Category Archives: Mankind

A Yet to Come Gospel Triumph, Part 2 of 3

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Some think this triumph is when Jesus comes to personally rule over Israel in Palestine.

The Bible does talk about a very long period of time, a “thousand years.” It is a period when Satan in severely restrained. Even so, Scripture does not really discuss a millennium as such

Jesus will never physically be here on earth again, as was proved in the post “The Jews Coming to Jesus of Nazareth will NOT be heaven on earth!” of November 4, 2020. Great things will happen when the Jews are converted as nation to Jesus of Nazareth, BUT it will NOT REALLY BE HEAVEN ON EARTH. Yes, it will be great times in human history, and some of these temporal benefits are discussed in Bible prophecy. Some of these things will even be symbolic (types or shadows) of heaven, but not really a heaven on earth!

The premillenialists are CONFUSING prophecies
of heaven, with prophecies of good times
in the present gospel age!

The conversion of the Jews to their own Messiah, Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth, will bring astonishing benefits to both the Jews as a nation, and also to the entire world. Available from your bookseller.

This can be easy to do when the latter sometimes acts as symbolic of the former! So, they end up with a “heaven on earth” sort of thing which will never happen. There will still be troubles. There will still be wars. There will still be sickness and death, although human life will be considerably extended in those days. “Evil men and seducers” will still grow worse and worse, 2Tim 3:13.

The evil men and seducers want to use this confusion to sell their Satanic god-man, and sell their Satanic heaven on earth. When, just before the end of this age, Satan is released for a short while, this “beast,” this “man of lawlessness,” will be allowed a very short three and one half years rule.

Then Christ will come. The Bible only speaks of a second coming (Heb 9:28), NOT of a second and then a third coming. They don’t discuss it much but the premillenialists implicitly have both a second coming (for the so-called millennial kingdom), and then a third coming before this present heaven and earth pass away. However such is not in Scripture.

The national conversion of the Jews to their own
Messiah, will bring some astonishing benefits
to the Jews and to the nations.

Many Scriptures point to the success of the gospel is being preached to the entire world.

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh.
All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.
28 For the kingdom is Yahweh’s.
He is the ruler over the nations.
Psa 22:27

Clearly speaking of benefits of the gospel in our present world, and Jesus does clearly have all authority in both heaven and earth even now, Mtt 28:18. And He clearly rules over the kings of the earth now, Rev 1:5.

Men may sometimes fail, as is spoken of in Numbers chapter 14. Still.

“but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Yahweh;”
Num 11:21

God’s word is not harnessed or restricted
by men’s failures.

“Scripture cannot be broken,”
Jn 10:35

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

A Yet to Come Gospel Triumph, Part 1 of 3

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Satan has thrown a hood of darkness over sinful men.

The apostle John is adamant about this control.

“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
1Jn 5:19

I remember being stunned by the comprehensiveness of this statement, even as a young man who had turned to the gospel, and who thought he knew how bad the world really was. The “whole world” is in the power of Satan? I thought surely this couldn’t mean the whole world, but that is what it truly said. Further, other verses say in essence the same thing.

“in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.”
2Cor 4:4

Many verses indeed indicate we are in the power of Satan until we came to Christ.

“One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Jn 3:36

The wrath of God was on him because of his sins before coming to Christ, and if he truly doesn’t believe / obey the Son? The Greek word is apeitheo and it describes someone who is not fully persuaded of Christ, and who thus will not fully obey Christ. That person? The wrath of God was on him, and now not fully persuaded … then the wrath of God remains on him. It was there before he started to turn, and remains there when he fails to turn.

He remains as he was at first, as we ALL were at first.

“However at that time, not knowing God, YOU were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.”
Gal 4:8

We have ALL been there.

But big changes are yet to come in human history

The changes are beginning with the coming of the gospel so “we are of God,” and it is all the rest are under Satan’s spells, 1Jn 5:19. It is before the Second Coming of Christ. That final conflict is described in many Scriptures throughout the Bible and in many parallel passages in the book of Revelation. Remember, Revelation is a series of overlapping visions which cover the entire Christian age. Also it is in Rev 20:7-10.

But BEFORE that final conflict …

There is a period which has not happened yet, when Satan is bound for an extended period of time, so that Satan,

“should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.”
Rev 20:3

There is yet to come in human history, a period when,

“… the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea. ”
Hab 2:14

In Habakkuk 2 and similar passages it seems to be in the context of this present world that there would be a time the knowledge of God will cover this entire earth.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

The Jews Coming to Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth Will be in a Time of Great Stress

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Destruction is determined for the Jews

“When you are in distress, and all these things are come on you, in the latter days you shall return to Yahweh your God, and listen to his voice:”
Deut 4:30 nf

“For though your people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return: a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.”
Isa 10:22 WEB

Many destructions have pursued the Jews, but one that overflows with righteousness is yet to come.

