When Satan planned his attack against God through man, he decided that the woman would be the more easily deceived. I am reminded that he possessed fullness of wisdom, and I am sure that it was easy to observe how much the man treasured the woman God had given him. Maybe something he observed made him realize that the woman would be easier to deceive. He seemed to understand that the man would be more easily enticed by his wife.
So what ploy did Satan use to deceive Eve? He used the most cunning creature, the serpent; he caused her to question God’s word and awakened in her spirit a sense of discontent.
Genesis 3:1–6 “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
Once the enemy had awakened a sense of discontent, a desire for more than God had given her, other senses came into play. The fruit looked good and appetizing. I am convinced that the serpent ate some of it right in front of her to convince her that there was nothing to fear. After all, everything in her life had been good to that point. What did she really understand about fear of death?
Sure enough, as soon as she took of the fruit, she gave some to her husband; and he ate of the fruit from the hands of his wife without hesitation. The difference being—he acted in willful disobedience.
1 Timothy 2:13–14 “For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”
It wasn’t long before God confronted Adam and Eve with their sin and they began to understand the consequences of disobedience to their Creator. The Lord responded by declaring that though Satan had won a victory, he would be defeated in the end. The wording declared that there would be an ongoing battle between Satan and the woman, between the Seed of the woman and the seed of Satan. Point is made that the Seed of the woman would deal a fatal blow to Satan, but Satan would only be able to wound the One who would defeat him. I think the NIV expresses the truth most clearly.
Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
The wording was carefully chosen; God already had a plan for the redemption of man in place. It is through the seed of man that children are born of woman; through the seed of man each child inherits the sin nature. There would come One born of a virgin, of seed planted within her by the Spirit of God, the very Son of God, who would one day defeat Satan.
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…and his name shall be called…The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Matthew 1:18-23 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost….And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins….Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
Thus began the war between the spiritual forces of good and evil in the fight for the souls of men. Paul identifies this struggle in his letter to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 6:11–12 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The “wiles” of the devil speak of his methods, the tricks and/or strategies he uses to deceive. His great joy is to see us fall for his tricks and then accuse us before God.
Revelation 12:9–10 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
Job 1:6–7 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
SATAN – THE ENEMY OF GOD
In this series of posts I am going to focus on identifying Satan and his methods of attack against believers in his ongoing war against God. How does this relate to prophecy? I believe these attacks and the deceptive powers of evil spiritual forces is going to continue to increase until the Lord Jesus returns to take His throne as King of kings. It’s important that the believer be vigilant and aware of the enemy’s tactics until that time.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
From the earliest beginnings of man’s time on earth, Satan emerged as the enemy of God and of His special creation—man and woman. We know that the angels were created before man since the book of Job declares that the sons of God rejoiced when the earth was created.
Job 38:4–7 “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
One can’t help but wonder what happened to make Satan the enemy of God. The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel provide some insight.
Isaiah 14:12–14 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”
Satan developed a misplaced sense of pride. At some point he determined in his heart that he would position himself in authority over all the other angels and ascend to the dwelling place of God to become like God or equal with God. The obvious question—Why would he ever think such a thought?
Ezekiel 28:11–15 “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.”
It is obvious from the wording of this section of verses that though addressed to the king of Tyre, the reference is to the evil source of power behind the earthly king of Tyre—Satan. He is identified as having “been in Eden the garden of God.” The only intelligent beings identified as being in Eden were God, Adam, Eve, and the serpent; and scripture specifically identifies this serpent as Satan.
Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan….”
Revelation 20:2 “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan….”
Ezekiel tells us that Satan possessed the fullness of wisdom and beauty to perfection. He was adorned with the most beautiful gems and was evidently a very gifted singer. He had also been chosen to serve as one of the cherubs covering God’s throne. In fact, he is described as “perfect in thy ways” until iniquity or unrighteousness was found in him. I believe this iniquity was found in him the moment that he determined to be like God.
We know from the record of the Revelator that Satan had enough influence among the angelic host to cause a third of the angels to join in his rebellion.
Revelation 12:3–4 “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:”
This rebellion resulted in their falling from heaven and being cast to the earth. I believe it is this fall to which Jesus referred in the words recorded by Luke.
Luke 10:18 “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”
I also believe that it was this fall that marred the original creation of earth and resulted in the six-day recreation that included man. (See the journal on Genesis 1 at my website for further details.) Satan didn’t wait long to once again act against God and recruit man to join his rebellion. Sadly, this proved to be far too easy.
In the next post we will begin to look at how to identify the attack of the enemy on the believer.
1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
From the earliest beginnings of man’s time on earth, Satan emerged as the enemy of God and of His special creation—man and woman. We know that the angels were created before man since the book of Job declares that the sons of God rejoiced when the earth was created.
Job 38:4–7 “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
One can’t help but wonder what happened to make Satan the enemy of God. The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel provide some insight.
Isaiah 14:12–14 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”
Satan developed a misplaced sense of pride. At some point he determined in his heart that he would position himself in authority over all the other angels and ascend to the dwelling place of God to become like God or equal with God. The obvious question—Why would he ever think such a thought?
Ezekiel 28:11–15 “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.”
It is obvious from the wording of this section of verses that though addressed to the king of Tyre, the reference is to the evil source of power behind the earthly king of Tyre—Satan. He is identified as having “been in Eden the garden of God.” The only intelligent beings identified as being in Eden were God, Adam, Eve, and the serpent; and scripture specifically identifies this serpent as Satan.
Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan….”
Revelation 20:2 “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan….”
Ezekiel tells us that Satan possessed the fullness of wisdom and beauty to perfection. He was adorned with the most beautiful gems and was evidently a very gifted singer. He had also been chosen to serve as one of the cherubs covering God’s throne. In fact, he is described as “perfect in thy ways” until iniquity or unrighteousness was found in him. I believe this iniquity was found in him the moment that he determined to be like God.
We know from the record of the Revelator that Satan had enough influence among the angelic host to cause a third of the angels to join in his rebellion.
Revelation 12:3–4 “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:”
This rebellion resulted in their falling from heaven and being cast to the earth. I believe it is this fall to which Jesus referred in the words recorded by Luke.
