The Virgin Birth of Messiah … How and Why?

24 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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“But With God Everything is Possible” (Words of Jesus)

To all those who know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and also to those who don’t, but still celebrate the greatest birthday of all time, I wish you a Merry Christmas! And to our Jewish friends all over the globe, a very special Happy Hanukkah! That this eight-day Jewish celebration begins on Christmas Eve this year is, I believe, more than mere coincidence. Yet to elaborate on that thought by putting it into perspective, in a broader context of the end-times Biblical prophecies of the return of Messiah and reappearance of his antithesis, Antichrist, would require an entire article. Which is, the Lord willing, what you just might see in next week’s post!

This is the first article Eye of Prophecy article published on Christmas Eve, which this year happens to fall on Saturday, the day of the week that all Eye of Prophecy articles are posted. It will be several years before that happens again. By that time, I’m more and more convinced that all of us who have been redeemed by the very Messiah (Jesus) who Christmas is all about will already have celebrated his Second Coming!

This time last year, I posted a three-part series entitled Terror, Terror, Terror! (Part I & II, published 12-12 & 12-19-15) followed by A Trilogy of Terror (12-26-15). In that third article, I explained the reason for writing about “Terror” at Christmas time!

The third article began with the following (in italics)”

What a joyous time of the year! Believers in Jesus as Messiah and Savior and unbelievers alike celebrate Christmas, which is more than just a tradition. It is a vital and vibrant fact of life, and has led to a way of life for hundreds of millions from every language, race, and country. World religions are, for the most part, confined to certain races, regions, and nations. The Christian faith is truly universal. Even those from the major religions of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism, to some extent or another, sense something special about this holiday (Holy Day) though it’s been over 2000 years since the birth of Jesus Christ. That’s because his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven is Timeless.

His is truly the Greatest (true) Story ever told, but it only begins with Christmas.

Though it has been increasingly secularized by those who don’t believe in the reason for the season; when they light the lights of Christmas, they representatively point to the Light of the World. When they exchange gifts, they express the greatest gift ever given—the sacrificial death of God’s Son for our sins.

Yet millions upon millions who celebrate Christmas continue to see the Christ-child only as a baby in a manager. As precious and meaningful as the birth of Jesus is to the Christian faith, so many forget or prefer not to remember that his birth was only the beginning of his life, death, and resurrection from the grave to accomplish the magnificent plan of God’s salvation for the human race.

The gospels and epistles are replete with his words of truth, life, and hope; but also words of warning of the great tribulation and coming judgment. As do most of the Old Testament prophets…

Obviously, Christmas is a Christian holiday … Holy Day. However, as intimated in the above excerpt, many non-Christians (or Christian in name only) keep Christmas with hardly a passing thought that it’s Jesus’s birthday… in which case it’s Happy Holidays not Merry Christmas.

According to a 2010 study by Life Way Research, 91% of Americans observe Christmas in some fashion. That’s over 290 million people in the United States alone! Astonishingly, 89% of agnostics observe Christmas, as do 55% of atheists and 62% of people from other religions. Of those claiming to be Christians, 97% commemorate Christmas.

The Heart and Soul of Christmas

“I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

Did you recognize this famous, but not so often used script in our post-modern age? Can you name the title of this dynamic profession of the Christian faith?

Yes, it is called the Apostle’s Creed.

Tradition says this superlative statement of faith was articulated originally by the Twelve Apostles, then around 700 AD formalized by Christian churches into this creed that succinctly summarized the basic tenants of the Gospels and Epistles. Of special note is that “catholic” is not capitalized, as it does NOT refer to nor is meant to represent the Roman Catholic Church, which didn’t materialize as an “institution” until the 4^th century, long after the original apostles were gone. The word, catholic, simply means “universal.” It is the true church consisting of born-again believers—members of the “body” of Messiah Jesus—and bears no reference or meaning to a structure, organization, or ecclesiastical hierarchy of any type. It is the spiritual building composed of “living stones” with Messiah Jesus as the Cornerstone foundation (I Peter 2:4-5).

Every line contained in this profound profession of the Christian faith is directly found in and based on Scripture. Including the main subject of today’s Eye of Prophecy article, The Virgin Birth.

If every Protestant denomination truly believed and faithfully taught each component of the Apostle’s Creed, which is tantamount to confirming and defending the Gospel and the Bible that contains the Good News, then there would be no need for denominations. If the Roman Catholic Church and other cults would get rid of their erroneous non-Biblical dogmas, traditions, and religious rules and regulations and proclaim salvation exclusively by faith in God’s grace rather than good works (Ephesians 2:8-10), then they would truly be part of the universal (catholic) church … the body of Christ.

In the Apostle’s Creed, we find three majestic miracles: The Virgin Birth, the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Messiah Jesus, and the future bodily resurrection of the dead in Christ.

Every tenet in this condensed statement of the Christian faith was prophesied one way or another in the Old Testament. No other religion on earth is predicated on verifiable miracles or fulfilled prophecy. Indeed, the marvelous miracles enacted by God the Father through his prophets and the mighty miracles that Jesus performed while on this earth, along with fulfilling dozens of Messianic prophecies, are what separate the Christian faith from all religions.

Messiah Jesus Came to Set Us Free

Can you imagine a passionately patriotic or even marginally loyal American celebrating the Fourth of July without at least some thought as to the reason … freedom from tyranny? Worse, an American citizen who believes that the United States of America should still be a colony of the British Empire, subject to “all things English.” I’m not knocking the United Kingdom as I am quite fond of my British ancestors on my mother’s side. But with Patrick Henry, it’s give me liberty or give me death.

Yet, hundreds of millions celebrate Christmas without giving much thought to how or why Jesus the Christ was born. Which was:

“…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus (Yeshua), for he will save his people from their sins’” (Matthew 1:20-21).

Not only salvation to Messiah’s Jewish brethren in the flesh, but also to the Gentiles as so enthusiastically exclaimed by an old Jewish man when he held the baby Jesus in his arms.

“At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

‘Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!’” (Luke 2:25-32).

*Note: Simeon was just one of many 1^st Century BC and AD Jews who were, “eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come…” So, too, are today’s Jews (especially the observant among them) and Gentiles all over the world fervently anticipating the soon arrival of Messiah. For believing Gentiles and Messianic Jews this, of course, will be the Second Coming of Christ Jesus. See Eye of Prophecy articles, Great Expectations for Messiah and Amazing Anticipation for Messiah, posted in August, 2015.

Later, the Apostle Paul wrote:

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’” (Romans 1:16-17, quoting Habakkuk 2:4).

Messiah Jesus came first and foremost to save us from our sins; to free us from the tyranny that our sinful nature has over us—an innate pride that produces lust for pleasure, position, prestige, and power and greed for money and possessions. Our selfishness causes us to do all too many wrong things with sometimes devastating consequences to ourselves, other people, and entire nations.

Our rebirth in Christ delivers us from slavery to sin.

Because we are still confined to our human bodies after being born-again, Christians still do wrong things. Perfection will not come until our earthly bodies are transformed (both dead and living) at the Rapture (See I Corinthians 15 & I Thessalonians 4). But we are no longer “slaves” to sin, as are those who have not been “born of the Spirit” (John 3:7, Jesus’s words).

Christmas without the Virgin Birth is Not Christmas

Many people, even those who profess to be Christians, have a problem with the Virgin Birth. Yet Christmas without the Virgin Birth is every bit as meaningless as Christmas without Christ as the main attraction.

Getting back to Mary’s husband, Joseph, Matthew’s Gospel tells us:

“All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:22-23, quoting a prophecy of the coming Messiah from Isaiah 7:14).

Immanuel, God with us: the heart and soul of Christmas and our real reason for remembering the birth of Messiah. It began when Jesus was born of a virgin, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

There are two rock-solid foundations on which the Christian faith is built: (1) The Virgin Birth of Jesus; (2) His resurrection from the dead. Both prove that he is the Son of God and the Son of Man.

In between those monumental events, Jesus’s miracles also demonstrated that no one could do what he did without divine supernatural attributes. Messiah Jesus set aside the natural laws of physics, e.g. changing water into wine, walking on water, calming a huge Sea of Galilee storm with a simple commandment (hush), multiplying a small amount of bread and fish to feed thousands, and other astounding miracles.

There are three basic world views on the Virgin Birth

(1) Believers in Messiah Jesus

Those who have believed and received Jesus as personal Savior accept at face value that he was divinely conceived—therefore, Christ is fully God and fully man—just as we believe that God through Christ created the universe and all living things.

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself” (Colossians 1:15-20).

(2) Those Who Reject the Virgin Birth or Are Skeptical

Many dismiss out-of-hand the notion that such a birth is possible. Not just agnostics or atheists, but also those who acknowledge that God exists and even that he created the world. However, to consider the possibility that a child can be conceived in any other way than “natural” conception (man and woman, sperm and egg) is too much for them to process. The impact of this skepticism creates doubt as to whether Jesus of Nazareth was the Divine Son of God or just a great teacher of and moral example to mankind. Which, in turn, leads many to marginalize or even reject the very essence of the Gospel: Only a completely sinless person (man) was qualified, by the shedding of his innocent blood for the human race, to satisfy God’s holiness and justice.

The real issue with millions upon millions of people the world over originates with denial that the God of the Bible is God; despite the fact that Scripture unequivocally declares that He is the only true and living God (validated by hundreds of prophecies that have been fulfilled, many of them proving that Jesus is the Messiah). Others concede that God is our Creator (the very originator of life itself), but they still doubt that Jesus could or would be conceived without a human father.

For Nothing Is Impossible With God

Listen to what the angel Gabriel announced to Mary:

“…Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! … Don’t be afraid, Mary … for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can this happen? I am a virgin.’ The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God’” (Luke 1:28-37, italics for emphasis).

Did Abraham, Sarah, and their miracle child of promise, Isaac, come to mind when you read these wonderful words of Gabriel to Mary? Only with Abraham and Sarah, it was the Pre-Incarnate Messiah (Jesus) himself who appeared and reaffirmed the promise that God had given to them earlier: Ninety-year old Sarah would bear a child!

Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord?

Listen to the amazing announcement to this couple whose ability to conceive a child had long since passed:

“Then one of them said, ‘I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!’ Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. So she laughed silently to herself and said, ‘How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?’

“Then the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh! Why did she say, Can an old woman like me have a baby? Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son’” (Genesis 18:10-14, italics for emphasis).

Isaac was the first child of promise, the progenitor of the ultimate Child of Promise. Both came into this world through an extraordinary birth. But the second was even greater than the first. For a more detailed study, please refer to Eye of Prophecy articles, The Child of Promise, Part I & II (posted 8-23 & 8-30-14).

The Holy Scriptures begin with, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:1-3, italics for emphasis).

Listen again to the angel Gabriel’s words to Mary: “…The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1:35).

This correlation of the presence of God’s Spirit in the creation of all things with Mary’s supernaturally caused conception is unmistakable. If God created the universe and all living things (as also found in Genesis Chapter 1), then why would it be too hard (or difficult at all) for Mary to conceive a child through the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit?

Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us … So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27).

Followed by the more specific account of man’s creation:

“Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person” (Genesis 2:7).

Next, God created the man’s helpmate from Adam’s rib. We don’t know how long Adam was a bachelor, but this was his response when the Lord brought Eve to him:

“At last! … This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called woman, because she was taken from man” (Genesis 2:23).

If God can create something out of nothing; if he can form a wonderfully complex man out of the dust of the ground and an equally elaborate mate from the man’s rib; if man and woman can then produce a baby through no creative action of their own except the union of a sperm and egg already part of their created bodies, then isn’t it entirely reasonable and logical that, “nothing is impossible with God?”

Including, but certainly not limited to, God causing Mary to conceive a child above and beyond the natural means of conception. Yet, even the “natural” way of forming a child is divinely supernatural in origin, because it began with the miraculous creation of both man and woman. When the Lord chooses, he can change the laws of physics that govern the universe he created; to supersede the natural or normal process and experience of life on planet Earth.

Even if we didn’t have God’s Word (the Bible) telling us about the Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)—who he is, what he is like, what he has done, and what he will do to complete the full cycle of his redemptive restoration of men and woman back to our original state of creation—we could rely on the completely common sense understanding that if there is a God separate and above (His) creation, then there is nothing whatsoever in the universe that’s beyond his power and control and sovereignty.

That’s not to say that we can, with our finite created minds (in God’s image but far below him in understanding), fully grasp HOW God does what he does. It is enough to know that he can and has done all that the Scriptures tell us and that nature shows us.

Here is a quote from my book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved? (As follows in italics).

We see and experience things in time and space. God is not bound by either of these dimensions. We don’t know what’s going to happen next hour, let alone next month or year. Yet, by our decisions and actions, by our good choices, bad choices or indifferent choices, we can change things that otherwise would or would not have occurred. We can also be changed by the decisions and behavior of others, by events beyond our control.

How then, does God still achieve his plan? How can he make all things work together for good (Romans 8:28) to those who love him and who are called according to his purpose! How does he circumvent the innumerable bad decisions that we all have made, not to mention the evil in this world to accomplish his purpose? Okay, I’ll give you a hint: Because he is God! This isn’t just the humble opinion of one man, nor is it a cop-out, nor is it an oversimplified answer to an otherwise unfathomable question or concept.

To be sure, however, the “hint” does beg the question; he can do anything because he is God. But that still doesn’t explain how he does it. So, we are left begging the question because it is simply beyond our natural, finite comprehension; which is why God doesn’t demand or even ask that we completely grasp his providential sovereignty. If we could wrap our finite minds around his infinite omnipotence and omniscience, I suppose that we would be God.

Ironically, that’s exactly what most of mankind, including natural scientists, human secularists, occult spiritualists, God-less governments, and agnostic academia in general try to do. They inevitably ascribe to themselves the controlled capacity, the distinctive domain, and the potent position of determining their destiny. And, if you will but afford them the privilege and opportunity; if you will “give them an ear,” they will gladly assist you in discovering your origin and purpose for life. Ultimately, if you yield complete attention and allegiance, they will be delighted to direct your future.

Okay, a little sarcasm here. And I don’t mean to unduly pick on the scientific, philosophical, political, cultural, and social elite; though they carry a lot of weight and exert a significant influence on the common person. Ultimately, every man and woman must choose what they believe, and to whom or what they will listen and follow. As Joshua said, “…choose today whom you will serve…” (Joshua 24:15). [Pages 23-23, Out of the Abyss]

It All Begins by Fearing and Seeking God

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Psalm 111:10, NASB).

The Biblical concept of fear is not hiding or running from God because we are afraid of him, although we must realize that God will one day judge those who have rejected His Son, the only way to God, the only means of salvation. To fear the Lord is the idea of deep respect, ardent adoration for him and immense awe of him … who he is and what he can do. No less (and multiplied many times more) than what we would respectfully think of or do in the presence of a benevolent king or ruler or world leader that we hold in high esteem.

Yet, this deep reverence for the Lord comes only after we acknowledge his very existence and long to know more about him. That is really the beginning of it all; of knowing who we are and why we were placed on the earth.

Moses said about the Lord God: “…And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

The God of the Bible frequently states that he is the only true and living God; that all other gods are man-made and non-existent. Then he backs up that claim with miracles and fulfilled prophecy, and issues a challenge to all the false gods of all man-made religions:

“…I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future” (Isaiah 44:6-7).

“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal, asks the Holy One. Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing” (Isaiah 40:25-26).

It was a star that guided the wise men of the east to search for and pay homage to the Christ-child. They undoubtedly knew most of the Messianic prophecies otherwise they would not have made the long arduous journey to Israel to find, “the new-born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2). I’m sure that included Isaiah’s prophecy that the child would be born of a virgin.

Then the writer of Hebrews give us the very basic condition to understanding God and how he will reach back to those who truly want to know who he is and what he has done for the human race:

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). The greatest reward of all: God’s forgiveness and everlasting life in heaven through so great a salvation purchased for us by the Virgin-born, resurrected Christ.

That is why we believe all things are possible with God and that nothing is too hard for him, including the miraculous change of the human heart and mind when we believe and receive the Son of God as Lord and Savior.

(3) Those Who Concede the Virgin Birth of Christ Jesus, But They…

Either: (A) question or misunderstand the real meaning or significance of the Virgin Birth being all that relevant; or (B) focus nearly all attention on Mary instead of Jesus by declaring that Mary was without sin, thereby overemphasizing and actually distorting her role in bearing the Son of God. We’ll get to group A in a moment. But first those who claim that Jesus’s mother, Mary was also sinless … otherwise how could/would she be qualified to give birth to the Son of God.

Those in this group are almost exclusively Roman Catholic; and this dubious doctrine of the Immaculate Conception (that Mary also was born and lived without sin) decreed as Roman Catholic dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854 is simply not found in God’s Word, the Bible. In fact, it is a blatant contradiction of Scripture.

Mary herself said, “…Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:46).

Mary proclaimed that God was her Savior. If she (or anyone who has ever lived) thought for a moment that she was sinless, then she would have no need for a Savior; whether or not she had been chosen to give birth to that Savior or not. Moreover, she had been told earlier that her child, “will be called the Son of God.”

She knew beyond all doubt that she, too, needed a Savior; that her baby boy was that Savior, the Messiah.

Later, the Apostle Paul tells us: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23).

There are no exceptions, not even Mary. In fact, if Mary never sinned, then why did she die? As God told Adam and Eve in the garden, death was the consequential penalty for only one thing: Sin. If Adam and Eve had not sinned, they would not have died. They would have lived forever.

As for those who pray to Mary for mediation and even for forgiveness: “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time” (I Timothy 2:5-6).

The right time came when Jesus was born of a virgin!

The Second Adam … The Real Reason/Purpose for the Virgin Birth

Adam and Eve were created without sin (a clean slate as it were); but also God gave them free will to choose to obey him or not. God did not create mankind as a robot; rather as a living soul, a being who would obey his Creator out of love from a willing heart. Adam and Eve chose wrong, therefore:

“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 5:12).