Zechariah says two-thirds of the Jews will perish

Zechariah speaks about when sin will be purged from Israel. Zechariah says,

“It shall happen that in all the land,” says Yahweh,
Two parts in it will be cut off and die;
But the third will be left in it. ”
Zech 13:8 WEB

That hasn’t happened yet! This is evidently after the first regathering of Israel, in the time of Ezra when Zechariah was prophesying (around 520 BC). And it is after the second scattering of Israel in 70 AD, and the second regathering which is going on in our times, for Zechariah says.

“I will scatter them among the peoples;
And they will remember me in far countries;
And they will live with their children, and will return. ”
Zech 10:9 nf

But there is a difference when this destruction overflowing with righteousness happens, when evidently it is two-thirds of the Jews who die world-wide. Of the third that is left it says,

God will refine that third that is left

“I will bring the third part into the fire,
And will refine them as silver is refined,
And will test them like gold is tested.
They will call on my name, and I will hear them.
I will say, ‘It is my people;’
And they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God.’””
Zech 10:9 WEB

My big surprise in writing “Jewish Chronicles.”

Huge destructions await the Jews, bigger than 70 AD, bigger than the Holocaust, which will cause the Jews to reassess their situation. It will begin with severe persecution of Christians, world-wide. Jewish Chronicles will be available from your bookseller Friday, November 6, 2020.

My big surprise in researching was to discover that this time stress on the Jews begins with a world-wide severe persecution of Christians, described in Zechariah 12. It will be the Jewish survivors of the time of great stress who will make the big difference world-wide!

They are called “all the families which remain,” in Zech 12:14. Jeremiah says it is the people who were “left.”

“Thus says Yahweh, The people who were left of the sword found favor in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest”
Jer 31:2

They are called those who escape in Isaiah 66.

“I will set a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them to the nations, … who have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.”
Isa 66:19

The Jews will lead the completion of the Great Commission of preaching the gospel to the entire world.

“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Mtt 24:14

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are the WEB World English Bible, a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

nf is my own translation based on the WEB.

The Jews Coming to Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth: The Times of Gentiles will come to an End.

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The Old Testament says that if the Jews were faithful to God, and His Christ, they would be first among the nations.

“It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you this day, who Yahweh your God will set you on high above ALL the nations of the earth:”
Deut 28:1 WEB

Also it was clear that if Israel was not faithful to the Lord their God, that the Jews would be dominated by the gentiles, the nations of the world, Deut 28:15ff, 36-65, etc.

Moses made it clear that Israel was NOT faithful!

“They have dealt corruptly with him, they are not his children, it is their blemish;
They are a perverse and crooked generation.”
Deut 32:5 WEB

When Israel rejected their own Messiah, they were only doing what was anticipated by God and all their prophets. So Jesus said,

“ 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Hell?”
Mtt 23:32 nf

Jesus prophesied the destruction of
Jerusalem and its domination by
the nations for generations.

Jewish Chronicles shows how Jewish history has developed spiritually, and where these things will lead. Available from your book seller, Friday November 6, 2020.

This is discussed in several gospel passages. Jesus says that when they see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, that they will know its desolation is near, Lk 21:20. The Christians did know that, and escaped the siege some forty years later. Then Jesus points to the horrors of those days and also a distant turnaround among the Jews.

“They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, UNTIL the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Lk 21:24 WEB

So there WILL BE a time in the future when domination by the gentiles, that is to say the nations of the world, will end.

So what is the purpose In these things?

The answer is given in Romans chapters 9-11. However you can read tens of thousands of pages of commentary and never notice the clear answer and summary. Paul has talked in detail about the wickedness and unbelief of his fellow Jews. He cautions us gentiles, especially in Romans 11 to not be arrogant against the Jews. They are the natural olive tree into which we as gentiles (the nations) as wild olive branches have been grafted, Rom 11:17-22. Paul tells us of the Jews,

“They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ”
Rom 11:23 WEB

We should not be ignorant Paul says

“… that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and so all Israel will be saved. …”
Rom 11:25-26 WEB

He is contrasting physical Israel with the gentiles.

“Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?”
Rom 11:12

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are the WEB World English Bible, a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

nf is my own translation based on the WEB.

The Jews Coming to Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth: The New Testament Points to their Conversion.

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The grand point of the New Covenant is one mercy and grace to ALL. That is literally ALL, both Jews and gentiles, that is to say all of the nations of this world. Even so, it is a powerful sub point that the Jews should have priority, that

The Jews should have priority in the
preaching of the gospel !

