel shall be saved." All this will happen so that the fullness of the heathen and the fullness of Israel can come. Thus the Church will be established as one new man. God is moving all these things into place for the last days’ harvest. He will re-establish Israel in their own land and become their God and they will never be uprooted again (Amos 9:15).
In order for the fullness of time to come, there are some decisive battles that still remain. The gospel must be preached to the ends of the earth so that the full number of the gentiles and the fullness of Israel can come forth. This will require new levels of intercession and war in the spiritual realm. We must seek God’s anointing to establish His altar and overthrow the thrones of iniquity. King David had this kind of anointing. He went forth conquering and to conquer. And wherever he went the Lord preserved him and gave him victory. In Romans 8:37 Paul reminded the saints that this is true for us also, "We are more than conquerors through him that loved us." In Psalm 94, the psalmist wrote,
"For justice will return to the uncompromisingly righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with you, they who frame and hide their unrighteous doings under the sacred name of law? They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord has become my high tower and defense, and my God, the rock of my refuge. And He had turned back upon them their own iniquity, and will wipe them out by means of their own wickedness, the Lord our God will wipe them out!"
God is calling out a people who will join Him in completing this task.
The kingdoms of this world are sacrificing at the altar of false gods and we, the Church, are paying the price. We must not bow to this any longer. It is time to take on the anointing to spoil! Jesus has already paid the price of atonement to redeem the altar of the kingdoms of this world. Isaiah prophesied about Jesus,
"Surely he hath borne our griefs (anxiety, calamity) and carried our sorrow (anguish, affliction, sickness, pain) yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded (to be defiled, to be profaned) for our transgressions (national, moral, or religious rebellion), he was bruised (to be cast down, humbled) for our iniquities (perverseness, depravity, penalty of sin, there was a substitute under the law) the chastisement (punishment, correction, discipline, self control) of our peace (health, security, tranquility, welfare) was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (to mend by stitching, to cure, thoroughly make whole)." (Isa. 53 Amp.)
Did you get what this passage said? Jesus has paid the price with His blood for our griefs; our sorrows; our national, moral, and religious rebellion; our sicknesses, pains, and afflictions; and our sin, thus providing for our peace and tranquility, security, and welfare. He has already paid for it all! We need to apply the blood of Jesus, becoming His blood avenger against these false gods and altars that corrupt us and steal from us individually, corporately as the Church, and as a nation. The blood of Jesus, releasing the word of our testimony, along with our lives presented upon the altar of sacrifice to God, will release the fire of God and the power of God necessary to destroy these false altars and false gods. First of all, the altar of our hearts must be redeemed unto God, removing all fear, all that is false, and all facades. Even as we are warring against the spirits of this world, we must be crying out to God, "Get the idolatry out of us!"
The kingdoms of this world are sacrificing and worshiping at false altars. For example:
Our government is sacrificing at the altar of rebellion against God’s laws, lawlessness, corruption, the quest for power, and to the god Molech, through the sacrificing of children
by abortion.
Within our own ranks in the religious world there are many cares of this world mixed
with the truth of God, mixing the water with the wine or having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof. There is sacrificing at the altar of hypocrisy, idolatry, legalism,
the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.
In the world of education there is sacrificing at the altar of humanism, relativism,
Darwinism, skepticism, and many other "isms." The knowledge man has gained is
increasing at a rapid rate (Dan. 12:4) as the world of technology is changing. Paul said, "Knowledge puffs up" or, in other words, fills one with false pride which can lead to
deception - "Ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth." (2 Tim. 3:7)
In the fields of medicine and psychology current practices are resulting in sacrifices
at the altar of sorcery, new age, witchcraft, alchemy, drugs, and euthanasia.
As we look at Wall Street and the financial market, we see that there is sacrificing
at the altar of Mammon, covetousness, greed, excessive interest, and love of money.
Militant groups are sacrificing at the altars of warring demons that destroy peace,
pressuring the nations of the world to sacrifice their economic stability to build bigger
and better war machines. The perceived need for protection and desire to gain more destructive power is leading to ungodly alliances between nations which opens the
doors to the false gods of these nations.
Entertainment is promoting worship at the altar of immorality, homosexuality,
lasciviousness, lust, perversion, self exaltation, rebellion, violence, and death.