The Apostle Paul goes on to say:

“…Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ … For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins” (Verses 14-16).

Paul concludes the comparison with:

“Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous … resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Verses 18-21).

Although Jesus was conceived without inheriting the sin nature (passed down through the seed of men) of man, he, like Adam, still had the capacity to sin by choosing to disobey God (his Father). Satan knew that; but unlike his success with Adam and Eve, Satan’s temptation of Messiah Jesus failed miserably (see Luke 4:1-13).

That is the ultimate purpose for the Virgin Birth: To give Jesus equal opportunity as given to Adam, his counterpart. Or looking at it in reverse, from God’s timeless viewpoint: To give Adam equal opportunity given to the Second Adam.

Both came into this world without sin. Adam was created as the first man. Christ was not created. As part of the Triune God, he is the Creator himself. Thus, he had to be born into this world, but the only way for him to be born without the sin nature (as was Adam created without sin) was to be conceived supernaturally from above, not by natural conception.

Both Adam and Jesus had free will to choose. Adam chose disobedience and died as a result. Christ chose to obey his Father; he also died (crucified by others) but not as a result of any wrong thing he did, for he was without sin. His death was one of a substitutionary sacrifice for our sin: the just for the unjust, the righteous for the unrighteous, and the godly for the ungodly. Whereas, Adam’s death (like ours) was a justified penalty for rebellion against his Creator.

Only a sinless man could reconcile sinful men and women back to God, and restore us to the original condition of Adam and Eve before they sinned. But who could or would that man be? There was only one possible choice: God’s Son born incarnate as one of us. Immanuel—God with us. The perfect unblemished Lamb of God … the greatest sacrifice ever made by the highest price ever paid!

Things to Ponder

Pre-Birth Announcement of the Messiah: “…Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’) (Isaiah 7:14).

Messiah Jesus’s Birth: “That night there were shepherds in the fields nearby … Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them … ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior–yes, the Messiah, the Lord–has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!'” (Luke 2:8-11).

His Life: “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?’” (John 11:25-26).

*Reader: Put you name in place of Martha.

His Death: “He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners … Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins” (Hebrews 7:26-27).

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (II Corinthians 5:21).

His Resurrection: “Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead … There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12).

His Glorious Return: “…All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

“Look, He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him—even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!” (Revelation 1:5-7).

Sukkot … The Forever Festival!

22 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Final Harvest of Souls, Immanuel

We Finally Made It!

It took five Eye of Prophecy articles instead of the intended two, but here we are at the seventh and final one: the Festival of Shelters—known in Hebrew as Sukkot. And just in time, because today’s article falls on the 6^th day of this delightful celebration, which began this past Monday.

It’s no coincidence that this God-ordained observance is number seven on the list. Seven, the Divine number of finality, wholeness, and consummation of the Lord’s purpose and plan for Israel and for the entire human race.

If you haven’t already, you might want to consider reading one or more (perhaps all four!) of the preceding Eye of Prophecy articles that discuss—from a Biblical, historical, and prophetic viewpoint, each of the first six Festivals—why they are observed and when. All seven feasts were instituted as commemorative examples, representative shadows, and prophetic types of the real object and purpose for each. With the first four completed and perfected by Messiah Jesus upon his first arrival, and the last three to be fulfilled upon his glorious return to Jerusalem to establish the incomparable Kingdom of God on earth.

In review the Festivals are: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and today’s subject, Festival of Shelters or Booths.

I’m sure the Lord loves to see the Jews celebrate Purim and Hanukkah, both of which memorialize deliverance of the Jews from those who sought to destroy them (the wicked Persian official Haman in the 5^th century B.C. and the vile Greek/Syrian despot Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the 2^nd century B.C). Yet, each of these holidays was established by the Jews long after the time of Moses; not directly by God himself.

Certainly, God miraculously delivered the Jews through Queen Esther and the Jewish leader Mordecai from genocide at the hands of the Persian Empire. Through the Maccabees, the Lord providentially rescued the Jews from a great slaughter initiated by Antiochus IV, and spared the second Temple from further desecration. But unlike the Seven Festivals of the Torah, there is no direct prophetic preview correlation between those two historic Jewish milestones and Messiah.

There is, however, a pattern precursor connection between ancient Persia and modern-day Iran, as Iran is one of the prominent nations that will participate in the massive but ill-fated Gog/Magog invasion of Israel, with the contemptible intent to utterly destroy the Jews and the State of Israel (Ezekiel 38 & 39). Moreover, Antiochus IV was a megalomaniac model of the even more evil and tyrannical ruler (Antichrist Nero) who will seek to crush Israel during the last days of the end times that are nearly upon us (Daniel 11).

(Coin of Antiochus IV Epiphanes … He Even Looked Like Nero)

The Festival of Shelters

As done with the first six Festivals, let’s examine the Biblical record of God’s instructions to Moses and the people. Sukkot is the only one of the individual seven festivals (although Passover and Day of Atonement are explained earlier in the Books of Exodus and Leviticus, respectively, before all seven are listed in Leviticus Chapter 23) for which the Lord reminds his people to keep. Aside from that, there is a collective reminder to keep all seven.

The initial directives began as follows:

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Begin celebrating the Festival of Shelters on the fifteenth day of the appointed month (seventh month)—five days after the Day of Atonement. This festival to the Lord will last for seven days. On the first day of the festival you must proclaim an official day for holy assembly, when you do no ordinary work. For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the Lord. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day” (Leviticus 23:33-36).

That eighth Holy Day is an extra day (called Simchat Torah by the Jews … rejoicing in God’s Law, the Torah) of enthusiastic emphasis on the entire week of Shelters.

Verses 37 and 38 are parenthetically noted in Scripture. With the Lord’s command that all seven festivals must be kept throughout the year at the appointed times in addition to the regular weekly Sabbath days.

Next, is the Lord’s special reminder to keep this Festival … including additional instructions to the people.

“Remember that this seven-day festival to the Lord—the Festival of Shelters—begins on the fifteenth day of the appointed (seventh) month after you have harvested all the produce of the land. The first day and the eighth day of the festival will be days of complete rest. On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees—palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams. Then celebrate with joy before the Lord your God for seven days … This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed in the appointed month from generation to generation. For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters. This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 23:39-43).

The little shelter is called a sukkah in Hebrew, which means a makeshift hut. In English, we might also use the word shack. Sukkot is the plural … shelters.

Until the recent series of Eye of Prophecy articles on the Festivals, I had not written about them exclusively, with one exception … The Festival of Shelters (Tabernacles or Booths).

(Festival of Booths … A Modern-Day Sukkah)

An entire Eye of Prophecy article was devoted to this one Festival; entitled, Festival of Tabernacles … Part I, published 10-18-14. Followed by a sequel mostly on that subject, Let’s Celebrate … Forever! Posted 10-25-14. *Note: There was a reason I chose not to entitle the sequel as Part II. I just can’t remember what it was!

Since it’s been almost two years to the day when Festival of Tabernacles was posted and readership of Eye of Prophecy posts has increased considerably in the last 1 ½ years or so with most visitors to the website reading more recent articles (logically), I’d like to quote in some length from that older article.

As follows, in italics:

Jews all over Israel and in many countries of the world construct their own version of a temporary sukkot booth or hut in their backyard or on balconies or in open fields. There, for a week, they eat (mostly evening) meals, relax, sing songs, and entertain family and friends; some go so far as to actually sleep in the makeshift shelter at night. Included in their ceremonies are times of prayers and waving a bouquet—a collection of mostly leafy branches from the etrog (citrus type tree), palm and willow branches, and myrtle (boughs of thicker branched trees).

In addition to the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—before and during the great trek through the wilderness—the Psalms and many other Old Testament books frequently refer to the miraculous delivery of the Hebrews from Egypt after the fact. And there are several review type references in the New Testament. Through all of these passages we can vividly see two distinct reasons why God wanted his people to keep this Festival for all time: To remember God’s faithful Protection of and Provisions for his people.

Through a warm-hearted invitation from Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin, children throughout Israel helped him furnish his own sukkah. The youngsters hung decorations, all the while singing holiday songs. Although the Israeli office of President is mostly ceremonial (the Prime Minister is the actual head of government), this presidential interaction with Israeli children and citizens was truly remarkable.

I suppose it would be equivalent to the US President inviting a sampling of children in America to decorate his Christmas tree; to truly remember that Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ, the divine light that shines brilliantly in a dark world. Do you suppose our President would ever do such a thing!? Or for the President to summon a cross-section of America to wave sparklers and flags at an Independence Day festival in front of the White House, in remembrance of our deliverance from a tyrannical English king? Personally, I think it would be a great tradition for the next President to institute.

Listen to the words of President Rivlin: “Dear children, you are fulfilling an important task by decorating our sukkah. It’s important that everyone who comes to the president’s sukkah feels he is at home, a home which is a symbol. We have disagreements, but we are one nation and celebrate the holidays together.” Then he continued, “The sukkah symbolizes what we were before we became a nation. We are now celebrating to remember our exodus from Egypt; that we were slaves but now we have a country of our own, and that we must not treat others like we were treated in Egypt.”

Then later in that article (3rd paragraph below), the two primary purposes for Sukkot are reiterated (did you catch them in one of the above paragraphs?), which will be placed in bold font for purpose of today’s article.

Because the adults who were delivered from Egypt disobeyed God and refused out of doubt, fear, and lack of trust to enter Canaan, only those less than twenty years began the 40-year passage. When they finally arrived at the threshold of Canaan, here is what Moses reminded them, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).

The Bible’s inherent definition and meaning of fear of the Lord is not running scared or being frightened. Rather it means reverent respect and deep awe that leads to worship. It also implies complete trust in the Lord … that he is who he says he is and does what he says he will do.

Included in the Lord’s commands would be, of course, to celebrate the Festival of Shelters—which above all the other festivals depicted the awesome protection and provision God lavished on his people, even though they didn’t deserve it and certainly didn’t earn it. The Feast of Tabernacles would remind them of God’s faithfulness to protect and provide; that he could and should be trusted at all times, for all things, no matter what.

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The all-inclusive lesson(s) to be learned by the ancient Israelites regarding the unnecessary generation they spent in the wilderness and how this is part and parcel of the need to always remember what happened, and this remembrance should be summoned at least once a year by observing the Feast of Tabernacles, is powerfully expressed in Psalms Chapter 78.

“Yet they kept on sinning against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved. They even spoke against God himself, saying, ‘God can’t give us food in the wilderness. Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can’t give his people bread and meat.’ When the Lord heard them, he was furious. The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob. Yes, his anger rose against Israel” (Psalms 78: 17-21).

And what exactly was it that made God angry, the opposite of which is the very thing that pleases God? The very next verse in this chapter answers that question and provides a succinct summary of just how the Lord places all of the things we do or don’t do in a box (so to speak). And this box has a label with but two words: Trust Me.

The Lord’s anger rose against Israel because, “…they did not believe God or trust him to care for them” (Psalms 78:22).

Sukkot Will Be Mandatory in the Kingdom of God

The final Old Testament reference to the Festival of Shelters tells us in commanding and convincing fashion that it will be celebrated forever in the final Kingdom of God on earth … the only Festival that the Lord requires to be observed by all nations.

“In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. Any nation in the world that refuses to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will have no rain. If the people of Egypt refuse to attend the festival, the Lord will punish them with the same plague that he sends on the other nations who refuse to go. Egypt and the other nations will all be punished if they don’t go to celebrate the Festival of Shelters” (Zechariah 14:16-19).

Later, we’ll learn more as to why Sukkot is the only Festival mandated by the Lord to be celebrated perpetually. Although some of the other six festivals were to be kept as “a permanent law … observed from generation to generation” (see Leviticus 23:21 as an example), this commandment from the Lord applied only while the Mosaic Covenant was still in effect. When the New Covenant replaced the Old Covenant, keeping of the Jewish Festivals became optional. But as stressed in last week’s article and several others, the very essence of not just Passover and the Day of Atonement, but all festivals, was the sacrificial offering of innocent animals. However, the entire Levitical Sacrificial System ended with the destruction of the 2^nd Temple.

The Majestic Kingdom of God

Let’s examine one of many passages in the Old Testament that dramatically describes both the glorious Kingdom of God and extraordinary events leading to and taking place in the Millennium (1000 year reign of Messiah). Nearly all of these passages speak of Israel in fulfillment of her destiny to be the very center of the Lord’s government on earth. It will be a Divine Monarchy, with Messiah Jesus as King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. We’ll also see why a (truly) divine monarchy is, by far, the best form of government.

“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance. Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home. Your eyes will shine, and your heart will thrill with joy, for merchants from around the world will come to you. They will bring you the wealth of many lands” (Isaiah 60:1-5).

Continuing in Isaiah Chapter 60 including a phenomenal prophetic description of airplanes some 2,600 years before they were invented, we read:

“And what do I see flying like clouds to Israel, like doves to their nests? They are ships from the ends of the earth, from lands that trust in me … They are bringing the people of Israel home from far away, carrying their silver and gold. They will honor the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has filled you with splendor. Foreigners will come to rebuild your towns, and their kings will serve you … The kings of the world will be led as captives in a victory procession. For the nations that refuse to serve you will be destroyed” (Isaiah 60:8-12).

Later in this chapter:

“Though you were once despised and hated, with no one traveling through you, I will make you beautiful forever, a joy to all generations. Powerful kings and mighty nations will satisfy your every need, as though you were a child nursing at the breast of a queen. You will know at last that I, the Lord, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel … I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler. Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there” (Verses 15-18).

Here is an excerpt from the Eye of Prophecy article, Kingdom of God (posted 1-17-15) to illustrate that God and His Messiah’s Divine Monarchy surpasses all forms of human government:

Paul proceeds to tell us more about God’s splendid plan for the human race. In fact he calls it a mystery, because at the time that God gave it to him even the new Christians didn’t completely understand the eternal implications of what Christ would achieve at his first coming and would continue at his second coming. Listen to these extraordinary words:

“God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth” (Ephesians 1:9-10).

That plan is none other than: THE KINGDOM OF GOD (on earth). Revealed by Messiah Jesus himself as recorded in the Gospels; and consolidated into the everlasting tenets of the Christian faith by the authors of the epistles and Revelation.

Jesus spoke often of the Kingdom of God; for example, comparing it to a mustard seed … the smallest of seeds that when planted grows into an enormous tree. Which is exactly what has happened to the body of Christ; an exponential growth down through the ages, to now consist of believers from virtually every nation and language on earth. It is the Kingdom of Heaven in the hearts and minds of those who have been redeemed by the shed blood of Christ. Next, will come the final physical Kingdom of God on this earth; at which time all people, all governments, all nations will be brought under the authority of God’s magnificent Son. He will rule the nations with firmness, but fairness.

Isn’t that what most people want? They want: law, order, equality, safety, peace. And they want someone who has the kind of authority to realize those dreams, but also someone who is kind and considerate with that authority. One who truly cares about people and what’s best for them; who can rule and judge with impartiality and kindness. A truly wise and benevolent King whose attributes perfectly reflect who and what he is: Love, Truth, Justice, Mercy.

Speaking of kingdoms and kings, listen to this powerful prophecy of Daniel who refers to the four mighty empires of the past (Daniel’s future) and the coalition of nations currently being assembled in our generation in preparation for the Day of the Lord:

“During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever” (Daniel 2:44).

A Person Is the Final Purpose for Celebrating the Festival of Booths

More than any other festival, the Festival of Shelters was a joyful reminder of God’s protection, provisions, and also presence (Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle). Israel’s triumphant entrance into the Promised Land of Israel in Moses time; the resolute return of God’s people and remarkable restoration of the Promised Land in our time; and the regal reign of Messiah from this same Promised Land in the near future has as much or more meaning through Sukkot than any other festival.

Although all the festivals were types and shadows of the Pre-Incarnate and then Incarnate Messiah, none more so that Sukkot. For unless the Lord God had been with them through the ages (even during the Lord’s severe discipline of his people) and had given the remnant among them shelter from their enemies and from the storms of life, they would never have made it to the Promised Land. Not the first time with Moses and Joshua, nor the second time with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Ezra, and Nehemiah; nor the third time led by the likes of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, Theodore Herzl, and David Ben-Gurion—each of whom burned with passion to restore the Hebrew language, revive Zionism, and reinstate the sovereign State of Israel (respectively).

They and others longing for Israel’s final renewal believed their Scriptures when God said to his chosen people: “…For though I have destroyed you in my anger, I will now have mercy on you through my grace” (Isaiah 60:10).

Tabernacles was the last of the seven festivals for a reason. To be observed after the FINAL harvest of the year in the land promised to their patriarchal fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and to remember their arduous journey through the wilderness while sheltered by the Lord, literally and figuratively … physically and spiritually.

Sukkot has been described by the Jews as “The Season of Our Joy” (Zeman Simchatenu). It is the most joyful time of celebration in Israel. During this time more than any other, Jews would search the heavens for signs of Messiah’s coming. Alas, if they had only believed their Scriptures, especially Daniel’s astonishing prophecy that Messiah would come before the second Temple would be destroyed. Then there’s the Star of Bethlehem that only Gentile (perhaps one or two were Jews) wise men from the east believed would lead them to the Christ-child … the Savior (then) and King (soon to come) of Israel and the whole world.

The final harvest commemorated by the Festival of Shelters will be accomplished by Messiah Yeshua’s glorious return. Jesus referred to this final harvest of souls redeemed by his New Covenant substitutionary sacrifice as the Son of God, Son of David, and Son of Man (Matthew 13:39). And the conclusive ingathering of all his chosen ones (Jew and Gentile alike) who turn to him during the great Tribulation (Matthew 24:31).

Thus, Sukkot will be celebrated by both Jew and Gentile throughout eternity. Here again is the ultimate reason that all nations (perhaps delegations from those countries) will to travel to Jerusalem after the Kingdom of God is established:

“…to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters” (Zechariah 14:16).

The following is an excerpt from the aforementioned Eye of Prophecy article, Let’s Celebrate … Forever!