Jesus did not come to destroy Moses’ law., Mtt 5:17.

“For most assuredly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.”
Mtt 5:18

So a special prophet was to come who come who is like, Moses, whom everyone has to listen to, Deut 18:15. And like Moses? One of the most prominent things is He would be one who speaks to God face to face (Ex 33:11, etc.) and who delivers God’s laws.

So what was Jesus agenda?

He told the Canaanite woman,

“I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Mtt 15:24

When Jesus named His twelve apostles in Matthew 10, and sent them out on the limited commission, the emphasis was to be in saving the Jews, and indeed, to not go to ANYONE else. He gave them authority over unclean spirits and every disease (and this group included Judas), and told them,

Jewish Chronicles outlines major breaks in Jewish history that have led to their present situation, and where all of this is leading. Available from your bookseller, November 6, 2020.

5 … “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. 6 Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’”
Mtt 10:5-7

For sure that was so, unless you want to maintain that Jesus badly misunderstood the situation. He clearly knew early in His ministry to the Jews would reject Him (Jn 2:19-22). This was not a surprise. Even so God said,

“It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.”
Deut 18:19

So Jesus told this apostles on this first mission of those who would reject the words He was sending,

“Most assuredly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.”
Mtt 10:15

All through history, Jesus has wanted to unite
the Jews and give them the victory.

Jesus spoke of what He will do during the Christian age in sending the messenger whom they would kill and crucify, Mtt 23:32-35. Jesus mourned their hardness of heart.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!”
Mtt 23:37

Still Jesus pointed to better days.

“For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Mtt 23:39

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

Keys to Prophecy: Christians are to Submit to the Governing Authorities

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After all they are appointed by God Himself. This is truly part of the overall context of prophecy, and is consistently treated that way

“1 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. 2 Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment.”
Rom 13:1-2

Paul goes on to say that these are, overall,
powers for good.

If you do not want to be afraid of the governing authorities, then do what is right, Rom 13:3

“for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil.”
Rom 13:4

“Servant” or “minister” here is diakonos, literally “deacon.” So some “ministers of God” carry weapons. Part of the context is the last part of chapter 12, where we are taught to NOT be involved in personal revenge.

“Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.””
Rom 12:19

So how does GOD take revenge on evil doers? Well part of it is through the civil authorities. Instead of personal revenge, we should wait until the police show up.

“For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are ministers of God’s service, attending continually on this very thing.”
Rom 13:6

This is God’s plan for our societies.

Does this mean the government is always right and good?

By no means! They are men who have been appointed to a certain role in society, and will be judged by how well they fulfill their role, as also we will. Some human examples might be useful.

For instance we have bosses at work, and often we are the “servants.” Sometimes this is very literal. For instance if we are “serving tables,” acting as a waiter.

“Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God.”
Col 3:22

Does this mean the boss is always right? By no means, but he is still the boss. We should try to help him if we can, but it would be out of line for us to “take over,” or “take him out.”

If rulers are completely out of line, we should
politely decline to obey, and accept
the consequences.

Peter is a good example in Acts 5.

“But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
Acts 5:29

Another example is the soldiers declining to murder the priests at the order of the now evil ruler, King Saul, 1Sam 22:17. Kings and judges are warned to serve Christ with fear and trembling, lest He personally take them out! Psa 2:10-12. And it happens every day!

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

Keys to Prophecy: God Rules the World NOW

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God has always ruled in the kingdom of men. This is the way Nebuchadnezzar put it after he had been forced to acknowledge God’s overruling in the affairs of men.

“34 … for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation. 35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or tell him, What do you?”
Dan 4:34-35

God appoints the rulers of this earth.

Paul states it this way.

“Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God.”
Rom 13:1

God has His purposes, although we may not understand His reasons. It appears that generally speaking that God gives the nations the kind of rulers which they deserve. Nero was emperor when Paul wrote these word. So it is

“… that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.”
Dan 4:17

And that is plainly the same message in Rom 13:1 and Dan 4:17.

God’s plans are way above our thinking

“8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says Yahweh. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isa 55:8-9

Further there is no way to stop God’s plans and purposes.

“30 There is no wisdom nor understanding
Nor counsel against Yahweh.
31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle;
But victory is with Yahweh.”
Prov 21:30-31

It is God who controls the outcome of battles, despite our preparations.

When rulers displease Him, He removes them.

Daniel put it this way.

“21 He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings, and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding; 22 he reveals the deep and secret things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.”
Dan 2:21-22

And what is the purpose in these things.

What is the purpose of these ups and downs and moving the places where a nation may live?