In the last year I have joined with others in travels around the world and within the United States to pray, prophesy, begin to pull down the false altars, and invade kingdoms of this world. It is time for us as individuals and as the corporate body to move into this anointing to spoil as God releases the sound of the noise of a host (2 Kings 7:6, Ezekiel 1:24, 2 Chronicles 14:13).
In a trip around the world with an Eagles of God team, we prayed in the nations of England, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and Singapore. The trip was a very focused intercessory journey dealing with the transference and understanding of wealth and how to move forward in the harvest. One example of a specific focus was related to Jewish wealth that had been stolen during the Holocaust. The team was lead to pray in Berlin where the government which orchestrated these horrible events existed. We then went to Warsaw where much of the wealth was taken from the Jews and visited one of the actual rooms where this occurred. From there we flew to Switzerland where much of the wealth was stored. In Singapore we met with the World Apostolic Summit, a tangible example of God establishing His government upon the earth. We saw immediate answers to prayer, including an emotional address to Israel’s parliament made by the President of Germany asking forgiveness for the Holocaust. Tangible answers to our prayers continue to come forth. "The earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Psalm 24:1) This means that the silver and the gold, oil, minerals, precious stones, souls of men, everything belongs to HIM!!
I traveled with another Eagles of God team to Kazakstan. During our trip we walked along an area of the ancient Silk Road which was once the economic lifeline of Central Asia and the South Caucasus. This route and other trade routes across the world are beginning to come alive again. We need people in the Church to become the merchandisers or traffickers along these routes. I f we don’t begin to possess, redeem, and occupy the land, these routes will be in the hands of the kingdoms of this world and therefore the wealth gained will be in the hands of the wicked. It is interesting to note that one of the primary things traded in Kazakstan is horses. A fierce breed of war horse is bred and trained there, so fierce that they can chew through anything. In our last newsletter you will remember that we wrote about running with the horses and that the wars ahead will be far greater than those we have encountered in the past. Is God preparing the mighty army that will come from the North on horses? As God reveals the times and the seasons, we will have a greater understanding of how to pray!
For several years we have been gathering in Tallahassee, Florida. The Lord had shown us that this was the high place of the nation. In April of this year we met together with the apostolic leaders and prayer warriors of the area to war in prayer, praise, prophecy, and proclamations over the city. It ended with a powerful gathering at the steps of the Capitol. Our prayers and prophecies were to remove the false foundations and gods that had planted themselves in that territory years ago, and to build an altar to the Most High God which will connect heaven to earth. In the June 2000 issue of the End-Time Handmaidens & Servants newsletter, Gwen Shaw included a Prophet’s Report that had this to say about Florida: "My mast has gone down in Florida, and My ship is coming into the harbor there." I believe this word is a direct result of the fervent prayers of the righteous that have been offered before the throne of God for a season of time on behalf of Tallahassee, the state of Florida, and our nation. Thank you, God!! When the Spanish first colonized America, the area which is now the United States was known as "Florida the Great Country of North America." Therefore, we were dealing with the foundations of the whole nation!
In our issue on Redeeming the Land we wrote that the spirit of gambling and chance, fueled by the Jezebel spirit, is a major cause of what is happening to the land. Las Vegas is a perfect example of this. I recently visited there and prayer-walked the Strip. Everything there provides some form of enticement to suck you into the spirit of gambling and chance. According to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, it is the fastest growing city in the United States averaging around 50,000 new residents each year. Over 32 million visitors enjoy the "Entertainment Capital of the World" each year. They rose up early and sacrificed to the god of GOLD, sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play! T he spirit of gambling is so prominent that it literally controls the land and lives in the area. God, tear down those false altars!!
As we look back over the various moves of God in the last 100 years it is obvious that God is strategically gathering all things, including His Church, unto HIM for end-time purposes. His glory is rising upon the Church in increasing measure. Yet it is also evident in our world today that the realms of darkness are getting darker. In order for Jesus to return this must happen, yet this seems to be such a dichotomy. How can God’s glory and wickedness both be increasing?
Isaiah 60 provides revelation about the relationship between God’s glory and the wicked forces of this world: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." (Isa. 60:1-3) The Hebrew word for "kings" in this passage means a king, a ruler, a prince, god, a false god, or an idol king. We can see from this passage that as God’s glory is rising within His Church, the heathen and false gods/idol kings will be drawn to the glory of God appearing in and on His Church. Philippians 2:10-11 (Amp) states, "That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue (frankly and openly) confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." What a glorious promise! 2 Cor. 4:17 says, "For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." This means a glory that is weighty enough to change everything.