Luke 10:18 “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”
I also believe that it was this fall that marred the original creation of earth and resulted in the six-day recreation that included man. (See the journal on Genesis 1 at my website for further details.) Satan didn’t wait long to once again act against God and recruit man to join his rebellion. Sadly, this proved to be far too easy.
In the next post we will begin to look at how to identify the attack of the enemy on the believer.
Friday, March 25, 2011
COUNTING MY BLESSINGS
I am…
Created in His image
Surrounded by His beauty
Redeemed by His sacrifice
Forgiven in His mercy
Saved by His grace
Kept by His power
Clothed in His righteousness
Gifted by His Spirit
Girded with His truth
Guided by His Word
Strengthened by His promises
Encouraged by His faithfulness
Comforted through His compassion
Humbled by His unconditional love!
Click on image to enlarge
Created in His image
Surrounded by His beauty
Redeemed by His sacrifice
Forgiven in His mercy
Saved by His grace
Kept by His power
Clothed in His righteousness
Gifted by His Spirit
Girded with His truth
Guided by His Word
Strengthened by His promises
Encouraged by His faithfulness
Comforted through His compassion
Humbled by His unconditional love!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
CONNECTING THE 5TH SEAL IN REVELATION AND THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
Revelation 6:9-11 “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
The opening of this seal provides a picture of the martyrs who have died for their faith while waiting for the Lord to return. It never made sense to me that this seal only represented martyrs from the tribulation period, most of which will not die until the second half of that seven-year period. Deaths occurring through the opening of the first four seals did not include martyrs of the faith. Notice that the LORD tells the martyrs that they must wait for Him to exact vengeance after “their fellowservants and also their brethren” are killed. The implication is clear that there is a specific number of people who comprise this group of martyrs. As discussed previously, we know that God’s vengeance, His wrath against His enemies, begins with the opening of the sixth seal.
Currently, it makes the most sense to me that this group of martyrs represents all the martyrs of the church age. After the death of the last martyr of the church age, the LORD will begin to take vengeance against the wicked on their behalf. It is clear throughout scripture that the LORD often warns of judgment that is declared in one generation that comes to fruition against future generations. This does not sit well with our human reasoning. The fact is that the wicked never get by without judgment. The Psalmist experienced the same struggle as he tried to understand what seemed to be unfair to him.
Psalms 73:11–18 “And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.”
I have to continually remind myself that God’s ways and thoughts are far beyond my understanding. My faith and hope are to rest in God and Who He is without regard to my full understanding.
Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
I also believe that the last martyr’s death will pretty much coincide with the conversion of the last Gentile to become part of the church.
Romans 11:25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”
The 70th week of Daniel is a designated time of refinement intended to produce a believing remnant of Jews that will reap the blessings of the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The spiritual blindness of the Jews will not be healed until the predominantly Gentile church is complete.
Interestingly enough, the very next events covered in Revelation are the sealing of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses and vision of a great multitude of people from every tongue and nation standing before the throne and worshipping God. It is as clear as the nose on my face to me that this great multitude is a picture of the raptured body of believers known as the church. This picture also makes sense to me in that after the rapture of the church, these 144,000 converted Jews will replace them as God’s witnesses of the plan of salvation.
It’s not surprising to me that the Holy Spirit is unveiling more and more and giving clearer understanding to those diligently seeking to understand Bible prophecy today. This too is according to prophecy.
Daniel 12:4 “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”
Daniel is told to seal his book. Why? Because it would apply to a people in the distant future. The message of Daniel was not meant to remain sealed; it was only to be sealed until the time of the end.
I usually hear the last part of this verse from Daniel used to reference modern transportation and the huge advances in our knowledge of science and technology, and I don’t think you can say that is entirely wrong since the reality of our day and age reflects the truth of it. I believe, however, that its main reference is to the people living in “end times” who are seeking to understand God’s plan in light of the Revelation given to John. It is significant to note that John was told not to seal his book. This indicates that its contents were relevant beginning with the believers of the early church to whom it was written.
Revelation 22:10 “And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”
I believe the prophet Amos provides the key to understanding Daniel.
Amos 8:11-12 “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.”
This is talking of a time when men will run to and fro and not be able to find understanding in the word of God. Daniel is prophesying of a time when men will be running to and fro and knowledge shall be increased—they will find understanding of the word of God.
The opening of this seal provides a picture of the martyrs who have died for their faith while waiting for the Lord to return. It never made sense to me that this seal only represented martyrs from the tribulation period, most of which will not die until the second half of that seven-year period. Deaths occurring through the opening of the first four seals did not include martyrs of the faith. Notice that the LORD tells the martyrs that they must wait for Him to exact vengeance after “their fellowservants and also their brethren” are killed. The implication is clear that there is a specific number of people who comprise this group of martyrs. As discussed previously, we know that God’s vengeance, His wrath against His enemies, begins with the opening of the sixth seal.
Currently, it makes the most sense to me that this group of martyrs represents all the martyrs of the church age. After the death of the last martyr of the church age, the LORD will begin to take vengeance against the wicked on their behalf. It is clear throughout scripture that the LORD often warns of judgment that is declared in one generation that comes to fruition against future generations. This does not sit well with our human reasoning. The fact is that the wicked never get by without judgment. The Psalmist experienced the same struggle as he tried to understand what seemed to be unfair to him.
Psalms 73:11–18 “And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.”
I have to continually remind myself that God’s ways and thoughts are far beyond my understanding. My faith and hope are to rest in God and Who He is without regard to my full understanding.
Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
I also believe that the last martyr’s death will pretty much coincide with the conversion of the last Gentile to become part of the church.
Romans 11:25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”
The 70th week of Daniel is a designated time of refinement intended to produce a believing remnant of Jews that will reap the blessings of the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The spiritual blindness of the Jews will not be healed until the predominantly Gentile church is complete.
Interestingly enough, the very next events covered in Revelation are the sealing of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses and vision of a great multitude of people from every tongue and nation standing before the throne and worshipping God. It is as clear as the nose on my face to me that this great multitude is a picture of the raptured body of believers known as the church. This picture also makes sense to me in that after the rapture of the church, these 144,000 converted Jews will replace them as God’s witnesses of the plan of salvation.