“26 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ”
Acts 17:26-27

God will nurture and exalt those who please Him, correct those who are doing or attempting to do what is wrong. And on those, whether kings or nations, who completely refuse to repent and turn, He will bring the results of their sins down on their own heads.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

Keys to Prophecy: Religious Diversity PREVENTS Much Political Unity

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An inheritance of political diversity

It is one of the great political facts of life, that God has deliberately divided the nations of this earth, and divided the political powers that exist on this earth. These powers were created relatively recently in history, immediately after the world-wide flooding of the earth in the time Noah. Then these powers were divided in the confusion of languages which occurred on the plains of ancient Babylon. Both of these events appear to have happened in second half of the third millennium BC.

The scrambling of our speech by tribe and nation
meant that cultures and world views
would develop independently.

The creation of separate languages is still a powerful barrier to unity in many areas, including politics. It means there are often totally different ways of thinking about things and expressing ideas. These then become formidable obstacles to everyday things like fellowship and travel and exchanging ideas. The technology for learning other languages is better than ever in our own day, but these are still mighty obstacles to unified world power.

All of this is by the deliberate plan and counsel of God.

God decided thousands of years ago that it was NOT good man in his wickedness to be united. For instance in Isaiah’s day the nation of Judah had turned very bad, and the government was bad also. Isaiah wrote of those times.

“1 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write perverseness; 2 to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!”
Isa 10:1-2 WEB

But there was little way to change this from the inside of the nation. The prophets were preaching to both the people and their rulers with little effect. So what can be done? So God raised up another nation of fierce men, able warriors and engineers to bring down the fortifications of Judah and bring punishment on that nation for their sins.

“5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.”
Isa 10:5-6 KJV

There comes a time when talk is over, preaching and pleading is done, and sinful nations are punished … ALL within history.

This diversity has been a powerful barrier to
wickedness

For evil men trying to manipulate these systems, these have been powerful barriers to unrestrained exploitation of the weak and helpless. If one people or group came to be very wicked and exploited others, then other nations/tribes would in time put them down. These became mighty obstacles to uncontrolled evil men.

The diversity of cultures and religions which grew out of these divisions meant that there would be no unified basis for opposing God’s plans.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Keys to Prophecy: Religious Ideas are the Foundation of ALL Political Thinking.

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Why do Biblical and prophetic issues continually
overlap political issues?

This is a frustrating issue for many. Many think religion should be completely separate from government, and some think even from life. The source of these issues leads us to the source of ALL political thought.

Yes, it is true! Whether it is good government or bad government, the foundations are ALL essentially religious. To whatever extent these ideas are corrupt or evil or false, then government will be corrupt or evil of false. To whatever extent these view are good and true and healthy, to that extent the government can be good and true and healthy, if those ideas are properly implemented.

Some would question calling all of these ideas religious, but essentially they are.

All of our thinking start with premises.

Just like a premise/axiom in High School geometry, these are things which cannot be proven, but which we assume to be true, and they appear to be plainly be true. For instance, in plane geometry it is assumed that a straight line can drawn from any point to any point. Further it is assumed that it is possible to extend a straight line indefinitely.

Our foundation premises about life and our world are at their root, religious in nature.

Out of these premises and our analysis of what we see
in life, grows our world view.

Everyone has a world view of some sort. All of us, both Christian and non-Christian, have some random and wrong views of reality floating around in our heads and in our hearts, Mtt 15:19-20. Sometimes these world views are unconscious, and clearly do not conform to reality, but they are there. Other ideas may be more carefully thought out. Is man made in God’s image? Or is man just a chance blob of tissue?

Out of our world view rises our ethics.

If man is made in God’s image, then it would be evil to murder him. Or if man just a chance blob of tissue, what would be wrong with knocking him around or killing him? No problem. Right? Our world view then controls our ethics

Then our ethics control our politics

If man is made in God’s image, then we try to protect human life as a valuable and holy thing in our dealings with other citizens (politics). If other hand there is no wrong in murdering people, then we might have no laws against eliminating inconvenient “blobs.”

This is not really new information

This has been known since ancient times, at least since the time of Plato/Socrates. This how thinking and ethics and politics, whether right or wrong, have always worked.

Plaro (Socrates) in fact pointed out that our ethics are built on our world view (be it right or be it wrong), and our politics are then built on our ethics. The above illustration is taken from Prophecy Principles, in the section “Religion, Babylon, and Effective Rule.”

So religion and politics do overlap.

I am not making an argument for churches to become overtly political, which would be a mistake. Rather I am pointing out some measure of conflict between politics (any politics) and religion (any religion) is in the long run inevitable. The question then becomes one of how to view these things, and deal with these things (and prophecy and Scripture does view and deal with these things).

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.