What makes this celebration so different from all other holidays, both Jewish and Gentile, different even from the contemporary observance of Tabernacles? The Answer: Messiah Jesus, himself, will be there! It’s all about Jesus! As well it should be. For he is our Way, our Truth, and our Life. (John 14:6). Once again, the purpose for keeping the Feast of Shelters by traveling directly to Jerusalem during the Millennium is to, Worship the King.

The Festival of Shelters will be celebrated not just in remembrance of the past, but also in reverence of the present and in anticipation of the ongoing glorious future of God’s people. And what does that future presence hold? Just like the small shelters (sukkah) constructed for the Feast of Shelters symbolize God’s sovereign protection and provisions, the Cloud by Day, Pillar of Fire by night, the Tabernacle, and later the Temple contained the very divine presence and glory of God … the Shekinah glory.

This same glory—the very essence of God—visited the human race through … a Child born to us and a Son given to us (Isaiah 9:6) prophesied by Isaiah; fulfilled when the angel confidently announced to Joseph: “…do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God is with us.” (Matthew 1:20-23).

Upon his glorious reappearance, Jesus of Nazareth will once again be among us on earth and then in the New Jerusalem forever and ever. IMMANUEL! God with us!

Yes, one day soon will see the once-for-all permanent fulfillment of the Immanuel prophecy, God with us, take place when Christ returns to Israel. The nations will travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and to worship the King who first came as a child to Bethlehem to tabernacle (live) among us. But his sojourn was all too brief … only thirty-three years. But, oh what a visit! When he ascended to heaven after he arose from the grave, he left God’s mighty plan of salvation on the earth, available to all who call upon the name of the Lord.

Yes, Messiah will return for all time as Immanuel. This is why so many will gladly make this wonderful pilgrimage to Jerusalem: to show their eternal gratitude that God is with us.

“I heard a loud shout from the throne saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever’” (Revelation 21:3-4).

“And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city” (Revelation 21:26).

Things to Ponder

Hallelujah! Messiah is soon to come!

Jewish rabbis, observant Jews, and even the secular among them long for and are convinced of that Biblical fact … Messiah will arrive any day. And so are Messianic Jews and we Gentile Christians brimming with anticipation over his arrival. In fact, the New Testament is where you’ll find the concept of Messiah’s imminent return … meaning any day after he ascended back to heaven.

Yet, based on Scripture, as explained in a few prior Eye of Prophecy articles, particularly Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here (posted 6-25-16), their climatic last day’s repentance will be that of only one thing: Severe sorrow that they could not and would not see Yeshua as Messiah. Not just when he came to Israel 2,000 years ago, but deep regret of rebuffing him to the very moment when he delivers them from destruction by their enemies.

Yet, their intense bereavement will turn into great rejoicing when they realize that (most of all) Messiah Yeshua will bring final deliverance from themselves … from their transgressions.

Says the Messiah:

“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died … All Israel will mourn, each clan by itself, and with the husbands separate from their wives…” (Zechariah 12:10-12).

Their remorse will be so soul-searchingly strong, that wives and husbands won’t be able to bear grieving together. They’ll have to grieve alone. This anguish will not just come from deep distress over their past denial that Jesus is Messiah, but also fear over what Messiah might do to them.

However, those who embrace Yeshua as Messiah—to realize that he returned because of his and his Father’s great love for them—will be saved from their sins and from their enemies.

“On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity” (Zechariah 13:1).

“And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, ‘The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins’” (Romans 11:26, quoting the New Covenant announcement in Jeremiah 31:31-34).

“And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day, there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshipped” (Zechariah 14:9).

Through the 3^rd Person of the Triune God—the Holy Spirit poured out on them—they will honor and praise God the Father and His magnificent Son Messiah Jesus.

From that time on God’s people, indeed, all peoples, will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

They will come to: Worship the King!

Yom Kippur / With Or Without Atonement?

15 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Days of Awe, The New Covenant

Such a World We Live In

Do you sense that something big is about to happen? I mean really enormous … earth-shaking and apocalyptic in scope. At the very least are you uneasy over the upheaval taking place in the Middle East? What with the Arab Spring revolutions having turned into Arab Winters in Muslim nations. Including an entire country, Syria, suffering devastating destruction and on the brink of complete collapse—politically, economically, and socially.

What is your level of insecurity over menacing events conjectured by some geopolitical and socioeconomic experts? Such as: the dysfunctional disintegration of the European Union that could cause a chain reaction melt-down of the entire European economy; collapse of the financial system in the United States linked to or independent of Europe’s demise; Iran launching a first nuclear strike to make good on its threat to wipe Israel from the face of the earth and the United States along with it; North Korea doing the same thing; Russia’s ominous intrusion into the Middle East, potentially taking on the United States should we do anything to oppose Russia’s real agenda for being there; an all-out conventional attack by a powerful Islamic coalition of nations against Israel; and other harbingers of man-made catastrophes and natural disasters.

Today’s article is not about these fateful global signs, as many Eye of Prophecy posts have thematically focused on these and other things like: Israel’s rebirth as a nation; return of millions of Jews to their Promised Land; the Rapture; the Gog/Magog campaign against Israel; Antichrist and his ten-nation coalition that will also march against Israel; Messiah’s glorious return at the end of the seven-year Great Tribulation; and much more.

Rather, they are noted to once again convey this fact: The vast majority of Biblical prophecies and their fulfillment are centered on and around two crucial components of God’s magnificent plan for the human race. (1) The State of Israel. (2) The Messiah.

Specifically, that Israel and the Jews were chosen by God to be a conduit of the redemptive light to the Gentile nations. And Messiah Jesus would be salvation’s light to, “…the Jew first and also the Gentile” (Romans 1:16).

Without Israel, there would be no Messiah. Without Messiah there would be no Israel. Without either, there will be no final Day of Atonement.

Though the Jews rejected their Messiah, one day soon they will embrace him individually and nationally.

“For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12, quoting Psalm 118:22).

There are many indicators of the end of this age, which have taken place or are currently unfolding in breath-taking stages in the 20^th and 21^st centuries; none more so than Scripture’s repeated emphasis that the entire world will be focused on Israel in the last days of the end times. That many nations will seek in some fashion to eliminate the State of Israel or at the very least “solve the Jewish problem.” Then, the Bible is conclusively clear what God will do to these nations and people who seek to harm Israel.

In fact, the Lord himself will orchestrate this prophetic alignment of peoples against Israel that will lead to his final judgment of the nations.

For example: “I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves” (Zechariah 12:2-3).

It is distressingly evident that many nations are already intoxicated. We only need to look at their unreasonable unruly behavior over anything Jewish, their arbitrary attitude toward and callous contempt of Israel, and their irrational hatred of the Jews. You would think that the gruesome genocidal attempt of Hitler and his Third Reich to kill all European Jews would have made the entire world stand up and lastingly take notice of the senseless wicked barbarity that anti-Semitism produces. Yet, this absurdly unjustified animosity toward Jews in particular and Israel in general is every bit as rampant in today’s world as was found in Germany during World War II (and before).

Our own United States Executive Staff and many European Union leaders are displaying the demeanor of someone staggering under the influence of too many anti-Israel cocktails (one is too many). Never mind that hundreds of thousands have been killed in Syria and millions of refugees from Syria, Iraq, and other Arab countries have fled their homes … mostly to Turkey, Jordan, and now in great numbers to Europe and the United States. Disregard the imminent possibility (some say probability) that Russia and/or Iran will establish a permanent presence in Syria, right next door to Israel.

What we hear from Western leaders much more often is the “unacceptable” building of a few Jewish housing units in Judea/Samaria (so-called West Bank). Even more ridiculous is the uninformed misguided notion that the creation of a Palestinian State (that even many Arabs don’t want) will solve all of the real or perceived problems not only in Israel but the entire Middle East.

Israel’s Ardent Anticipation for Messiah and Final Redemption

It’s been over 2,000 years since the Jews have so passionately looked for (collectively) the coming of Messiah. In the first century the Jews longed for Messiah’s arrival to rescue them from the oppression of the Roman Empire. Sadly, despite the unmistakable evidence found in their own Scriptures, they did not see that Messiah must first liberate them from their sins, individually and nationally. (Among other passages, see Isaiah Chapter 53).

Nor could they accept a humble carpenter from Nazareth—though he was born in Bethlehem as prophesied by Micah—as their long-awaited Messiah. Thus, they chose to ignore the mighty miracles and unparalleled divine teaching of Jesus. Even his resurrection from the dead was not enough to convince and change the minds and hearts of many, especially the religious leaders.

Permit me to quote from an Eye of Prophecy article written not that long ago, but one that has already received the fifth most reader visits of all 169 weekly articles to date. That article tracks with today’s focus on the Jewish Observance of Yom Kippur … Day of Atonement.

From: Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here? Posted 6-25-16. (Excerpts in italics)

Globally, especially in Israel, both religious and secular Jews are longing for redemption.

Yet, they do not all agree on the scope of this redemption. Will it be individual, national, or both? Will it be physical, spiritual, or both? Orthodox Jews, particularly Rabbis, contend that penitence is a prerequisite to their redemption. But they differ on what constitutes repentance … to what degree or for what exactly should they repent. Most Jews simply don’t know what’s expected of them, if anything.

Tens of thousands of Messianic Jews have embraced Jesus as Messiah; they have accepted Scripture’s claim that only he can redeem individuals and nations. They believe (along with their Gentile believer counterparts) that redemption is precisely what the Bible and Jewish tradition says it is: a purchase or buy back from slavery. Which is, Biblically, first and foremost an enslavement to sin and its consequences—eternal separation from God.

It is what Webster’s Dictionary defines as: “to free from captivity by payment of ransom.”

The Bible says: “The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins, says the Lord” (Isaiah 59:20).

The major premise of this article is compressed in the verse just quoted: Isaiah is referring to the initial appearance of Messiah for individual salvation; but also his return to accomplish Israel’s national redemption.

Contrasting the Old Covenant of the Law to the New Covenant of Grace, we read:

“…For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of the created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever” (Hebrews 9:9-12).

Many Jews see redemption almost entirely from a more secular meaning of the concept:

“To free from what distresses or harms; to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental; to change for the better; to get or win back.” (Webster’s Dictionary).

Thus, redemption to them means freedom from the constant distress and brutal harm from Palestinian terrorist attacks. They long for peace to overcome and replace the incessant detrimental threats of entire Muslim nations seeking Israel’s annihilation. They seek to exchange the relentless BDS actions against them for a better life of personal and national well-being and security. Some want to get back all of the land that has been given to them by God, himself, some 4000 years ago—the entire Promised Land of Israel, including but not limited to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).

There is one common dream, one prevailing hope, one unified passion: Messiah will ultimately redeem Israel and Jews the world over. And the time is near … so very near.

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur in Hebrew), the Sixth Jewish Festival

Yom Kippur took place this past Wednesday and Thursday (sundown to sundown, October 12^th and 13^th). Though it may not be the most often observed of the Jewish festivals, it certainly is the High Holy Day most solemnly reflected on by those Jews who keep it.

If you haven’t you may want/need to read the previous three Eye of Prophecy articles, concerning the first five Jewish Festivals. As indicated, all of the Seven Festivals are patterns and types that point to the Messiah. In astounding fashion, Jesus fulfilled the first four and will complete the last three upon his return … Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.

Let’s read some of God’s instructions to Moses and the people concerning the Day of Atonement from the chapter that lists all seven festivals.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Be careful to celebrate the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of that same month—nine days after the Festival of Trumpets. You must observe it as an official day for holy assembly, a day to deny yourselves, and present special gifts to the Lord. Do no work during that entire day because it is the Day of Atonement when offerings of purification are made for you, making you right with the Lord your God’” (Leviticus 23:26-28).

Of paramount importance is that offerings (sacrificial slaying of innocent animals) must be made for the purpose of making the people right with the Lord your God. It’s abundantly evident that these offerings were a source of on-going redemption for God’s people UNTIL the New Covenant would be initiated by God with the Jews that, unlike the Old Covenant, would also extend (universally, not just in Israel) to the Gentiles. Although the New Covenant wouldn’t be specifically mentioned for several generations—through Isaiah and Jeremiah directly and many other prophets indirectly—the Lord told Moses that the building of the tabernacle, all the furniture and instruments therein, and the entire Levitical System of Atonement were to be patterned precisely after God’s (heavenly) model.

“Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you” (Exodus 25:8-9).

If there had been no higher Prototype (purpose), there would have been no reason for the Lord to even mention this to Moses.

During the rebuilding of the second Temple under the supervision of the new Governor, Zerubbabel, the encouragement of the post-exile prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and the spiritual leadership of the High Priest, Jeshua, the Lord said:

“Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch … and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day” (Zechariah 3:8-9).

Generations earlier, both Isaiah and Jeremiah had prophesied about “the Branch,” who was none other than the coming Messiah. In fact, after introducing the New Covenant that God would make with his people (to replace the Old Covenant that the people couldn’t and wouldn’t keep) in Jeremiah Chapter 31, Jeremiah provided more details on The Branch:

“When those days come, at that time, I will cause to spring up for David a Branch of Righteousness. He will do what is just and right in the land. When those days come, Y’hudah will be saved, Yerushalayim will live if safety, and the name given to her will be Adonai Tzidkenu [Adonai our Righteousness] (Jeremiah 33:15-16, Complete Jewish Bible).

The Branch and the Temple

The coming Messiah would do something unheard of … in fact, prohibited by God until Messiah arrived: The Branch would be both King and High Priest of Israel and the whole world!

“…This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the Lord. Yes, he will build the Temple of the Lord. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles” (Zechariah 6:12-13).

Notice that Zechariah doesn’t say rebuild the Temple, which could also apply prophetically to the Third Temple (literally) as prophesied by Ezekiel. Since the second Temple was already under construction and considering the fact that the preliminary and primary purpose of the Branch (Messiah) was to first save his people from their sins, the Temple mentioned by Zechariah is the spiritual Temple of the Lord, composed of all believers in Messiah (Jesus) both Jew and Gentile. This is the heavenly model, the real thing that would be the new and permanent promise and reality that members (believers) of this heavenly Temple can directly enter the Holy of Holies and meet with God personally.

This application to a spiritual Temple is reinforced by the words, “he will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the Lord.” Which also indicates that the Temple (body of Christ or the true Church) isn’t confined to one place, but will branch out; later confirmed by Messiah Jesus’s words to his disciples (all believers) shortly before he ascended back to heaven:

“…And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Written to all believers in Yeshua, the Apostle Peter said:

“You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God” (I Peter 2:4-5).

Then again from the book of Hebrews that provides a marvelous consummate contrast between the Old and New Covenants, not the least of which is the completion and replacement of the Levitical Sacrificial System by the once for all supreme sacrifice of God’s anointed High Priest (chosen after the higher order of the eternal King/Priest Melchizedek) … His very son, Messiah Jesus. (See Hebrews 7 and Psalm 110:4).

“Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands” (Hebrews 8:1-2).

Then commenting on the many Levitical priests of the Old Covenant, the author of Hebrews states:

“They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: ‘Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.’ But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises” (Hebrews 8:5-6).

More Details on Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement

The very core of the Day of Atonement constituted the Lord’s annual forgiveness of the sins of Israel as a whole … as a nation. With emphasis placed on those sins that the people had not confessed throughout the year. Kippur comes from the Hebrew word, kapara, which means atonement. Yom means day in Hebrew.

Most Jews, many Christians, and even some Gentile unbelievers know or have heard about the Scapegoat sacrifice that took place on the Day of Atonement. Or at least they know what a “scapegoat” is. The term scapegoat is commonly used even in modern vernacular, enough so that the word made it to Webster’s dictionary.

Scapegoat: “1: A goat upon whose head are symbolically placed the sins of the people after which he is sent into the wilderness in the biblical ceremony of Yom Kippur. 2: a person or thing bearing the blame for others.”

A detailed description of the Day of Atonement can be found in Leviticus Chapter 16, with the much shorter summary reminder in Leviticus Chapter 23. I would encourage you to read the entire 16^th chapter.

In summary, there was one ram and two goats sacrificed during this annual Holy Day. It was the one day of the year that (only) the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies. The ram sacrificed would purify the High Priest (forgiveness of sins) himself. The blood from one of the two goats, along with the ram’s sacrifice, would purify the Inner Sanctuary (Most Holy Place) and would also forgive/purify the people of Israel.

The second goat was not killed; instead it was released into the wilderness to symbolize complete removal of the people’s sin, guilt, and shame. It was a culmination of the total cleansing of Israel’s sins for that year. The scapegoat was a sign that Israel’s rebellion through their sins had been transferred out of their lives … banished as it were from the congregation of the people. The slain goat was one of forgiveness. The scapegoat was one of removal (carrying away).

This was heartbreakingly, but beautifully completed and perfected by Messiah’s sacrifice that purchased the once for all forgiveness of our sins through his death. Then removal of the guilt and penalty for sin through his astounding resurrection.

And to this day: Our Redeemer Lives! In heaven, not in the wilderness!

However, as we know, Yom Kippur had to be repeated under the Mosaic Covenant, for purification of the people, individually and nationally, “…making them right with the Lord each year…” (Leviticus 16:34).

As tragic as it was to the Jews when their temple was destroyed yet a second time and they had to compensate with extra-Biblical Jewish traditions to somehow keep and explain the purpose for Yom Kippur (and other Jewish Festivals) minus the God-required sacrificial offerings, all this was foreseen by and part of God’s majestic plan to give his people a much better and longer lasting (as in permanent) New Covenant.

It was a covenant that would enduringly perfect and forever fulfill the temporary purpose of the Old Covenant, both the Law of Moses and the sacrificial system that commenced with Aaron.

I’ve quoted it before, but it bears any amount of repetition necessary to get the attention of Judaism, of all religions of the world … anyone who questions whether their sins can be forgiven and removed forever by the Lord God. Did I say forgiven and removed? How remiss of me to forget to say that the Lord will also FORGET our sins forever.