It’s not surprising to me that the Holy Spirit is unveiling more and more and giving clearer understanding to those diligently seeking to understand Bible prophecy today. This too is according to prophecy.
Daniel 12:4 “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”
Daniel is told to seal his book. Why? Because it would apply to a people in the distant future. The message of Daniel was not meant to remain sealed; it was only to be sealed until the time of the end.
I usually hear the last part of this verse from Daniel used to reference modern transportation and the huge advances in our knowledge of science and technology, and I don’t think you can say that is entirely wrong since the reality of our day and age reflects the truth of it. I believe, however, that its main reference is to the people living in “end times” who are seeking to understand God’s plan in light of the Revelation given to John. It is significant to note that John was told not to seal his book. This indicates that its contents were relevant beginning with the believers of the early church to whom it was written.
Revelation 22:10 “And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”
I believe the prophet Amos provides the key to understanding Daniel.
Amos 8:11-12 “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.”
This is talking of a time when men will run to and fro and not be able to find understanding in the word of God. Daniel is prophesying of a time when men will be running to and fro and knowledge shall be increased—they will find understanding of the word of God.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
THE SEALS OF REVELATION AND THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
In this post we will look at the signs of the times predicted by Jesus in His teaching commonly known as the Olivet Discourse and how they compare to the first five seals of Revelation. Why do we bother? Jesus gave these signs for the benefit of the body of believers so that they might be better prepared for His return. I am reminded that He berated the Pharisees for not recognizing the signs of His first coming as recorded in scripture.
Matthew 16:1–3 “The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”
It is significant to note that Jesus gave this information to the disciples because they desired to know what to expect and He did not want them to be deceived by people or circumstances.
Matthew 24:3–9 “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.”
It’s interesting to note that the wording implies a significant gap in time by referencing the signs in plural—“many” shall come in my name, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes. The signs are also referenced as the beginning of “sorrows,” a term that is used to reference the labor pains of childbirth. This indicates that these signs will continue to increase in frequency and intensity until the end, the time of fulfillment.
The fact that many will be deceived is a clue that Satan will be fully engaged in using whatever powers God has allowed him during the intervening time to equip these impostors to convince those who are ignorant of his devices and of God’s truth.
The first sign given is that many impostors will come claiming to be Christ. The first seal opened in Revelation 6 is a representation of the person in whom this deception will ultimately culminate, the man who comes in the full power of Satan, the man we know as the Antichrist.
Revelation 6:1–2 “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
2 Thessalonians 2:8–10 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
The second sign Jesus gives is that of wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom. The second seal opened in Revelation is a representation of the prevalence of war between races or tribes and between kingdoms.
Revelation 6:3-4 “And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”
The third sign mentioned by the LORD Jesus was famines. The third seal opened in Revelation makes direct reference to famine so severe that enough grain to make a loaf of bread will cost the equivalence of a day’s wage.
Revelation 6:5-6 “And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine."
Next in the list of signs given by Jesus are pestilences and earthquakes. These disasters in addition to the previous two will result in the death of over a fourth of the people on planet earth during the time period included according to the corresponding verses in Revelation concerning the fourth seal.
Revelation 6:7-8 “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”
I think history reveals that these signs have continued to occur throughout the years with greater frequency and intensity—especially since the beginning of the 20th century.
It is clear to me that these seals have been opened in specific sequence and that their impact is quite broad ranging. I will never declare to know without a shadow of a doubt when these seals were/will be opened. I have been thinking quite a bit recently about the possibility that these seals were opened shortly after Jesus returned to heaven to await the end of the time allotted for God’s plan to continue to unfold and to culminate in His return to earth to take His throne. It is my understanding of the fifth seal that has prompted this line of thinking.
I will pick up at this point in the next post.
Matthew 16:1–3 “The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”
It is significant to note that Jesus gave this information to the disciples because they desired to know what to expect and He did not want them to be deceived by people or circumstances.
Matthew 24:3–9 “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.”
It’s interesting to note that the wording implies a significant gap in time by referencing the signs in plural—“many” shall come in my name, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes. The signs are also referenced as the beginning of “sorrows,” a term that is used to reference the labor pains of childbirth. This indicates that these signs will continue to increase in frequency and intensity until the end, the time of fulfillment.
The fact that many will be deceived is a clue that Satan will be fully engaged in using whatever powers God has allowed him during the intervening time to equip these impostors to convince those who are ignorant of his devices and of God’s truth.
The first sign given is that many impostors will come claiming to be Christ. The first seal opened in Revelation 6 is a representation of the person in whom this deception will ultimately culminate, the man who comes in the full power of Satan, the man we know as the Antichrist.
Revelation 6:1–2 “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
2 Thessalonians 2:8–10 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
The second sign Jesus gives is that of wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom. The second seal opened in Revelation is a representation of the prevalence of war between races or tribes and between kingdoms.
Revelation 6:3-4 “And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”
The third sign mentioned by the LORD Jesus was famines. The third seal opened in Revelation makes direct reference to famine so severe that enough grain to make a loaf of bread will cost the equivalence of a day’s wage.
Revelation 6:5-6 “And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine."
Next in the list of signs given by Jesus are pestilences and earthquakes. These disasters in addition to the previous two will result in the death of over a fourth of the people on planet earth during the time period included according to the corresponding verses in Revelation concerning the fourth seal.
Revelation 6:7-8 “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”
I think history reveals that these signs have continued to occur throughout the years with greater frequency and intensity—especially since the beginning of the 20th century.
It is clear to me that these seals have been opened in specific sequence and that their impact is quite broad ranging. I will never declare to know without a shadow of a doubt when these seals were/will be opened. I have been thinking quite a bit recently about the possibility that these seals were opened shortly after Jesus returned to heaven to await the end of the time allotted for God’s plan to continue to unfold and to culminate in His return to earth to take His throne. It is my understanding of the fifth seal that has prompted this line of thinking.