God’s Word in Matthew 24:6 also promises that we will hear of wars and rumors of war, pestilence, disease, earthquakes, but the end is not yet. God is organizing His Church and putting a zeal or jealousy within her that God’s purposes will be accomplished. There are things that must happen that are ordained by God and there are things that are orchestrated by Satan which can be stopped. We must seek God to know His purpose and pray in accordance with that purpose.
As part of this dichotomy, there must be a time of peace and prosperity so God’s kingdom can be established and the tabernacle of David restored. It is interesting to look at the life of David to see how he brought this about. Solomon spoke in 1 Ki 5:3-4: "You know how David my father could not build a house to the name of the Lord his God, because wars were about him on every side, until the Lord put his foes under his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil confronting me. And I purpose to build a house to the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house to My name and presence." David was known as a man of war, but Solomon was known as a man of rest. Solomon enjoyed the plunder from his father’s warring which brought everything needed to build the temple. When his enemies were under his feet, rest was brought to the land so that the kingdom could be built. As David was making plans to build the temple, according to 1 Samuel 7:1, "He had rest on every side from all his enemies." To even begin to have a clear picture of the temple he had to have peace. The temple had to be built in a time of rest. David paved the way for Solomon to live in a time of peace and prosperity, so it was Solomon, a man of rest, who was charged with the task of building the temple (1 Chron. 22:9-10).
Through warfare prayers and exercising the power and authority given us by Jesus, both peace and prosperity will come. To obtain peace we need to war the warfare necessary to hold the warring demons at bay. To obtain prosperity we must learn to possess, redeem, and occupy the land. With the restoration of the apostles many things are set in place. The apostle is one who has the anointing to establish and build. However, if the warring demons are not held back through the warfare prayers, proclamations, declarations, and authority of the saints, the establishing and building cannot occur. As the prophets prophesy and the saints pray and declare, the apostles can establish.
The ruin of a sinful nation can only be prevented through reformation. The abominable idols in the land must be removed and the altar of the Lord restored. King Asa is an example of this in 2 Chronicles 15. There was no peace in the land until Asa destroyed the idols and restored the altar of God. All of Judah rejoiced and sought God with their whole heart, and then the Lord gave them rest round about. Even though the high places were not completely removed out of Israel in Asa’s days, his heart was perfect and he brought silver and gold into the house of God. Josiah is another example. He tore down the false altars, repaired the house of the Lord, cleansed the altar, and restored praise and worship (see 2 Chron. 34). Jehoshaphat is another example in 1 Chronicles 20.
Paul wrote in Colossians 1:16 & 20,
"For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him and in and for Him. And God purposed that through Him ALL THINGS should be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, as through Him [the Father] made peace by means of the blood of His cross."
It is through exercising redemption that God will accomplish this, as we join Him in carrying out His plan of redemption. In the last chapter of Revelation John wrote,
"There shall no longer exist there anything that is accursed--detestable, foul, offensive, impure, hateful or horrible. But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall worship Him."
Our heart and our goal must be to see the throne of God established on this earth as it is in heaven. The worship of idols and the sacrifice of God’s creation to false altars can no longer exist side by side with God’s altar.
In Amos 9:1 before God spoke of rebuilding the tabernacle of David, Amos had a vision,
"I saw the Lord standing upon the altar; and he said, smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake; and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword; he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered."
The Lord Himself was standing on the altar at Bethel and saying no longer will you offer to your false gods on my altar. Destroy it! Even as God told Ezekiel, "They have put their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations." (Eze. 43) In other words, they have changed the entrances to the holy place and everything in it to fit their own idols. God then told them to put away their own designs and measure the pattern according to His standards, to show forth the form and fashion of His house--the coming in and going out that He has ordained. God has a prescribed way to come into His presence and we cannot change what God has ordained to suit ourselves. He then declared, "This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy, behold, this is the law of the house." Holiness is still the law of the house of God.
Lord, help us apply the blood of redemption to the altars of our heart, that this sanctuary may be sanctified by Your glory. As we do this and carry the glory of the Lord in us and upon us, we will see the knowledge of His glory cover the earth. We want to hear the seventh angel sound his trumpet and declare, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and Christ and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Rev. 11:15)