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord. I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people … And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

God forget? Yes, that’s exactly what he said he would do! Can you and I forget the wrong things that we’ve done and have been done to us? Forgive, yes … we should. But forget…?

Forgetting is equivalent to an eternal pardon of sin and guilt. Under the Old Covenant, God forgave and removed but did not forget. Thus, Atonement was an ongoing process. Not so under the New Covenant. Forgive, remove, and above all … Forget! As in, ONCE FOR ALL TIME.

Paul quotes the New Covenant promise in Jeremiah, preceded by: “…Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say…” (Romans 11:25-26). Then Paul quotes from Jeremiah 31.

Yom Kippur in Today’s Judaism

Regarding observance of Yom Kippur, there is a vast difference between keeping this God-ordained Holy Day since the second Temple was destroyed, many Jews killed with the survivors exiled by the Romans from Israel, and the Levitical sacrificial system brought to a crushing end; compared to the original instructions given by the Lord outlining the meticulous requirements on the Day of Atonement.

Since then, Judaism has been in denial that it can continue to function without the compulsory sacrificial system mandated by God, himself. Please see the Eye of Prophecy trilogy of articles entitled: Where is the Temple, Part I, II, & III? (Posted 11-29, 12-6, and 12-13-14). Here is an excerpt from the basic premise of those articles that encapsulates the essence of the problem.

No Temple, no sacrificial offerings. No sacrifices, no atonement forgiveness of sins. No forgiveness, no redemption. No redemption, no right standing with God.

The period of time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called the Ten Days of Awe or Days of Repentance. Many Israelis, even the secular among them, visit the Jewish Quarter of Old Jerusalem and the Western Wall as much or more during this time of the year. Many thousands attend the Selichot (penitential) prayer service presided over by Israel’s Chief Rabbis.

For sake of time/space, we’ll condense the present day keeping and emphasis of Yom Kippur to the following three power points:

Reflection, Repentance, and Renewal (in the “Book of Life”). Yet this renewal can only be questionably hoped for, as Jews don’t know for sure if their standing in the Book of Life will be initiated, then renewed each year during the Day of Atonement.

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said to his staff after a press conference that lamented the recent death of two more Israelis at the hand of a Palestinian lone-wolf assassin:

“May you be inscribed in the Book of Life.” This saying is prevalent among Jews during Yom Kippur.

Messiah and Yom Kippur … They Go Together!

There is a Book of Life, as mentioned in Revelation Chapter 20. But it’s all too evident throughout the New Testament (Covenant) writings that only those who have been redeemed on their day of atonement (whatever day they accept Messiah Jesus as personal Savior) will be found in this book.

Of our High Priest and King Christ Jesus, the Bible states:

“He is … the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made as a Kingdom of priests for our God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6).

Indeed, repentance is a key ingredient in Yom Kippur, but in and of itself it is not enough. It is good to reflect, repent, and renew. But none of these will result in atonement without the shedding of innocent blood to make the people “right with God” which was the very heart of Yom Kippur. Not enough, that is, until the final once for all supreme sacrifice of God’s own Son to complete and perfect; and to, therefore, replace the ongoing animal sacrifices that were intended only to be a shadow of the Ultimate Sacrifice to come.

“Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be made whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him (Messiah) the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6).

Then, “When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins” (Verse 11, italics for emphasis).

ALL their sins. Not just the ones from the past year.

As the devout Jewish Pharisee Saul (later called Paul)—who had an attitude-altering encounter with the risen Messiah Jesus—said about his brothers in the flesh (Jews):

“Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God” (Romans 10:1-4).

Paul’s passion is also mine. That is why I write so much about my love for Israel and her people, both Israelis and Jews the world over. Yet it must be tough love, to help shake them out of their denial over the loss of the sacrificial offerings—thinking they can still be made right with God through good works and keeping the Mosaic Law. The Lord himself said they couldn’t and wouldn’t keep it; therefore, he gave them the New Covenant of Grace, which is God’s gift of the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son for their (our) sins.

That is how we are made right with God. Thus, the only repentance God requires of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (indeed, of the whole world) is to change our mind about the life-giving, life-changing, destiny-altering final sacrifice of Messiah Jesus for the human race. To turn from unbelief, and believe that Jesus is Messiah … to open our hearts to him.

“Jesus told them, ‘This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent’” (John 6:29).

We can reflect all we want to on whatever we think needs reflected on; we can express sorrow for (repent) every sin we can think of; we can renew our thoughts, promises, and charitable acts hoping that the Lord will somehow accept that our good deeds will outweigh the bad and grant us status in the “Book of Life” for the time being. But none of that will assure us of God’s ultimate pardon for our sins and the penalty of those sins—eternal separation from the Lord.

Only one thing will seal the deal. Only One Person can guarantee our eternal salvation, our permanent record in the Book of Life. And it’s not just a matter of wishing. It is a matter of fact … of knowing. Listen to the assurance given to all who believe and receive Messiah Jesus as Savior:

“But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31, NASB).

Again John the Jewish disciple writes: “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life” (I John 5:11-13, italics for emphasis).

Not thinking, or wishing, or wondering, or even hoping for the best.

We can KNOW our sins are forgiven, removed, and forgotten by the Lord; that we have absolute assurance of eternal life in Christ Jesus. God himself has testified to this, as we just read. Moreover, this testimony was confirmed beyond any doubt, whatsoever, when Messiah Jesus arose from the dead.

Summary

Yom Kippur was originally designed by the Lord to be an example, a forerunner, and a temporary model of what would be the final Day of Atonement. This ultimate Day of Atonement, exclusively through faith in God’s gracious gift of his son for redemption, began when Messiah Jesus came to earth the first time.

The prophet Daniel gave us a spectacular prophecy concerning the triumphant culmination of so great a salvation when he says about Israel:

“A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place” (Daniel 9:24).

He goes on to announce the coming of Messiah that would take place BEFORE the destruction of the second Temple (which hadn’t yet been rebuilt in Daniel’s time!), the killing of Messiah, and the destruction of the Temple by the armies of the ruler who would come … the Roman Emperor, Nero. And this same ruler would make a seven-year treaty with Israel, which meant (as explained in great detail in my book, Out of the Abyss and several Eye of Prophecy articles) that Nero must return from the Abyss (Revelation 17:8).

Well, I’ve done it again. Plain and simple … not enough time and space to do justice to the seventh and final Jewish Festival, Sukkot—The Feast of Tabernacles. No other choice but to make it the topic of next week’s Eye of Prophecy article.

Things to Ponder

We who love Israel will continue to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalms 122:6). Praying for peace is the same as praying that all Israel will someday soon be saved (Romans 10:1).

For until and unless Israel comes to a saving knowledge of Messiah Jesus and is made right with God by believing and accepting him as God’s only remedy for sin, individually and as a nation, there will be no peace with God. Unless there is Shalom with God, there cannot be real peace between peoples.

When all of Israel is saved by changing their minds and hearts about Messiah (who he is and what he has done and will do for them), then the Jews will have accomplished the very purpose for God choosing them as his special possession. Which is to be a source of light to the Gentiles: through the Promised Messiah from the tribe of Judah and the genealogy of King David—descended from Isaac, the promised son of Abraham.

Says the Lord about his Messiah: “…You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

While in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus said: “…I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12).

For a brief, shining moment, Christ Jesus while on this earth brought back the Shekinah glory of God to the Temple. And he will do so again upon his imminent arrival to this war-torn, wicked, and weary world.

Yes, Israel, your Messiah has already come. And he will return soon in great glory and power (Matthew 24:30).

If only you could see that. If only you could somehow realize that the horrible things that men have done to you were not Christian (Christ ones) at all—who misused and abused and distorted the true Christian faith. Also, there are some Christians who have misapplied the Scriptures; who have erred grievously in thinking that the true Church (body of Messiah) has replaced Israel. We have not. Rather, we are a product of and a partner in the fulfillment of Israel’s destiny. We have seen the light that God has shone through the Jewish Messiah.

To believe in Yeshua as your Messiah is the most Jewish thing you could ever do or be.

We, who have truly been born again by the precious blood of Messiah Jesus, love you and long for your Day of Atonement.

But most of all, Hashem, the Lord your God loves you. So much so that he sent his beloved Son, to die for you. (Isaiah 53 & John 3).

Blow the Trumpets … Messiah Will Come!

08 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Rosh Hashanah, Shofar

Hurray … It’s a Holiday!

Most of us love the holidays!

Each one of them provides a purpose for celebration, a cause to pause and ponder. Whether it be two days of thanksgiving in November for anything that generates gratitude, including the food with which we stuff ourselves; or the delightful days of Christmas to exchange gifts in honor of the greatest gift ever given by God to the world—Messiah Jesus. Or Easter Sunday to rejoice in the risen Messiah; to remember what he said he would do and then did for us:

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

“Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?’” (John 11:25-26).

Put your name in place of Martha. Do you believe Jesus? Do you believe in him?

Despite the sometimes hectic preparations, we relish the reasons for the seasons and can’t wait for the next holiday to interrupt the daily routine of our lives and enhance the quality of life.

Though holidays mean different things to different people, they all have one common value: time off from work! Even those of us who are officially retired from the everyday working world still fondly remember the week days when we didn’t have to work. Or for those required to work on a holiday, they get equivalent days off. There is one holiday fittingly designated just for that … Labor Day.

I would dare say that time off from work is the main, if not only, reason many look forward to the holidays. That is not necessarily meant to be a negative observation; I, too, valued my “extra” days off from work. In fact, Webster’s Dictionary defines holiday as: “a day on which one is exempt from work; a day marked by a general suspension of work in commemoration of an event; a period of relaxation.”

Nonetheless, holiday is in the dictionary as a concession to the secularization of the original word, holy. More specifically, Holy Day(s). Which is the English translation from the Hebrew word (kadash—verb; kadosh-adjective; kodesh-noun, all beginning with the kah sound) that goes back thousands of years to when God gave the Torah—Old Testament, beginning with the five books written by Moses–to the Jews. In fact, holy day has been changed in our pronunciation from a long “o” vowel (as in wholly) to a short “o” sound (as in holly …deck the halls with…) and the “y” substituted with an “i” to make one word out of two.

The meaning of Holy, then and especially now that Christ Jesus has set apart the New Covenant from the Old Covenant and changed time itself (BC to AD) is to: “set apart to the service of God (the priesthood); commanding absolute adoration and reverence (the Trinity); evoking or meriting veneration or awe (the cross)” (Webster’s Dictionary, parenthesis part of the text itself).

[*Note: Webster’s definition of holy tracks fairly close with the Biblical meaning. With one major distinction to be made. The “priesthood” is no longer the Jewish priestly system and certainly not the Roman Catholic priesthood. When our High Priest, Messiah Jesus, sacrificed his blood and life once for all time, he gave all who believe and receive him the awesome privilege of approaching God directly. All believers in Christ are now priests. (See Hebrews 4:14-16).

Listen to this remarkable truth given by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter to all believers:

“And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God” (I Peter 2:5).

And, “…You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (I Peter 2:9).]

Then Webster defines holy day as: “a day set aside for special religious observance.”

It’s just that our Holy Days such as Christmas and Resurrection Day have become holidays to so many. And there are many of the many that won’t even use those terms. So it’s Happy Holidays and Happy Easter.

For the one or two out there that harbor some degree of guilt over celebrating any Holiday, except Labor Day—especially the true Holy Day(s) like Christmas—just to get out of work, don’t be too hard on yourself! Did you know that God, himself, originally ordained the Jewish Sabbath and Festivals (which became the forerunner prototypes of holy days (holidays) to Gentile nations, with instructions that the Jews desist from their daily work in observance of these most Holy Days?

Yet the cessation from work was not an end unto itself; rather, it was a special day or days that were sanctified as holy—set apart to focus on the Lord and what he had miraculously done and would do for his people in the future. And, now for the whole world through Messiah Jesus.

All Jewish Festivals Portray and Point to Messiah (Jesus)

As demonstrated in the last two Eye of Prophecy articles, Messiah Yeshua’s (Jesus) completion and perfection of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits Harvest Festivals was nothing short of amazing. He is the Passover Lamb slain on the cross for forgiveness of our sins and the once for all pardon from the penalty of those sins. He arose from the dead with the first (fruits) resurrected body to seal the New Covenant between God and mankind, which one day soon will mean a brand new resurrected body for all of us who believe in Christ and have received him as personal Savior. With the first three Festivals accomplished by Jesus in the same time frame (8 days … Palm Sunday through Resurrection Sunday) as these three feasts are commemorated. Then the fourth festival Shavuot (Pentecost) taking place 50 days later; with the Holy Spirit coming to earth to indwell New Covenant believers 50 days after Jesus ascended back to heaven.

There’s more to come! Upon his stunning return at the appointed time, Jesus will fulfill the final three Jewish Feasts ordained by God. Collectively, they are called the High Holy Days of the Fall Festivals. All will be accomplished during the great and glorious (terrible for unbelievers) Day of the Lord, precipitated by the catching up (Rapture) of believers to be spared from the catastrophic carnage of the Great Tribulation.

Let’s take an up close and personal look at these three festivals, the first of which occurred this past Monday (Rosh Hashanah). The second (Yom Kippur) will take place this coming Wednesday October 12, and the third (Sukkot) beginning on October 17 lasting through the 23^rd. Then, as was done in/with the first four festivals, to see the remarkable correlation of Messiah Jesus to these milestone monuments of Jewish heritage, as well as their connection to all Gentiles who have been grafted as wild branches into the roots of the olive tree of Israel.

“But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree … those branches (the Jews) were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe… And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree … I want you understand this mystery dear brothers … Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of the Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved…” (Romans 11:17-26).

The New Year Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah in Hebrew)

Beginning with a belated, but hearty Shana Tova: “Happy New Year” … Jewish style!

And not just any new year. Last Monday the Jewish calendar turned to the year 5777. What a significant set of numbers! Five is the Scriptural number representing God’s grace. Three sevens is the divine (Trinity) perfection of the number seven, which also represents completion of God’s ultimate plan for the human race. Will this Jubilee year be THE YEAR? (See Eye of Prophecy article, Jubilee and Messiah … They Go Together! Posted 1-23-16)

Literally, Yom Teruah means the “the day of blowing the shofar.” The first month of the Jewish calendar was designed by God to begin as Nissan (March/April on the Gregorian calendar), and the Feast of Trumpets was to be held on the first day of the seventh month, Tishrei (September/October). Many Jewish rabbis believed that God created the world on the first of Tishrei; thus, that day subsequently became the civil new year in Judaism—Rosh Hashanah, or “the head of the year.”

“Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘in the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord’” (Leviticus 23:23-25, NASB).

Other translations say, “…a memorial of blowing of trumpets” or “blasts of trumpets.” Whatever translation you prefer, the text is crystal clear that there are trumpet blast(s), plural … as in many. In ancient Israel there were 100 blasts of the shofar so that all the people could hear, and shouts of praise to the Lord on Rosh Hashanah.

Unlike the first four festivals and the final Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement that follows were not designated by the Lord to be a memorial for any past event or series of events as such. Also, there were trumpet blasts to signal every new month on the Jewish calendar.

Thus, Judaism incorporated Rosh Hashanah into the Feast of Trumpets, which gave them a more celebratory reason to sound the shofar with many blasts; even though the Lord clearly indicated that this was a special kind of Sabbath (High Sabbath) whether the 1^st of Tishrei might fall on a regular Sabbath day or not.

Jewish Rabbis added their own interpretations as to the purpose for, significance of, and activities on Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). They are oral traditions handed down and then contained in written form in such texts as the Talmud. Even in the context of the Mosaic Covenant of the Law, the traditions remain speculative. Only when examined in the light of the New Covenant of Grace and the equally God-inspired New Testament, can the connection be fully comprehended. Because that correlation is linked to spectacular events that have yet to take place. In that regard, they are like all the other festivals: pointing to the first coming (first four festivals) and second coming (last three festivals) of Messiah Jesus.

Yet, it’s obvious that the Festival of Trumpets was a special occasion made holy (set apart) by God.

Why? What was its ultimate significance?

Why didn’t the Feast of Trumpets (and the Day of Atonement) symbolically memorialize a milestone in Israel’s national history? Why was there was no specific explanation given by God to Moses that would link either the Feast of Trumpets or the next festival, the Day of Atonement, to any past momentous event?

Answer: Both of these festivals were to be kept on the basis of unwavering faith in God that their ultimate significance would be revealed in due time. It actually began before Moses, with Abraham’s explicit trust in God’s perfect plan and will even though the Lord had commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. God graciously provided a ram in Isaac’s place. Not only was this the first and greatest object lesson of the coming Messiah to be offered for the sins of the world, but thereafter the blowing of the ram’s horn (shofar) was a signal of both warning and announcement of very special times and events.

Subsequently, through some of the prophets, God made it clear to Israel and Gentile nations that the sounding of trumpets would usher in the end times.

Such as: The passage depicted in the following photo:

*Note: Any “alarm sounding” was always done with trumpets or shofar.

And, “That terrible day of the Lord is near. Swiftly it comes—a day of bitter tears, a day when even strong men will cry out … a day when the Lord’s anger is poured out … a day of darkness and gloom … a day of trumpet calls and battle cries…” (Zephaniah 1:14-16).

Also, “In that day the great trumpet will sound. Many who were dying in exile in Assyria and Egypt will return to Jerusalem to worship the Lord on his holy mountain” (Isaiah 27:13). Here, Assyria and Egypt are representative of all Gentile nations, particularly those who have harmed Israel.

When answering the question of his disciples concerning the end of the age, among many things Messiah Jesus said: “And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven” (Matthew 24:31).

In the final revelation of Jesus Christ as recorded in the book of Revelation, seven of God’s judgments are preceded by the sounding of trumpets.