I will pick up at this point in the next post.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
WAITING WITH EXPECTANCY FOR THE RAPTURE
There is not a day that goes by that I don’t look to the heavens and say, “LORD, this would be a great day for you to bring us all home.” Yes, I believe in the rapture, the time when the LORD will bring home a generation of believers who will not experience death as declared by the Apostle Paul. Again, there is a more detailed study of this subject on my website.
1 Corinthians 15:51–53 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
Though I believe that the rapture can happen at any time, I recognize that everything that God does is according to a plan. One cannot deny that the spring feasts of Israel have been shown to have prophetic significance regarding the first coming of Jesus as the Messiah. The church became connected in prophetic significance with these feasts when it was birthed on Pentecost. It stands to reason, in my mind anyway, that the removal of the church and the return of the LORD Jesus as King will be connected to the feasts of Israel as well.
It is important to note that until revealed by Paul, the rapture of the church was still a “mystery,” a truth always a part of the plan but not revealed until God determined that the time was right for its revelation. When Jesus taught the disciples regarding His second coming, He was answering their questions in light of His return as King. Therefore, the “signs” outlined in the passage known as the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 pertain to His return as King.
If, however, we can see signs pointing to the return of Jesus as King, we can be sure that the rapture is at least seven years prior to that time. You ask how? Because the LORD told us through Paul that the Antichrist would not be allowed to declare himself until the Holy Spirit is removed from earth in the body of the church. This is clearly outlined in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 2:1–10 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
In a previous post it was established that the Antichrist would sign a 7-year covenant with Israel that will define the start of the 70th week of Daniel, the last seven years on planet earth before Jesus returns as King, a time that is purposed to bring forth a refined remnant of Israel to accept Jesus as the Messiah and enter His kingdom to experience the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The wording in the King James can be confusing. The word “letteth” makes reference to a power that is restraining or holding down evil by its very presence. It is obvious to me that the only deterrent to evil taking over the world is the presence of God through the Holy Spirit in the body of believers. Once this restraining force is removed, Antichrist will have free reign to work his deception through the power of Satan according to God’s plan.
The fact that the Holy Spirit is present on earth in the body of believers is affirmed many times in the New Testament scriptures.
1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
Ephesians 1:12–14 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
Romans 8:9–11 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
Scripture is also clear in declaring that believers are not destined to suffer the wrath of God. Again, it is the Apostle Paul through whom God delivered this truth. As stated in a previous post, the wrath of God is directed toward His enemies, those who have chosen to reject Him as LORD.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ….”
Colossians 3:5–7 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.”
John tells us in the book of Revelation that the wrath of God commences with the opening of the sixth seal.
Revelation 6:12–17 “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come….”
Personally, I believe that the rapture of the church will occur just prior to and in connection with the opening of this sixth seal. IF I am correct, then both the wrath of God and the 70th week of Daniel occur in conjunction with and subsequent to the opening of the sixth seal. This obviously indicates that I believe that the first five seals have already been opened. Though I know this is not a popular view among most pretribulationists, it is what makes the most sense to me. Again, a more detailed study can be found at my website, www.momsbiblejournal.com, in my journal on Revelation.
1 Corinthians 15:51–53 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
Though I believe that the rapture can happen at any time, I recognize that everything that God does is according to a plan. One cannot deny that the spring feasts of Israel have been shown to have prophetic significance regarding the first coming of Jesus as the Messiah. The church became connected in prophetic significance with these feasts when it was birthed on Pentecost. It stands to reason, in my mind anyway, that the removal of the church and the return of the LORD Jesus as King will be connected to the feasts of Israel as well.
It is important to note that until revealed by Paul, the rapture of the church was still a “mystery,” a truth always a part of the plan but not revealed until God determined that the time was right for its revelation. When Jesus taught the disciples regarding His second coming, He was answering their questions in light of His return as King. Therefore, the “signs” outlined in the passage known as the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 pertain to His return as King.
If, however, we can see signs pointing to the return of Jesus as King, we can be sure that the rapture is at least seven years prior to that time. You ask how? Because the LORD told us through Paul that the Antichrist would not be allowed to declare himself until the Holy Spirit is removed from earth in the body of the church. This is clearly outlined in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 2:1–10 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
In a previous post it was established that the Antichrist would sign a 7-year covenant with Israel that will define the start of the 70th week of Daniel, the last seven years on planet earth before Jesus returns as King, a time that is purposed to bring forth a refined remnant of Israel to accept Jesus as the Messiah and enter His kingdom to experience the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The wording in the King James can be confusing. The word “letteth” makes reference to a power that is restraining or holding down evil by its very presence. It is obvious to me that the only deterrent to evil taking over the world is the presence of God through the Holy Spirit in the body of believers. Once this restraining force is removed, Antichrist will have free reign to work his deception through the power of Satan according to God’s plan.
The fact that the Holy Spirit is present on earth in the body of believers is affirmed many times in the New Testament scriptures.
1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
Ephesians 1:12–14 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
Romans 8:9–11 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
Scripture is also clear in declaring that believers are not destined to suffer the wrath of God. Again, it is the Apostle Paul through whom God delivered this truth. As stated in a previous post, the wrath of God is directed toward His enemies, those who have chosen to reject Him as LORD.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ….”
Colossians 3:5–7 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.”
John tells us in the book of Revelation that the wrath of God commences with the opening of the sixth seal.
Revelation 6:12–17 “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come….”
Personally, I believe that the rapture of the church will occur just prior to and in connection with the opening of this sixth seal. IF I am correct, then both the wrath of God and the 70th week of Daniel occur in conjunction with and subsequent to the opening of the sixth seal. This obviously indicates that I believe that the first five seals have already been opened. Though I know this is not a popular view among most pretribulationists, it is what makes the most sense to me. Again, a more detailed study can be found at my website, www.momsbiblejournal.com, in my journal on Revelation.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
WHEN GOG ATTACKS ISRAEL
I will again direct you to my website for a more in depth look at Ezekiel 38-39 in reference to this future fulfillment of prophecy regarding a war commonly referenced as “the war of Gog and Magog.”
Though I can’t be sure, it makes sense to me that this attack on Israel will occur some time after Israel has gained the victory over the coalition of nations described in Psalm 83 and the destruction of Damascus. God’s intervention to assure Israel the victory against such a large enemy army would seem to provide the perfect setup for the Antichrist to rise to power with a solution for peace that will be confirmed with the signing of a seven-year covenant to that effect.
I am reminded that Antichrist will be empowered by Satan and will be able to invoke lying wonders to deceive the masses in his bid for world control.
2 Thessalonians 2:8–10 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
I believe that Gog is the name of the evil spirit that will work through the leader of the land of Magog. My research indicates that Magog is identified with the land of the Scythians that we now identify with Russia. Gog will lead a coaltion that consists of Iran, Black Africa (Sudan, Ethiopia, etc.), and Turkey. It could also include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Somalia according to some scholars. Other members of the coalition are just identified as “many people with thee” (38:6).
I think it is interesting to note how many of these nations are experiencing great turmoil and uprisings. Tunisia sparked this round of popular uprisings by ousting its leader, and it appears that Libya’s leader will be the next to go. The governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan are shaky at best. Algeria is taking preemptive actions to try and appease the people and stabilize its government. There is still no permanent government in Somalia; fighting continues among the different factions striving to take control. The common factor uniting most of these nations is that they are predominantly Muslim. As stated in the previous post, uniting against a common enemy can be effective in stabilizing these governments for a time.
The passage indicates that Gog will be drawn into this conflict against his will.
Ezekiel 38:3–4 “And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army….”
I believe that his investments in business and military ventures with many of these countries will compel him to lead them against Israel, especially in light of the “spoils” that would accompany the victory. In just the last year a great reservoir of gas has been discovered off the coast of Israel. There are legitimate expectations of striking oil in other parts of the land. This is not to mention the bounty that is produced by Israel’s farmland and the wealth that is contained in the minerals contained in the Dead Sea.
It is significant to note that although other nations in the world will protest this attack on Israel, none will act to intervene on Israel’s behalf.
The LORD declares that this attack will make God very angry, and He will supernaturally intervene to destroy this army.
Ezekiel 38:18-22 “And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
In fact, the scripture declares that 83% of Gog’s armies will be destroyed. One of the reasons I tend to think this attack on Israel will happen prior to or in conjunction with the start of the tribulation period is because scripture declares that Israel will be able to use the enemy weapons that are left behind for fuel for seven years. Ezekiel also tells us that it will take seven months for Israel to clear the land of the dead, and the process outlined is consistent with that associated with nuclear warfare.
I believe that the Antichrist will emerge in the aftermath of this conflict with the ability to promote world unity through identifying the need for peaceful cooperation and with a plan to accomplish just that. The amazing thing is that he will be able to accomplish that which has been impossible to this point—peace in the Middle East.
Though I can’t be sure, it makes sense to me that this attack on Israel will occur some time after Israel has gained the victory over the coalition of nations described in Psalm 83 and the destruction of Damascus. God’s intervention to assure Israel the victory against such a large enemy army would seem to provide the perfect setup for the Antichrist to rise to power with a solution for peace that will be confirmed with the signing of a seven-year covenant to that effect.
I am reminded that Antichrist will be empowered by Satan and will be able to invoke lying wonders to deceive the masses in his bid for world control.
2 Thessalonians 2:8–10 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
I believe that Gog is the name of the evil spirit that will work through the leader of the land of Magog. My research indicates that Magog is identified with the land of the Scythians that we now identify with Russia. Gog will lead a coaltion that consists of Iran, Black Africa (Sudan, Ethiopia, etc.), and Turkey. It could also include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Somalia according to some scholars. Other members of the coalition are just identified as “many people with thee” (38:6).
I think it is interesting to note how many of these nations are experiencing great turmoil and uprisings. Tunisia sparked this round of popular uprisings by ousting its leader, and it appears that Libya’s leader will be the next to go. The governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan are shaky at best. Algeria is taking preemptive actions to try and appease the people and stabilize its government. There is still no permanent government in Somalia; fighting continues among the different factions striving to take control. The common factor uniting most of these nations is that they are predominantly Muslim. As stated in the previous post, uniting against a common enemy can be effective in stabilizing these governments for a time.
The passage indicates that Gog will be drawn into this conflict against his will.
Ezekiel 38:3–4 “And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army….”
I believe that his investments in business and military ventures with many of these countries will compel him to lead them against Israel, especially in light of the “spoils” that would accompany the victory. In just the last year a great reservoir of gas has been discovered off the coast of Israel. There are legitimate expectations of striking oil in other parts of the land. This is not to mention the bounty that is produced by Israel’s farmland and the wealth that is contained in the minerals contained in the Dead Sea.
It is significant to note that although other nations in the world will protest this attack on Israel, none will act to intervene on Israel’s behalf.
The LORD declares that this attack will make God very angry, and He will supernaturally intervene to destroy this army.
Ezekiel 38:18-22 “And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
In fact, the scripture declares that 83% of Gog’s armies will be destroyed. One of the reasons I tend to think this attack on Israel will happen prior to or in conjunction with the start of the tribulation period is because scripture declares that Israel will be able to use the enemy weapons that are left behind for fuel for seven years. Ezekiel also tells us that it will take seven months for Israel to clear the land of the dead, and the process outlined is consistent with that associated with nuclear warfare.
I believe that the Antichrist will emerge in the aftermath of this conflict with the ability to promote world unity through identifying the need for peaceful cooperation and with a plan to accomplish just that. The amazing thing is that he will be able to accomplish that which has been impossible to this point—peace in the Middle East.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
WHAT IS NEXT ON THE PROPHETIC CALENDAR?
Of course, I can’t be sure. My opinion—It will either be a war against Israel by the surrounding nations that will result in a great victory for Israel and probably the destruction of Damascus or the rapture.
This war between Israel and the nations surrounding her seems to be the subject of Psalm 83. Research indicates that though Israel has experienced attack from the surrounding nations, they have not yet been attacked with a coalition of nations as outlined in this psalm. That coalition would seem to include the following: Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon/Hezbollah, and Hamas/PLO. Psalm 83:4 screams the headlines broadcast often throughout the world from Muslim leaders in these nations.