Some Jews and their rabbis think (hope) that Messiah will appear on Passover, Yom Kippur, or Sukkot. But most believe that he will arrive on Rosh Hashanah, to usher in a new year (age) of redemption and restoration. So, too, do many Messianic Jews and evangelical Gentiles endorse the idea that Jesus will return on the Feast of Trumpets or perhaps the Feast of Tabernacles, with the difference, of course—that this will be Messiah’s second coming.

If Jesus should return during one of these (or other) festivals, I, too, believe it will be on the Feast of Trumpets. However, it’s unlikely our Lord will appear precisely on any of these High Holy Days. If for no other reason than his statement that he will return when “least expected.”

For that matter, it would be extra special (for me) if the Rapture took place on my birthday, September 28^th—which often arrives during the Fall Festivals of the Jewish calendar. (I’m sure many believers out there like the idea of Jesus returning on your birthday … why not!). On the other hand, my birthday came and went recently, and I don’t want to wait another year for the Lord to take me/us home!

In the final analysis, it really doesn’t matter what day or hour it is. What is supremely important is the very fact that he will return! And soon!

Messiah’s actual arrival on earth will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation to rescue Israel from the armies of the Antichrist and the world from annihilation. Seven years before that he will appear in the clouds to take home all Jew and Gentile believers (Rapture), which will initiate the awesome Day of the Lord. The sound of trumpets will be heard around the world when the Rapture occurs.

This will be the climatic fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets!

*Note: When I say that Messiah Jesus most likely will not return on a High Holy Day (rather, when least expected, i.e. an ordinary day), I’m referring to the Rapture. Not to his physical return to earth when he steps foot on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4). That could very well be on one of the Festival Days. Those left behind at the Rapture who care at all will know the approximate day or week as it will be seven years (give or take a few days or even weeks) after the Rapture that our Lord triumphantly and majestically appears on the earth to set all things right.

Listen to the splendid promise given by the Lord to Paul concerning the Rapture of and for all believers, Jew and Gentile alike:

“We tell you this directly from the Lord. We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever” (I Thessalonians 4:15-17, italics for emphasis).

Then 3-4 years later Paul writes to the believers in Corinth:

“But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed” (I Corinthians 15:51-52, “it” italicized for emphasis).

That, my friend, is what the Feast of Trumpets is all about!

In A Moment … In the Blink of an Eye

I think it’s important enough to (once again) clarify the misinterpretation that most Christians have made concerning the Rapture.

The Misunderstanding: the entire sequence of events during the Rapture will take place in a nanosecond.

The Clarification: The descent of the Lord in the clouds, his shout, the voice of the archangel, the blasts of the trumpet (shofar), the resurrection of the dead in Christ, then finally those alive being supernaturally transfigured with new everlasting bodies will NOT take place in the “blink of an eye.”

To confirm this clarification, I will provide a few excerpts from the fifth article ever posted in Eye of Prophecy, which was also the final in a series of five articles on the Rapture (What, Why, When, Who, and How of the Rapture, published 7-26-13 through 8-24-13). I would encourage you to read one or more of those articles (which are fairly short). If you want to graduate from the class of All You’ve Ever Wanted to Know about the Rapture, But Didn’t Know What to Ask, then read all five of these articles on the Rapture! Seriously, I’m convinced you’ll have a much better understanding of this glorious event if you do.

First, however, an apology is in order. I’ve heard that writers should never make apologies for their work; hence, this is my first and last apology!

The Confession: this week’s article was intended to be the third in a trilogy of posts on the Seven Jewish Festivals and Messiah Jesus’s fulfillment of each one. With today’s post designed to cover the last three feasts, all of which will be perfected at Christ’s magnificent return to the earth. But there just isn’t enough time/space to examine all three. Thus, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot) will come next week. Which makes this Trilogy of articles whatever “ology” four articles make!

Is that okay?

Good … I see heads nodding!

So let’s continue with some excerpts from How the Rapture, posted 8-24-13 (in italics): *Note, You might first want to scroll back a few paragraphs and read again the passage of I Corinthians 15:51-52, paying special attention to the one italicized word.

To Exactly What Does the Blink (Twinkling) of an Eye Refer? (Back to I Corinthians 15)

Here is where we students of the Bible (I’m including myself) overlooked or took for granted one little (impersonal) pronoun. Because we skimmed over this two-letter word, we missed or dismissed the important textual relationship of this pronoun to the antecedent that immediately precedes it. And shame on me in particular, as my major in college was English/Literature! I’m sure you just thought or said something to the effect, “What in the world is he talking about?” Very reasonable question; I’ll answer it, by first defining “antecedent.” Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines antecedent as: “One that goes before … a substantive word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun …a word or group of words replaced and referred to by a substitute…”

The substitute is almost always a pronoun found immediately after the “substantive word or phrase”, which is the case in I Corinthians 15: 51-52. So let’s break it down.

First, the phrase in this passage: “…but we will all be transformed!”

Second, the pronoun, “It“, which begins the very next verse, “It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye….” Can you make the connection? What specifically is “it” referencing or taking the place of in the text? You got it: It is referring to and the same thing as what Paul just said would occur which is, “…but we will all be transformed.”

Next, the Apostle Paul elaborates on “it” (meaning the actual transformation itself, which as you already know is the transfiguration of our earthly body to that of our brand new heavenly, resurrected body) by explaining how it (the transfiguration) will take place. What does he say? He says, “It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye” When will it happen? “…when the last trumpet is blown.” For added emphasis and understanding, what will happen in the blink of an eye? You’re right: “It.” And again, what does it refer to? Right again: It refers exclusively to the just mentioned clause, “we will all be transformed!”

In the New American Standard translation, we read, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet….” (I Corinthians 15: 51-52). Notice, that the pronoun (it) is not found in this translation. Why? Because the connection between the action of “changed” (transformed) and the how of the change (twinkling of an eye) is inseparable, irrefutable, and exclusive. Both passages contain essentially the same composition; with the New Living Translation and other translations (such as the Jewish Bible) accurately and emphatically reinforcing the translation from Greek to English, by use of a pronoun that substitutes for the mystery of the transformation itself.

Please bear with me … I hope you see this as much more than just a boring exercise in grammar and syntax. It is exceptionally significant that we understand what is going on in this passage. Saying it another way: The only thing that will happen in a moment or blink of an eye (at the instant the last trumpet is blown) is the actual physical transfiguration of our earthly bodies. The “it” does not apply to anything else in this passage; nor can “the transformation” specifically apply to the events so majestically portrayed in I Thessalonians Chapter 4. In fact, I Thessalonians 4 doesn’t say anything about the blink of an eye transformation at all. But we’ve inadvertently extended or expanded the instantaneous change found in I Corinthians 15 to include the entire sequence of events described in I Thessalonians 4.

…It’s fairly simple: Think about it for a couple of minutes (or longer). Does it make any sense that the entire sequence of events … could happen in “the blink of an eye?” …Or, how could we as believers possibly “process” and experience in real-time (not virtual time or reality) the entire progression –the Lord descending, the trumpet call of God, the dead rising first, then those alive being caught up in the air—in a tiny fraction of a second?

There is no evidence, whatsoever, in these two passages that the Lord will set aside time, or otherwise stop the clock. In fact, wouldn’t the Lord want us to absorb (take it all in) the majesty and wonder of the whole thing in real-time? If the sequence of I Thessalonians is over in the twinkling of an eye, then why would the Lord even bother to explain the amazing order or arrangement as described in Chapter 4?

Of course, the Lord could do all this in a split second, if he wanted to. But why would he inexplicably reduce such an astonishing and majestic event to a microsecond and, thereby, deprive us of the awesome splendor of his glory and the ensuing sensory, spiritual, mental, and emotional real-life, real-time experience? (If the Lord does temporarily change the hands of time, I actually hope that it might be in slow-motion!) Wouldn’t you agree: It makes much more sense that these events–from the moment Christ descends from heaven to the instant our bodies are transfigured and everything in between–would transpire in actual time, i.e. at least a few minutes? Yet, the prevailing consensus in the Church is that all these things are over in an instant…

The Shout Heard Around the World:

Most know about, “the shot heard around the world,” that started the American Revolutionary War. At the Rapture, it will be the “shout heard around the world.” The shout of Christ, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet call of God will shake the world like it’s never been shaken before. It will give a whole new meaning to “shock and awe.” And, the entire sequence of events involving Jesus descent from heaven, loud shout, voice of the archangel, trumpet call(s) of God that lead to the last blast of the trumpet, will take several minutes. This literal lapse of time needed for a literal series of visual and audio events to occur will NOT take place in a blink of the eye. Only the grand finale of it all will happen in the twinkling of an eye. Which is, as you know by now, the supernatural transformation of our earthly body.

*Note: In the article, How the Rapture, quoted today, I explained in detail how the Old Testament sounding of the shofar took several minutes, with four basic phases of blowing the Shofar to announce a momentous event. This will also happen during the Rapture, i.e. several blasts of the trumpet. Which is why Paul says the actual transformation of believer’s (bodies) will take place, “when the last trumpet is blown.” (Emphasis on “last”).

*At the end of this week’s article, please click on to the link that will take you to a short video of these shofar blasts.

Continuing with the excerpts:

In fact, the more I think about it, the more inclined I am to propose that those left behind may even witness our newly resurrected (the dead) and transformed (the living) bodies ascend to heaven. Why not? Isn’t that part of the whole sequence? We’ve mistakenly (meaning without any direct support or evidence from Scripture), assumed that the microsecond change of our bodies’ means that those bodies instantly vanish or disappear from sight. Since the blink of an eye phenomenon relates only to the actual transfiguration itself, why do we also equate that with a split second disappearance?

I Thessalonians 4 tells us that we will be “caught up” in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Why would caught up necessarily equate to an instant vanishing? Remember how Jesus ascended to heaven as described in Acts 1: 9-11? All who were with him saw him rising into heaven, until they could no longer see him. One of the two angels who showed up even said, “Why are you standing here staring into heaven?” There was no vanishing going on. Picture watching a hot-air balloon ascending. Why wouldn’t our meeting Jesus in the clouds be just like His ascension to heaven? Our transformed bodies will be like his … why not our rising to meet him be similar or identical?

*At this point in the article quoted, a summary is provided.

Thus, I believe that common sense, reinforced heavily by Biblical precedents and even more so by accurate examination of the Rapture passages (that we’ve done in this article) lead to a very convincing conclusion: The entire episode of the Rapture from start to finish will take several minutes. This will allow time for such things as: pulling cars over to the side of the road; awaking in the middle of the night from a deep sleep; turning off the T.V or loud music; stop the yelling at someone; hugging your un-believing spouse or friend good-bye; the short, but most intense praise and worship ever experienced by Christians on this earth; and, hopefully, a few minutes for some foxhole conversions all over the world.

Do you see what difference it would make and how it could enhance and expand our view of and increase even more our enthusiasm for the Rapture, if the order of events in the Rapture took place over several minutes? It would be far more than just a “poof” one second here, next second gone type of experience. Next to the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ, it will be the greatest celebration of joy ever experienced by believers in Christ. And in real-time and space no less; no special effects, no suspension of time, no virtual reality … just the real thing. None of which (except for the transfiguration of our bodies) can or will take place in the twinkling of an eye.

This is the way the Lord intended it to be, and this is the way that the Bible passages on the Rapture tell us it will be. I believe the evidence—as summarized in this article—conclusively demonstrates that the blink of an eye relates only to the miraculous transfiguration of our mortal bodies. Whereas, the progression of events that culminate in this instantaneous change will take several minutes of actual time.

Things to Ponder

All Jewish festivals point to Messiah Jesus, as do hundreds of Old Testament prophecies.

As so succinctly summed up in the last book of Scripture, Jesus is the very essence of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

If you look carefully, you can also find him in every American holiday. Please see the Eye of Prophecy article, Merry Christmas … What’s It All About, posted 12-20-14, which also connects the meaning of other holidays to Christ.

To quote from last week’s Eye of Prophecy article, Passover & Messiah Are Inseparable:

“All of the Seven Festivals were extraordinary events under the Old Covenant. But they were also shadows, patterns, and preview types of what was to come. When Jesus initiated, executed, and sealed the New Covenant with his sacrificial blood, the new replaced the old. The shadow became the real image. The type yielded to the Archetype. The pattern turned into the finished product.”

“All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth, as soon as a standard is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and as soon as the trumpet (shofar) is blown, you will hear it” (Isaiah 18:3, NASB).

At the Rapture, I believe each of the four phases of the Shofar blasts will take place three times or more.

Passover & Messiah Are Inseparable!

01 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Pentecost, Resurrection

The Purpose of Passover

Almost all Eye of Prophecy articles begin with an introduction that fits the article’s theme, designed to capture the reader’s attention before getting to the topic at hand. Isn’t that what a writer is supposed to do? Due to time/space restraints, and assuming that I have your attention by commenting on your attention in the first place, let’s get right to it!

With, however, an encouragement to read last week’s article, if you haven’t, and next week’s post; because they are two parts of this trilogy that explores the extraordinary correlation between Messiah and the Seven Jewish Festivals.

Jewish celebration of Passover since the 2^nd Temple was destroyed (70AD) is much more focused on deliverance from Egypt which was designed by God to be remembered primarily by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. With the true meaning and commemoration of the Feast of Passover relating specifically to God’s passing over (sparing) the Israelites during the tenth plague of Egypt. This Pass Over was made possible by the sacrifice of innocent lambs.

Yes, God passed over the Hebrews. This stunningly significant event in Israel’s history was God’s first disclosure to them as a nation that the shedding of innocent blood was necessary to spare them from God’s judgment of the wrong things they had done. Later, this universal precept would be graphically portrayed in the Levitical Sacrificial System, an integral part of the Mosaic Covenant. Yet that revelation was only a prelude to a much greater, longer-lasting (as in permanent) solution to the problem of sin that separates all people from God and leads to God’s wrath, so vividly exemplified by the Egyptian plagues, especially the last one.

The New Covenant established a much better arrangement between God and man. A Covenant based on God’s Grace (not keeping of the Law that no one could do in the first place) enabling both Jew and Gentile to enter this binding agreement by simple faith in the final substitutionary sacrifice of a sinless man … Messiah Jesus. It, too, was sealed in blood—the precious blood of God’s very Son.

Listen to the words of Jesus less than twenty-four hours before he allowed himself to be killed on a Roman cross so that all who believed in Him would not “die in their sins.”

Known as the Last Supper, Jesus broke the bread in pieces and said: “…This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me. After supper he took another cup of wine and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you’” (Luke 22:19-20).

Some 3 ½ years before that, John the Baptist—Israel’s greatest prophet ever (according to Jesus)—pointed to Jesus and shouted: “…Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

After witnessing the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus, John the Baptist also attested: “I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God” (Verse 34).

Messiah Jesus the Passover Lamb

It is absolutely no coincidence that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on Passover eve. Though Jesus had (willingly) no control over the Jewish religious leaders arresting him or the Roman soldiers crucifying him, God, nevertheless, providentially orchestrated the sequence of events in order that Messiah Jesus would be the Lamb of God during the time of Israel’s Passover observance.

Later, the Apostle Paul (who kept the Jewish festivals when possible, but from a Messianic viewpoint) said:

“…Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth” (I Corinthians 5:7-8).

Recall in last week’s article: The unblemished lambs or goats sacrificed by the Israelites were to be chosen, separated from the flock, and kept with each family for four days. Jesus came to Jerusalem seven days before he arose from the grave. Thus, he was in Jerusalem among the people for four days before he was killed as the sacrificial Passover Lamb of God!

Read with me the God-inspired words of a Jewish author to a primarily Jewish audience:

“Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God” (Hebrews 7:18-19).

The author’s explanation of the Levitical priesthood (sacrificial system) being “old and useless” was in the context of and contrast to the New Covenant. The author goes on to say:

“But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said:

‘The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant … But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people’” (Hebrews 8:6-10, quoting also Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Then to summarize:

“So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever” (Hebrews 9:11-12).

How awesome is that?! For me, great enough to shout aloud, “Amen!” I just did.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins … People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…” (Romans 3:23-25)

The Festival of Unleavened Bread (Chag Hamotzi in Hebrew)

Although this seven-day feast begins on Nissan 15—immediately following Passover Day—and is intricately linked to the observance of Passover, it is the second festival and is, thereby, separate from Passover in purpose, practice, and pattern of what would be perfected upon the substitutionary death of Messiah.

All seven Jewish festivals are listed in Leviticus Chapter 23, then again in other passages such as Numbers 28 & 29, and in more limited form in Deuteronomy Chapter 16. With Passover and Unleavened Bread first introduced in Exodus Chapter 12.

“The Lord’s Passover begins at sundown on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the next day, the fifteenth day of the month, you must begin celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival to the Lord continues for seven days, and during that time the bread you eat must be made without yeast” (Leviticus 23:5-6).

In Exodus Chapter 12, we find the first mention of the precise purpose for the Unleavened Bread observance.

“Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day…” (Exodus 12:17).

Then again in Deuteronomy:

“…For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, as when you escaped from Egypt in such a hurry. Eat this bread—the bread of suffering—so that as long as you live you will remember the day you departed from Egypt” (Deuteronomy 16:3).

The Passover itself is for Israel to remember that her people were spared from God’s judgment of the entire land of Egypt. It was a powerful preview of a more magnificent and meaningful deliverance through the ultimate Passover Lamb of God, Messiah Jesus—permanent pardon from the final penalty for our sins.

Yeast throughout Scripture represents the infection of sin that leads to the fatal result of both physical and spiritual death (eternal separation from God). In Egypt the Israelites were slaves, not only to the Egyptians but also to their sins. Extraction of the yeast symbolized removal of the people from Egypt, and also spiritual removal of Egypt from the people (Egypt synonymous with yeast, therefore sin).

Thus, the unleavened bread represented their actual deliverance from physical bondage in Egypt, and also the greater problem of spiritual slavery to sin itself. It is an extension of the Passover grace of God to forgive sin and, thereby, spare us from God’s final judgment.

Messiah Jesus Delivers Us from Slavery to Sin (Typified by Yeast in Leavened Bread)

Not only does our Great God and Savior, Messiah Jesus, spare us from final judgment, he also delivers us from bondage to sin. However, not yet from the presence of sin (for believers in Christ are still in this earthly body subject to weakness and still doing wrong things). That will come later when our redemption culminates by the transfiguration of our earthly bodies to glorious resurrected “spiritual bodies.” It’s not that Christians are sinless, but by keeping in close fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we (should) sin less.

See Eye of Prophecy articles, Spiritual Bodies … A Contradiction of Terms? Part I & II, posted 9-26-15 and 10-3-15. Also, Age of Grace, I, II, & III, posted 1-24, 1-31, and 2-7-15.

There are several passages of Scripture that reveal this enigmatic, but, nevertheless, fathomable and fabulous truth of what essentially are three phases of all who have been “born-again” (John 3:3) and have become a “new creation with a new life” (II Corinthians 5:17).

Justification (Our Permanent Position in Christ): The very moment we accept Christ Jesus as personal Savior, we are justified (pardoned, declared not guilty) once for all in God’s sight. God looks at us through the image of his Son: just as if we had never sinned. Our position IN CHRIST is secure forever because Jesus took the punishment we deserved.

Sanctification: (Our Practice & Progress in Christ): Believers set apart by God while we live the remainder of our lives (from the moment of salvation’s rebirth) to be more like Christ. This is possible because God gives us the Holy Spirit to seal, indwell, and empower us to serve and live for our Risen Savior.

Glorification: (Our Final Place and Presence with Christ): Transformation of our body, soul, and spirit to be like Messiah Jesus, and live with him forever when he returns to take us to our heavenly home.

Among several other passages, here is one to sum up these three segments of a believer’s life experience beginning the day of our new birth in Christ.

“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2).

Then continuing: “Since we have been united with him in death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:5-11).

Messiah has delivered those who believe in Him from the penalty, power, and one day (soon) from the very presence of sin in our lives (internally). That is the substance (pattern) of the Feast of Unleavened Bread as fulfilled and completed by Christ Jesus … spiritual removal of the yeast (of sin) from our lives that infects us individually and collectively as the Body of Christ.

So let us remember to: “…lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NASB).

All of the Seven Festivals were extraordinary events under the Old Covenant. But they were also shadows, patterns, and preview types of what was to come. When Jesus initiated, executed, and sealed the New Covenant with his sacrificial blood, the new replaced the old. The shadow became the real image. The type yielded to the Archetype. The pattern turned into the finished product.

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth … He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross” (Colossians 1:15-20).

Now let’s take a look at the next Jewish Festival and why it, too, is a precursor preview of a greater coming attraction … Messiah Jesus!

Third Festival: First Fruits Harvest (Yom Habikkurim in Hebrew)

The first three festivals begin in the Jewish month of Nissan (March/April on our calendar), with the Festival of First Fruits celebrated during the early part of Unleavened Bread, but for a different reason with a unique purpose.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest. On the day after the Sabbath, the priest will lift it up before the Lord so it may be accepted on your behalf’” (Leviticus 23:9-11).

The Spring Harvest (normally barley) was made possible by two seasons of planting in Israel, winter and summer; because there were two seasons of rain, fall and spring.

Notice that this festival (and all following feast days) would commence after God’s people entered the Promised Land of Israel. The reason is abundantly evident: As a people passed over (spared) from God’s judgment of the entire land of Egypt; delivered from slavery in Egypt; redeemed from captivity to idolatry and disbelief, they would be rebirthed as God’s chosen people … individually and also (this time) nationally. They would begin this new life in the land promised to their patriarchal fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This new beginning would be in houses they did not build and with abundant crops they did not plant. In other words, it was a resurrection from physical and spiritual death in Egypt to a promising new life in a place prepared for them by the Lord.

Thus, the first cutting of the first crops harvested by the Israelites themselves was to be given directly to God in heartfelt gratitude; for it was the Lord who assured the harvest (any harvest) even after they entered the land. It was in remembrance that God had raised them up and out of an old life that produced nothing but a horrific harvest of Egyptian inflicted, but also self-induced, misery and hopelessness.

Just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Moses reminded them of many things they had been told, including the Festival of First Fruits Harvest.

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession … put some of the first produce from each crop you harvest into a basket and bring it to the designated place of worship…” (Deuteronomy 26:1-2).

Then, Moses instructed the people to say (from their heart with meaning) the following words in the presence of the Lord their God:

“So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and powerful arm, with overwhelming terror, and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! And now, O Lord, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground…” (Deuteronomy 26:8-10).

(Depicts Joshua Leading Israelites Into the Promised Land of Israel)

Notice also, the Festival of First Fruits was to begin one (complete Jewish) day after the Sabbath (Shabbat in Hebrew) Passover. Not only is the Jewish lunar calendar different from the Gregorian solar calendar, so also is the Jewish day dissimilar. It starts at sundown rather than midnight, which begins the next official day for most of the world.

Passover began at sundown on the 14^th day of Nissan. However, the animals were slaughtered at twilight/dusk; technically the same day before the new day actually begins when the sun goes completely down. This is normally referred to as the day of preparation for the Passover.

Remember, the Passover (God passing over the Jews while the Egyptian firstborns were dying) itself took place later that night after the Hebrews had eaten the Passover meal. Thus, the animals would be slain in preparation on the 13^th (Thursday, as the Jewish Passover officially begins sundown on Friday).

Messiah Jesus Perfection of the First Fruits Festival

The Feast of First Fruits begins on the first full day after the Sabbath (annual Passover Sabbaths). Since the Sabbath doesn’t end until sundown the following day (Saturday) the First Fruits would then begin on Sunday. Hence, there were three actual days from the time the animals were killed to the beginning celebration of the First Fruits Festival on Sunday.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. (Think Jewish days … sundown to sundown).

Many, the world over, know something about what Christians call, Good Friday. True believers in Christ Jesus grasp its significance quite well. As horrible as his torture and death were, it was GOOD for all of us who have placed our trust in Messiah’s once for all atonement for our sins. However, Jesus actually died around 3:00 PM on Thursday, with the Sabbath Passover beginning a few hours later at sundown (Friday). Thus our Lord was in the grave for three (Jewish) days and nights. Believers celebrate the Messianic equivalent of First Fruits on Easter Sunday, what I and some others prefer to call Resurrection Day.

The Apostle Paul was well versed in the Hebrew Scriptures, including the Jewish Festivals. As were the other Apostles and the Jewish author of the book of Hebrews. Eventually all first century Christians would be acutely aware of the amazing New Testament Messianic fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and patterns.

The entire Christian faith, indeed, the very source of everlasting life is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the central subject of all the early messages preached by the Apostles, particularly Paul and Peter. (See the book of Acts).

Paul also recognized the direct connection between the Festival of First Fruits and the Resurrection of Messiah Jesus from the dead in order to give all who believe in him new life.

Listen to Paul’s explanation:

“But, in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection; Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back” (I Corinthians 15:20-23).

Jesus compared the salvation of all those who believed and received him (from the moment of redemption to the triumphant finale of resurrection) to a great harvest (of souls). But this harvest would not be possible unless Messiah first arose from the dead. Jesus is the first fruits of the harvest, followed by the resurrection and transfiguration of all believers—those dead and alive, respectively, at the Rapture.

These first three festivals—Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits—all took place in a period of eight days. Essentially, they are observed in today’s Judaism, as a whole, without the Messianic (Jesus) connection. With, as previously indicated last week and in this week’s article: the overriding emphasis on the Unleavened Bread Passover Supper. Minus the authentic sacrifice of a lamb, which is the very essence and preparatory beginning of the Passover itself.

Fourth Festival: Pentecost Feast of Weeks (Shavuot in Hebrew)

“From the day after the Sabbath—the day you bring the bundle of grain to be lifted up as a special offering—count off seven full weeks. Keep counting until the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days later. Then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. From wherever you live, bring two loaves of bread to be lifted up before the Lord as a special offering…” (Leviticus 23:15-17).

Moses continues: “Then you must offer one male goat as a sin offering and two one-year old male lambs as a peace offering” (Verse 19).

Followed by: “That same day will be proclaimed an official day for holy assembly…” (Verse 21).

Shortly, we’ll see the relevance of the two loaves of bread, the goat, the two lambs, the holy assembly, and other Shavuot events to the New Testament Day of Pentecost.

Pentecost is the Greek word for fifty.

Many Rabbinic scholars believe that Shavuot (which wasn’t inaugurated until after the Israelites entered the Promised Land) fell on the same day that God came down on Mount Sinai in fire and smoke and trumpeted in God’s own voice the Ten Commandments to the people. The Israelites were so terrified of what they saw, but especially of God’s voice, they pleaded with Moses that God would speak to him, not directly to them.

Later, Moses would receive the Ten Commandments written by God himself on two stone tablets from Mount Sinai, then even later the entire Torah (Pentateuch) … the first five books of Scripture. Other Rabbis believe it was during Moses time on Mount Sinai on which Shavuot falls. The only problem with that application is which of the 40 days that Moses was on the mountain would correspond to the 50^th day of celebrating the Feast of Weeks. However, both events match up with the New Testament Pentecost in terms of what took place.

Whether the Festival of Weeks was observed on the anniversary when God spoke the Ten Commandments directly to the Israelites or to Moses on Mount Sinai, the fact remains that the Holy Spirit descended (thereafter to reside permanently in the hearts of believers) on Pentecost (Shavuot). It says so in the text.

“On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

“At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem … They were completely amazed. ‘How can this be?’ they exclaimed. ‘These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!’” (Acts 2:1-8).

Ten days earlier, Jesus told his disciples: “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5).

Baptism by the Holy Spirit means immersion in and identification with the Father and the Son through the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the guaranteed seal of the New Covenant believer’s salvation (II Corinthians 5:5); just as the Jews were identified with and set apart by the Law at Mount Sinai. But the Old Covenant would give way to the New.

To further demonstrate that this Festival (all of them) points to the Messiah, the One for whom the Festivals were intended to picture and the One who would complete the greater purpose for them, let’s examine the remarkable parallels between the Old Testament Shavuot and the New Testament Pentecost.

The Feast of Weeks was to be observed by the “holy assembly” (holy means set apart) of all of Israel. When God majestically delivered the Ten Commandments to the twelve tribes of Israel, they were assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai. Likewise, with the believers (120 of them at that time) “meeting in one place,” i.e. assembled together. Plus there was a large crowd who saw the spectacular results of the Holy Spirit filling the believers on the day of Pentecost. People from fourteen different nations/languages are identified! Most, if not all, were there to observe Pentecost (Acts 2:7-11).
God’s presence at Mt. Sinai was accompanied by thunder, lightning, smoke, and fire and the majestic voice of God himself, which petrified the people. (Exodus 19 & 20). This had to do with the giving of the Mosaic Law, which could save no one, but which was necessary to show the people their sins and the need for atonement through the sacrificial shedding of blood. At Pentecost in Jerusalem the Holy Spirit came upon the believers as tongues of fire. But it was a time of rejoicing. The believers weren’t terrified; they were ecstatic. As the Lord said he would do at Mt. Sinai, he did not again speak to the people directly until Jesus, the Son of God, spoke to all Israel. Then at Pentecost, the Apostle Peter presented the first (and the greatest sermon in the entire New Testament after Jesus ascended to heaven) “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit.
After Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, he found the golden calf idol made by some of the impatient and disbelieving Israelites. Most know the story: 3,000 Israelites were killed because of this despicable rebellious act of worshiping an idol (See Exodus Chapter 32). It was no coincidence whatsoever that 3,000 of the assembled crowd at Pentecost, “believed what Peter said,” (Acts 2:41). Peter said a lot during that first New Testament sermon preached by someone other than Jesus. Summarized by his words: “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” (Acts 2:36).
A less obvious, but nevertheless compelling, correlation between the Old Covenant Pentecost and the New Covenant fulfillment was the requirement for the people to offer a male goat as a sin offering and two male lambs as a peace offering. The “one” animal to be sacrificed as a “sin offering” was to remember that the most important feature of the Mosaic Law was the Levitical Sacrificial system, beginning with the Passover lamb. The two lambs sacrificed as a “peace offering” represent Jew and Gentile, both of whom would be recipients of so great a salvation purchased with the blood of the Passover Lamb … Messiah Jesus. This is also symbolized by the two loaves of bread offered at the Festival of Shavuot.

This inclusion of the Gentiles is also presented by the last verse in this Old Testament passage on Feast of Weeks, as beautifully portrayed in the book of Ruth (Ruth a Gentile, Boaz a Jew).

“When you harvest the crops of your land do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 23:22).

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1).

Hence the two-lamb “peace offering” during Shavuot. Jew and Gentile alike (See Ephesians 2:14-15).

(Jew and Gentile, One in Messiah)

Things to Ponder

In Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit would “come upon” certain people … mostly the prophets, but also some of the judges and kings, especially King David, as well as a few “ordinary” people. The purpose was to empower them to do great things for God and the people. The Holy Spirit enabled the prophets to prophesy (a combination of proclaiming God’s truth, both warnings and blessings) and to predict the future. But the presence of the Holy Spirit was never permanent during the Old Covenant.

Not so with the New Covenant. Once a person believes and receives Christ as personal Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells them from that moment on.

Said Jesus to his disciples (and all believers): “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth…” (John 14:16-17, italics for emphasis).

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26).

For the believer, the Holy Spirit is our Counselor (Advocate … Defender). Also, our Comforter and the One who corrects us when we need correction.

The Holy Spirit is not personally available to unbelievers until they are born-again (the term used by Jesus, himself). Jesus said that the Holy Spirit’s ministry to unbelievers is:

“And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged” (John 16:8-11).

Rejecting personal salvation through Jesus is the ultimate reason that a person will end up in hell instead of heaven. Because Jesus as a man was limited to physical time and space, righteousness (right standing with God) through Messiah’s atoning salvation would be available globally, via the Holy Spirit’s work. Although Satan was judged and defeated by Messiah’s resurrection, the Lord’s final judgment to complete Satan’s defeat would take place only when Messiah Jesus returns at the appointed time.

Hallelujah to the Passover Lamb of God!

All praise and glory to our great God and Savior, Messiah Jesus who will return as the Lion from the Tribe of Judah!

Messiah and the Jewish Festivals … An Extraordinary Connection!

24 Saturday Sep 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Passover, The Exodus

Jesus and the Jewish Religious Leaders

The greatest event in the history of mankind took place in the first century when God, at the appointed time, sent his Son into the world as both God and man. Jesus the Christ (Messiah) is the Son of God, the Jewish Son (descendant) of David, and the global Son of Man. His astonishing Virgin-birth arrival on the earth changed the measurement of time itself (B.C. to A.D.), and he continues to change the lives and eternal destiny of those who have believed in him for their personal salvation.

The most tragic event of all time also took place in the first century, continuing to this very day. It was and is the widespread refusal of most Jews and Gentiles to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and, therefore, to reject him as Savior and Lord, the only way to God. Tragic, because this disbelief will result in eternal separation from God. Yet, God, as he so often does, turned this tragedy into triumph over sin and death that has plagued mankind since the day that our original parents defied their Creator … to do their own thing and go their own way.

One of the paramount proclamations in all of the Bible to unequivocally affirm the eternal existence of Messiah Jesus as (the Living Word of) God, is the first verse of the Gospel of John.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (New American Standard Bible).

Followed by: “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him … In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:2-5, NASB).

Throughout the Gospels it’s crystal clear: Despite his profound teaching and the awesome miracles Jesus performed to prove his divine power and his God-given authority, the religious leaders scorned him for two indefensible reasons:

First, they could not tolerate anyone usurping or even sharing their position and prestige among the common people. Secondly, they deliberately declined to search their own Hebrew Scriptures to objectively determine if this man from the region of Galilee (whom they mistakenly thought was born in Nazareth, instead of Bethlehem—the prophesied birth place of the Messiah), just might be the long-awaited Messiah.

Among other things, they did not:

Bother to resolve if Jesus was from the lineage of King David (Son of David).
Carefully examine Daniel’s prophecy (Chapter 9) that the Messiah would arrive 483 years after Nehemiah began to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Jesus’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey precisely fulfilled this spectacular prophecy.
Study the Scriptures (Old Testament) that show Messiah would also be a humble, suffering servant of a lowly birth, as found especially in Isaiah and the Psalms, but also other books such as Micah.
Match up specific things that Jesus said and did, or that were done for or to him such as crucifixion on a cross—during Jesus’s life, death, burial, and especially his resurrection—to dozens of Messianic prophecies.
Out-of-hand dismissal of Christ’s resurrection.
Then later, after the 2^nd Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, to again review Daniel 9 which confirms that Messiah would come BEFORE the Temple would be destroyed.

Said Jesus to the Jewish religious authorities:

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:24-27).

Jesus went on to say to the Jewish leaders: “But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me” (John 5:36 … John here is John the Baptist).

Then Jesus drives home the point:

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life” (Verse 39).

This scene ends with these astonishing words of Jesus:

“For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. No wonder you can’t believe! … Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” (John 5:43-47).

When Jesus said that they didn’t believe what Moses wrote, he was referring to what Moses—and also by extended implication what all of the prophets—had written about the coming Messiah. If they would set aside their pride and prejudice, then carefully and impartially match the prophecies with Jesus, they would plainly see that he was the Messiah.

Many Have Believed Jesus is Messiah … Many More Have Not

It was not just the religious leaders. Although most Jews didn’t have the same hang-up that their clerical leaders did—the incomparable power and authority of Jesus usurping the influence of the religious authorities—they, nevertheless, dismissed Jesus for another reason. He did not fit the image of a conquering Messiah who would deliver them from the oppression of the Roman Empire. To be sure, the Messiah would one day deliver Israel from all Gentile domination, but not until he first freed the people from themselves. Until the human heart is supernaturally changed by the righteousness that only God can give (as opposed to sin induced self-righteousness that only enslaves people), a kingdom (nation) cannot be changed from one of darkness to one of light.