Psalm 83:4 “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.”
Recent uprisings throughout the Middle East seem to be preparing the political climate for just such a coalition. The Muslim Brotherhood seems to be poised to take control in Egypt. Hezbollah seems to have the upper hand in Lebanon. Both groups are outspoken in their desire to destroy the nation of Israel. The people of Jordan and Saudi Arabia are restless, and their leaders are taking preemptive actions in hopes of maintaining control. I can’t help but be reminded of the adage, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” It wouldn’t surprise me at all for the leaders of these nations that want to maintain control and authority to conclude that joining together in an assault against Israel would be an effective means to quelling unrest and promoting unity.
If things unfold according to this scenario, I believe that the prophecy of Isaiah 17 concerning the destruction of Damascus will also be fulfilled as a result of this war.
Isaiah 17:1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
Damascus is known as the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence. Though it has experienced defeat at the hands of its enemies, the city has never ceased to be or made a ruinous heap. As I understand it, Isaiah indicates that Israel will be the one that destroys Damascus, and the nations of the world will be outraged. The prophet is clear, however, in declaring that the LORD will intervene on behalf of His people.
It would seem to me that this would set the stage for Israel to be dwelling with an increased sense of security that would answer to the description given of her in Ezekiel 38.
Ezekiel 38:8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
This is the description given of Israel prior to the time that she is attacked by the coalition led by Gog that is described in Ezekiel 38-39. I think it is likely that this war against Israel will also occur prior to the 70th week of Daniel and will in turn set the stage for the Antichrist to rise to power in its aftermath and possess the authority to sign the 7-year covenant with Israel.
This war between Israel and the nations surrounding her seems to be the subject of Psalm 83. Research indicates that though Israel has experienced attack from the surrounding nations, they have not yet been attacked with a coalition of nations as outlined in this psalm. That coalition would seem to include the following: Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon/Hezbollah, and Hamas/PLO. Psalm 83:4 screams the headlines broadcast often throughout the world from Muslim leaders in these nations.
Psalm 83:4 “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.”
Recent uprisings throughout the Middle East seem to be preparing the political climate for just such a coalition. The Muslim Brotherhood seems to be poised to take control in Egypt. Hezbollah seems to have the upper hand in Lebanon. Both groups are outspoken in their desire to destroy the nation of Israel. The people of Jordan and Saudi Arabia are restless, and their leaders are taking preemptive actions in hopes of maintaining control. I can’t help but be reminded of the adage, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” It wouldn’t surprise me at all for the leaders of these nations that want to maintain control and authority to conclude that joining together in an assault against Israel would be an effective means to quelling unrest and promoting unity.
If things unfold according to this scenario, I believe that the prophecy of Isaiah 17 concerning the destruction of Damascus will also be fulfilled as a result of this war.
Isaiah 17:1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
Damascus is known as the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence. Though it has experienced defeat at the hands of its enemies, the city has never ceased to be or made a ruinous heap. As I understand it, Isaiah indicates that Israel will be the one that destroys Damascus, and the nations of the world will be outraged. The prophet is clear, however, in declaring that the LORD will intervene on behalf of His people.
It would seem to me that this would set the stage for Israel to be dwelling with an increased sense of security that would answer to the description given of her in Ezekiel 38.
Ezekiel 38:8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
This is the description given of Israel prior to the time that she is attacked by the coalition led by Gog that is described in Ezekiel 38-39. I think it is likely that this war against Israel will also occur prior to the 70th week of Daniel and will in turn set the stage for the Antichrist to rise to power in its aftermath and possess the authority to sign the 7-year covenant with Israel.
Monday, March 7, 2011
JACOB ‘S TROUBLE IN RELATION TO GOD’S WRATH
As noted in the last post, the last seven years on earth before Messiah returns to set up His kingdom is defined as part of God’s plan to bring Israel into permanent fellowship with Him under the new covenant. This plan is affirmed through the messages of both Jeremiah and Paul.
Jeremiah 31:31–33 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Hebrews 8:10–11 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.”
This seven-year time period is often referenced as “the tribulation.”
The prophets of God also speak of a time when God will act in vengeance and wrath against His enemies, often referenced as the day of the LORD.
Jeremiah 46:10 “For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood….”
Zephaniah 1:14–17 “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.”
Nahum 1:2 “God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.”
For the longest time I looked at these two events as one and the same, but they are very definitely directed toward different people with different purposes. The 70th week of Daniel, Jacob’s trouble, is directed toward the Jews with the intent of refining them and bringing them into permanent fellowship with the LORD. In “the day of the LORD” God is directing His wrath and vengeance toward the heathen, His enemies.
Though I believe these two time periods will occur basically concurrent with one another, they are distinct from each other. Many of the events that occur during that seven-year timeframe will serve to accomplish both purposes.
The 70th week will begin when the person commonly referred to as the Antichrist signs or confirms a 7-year covenant of peace with the nation of Israel. This person will possess the authority to authorize the rebuilding and restoration of worship at the temple in Jerusalem.
Daniel 9:26–27 “…and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease….”
The day of the Lord or the day of God’s wrath is defined in the book of Revelation as beginning with the opening of the 6th seal.
Revelation 6:12–17 “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
This distinction was important to me in determining to look at scripture as the final authority and not the teaching of men with regard to understanding bible prophecy—even if they are recognized as “experts” in the field; even the “experts” disagree, so somebody is in error. It allowed me to open my eyes to other possibilities that helped to provide understanding of some parts of Revelation in particular that didn’t make sense to me as I had always been taught.
In the next post I will speculate on what might be next on the prophetic calendar.
Jeremiah 31:31–33 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Hebrews 8:10–11 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.”
This seven-year time period is often referenced as “the tribulation.”
The prophets of God also speak of a time when God will act in vengeance and wrath against His enemies, often referenced as the day of the LORD.
Jeremiah 46:10 “For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood….”
Zephaniah 1:14–17 “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.”
Nahum 1:2 “God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.”