Let’s read about one of the incidents between Jesus and the common folk of Israel:

“When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, ‘Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?’ Then they scoffed, ‘He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?’ And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him…” (Matthew 13:53-57).

The stories and illustrations referred to were no less than nine parables in this one chapter alone to explain “The Kingdom of Heaven.” As alluded to in last week’s article, the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are occasionally used interchangeably by Jesus. They both apply to the King of those Kingdoms, which is the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, the immediate context of the Kingdom of Heaven applies more directly to the rule and presence of the Lord universally in the hearts and minds of those who believe and receive the King (Messiah) as personal Savior.

Whereas the Kingdom of God pertains comprehensively to the actual physical kingdom of God on earth when Christ returns to rescue Israel from annihilation and defeat at the hands of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet. Satan’s worldly kingdoms will be decisively crushed, and the Kingdom of God will be centered in Jerusalem, from where Messiah Jesus and all believers will rule and reign.

Kingdom of Heaven: Personal relationship to God.

Kingdom of God: Global governmental administration by God.

The people looked only for the Kingdom of God that would be preceded by God’s judgment of ungodly Gentile nations (at that time, the Roman Empire). They missed entirely the clear evidence of the Old Testament (completely revealed in and accomplished by the New Covenant) that first must come the Kingdom of Heaven in the hearts and minds of those who had been redeemed by the final sacrifice of the High Priest, Messiah. Their own sins must first be mediated and forgiven, which would spare them from the coming judgment of all people … Jews and Gentiles alike.

They had forgotten or had chosen to ignore the fact that the Temple and all of its instruments, the ceremonial laws, and even the Levitical sacrificial system, were only pictorial patterns of a greater Temple (Christ himself), a more-enduring (once and for all) Sacrifice for their sins, and the ultimate promise that God would live (tabernacle) among them. The sacrifices had become entirely ritual with strict observance to the letter of the law, not the real underlying spiritual purpose of the law.

They were too short-sighted to see that the seven festivals God gave them to celebrate would also be a pattern precursor to a new and better relationship with God through their Messiah.

Which leads us the theme of todays and the next two Eye of Prophecy articles: the Seven Festivals given by God through Moses for the people of Israel to observe annually and the remarkable prophetic correlation of these High Holy Days to Messiah Jesus.

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) … Where It All Began!

God instructed the Hebrews to stop the daily routine of their lives seven times each year to memorialize the remarkable things that the Lord had done for them, not the least of which was deliverance from slavery and creation of the nation of Israel from the twelve sons of Jacob. The festivals were special times to reflect on the profound privilege afforded them through God’s providence, power, protection, provision, and even his very presence among them.

Observant Jews, especially the Orthodox and Conservative, keep all of the festivals in some fashion. So, too, does the Reformed branch of Judaism, but with more flexibility in their observance. Even many non-observant Jews (secular mostly) celebrate Passover, Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), and Sukkot (Festival of Shelters) because, in their view, these holidays pertain to Israel collectively as a nation. Not much different than Americans celebrating the Western New Year, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas … whether the person is a Christian or not.

There are two other Jewish holidays celebrated as much or more than Passover and Rosh Hashanah. They are not among the seven festivals because the events that led to these festive occasions took place centuries later. They are: Purim and Hanukkah. The reason why virtually all Jews take part in these two celebrations is because there are more secular Jews in today’s world than religious.

Passover is the first festival God commanded the people to observe annually. Next to the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, no event on earth is as well-known and remembered down through the ages as the Exodus. Jews and Gentiles, believers and unbelievers, rich and poor, young and old, religious and secular alike have heard or read or know something about the dramatic deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt, complement of ten miraculous plagues on the Egyptians.

Followed by one miracle after another: Parting of the Red Sea; Return of the waters to drown the Egyptian pursuers; Pillar of Cloud by day and Pillar of Fire by night; Bread (Manna) appearing every morning from nowhere; Meat (Quail) falling out of the sky; Water gushing from solid rock; The Finger of God writing the Ten Commandments on stone tablets; and more.

(Note: I’m not so sure about the young in today’s world. For example, a recent survey showed that 71% of Millennials in America, 18-26 years of age, didn’t even know where to look for Israel on a global map)!

Next to being alive in Israel when Jesus walked the earth, if I could have lived in another time and place in history, I would, without hesitation, select the Exodus. (As an Israelite, not an Egyptian!)

The Ten Commandments (Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, and Anne Baxter) is still considered one of the greatest movies of all time. Other films have been made of the Exodus; numerous books, articles, and commentaries written; and countless sermons preached about this monumental historic milestone.

(Depicting Moses Receiving The Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai)

Many know that it all began when God struck Egypt with ten spectacular plagues to demonstrate that he, alone, was the true and living God. But most likely not that many could identify all of the first nine of these divine judgments necessary before Pharaoh’s hard-hearted pride would finally be crushed. However, a great number of people recall the tenth plague, one that shook the very foundation of the mighty Egyptian empire, one that would take centuries for Egypt to recover.

You remember:

“And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died” (Exodus 12:29-30).

The Passover Changed the Hebrew Calendar

Whatever calendar the Hebrews had used to measure time was changed to accommodate and acknowledge this phenomenal event in Israel’s history. Then subsequently to regulate the months of the Hebrew year; a lunar calendar still used by the Jews today, instead of the Julian turned Gregorian solar calendar that came along much later.

“From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you” (Exodus 12:2). The month is called Nissan (originally Abib in the Bible) corresponding to the Gregorian calendar months of March/April.

Also amazing: God through Moses instructed the Hebrews to commemorate Passover on the 14^th day of the first month of every year, before this catastrophic calamity actually took place! In other words, it was a sure thing that God would do what he said would be done. That’s also true with hundreds of other Biblical prophecies.

In fact, let’s read what God told Moses to announce to Pharaoh (God through Moses warned Pharaoh of this final catastrophic judgment, just as Pharaoh had been warned before all the preceding plagues).

“…This is what the Lord says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt. All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. But among the Israelites, it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the Lord has made a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites” (Exodus 11:4-7).

*Note: We’ll see in a moment what this distinction was and what it was meant to be and do.

To this very day, Jews enthusiastically celebrate the Passover; with, however, primary emphasis on their deliverance from Egypt … with minimal or no reflection why the blood of innocent lambs had to be spread on the doorposts of every Hebrew house. Even before, but especially after Israel’s second Temple was destroyed by the Romans and their Levitical Sacrificial System eliminated, there had not been nearly as much attention paid to the very heart of Passover, itself. Instead, the Passover has been representatively reduced almost exclusively to remembering the emancipation from Egypt; which is, according to the Lord, to be observed in and by the 2^nd Festival ordained by God … the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

(Passover Today with Emphasis on the Meal … Unleavened Bread)

Let’s read the actual account in Scripture which reveals the more exact meaning of Passover and the purpose for its remembrance. For sure, the seven-day Unleavened Bread Festival that follows the day after Passover is an extension of Passover itself. However, this following feast served a different purpose and possessed a different meaning to God and (should) also to the Jews and now to Gentile Christians and Messianic Jews.

The Original Passover and Its True Purpose

First, an unblemished (without defect of any kind) one-year old male lamb or goat must be set aside by each Jewish family four days ahead of the Passover. One of the main reasons for selecting a lamb or goat four days before Passover was so each family would become more personally attached to the animal. Which, in turn, would make it even more difficult to (sacrificially) kill their lamb. Invariably, it was to impress on the people the high price of atonement … the shedding of innocent blood.

“Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal” (Exodus 12:6-7).

Why must the blood of their innocent slain lamb be applied to the doorframes? Many know the answer to that. Because the Lord said:

“On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12-13, italics for emphasis).

So … easy answer to the question. Right? God would pass over the Jews as long as they displayed the blood of the slain animals as directed by the Lord.

But wait a minute. That summary answer still doesn’t fully explain what’s going on here. Which is why virtually all Jews, except those who believe in Yeshua as Messiah, focus on the Pesach supper more in the context of and reason for the Feast of Unleavened Bread during their celebration of Passover.

Logically, that makes sense; because they no longer observe the all-important feature of Passover, which is the shed blood of a sacrificial lamb. Scripturally, however, the Jews are not obeying and following God’s original commandment, i.e. sacrificial slaying of innocent animals. That’s particularly true for Passover, but also for the entire Levitical Sacrificial system where sin, guilt, peace (thanks), grain, and other sacrifices were required, including the weekly Sabbath.

(The True Essence of Passover)

Thanks be to our Sovereign God and His Glorious Son, Messiah Jesus. Although the Jews are not truly keeping the full Scriptural essence of the Passover (slain animal), what most of them don’t know or won’t accept is that God has taken care of that problem! Which will be more fully developed in next week’s article.

In the interim, you might want to read Eye of Prophecy articles, Where Is the Temple? Part I, II, & III, posted 11-19, 12-6 & 12-13-14. They explain in great detail the ongoing disbelief (in denial) of non-Messianic Jews regarding the real reasons for and results of the destruction of the 2^nd Temple.

To better understand the very core of Passover, let’s ask some probing questions.

Sacrificial Blood Must Be Shed

Why did it have to be blood (of an innocent unblemished animal)? Why not the juice of grapes, or dye, or paint, or chimes, or anything else that could easily be seen?

For that matter, why must the blood be spread on the entrance to their homes at all?

Does anyone think for a moment that the angel of death sent by God to destroy the firstborn sons of Egypt couldn’t distinguish between Egyptian homes and Hebrew homes (even though it was dark)? Plus, the Hebrews lived in Goshen, completely separated from the Egyptians. Not only that, but all of the previous plagues (a couple partially, most entirely) had not touched nor affected the Israelites. Why wouldn’t or shouldn’t the Lord give his people carte blanche protection during the worst, by far, of the ten plagues?

Have you ever thought about these reasons/questions?

The answers, as always, are found in Scripture.

The Lord specifically states the purpose was to: “execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord!”

Egypt had numerous man-made deities, most of which were gods representing specific parts of nature … worshipping creation not the Creator. Their chief god was Ra, the sun god. During the passage of time (400 years of captivity) many of the Hebrews had begun to worship some of these Egyptian gods. They had forgotten that it was the God of their fathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—who had called them to be his special possession.

Thus, the Hebrews would also have been struck down by the angel of death; as a whole, they no longer believed in or trusted the true and living God. Which is why God sovereignly said, “I am the Lord.” Repeat those four words aloud three times. With each announcement successively emphasizing “I”, then “AM,” then “The Lord.” Then, you’ll get the full meaning of what God impressed on the Hebrews and why he would not pass over them if they did not follow his instructions.

Because they believed God and followed the angels out of Sodom, Lot and his two daughters were spared from God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot’s wife would also have lived, but she chose to “look back” with the obvious meaning that she longed to go back to this wicked city (her home). Noah and his family were delivered from the Great Flood because their trust in God had made them righteous in God’s sight. Righteousness by and through faith (as opposed to self-righteousness and good works and keeping of laws) alone was already a universal truth long before the Mosaic Law was given.

“And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith” (Genesis 15:6).

When it comes to God dispensing his wrath on entire cities or nations and his mercy to spare those who love and trust him, there must first be obedient trust in God and his directions to be exempted from divine judgment. Even the Hebrews in the land of Goshen, which was part of Egypt proper, must agree with the Lord’s instructions in order to be spared from, “the plague of death … when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:13, italics for emphasis showing that all of Egypt would be judged).

Thus, Passover is first and foremost God sparing his people from judgment, not precisely their departure from Egypt. The “Exodus” itself would be celebrated by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Getting back to the distinction God would make between the Egyptians and the Israelites, we again ask the question:

Why blood? Because as Scripture teaches: without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Nor pardon from sin’s ultimate penalty … eternal separation from God. From the beginning when Adam and Eve sinned and infected all of humanity with that dreadful disease, God’s plan was to remedy the problem by the shedding of innocent blood. The Lord spilled the blood of innocent animals to make clothing for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness, which became a source of guilt and shame to our original parents the instant they sinned. It was the fall of innocence.

The very life of all created beings on this planet is in the blood. We can transplant the human heart and other organs, we can substitute arms and legs with artificial limbs, and we can do skin grafts. But drain the blood of any human being without replacing it, and we’re goners within minutes.

God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to demonstrate among other things that the death of the promised son (Isaac as opposed to Ishmael) whose descendants would bring us the Messiah, must die for the sins of Israel and the whole world. God spared Isaac by providing a nearby (innocent) ram in his place. But God did not spare his own (Promised) Son, the One for whom Isaac was a pattern and preview.

Which brings us to Messiah’s fantastic fulfillment and profound perfection of the original Passover. But that will need to wait until next week’s article, which will further distinguish between the festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread. Then we’ll look at the 3^rd and 4^th Jewish Festivals … their extraordinary connection to and completion by Messiah Jesus when he came to earth the first time. Finally, week after next we’ll examine the amazing perfection by Messiah Jesus of the last three Jewish Festival to be accomplished at his second coming.

Things to Ponder

All who personally agree with God and accept the sacrificial redemption of Messiah’s shed blood and death, will be saved (spared) from the judgment of God. That includes those who have died in Christ and those still alive seven years before Messiah Jesus physically returns to this earth, “…with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

At the spectacular Rapture, the dead in Christ will be raised and the living will be caught up from the earth to meet the Lord (I Thessalonians Chapter 4).

God’s Pre-Millennial Tribulation wrath and Post-Millennial final judgment of the dead and living will then Passover all who believe in God’s perfect Sacrificial Passover Lamb.

Messiah Jesus, the sinless innocent Son of God, dying in our place. Paying the ultimate price for our sins. Doing for us what we could not for ourselves.

As said in a previous Eye of Prophecy article: It is the Greatest Sacrifice Ever Made, by the Highest Price Ever Paid.

The Peace Treaty That Will Guarantee War

03 Saturday Sep 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Signs of the Time

Times of the Signs!

A forest fire, a merry-go-round, a spinning top, a kaleidoscope, a domino effect, an avalanche, or a one-thousand piece puzzle assembled every day: pick one of these metaphors or choose one of your own. Any one of them reliably represents the frantic pace at which global events are occurring, particularly in the Middle East. It is nothing short of astonishing.

I think the most applicable analogy of all would be childbirth pains. That is the picture used by Jesus to depict the exponential escalation of natural disasters, epidemic diseases, wars, ethnic conflicts, surge and resurge of Anti-Semitism, rampant immorality, distortion of and deviation from the absolute truth of God’s Word (Bible), and the international geopolitical maneuverings that are part and parcel of the rumors of war the world over—just before the Rapture and the ensuing Great Tribulation.

“But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come” (Matthew 24:8).

It is ominously obvious that we are experiencing the final global contractions before the unbearably painful, but divinely devised, delivery from self-destruction. Employing another analogy: things are taking place at the speed of light. In this case referring to the light of the sun as it rises each day; hardly a day goes by without a new development or a spin-off of an earlier event.

Listen to the climatic comparison used by Messiah Jesus:

“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:32-34).

Folks, we are that generation. The 21^st century fig tree has sprouted into full bloom. Messiah’s return is very near.

Many Eye of Prophecy articles are dedicated to that reality. See for example, The End of the Age … How Close Are We? Posted 11-23-13; The Omega Generation (2-15-14); The Seven-Year Treaty (5-2-15). Also, Look Up, Redemption is Near, Part I & II, published 7-11 & 7-18-15.

Biblical signs of the times are so prominent and prevalent that some have appropriately switched this often-used phrase to, “Times of the signs.”

Watershed waves of uncertainty have breached our sense of security like never before. One menacing world incident after another has compromised our hope for a brighter, better future. The threat of economic collapse or terrorism striking our country, our city, our neighborhood, our home has created an air of apprehension and even dread, because there’s little we can do to prevent these kind of things from happening. Above all, there is acute anxiety over another world war. Our world is smaller now than when World War II engulfed the planet with death and destruction. The smaller our world, the more likely that local and regional conflicts will become global.

(Actually, those in Christ can be calm!)

Who among us doesn’t fear and hate war?

Or should I say those of us who truly love and long for peace, as there are some who are blood-thirsty and power-hungry; who embrace violence to achieve their warped objectives and continue vicious oppression even after their conquests.

Is there really any glory in war? Perhaps to the victors? Perhaps for a while? But what about the dead, civilians and soldiers alike? The horribly wounded … those who have missing limbs or scarred bodies for life? The dispossessed and displaced refugees? Why must so many woman and children suffer so much?

Yes, righteous wars are necessary. Without them there would be no freedom, or less freedom. However optimistically these questions and others like them might be answered, there is still the repulsive reality and awful accuracy of the well-known maxim:

War is Hell.

How else can we explain approximately 72 million people killed in World War II, except to say it was hell on earth. Unimaginably, WW II will pale in comparison to the catastrophic carnage of the Great Tribulation, in which well over half of the world’s population will perish. Actually closer to five of every six people will not make it through those seven years. (Please see Eye of Prophecy article, Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation, posted 6-6-15. I didn’t realize the significance of the posting date of that article until later … it was the anniversary of D-Day).

We’re getting a terrible taste of mass casualties of war again … the quarter million who have died in Syria. Which, appallingly, will be the proverbial, “drop in the bucket” (a very large bucket) compared to the loss of life when the most astounding “peace treaty” of all time takes place shortly after the Rapture of believers to heaven.

War is so horrendous that we not only make treaties to end wars, such as the Versailles Treaty of June 28, 1919 that brought an official end to the Great War—the war that was supposed to end all wars—but we also arrange treaties to (hopefully) prevent nations from warring against each other. They are peace pacts before the fact. Whether these agreements are full-fledged treaties or limited to “non-aggression pacts,” the idea is for a nation or a coalition of nations to agree to disagree on political, economic, and cultural differences. But not to resolve these differences through war. Thus, we have NATO, the EU, the UN, and individual treaties between two nations; all with the noble, yet often unrealistic, objective of creating then maintaining peace between peoples on this planet.