For the longest time I looked at these two events as one and the same, but they are very definitely directed toward different people with different purposes. The 70th week of Daniel, Jacob’s trouble, is directed toward the Jews with the intent of refining them and bringing them into permanent fellowship with the LORD. In “the day of the LORD” God is directing His wrath and vengeance toward the heathen, His enemies.
Though I believe these two time periods will occur basically concurrent with one another, they are distinct from each other. Many of the events that occur during that seven-year timeframe will serve to accomplish both purposes.
The 70th week will begin when the person commonly referred to as the Antichrist signs or confirms a 7-year covenant of peace with the nation of Israel. This person will possess the authority to authorize the rebuilding and restoration of worship at the temple in Jerusalem.
Daniel 9:26–27 “…and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease….”
The day of the Lord or the day of God’s wrath is defined in the book of Revelation as beginning with the opening of the 6th seal.
Revelation 6:12–17 “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
This distinction was important to me in determining to look at scripture as the final authority and not the teaching of men with regard to understanding bible prophecy—even if they are recognized as “experts” in the field; even the “experts” disagree, so somebody is in error. It allowed me to open my eyes to other possibilities that helped to provide understanding of some parts of Revelation in particular that didn’t make sense to me as I had always been taught.
In the next post I will speculate on what might be next on the prophetic calendar.
Friday, March 4, 2011
DANIEL OUTLINES FUTURE EVENTS
A broad outline of the future was revealed by the prophet Daniel when he interpreted a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. This event is recorded in Daniel 2. In summary, the king dreamed of a great statue.
Daniel 2:32–35 “This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”
Daniel went on to identify King Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold. History concurs with other chapters in Daniel in identifying the Medes and Persians as the kingdom of silver and the Greeks led by Alexander the Great as the kingdom of brass. The fourth kingdom emerged in the form of the mighty Roman Empire that eventually divided into two parts as indicated by the two legs. This fourth kingdom was never conquered, but just eventually gave way to other world powers until the time that it will reemerge as a ten-member confederacy. Some parts of this confederacy will be stronger than others.
Some may ask why Daniel only mentioned four kingdoms, since we know that there have been other great empires such as the Ottoman Empire. I believe it is because the Bible is focused on revealing history in relationship with the nation of Israel, the nation through whom God chose to reveal Himself to the world and through whom He would send the Messiah. Scripture is silent regarding history during the time that Israel ceased to exist as an independent nation. The prophetic record resumes once Israel is rebirthed as an independent nation.
Jesus came and sacrificed Himself for our sins during the days of the mighty Roman Empire. After pronouncing judgment on that generation of Jews for rejecting Him as their Messiah and after resurrecting from the dead, He commissioned a new body of believers with a new covenant, the body of believers known as the “church,” to pick up where Israel had failed in declaring His truth throughout the world.
Luke 11:50–51 “That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.”
Mark 14:23–24 “And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.”
Matthew 28:19–20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
The new covenant established by Jesus did not negate the unconditional everlasting covenants that God had made with Abraham and David. The new covenant was given in light of the nation of Israel’s rejection of the conditional covenant that God had made with the people of Israel through Moses—a covenant that served to reveal man’s sinfulness and his inability to keep that covenant without complete dependence upon God.
Ephesians 2:11–16 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby….”
The seven years of “Jacob’s trouble” that will precede the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom on earth will be the means by which the nation of Israel is reestablished under the new covenant in relationship with the LORD.
Jeremiah 30:6–7 “Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”
This time of refinement of the nation of Israel is the culmination of the purpose of the 70 weeks declared against Israel through the prophet Daniel. A more detailed verse by verse breakdown of this prophecy can be found on my website, www.momsbiblejournal.com.
Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”
This time will occur during the time that the fourth kingdom identified by Daniel will exist in the form of a ten-member confederation as pictured by the ten toes. This ten-member confederation is confirmed in another vision in which Daniel saw this kingdom pictured as a great beast with ten horns.
Daniel 7:7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.”
In keeping with the biblical perspective, this kingdom will reemerge some time after Israel’s rebirth as a nation, which occurred in May 1948. I believe that today the pieces from which that confederacy will be formed are positioning themselves. Either the United Nations or the European Union could provide the framework from which such a ten-member confederacy will emerge. It will, however, have its roots in the nations that were once part of the Roman Empire.
I think it is important to understand that God’s promise to Israel is to reestablish her in her own land, the land given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It doesn’t matter what the nations of the world think regarding the right of Israel to exist. The LORD has declared His purpose, and it will happen according to His plan.
Ezekiel 36:23–28 “And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
Daniel 2:32–35 “This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”
Daniel went on to identify King Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold. History concurs with other chapters in Daniel in identifying the Medes and Persians as the kingdom of silver and the Greeks led by Alexander the Great as the kingdom of brass. The fourth kingdom emerged in the form of the mighty Roman Empire that eventually divided into two parts as indicated by the two legs. This fourth kingdom was never conquered, but just eventually gave way to other world powers until the time that it will reemerge as a ten-member confederacy. Some parts of this confederacy will be stronger than others.
Some may ask why Daniel only mentioned four kingdoms, since we know that there have been other great empires such as the Ottoman Empire. I believe it is because the Bible is focused on revealing history in relationship with the nation of Israel, the nation through whom God chose to reveal Himself to the world and through whom He would send the Messiah. Scripture is silent regarding history during the time that Israel ceased to exist as an independent nation. The prophetic record resumes once Israel is rebirthed as an independent nation.
Jesus came and sacrificed Himself for our sins during the days of the mighty Roman Empire. After pronouncing judgment on that generation of Jews for rejecting Him as their Messiah and after resurrecting from the dead, He commissioned a new body of believers with a new covenant, the body of believers known as the “church,” to pick up where Israel had failed in declaring His truth throughout the world.
Luke 11:50–51 “That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.”
Mark 14:23–24 “And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.”
Matthew 28:19–20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
The new covenant established by Jesus did not negate the unconditional everlasting covenants that God had made with Abraham and David. The new covenant was given in light of the nation of Israel’s rejection of the conditional covenant that God had made with the people of Israel through Moses—a covenant that served to reveal man’s sinfulness and his inability to keep that covenant without complete dependence upon God.
Ephesians 2:11–16 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby….”
The seven years of “Jacob’s trouble” that will precede the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom on earth will be the means by which the nation of Israel is reestablished under the new covenant in relationship with the LORD.
Jeremiah 30:6–7 “Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”
This time of refinement of the nation of Israel is the culmination of the purpose of the 70 weeks declared against Israel through the prophet Daniel. A more detailed verse by verse breakdown of this prophecy can be found on my website, www.momsbiblejournal.com.
Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”
This time will occur during the time that the fourth kingdom identified by Daniel will exist in the form of a ten-member confederation as pictured by the ten toes. This ten-member confederation is confirmed in another vision in which Daniel saw this kingdom pictured as a great beast with ten horns.
Daniel 7:7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.”
In keeping with the biblical perspective, this kingdom will reemerge some time after Israel’s rebirth as a nation, which occurred in May 1948. I believe that today the pieces from which that confederacy will be formed are positioning themselves. Either the United Nations or the European Union could provide the framework from which such a ten-member confederacy will emerge. It will, however, have its roots in the nations that were once part of the Roman Empire.
I think it is important to understand that God’s promise to Israel is to reestablish her in her own land, the land given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It doesn’t matter what the nations of the world think regarding the right of Israel to exist. The LORD has declared His purpose, and it will happen according to His plan.
Ezekiel 36:23–28 “And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
ISRAEL -- THE KEY TO BIBLE PROPHECY
In this next series of posts, I thought I would attempt to summarize my thoughts on future events in light of bible prophecy taking into consideration the impact of current events. I’m just going to record my rationale as I think it through to myself.
Bible prophecy is predicated on covenants God made with two men in particular—Abraham and David. God singled out Abraham to father a nation set apart to declare His truth to the nations of the world. This covenant was unconditional and is yet to be completely fulfilled.
Genesis 17:3–8 “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
It is important to note that this covenant is “an everlasting covenant.” In other words, this covenant will endure for time without end. This promise is to Abraham and “his seed,” his physical descendants “in their generations.” This covenant was confirmed with Abraham’s son Isaac and his grandson Jacob and their descendants.
Genesis 28:13–14 “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
This brings up another interesting truth that I discovered in my study of Galatians.
Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
It is obvious from the Genesis passage that reference is being made to Abraham’s descendants, but Paul reveals that there is another hidden application. The reference to Abraham’s seed included a direct reference to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The LORD is making a promise of a future kingdom to His Son even as He affirms His covenant with Abraham. That revelation just helps this parent understand from the human viewpoint God's tremendous patience and mercy toward His chosen people—His promise was to His Son who was to come from this people.
The LORD also made an unconditional covenant with King David of Israel.
2 Samuel 7:8–16 “Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts….I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime….And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom….And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”
Other scriptures affirm this covenant and declare that it will be fulfilled when God’s Son, comes to rule from David’s throne in Jerusalem on planet earth.
Isaiah 9:6–7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Jeremiah 23:5–6 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Zechariah 14:9–16 “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one….Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited….And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.”
Luke 1:30–33 “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
When Israel ceased to exist as a nation after the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and the Jewish people were scattered throughout the nations of the world, some people mistakenly thought that God had chosen to “replace” Israel with the body of believers known as the church. That is not true and is addressed in more detail in my series of blogs addressing replacement theology done in the Fall of 2009. God always promised to preserve a remnant through whom He would fulfill His covenants with Abraham and David.
2 Kings 19:30–34 “And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts SHALL DO THIS. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.”
Isaiah 10:20–21 “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.”
Isaiah 11:10–12 “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
I believe the prophetic clock began to tick faster once again with the reestablishment of the nation of Israel in May 1948. This rebirth of the nation of Israel was foretold in the prophet Ezekiel’s famous prophecy of the dry bones.
Ezekiel 37:1–12 “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones….And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD….Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.”
Bible prophecy is predicated on covenants God made with two men in particular—Abraham and David. God singled out Abraham to father a nation set apart to declare His truth to the nations of the world. This covenant was unconditional and is yet to be completely fulfilled.
Genesis 17:3–8 “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
It is important to note that this covenant is “an everlasting covenant.” In other words, this covenant will endure for time without end. This promise is to Abraham and “his seed,” his physical descendants “in their generations.” This covenant was confirmed with Abraham’s son Isaac and his grandson Jacob and their descendants.
Genesis 28:13–14 “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
This brings up another interesting truth that I discovered in my study of Galatians.
Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
It is obvious from the Genesis passage that reference is being made to Abraham’s descendants, but Paul reveals that there is another hidden application. The reference to Abraham’s seed included a direct reference to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The LORD is making a promise of a future kingdom to His Son even as He affirms His covenant with Abraham. That revelation just helps this parent understand from the human viewpoint God's tremendous patience and mercy toward His chosen people—His promise was to His Son who was to come from this people.
The LORD also made an unconditional covenant with King David of Israel.
2 Samuel 7:8–16 “Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts….I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime….And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom….And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”
Other scriptures affirm this covenant and declare that it will be fulfilled when God’s Son, comes to rule from David’s throne in Jerusalem on planet earth.
Isaiah 9:6–7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Jeremiah 23:5–6 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Zechariah 14:9–16 “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one….Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited….And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.”
Luke 1:30–33 “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
When Israel ceased to exist as a nation after the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and the Jewish people were scattered throughout the nations of the world, some people mistakenly thought that God had chosen to “replace” Israel with the body of believers known as the church. That is not true and is addressed in more detail in my series of blogs addressing replacement theology done in the Fall of 2009. God always promised to preserve a remnant through whom He would fulfill His covenants with Abraham and David.
2 Kings 19:30–34 “And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts SHALL DO THIS. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.”
Isaiah 10:20–21 “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.”
Isaiah 11:10–12 “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
I believe the prophetic clock began to tick faster once again with the reestablishment of the nation of Israel in May 1948. This rebirth of the nation of Israel was foretold in the prophet Ezekiel’s famous prophecy of the dry bones.
Ezekiel 37:1–12 “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones….And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD….Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.”
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