(Photo of the Versailles Treaty)

The futility of these preventive peace agreements is found in their historical irony. This travesty comes in two fragile forms: (1) the truly peace-loving side appeasing a dictator or state dictatorship through a non-aggression pact or peace treaty. (2) Peace driven nation or nations conducting a justified military campaign with “limited” objectives, such as mere containment of the enemy. There is no real resolve or commitment of forces necessary to decisively “win” the war.

Examples of Appeasement and Failure to Go All In

Non-Aggression Peace Pacts

Regarding appeasement, there are several examples throughout history. Sticking to the more recent 20^th century, there are two that stand out.

Will any of those still alive today or the many more born later ever forget the phrase, “Peace for our time.”

Even if you only got a “D” in history, you probably remember that British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain proudly pronounced these words after he negotiated a “peace treaty” with Adolph Hitler, called the Munich Agreement … September 30, 1938. It is undoubtedly the most egregious example of appeasement in the annals of diplomacy. What was supposed to be one of the greatest peace agreements ever, permitted Germany to annex part of Czechoslovakia and part of Austria (Sudetenland) in exchange for Hitler’s promise of non-aggression anywhere else in Europe. How long did it last? Until March, 1939, when Hitler unilaterally annexed the rest of Czechoslovakia.

Then on September 1, 1939 the Third Reich began its blitzkrieg conquest of Poland, followed soon by a lightning quick defeat of France. Thereafter (1940) England was smack in the middle of their bloodiest war in history. One that erupted into a World War, which dwarfed The Great War (World War I) that was to end all wars. Prime Minister Chamberlain also used the phrase, “peace with honor,” to describe the Munich Agreement. With his impression of an ostrich (head in the sand), Chamberlain naively and blindly believed Hitler would honor the agreement.

God Save the Queen! Because one-way, lop-sided peace agreements (appeasement) certainly won’t!

The second example of appeasement was the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact that the Third Reich duped Russia into signing in August, 1939 just before Germany invaded Poland. Hitler had no intention of honoring that agreement; in June, 1941 Germany launched Operation Barbarossa against Russia. Battles fought by these two countries produced, by far, the most casualties of World War II.

Limited War … Lack of Commitment for Total Victory

As an example of lack of all-out commitment to decisively defeat an enemy that crosses national and racial (red) lines, we need look no further than Korea and Vietnam. All kinds of concessions were made by our Presidential Staff, by our Congress, and even by some of our military leaders. It was pacification borne mostly from fear of drawing Communist Soviet Union and/or Communist China into these wars. There were also others to appease, such as the liberal left within our country. But the disastrous results were the same: a tenuous truce with North Korea that is still a communist country and still poses a (nuclear) threat to South Korea, the United States, as well as other nations. And a truce that was more of a surrender to North Vietnam which also remains communistic, under the oxymoronic name of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The definitions and concept of socialism and republic are absolutely incompatible.

That’s not all. How many fewer American and coalition casualties would there have been, if Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War of 1991 had been allowed to continue north in Iraq, right up to the front door of Saddam Hussein’s palace? Instead, we had to go back again in 2003, suffering even more casualties. Even then, we adopted a containment policy. And it only got worse. In just a few short years after President Obama pulled our ground forces out of Iraq, ISIS filled the gap.

Then there’s the Iran Nuclear Agreement completed just last year. Where do you suppose that will lead? Is there any indication, whatsoever, that Iran’s supreme potentate, Ayatollah Khomeini, is or will be any different than Adolph Hitler? Among many other sordid similarities, they both uttered their diabolic diatribe that not a single Jew remain on planet Earth. Ever so tragically, Hitler almost succeeded (Holocaust). Iran will pick up where Hitler left off when it joins the Gog/Magog attack on Israel.

With a few exceptions, Eye of Prophecy articles do not get all that “political.” Even when they do, the topic is in the larger context of Biblical principles and prophecies. In the context of today’s post, the point needs to be made that peace treaties, especially those designed to be preemptive, are seldom (as is said) worth the paper on which they are written. There is a reason for that: Invariably, one side is not honest … they have ulterior motives. The only thing a non-aggression type peace treaty does is to give the sinister side more time to accomplish their amoral agenda.

Scriptural Precedents to Affirm Our Premise: Conciliatory Agreements between Good and Evil Never Works

There are two striking examples in the Bible, one past and one future.

Past Example

The past precedent involves much of Israel’s chronicles from the time that Joshua led them into the Promised Land to the time that Nebuchadnezzar crushed Israel, demolished Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple, and exiled the surviving Jews to Babylon. We’ll focus only on the early stages of Israel’s history … their conquest of Canaan, as commanded by God himself. For two reasons: (1) God promised this land to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. (2) The majority of the Canaanite nations were exceedingly evil people, engaged in detestable practices such as sacrificing their children to pagan, man-made gods.

God gave his people specific instructions as to which societies to destroy and which ones to show mercy, to the extent of allowing some gentile nations to exist alongside of the Jews in the Promised Land of Israel.

Instead, the Israelites permitted a few of these wicked tribes to exist and their evil conduct to continue. The “peace treaties” that Israel made with them came back to bite all twelve tribes for centuries … through constant attack by and war with some of these pagan nations. Even worse, Israel began to worship pagan gods. It was the first classic example of ill-advised and God forbidden peace pacts that led directly to war.

War and Peace. Incompatible. Right? Of course, right. Which also means that a treaty of peace should never be an intentional or even unintentional guarantee that war will inevitably follow. Correct? No, not even close.

Future Example

Fast forwarding to the (near) future. Let’s look at the most famous (infamous) treaty of all time, one that has yet to be made. One that will absolutely guarantee war against Israel followed by World War III … Armageddon. Starting with the treaty, the man who orchestrates it, and the aftermath, we read:

“The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven (seven years), but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him” (Daniel 9:27).

In several Eye of Prophecy articles, I have written much about this treaty and the one (Antichrist Nero) who persuades Israel and Muslim nations to accept this settlement. In order for both the Jews and Arabs to agree to such a treaty, substantial concessions will be made by both sides, most of which will be tantamount to appeasement of the Arabs. Israel will agree to most anything just to regain full functional control of Temple Mount, and rebuild their Temple on their most holy site in the holy city, Jerusalem.

Likewise, some Eye of Prophecy articles have been wholly or partially dedicated to the Gog/Magog war against Israel, but in today’s article we’ll make a connection that perhaps even many students of the Bible haven’t seen. What we’re going to see is that a devastatingly deceptive “peace” treaty is what will prompt the Gog/Magog coalition to march against Israel, which will take place in the first year or so of the Tribulation. It will be, “Peace for our time” all over again.

Let’s revisit one of the most well-known prophetic passages in Scripture.

“This is another message that came to me from the Lord: ‘Son of man, turn and face Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord: Gog, I am your enemy! I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws to lead you out with your whole army…” (Ezekiel 38:1-4).

*Note: The hooks in Gog’s jaw will be this seven-year peace treaty and the ensuing sense of security (complacency) it will bring to Israel.

The Lord then gives Ezekiel the identity of some of the nations that will join forces with Gog. The nations today that are the most prominent in this satanic confederation are Russia, Iran, and Turkey. There are also several other countries.

Through Ezekiel, the Lord says to Gog: “Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them. A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands to the mountains of Israel. You and all your allies—a vast and awesome army—will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud” (Ezekiel 38:7-9, italics for emphasis).

This spectacular prophecy was written some 2,550 years ago. But, there is little doubt that we are living in the days of what the Lord told Ezekiel would be, “the distant future.”

Why can we know that?

Because, the Jews (in great numbers), “have returned from many lands” to the Promised Land, especially after Israel was reborn as a sovereign state in 1948. This miraculous rebirth took place just three years after six million Jews had been slaughtered in the Holocaust. The phenomenon of Israel being “born in a single day” (Isaiah 66:8) signaled the greatest “recovery from war” that any nation on earth has ever experienced. Four subsequent wars would conclusively confirm the prophecy that the Gog/Magog alliance would attack Israel when she, will be enjoying peace after recovering from war. They were Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, 1956 Suez War, 1967 Six-Day War, and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

In just the last few months and weeks, Russia, Iran, and Turkey have “mobilized their armies” and have taken “command of them” in Syria, which borders Israel. Although the mobilization is limited, the fact remains that for the first time in history these three Magog nations are conducting military operations in the Middle East. Unmistakably, this is the beginning fulfillment of Ezekiel’s astounding prophecy. It’s just a matter of (a short) time before the full military might of Russia, Iran, Turkey, and other nations descend on Israel to completely bring about the Gog/Magog prophecy.

Why the Gog/Magog Offensive against Israel Won’t Take Place until After the Rapture

As a refresher from previous Eye of Prophecy articles on this subject, two of the reasons are: (1) if such an attack were to occur before the Rapture, then the United States and our Western allies would definitely come to Israel’s rescue. However, the (soon to come) Rapture will leave the United States (and to a lesser extent its coalition countries) much weaker, if for no other reason than the number of believers taken. (2) God’s direct intervention against Gog/Magog includes supernatural plagues that are akin to the sixth seal and first trumpet of Revelation 6:12-14 and Revelation 8:7, respectively. Obviously, all of the Revelation judgments take place during the Great Tribulation.

There is a third reason—the focus of today’s article—why the Gog/Magog prophecy won’t take place before the Rapture: the prerequisite condition that Israel “will be enjoying peace when the attack begins. We’ve already looked at the first reference to that “peace” in the above quoted verses. For emphasis, the Lord makes two more references … one implicit, the other direct.

Again, the Lord is speaking to Gog:

“…At that time evil thoughts will come to your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme. You will say, ‘Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence!” (Ezekiel 38:10-11).

Although Israel is, and will be when Gog attacks, a formidable fighting force, the location of the land leaves her vulnerable to invasion from all sides (unwalled villages). Moreover, this “confidence” of Israel and the Jews will arise from a false sense of security stemming directly from the seven-year treaty orchestrated by Antichrist Nero between Jews and Muslims. This amazing treaty will be unopposed by virtually all nations on the earth that have been temporarily stunned by the disappearance of hundreds of millions from the earth and the chaos created by this staggering global event.

Talk and a “paper” treaty will be cheaper than ever. Meaning that Antichrist Nero will pledge to come to the aid of Israel if she is attacked. Which, of course, he, and the ten-nation confederation that he is consolidating at the time, will not do when Russia, Iran, and Turkey liftoff their campaign against Israel. The extent of Nero’s (and his ten kingdoms) resistance to the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel will be lip service only. There will be no military challenge to Russia, Iran, Turkey, and other smaller nations in this Magog confederacy. (See Ezekiel 38:13).

Let’s look at the third mention of peace in Israel that will be the incentive for Gog/Magog to attack her; also the reason that Israel will be caught off guard and unable to defend herself against such a massive coalition.

Again, for emphasis, the Lord states: “Therefore, son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord: ‘When my people are living in peace in their land, then you will rouse yourself. You will come from your homeland in the distant north with your vast cavalry and your mighty army, and you will attack my people Israel, covering their land like a cloud…’” (Ezekiel 38:14-16, italics for emphasis).

Certainly, today’s Israel has a measure of peace; at least in terms of no full-scale active war being waged. Yet, Israelis still experience on-going “lone-wolf” terrorist attacks, BDS sanctions from many nations, and the constant threat of full-scale assault from terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and ISIS, as well as entire nations like Iran, which has repeatedly avowed to “wipe Israel from the face of the earth.”

This is not the extent of peace and confidence portrayed in Ezekiel. There’s only one thing that will bring Israel to a durable assurance that all is well; that they are stoutly secure in their beloved land. Obviously, it will be a phony peace and false sense of security, but the Jews won’t know that until it’s too late.

It is nothing other than the astounding treaty initiated by Antichrist (Nero) that will “guarantee” this peace and security. It will be considered the greatest, most unlikely treaty of all time. Did you know that Nero’s main claim to fame during his 14-year reign as Caesar was a treaty he made between Rome and their arch-enemy (at the time) Parthia? That treaty endeared him to the common people as well as to the elite Senate and Roman legions.

His post-Rapture treaty will also accomplish the impossible: reconciliation of differences between ancient enemies, Jew and Arab.

There are two astonishing achievements that will immediately propel Nero into the international spotlight; with people from many nations, races, and languages yielding their allegiance and adoration. In order of significance, they are: His return from the grave (Abyss) and the Seven-Year treaty that he will orchestrate.

But the reality of it: that treaty will guarantee war. First, the Gog/Magog assault against Israel; which will be dealt with directly by/from God himself. (See Eye of Prophecy article, God Fights for Israel, posted 7-30-16). Then the ten-nation confederation led by Antichrist in the last half of the Tribulation against many nations, but first and foremost Israel. This time, Israel must fight for its very survival. And this time, Messiah Jesus will return to the earth to rescue Israel (and the whole world) from annihilation.

Summary

This final peace agreement will be orchestrated by Antichrist, and will be principally between Israel and Muslim nations. Out of envy, and also being unscrupulous, Russia’s Magog alliance with Iran and Turkey will seize the opportunity to invade Israel while also challenging the fledgling coalition begun by Antichrist Nero, who will need a couple of years to consolidate these ten nations (three of which will be forced to join Nero) into a powerful empire. That is another reason why the Antichrist will do nothing to interfere with the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel.

Because of this treaty and because of the relatively peaceful relations with most of the Magog nations (excepting Iran), Israel will be taken totally by surprise. It’s a good thing that God will directly fight for Israel and completely destroy Gog; because Israel won’t stand a chance on her own. She will be caught too much off guard and there will be far too many of the enemy advancing (vast hordes).

It will be like a scene in one of my favorite movies, Shane. Just before Shane takes on the bad guys in the saloon, the boy played by Brandon deWilde pleads with Shane (Alan Ladd) not to fight. With the reason shouted by the boy: “But Shane, there are too many. There’s too many, Shane!” I often repeat this when watching any movie where the bad guys far outnumber the good guys!

It’s a sure thing that the seven-year treaty shortly after the Rapture will lead directly to fulfillment of the Gog/Magog prophecy. But Scripture says nothing about the kind of peace existing in Israel as portrayed by Ezekiel before the seven-year treaty.

Currently, there are too many adverse conditions to permit peace through a so-called two-state solution before the seven-year treaty. Two virtually insurmountable factors are: (1) the Arabs’ denial that Israel is a sovereign Jewish nation, which is why they have rejected direct negotiations with Israel; (2) Israel’s Biblically based refusal to allow Jerusalem to be a divided city, let alone the divided capital of both Israel and a Palestinian State (so-called East Jerusalem).

If a Palestinian State does come into existence, it will most likely be one of the conditions of the seven-year treaty orchestrated by Antichrist Nero. (See Daniel 11:39 which speaks of the Antichrist “dividing the land” to those who submit to him).

In next week’s article, we’ll examine some recent extraordinary turn of events, specifically involving Russia, Iran, Turkey, and Israel to demonstrate how close we are to the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel and, therefore, the astounding transfiguration of believers and our transportation to heaven … The Rapture!

Things to Ponder

What God says will happen, always happens. I repeat for emphasis: ALWAYS. There are hundreds of Biblical prophecies that have come to pass to validate this truth. It’s just that they are happening with much more regularity in our generation. The birth pangs are increasing in frequency and severity.

When all is said and done, the Bible is unambiguously clear that only one person can bring real lasting peace to the Middle East, to the entire world. None other than the Prince of Peace, Messiah Jesus (Isaiah 9:6).

Until that time, all other treaties of peace will be both false and transient. Like past historical treaties that failed miserably and actually led to war, both parties to the settlement must have honor, integrity, and sincerity. There must be no ulterior motive, especially when the arbiter and/or one side to the treaty uses the pact to deceive and then destroy the other side.

For all those who defy the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and reject their only hope for salvation and peace, through God’s Son, Yeshua, Scripture declares: “But there is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord” (Isaiah 48:22).

For Israel and the Jews, God promised: “I will make a covenant of peace with my people…” (Ezekiel 34:25).

Before that, Jeremiah announced this New Covenant would be radically different from the Old Covenant (Mosaic Law). Because, “…They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:32).

No longer would it be a covenant written on stone tablets, commandments that God’s people wouldn’t and couldn’t keep because their hearts were as hard as the stones on which the commandments were written.

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord. I will put my instruction deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33).

Says the Lord God to Ezekiel: “And I shall give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh…” (Ezekiel 11:19, NASB).

As explained throughout Scripture: The difference between a heart of stone and a heart of flesh is the difference between a rote, hard-hearted, cold-blooded, compulsory adherence to religious rituals and creeds; versus a sincere seeking of God, with willing tender-loving heart-felt response of listening to and loving the truth about God and His Messiah (our Savior) that will lead to salvation and everlasting life.

Individually for Jews (and Gentiles) that New Covenant of Grace began when Messiah Jesus arose from the dead after giving himself as a sacrifice for our sins and the penalty of those sins.

To enter into that covenant, all we need do: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

For the nation of Israel, corporately, this covenant of peace will be fully realized when Messiah Jesus returns to deliver Israel from Gog/Magog and then from the worst war of all time … Armageddon.

For all peoples, peace on earth among men must first begin through peace with God.

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1).

Double Israel’s Trouble & Double Her Blessings!

13 Saturday Aug 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Crime & Punishment, Diaspora

Israel’s Twice Over Punishment

In this week’s article, we’re going to look at another remarkable prophetic passage in Scripture; one, however, that is often overlooked, minimized, misconstrued, or simply not understood at all. I suppose the main reason for that is because students of the Bible haven’t yet “discovered” the phenomenal meaning and application of the Seven Times Over prophecy given by God to Moses as recorded in Leviticus Chapter 26, which is a key to comprehending the verses we are about to read. Nor, unfortunately, have many studied Israel’s history as found in both Biblical and secular records.

Here is the poignant passage—an inspirational appeal to action and also (actually) a prophecy:

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:1-2, italics for emphasis).

Many Old Testament prophets predicted the final restoration of Israel to include return of the Jews to Israel in the last days, none more so than Isaiah. Often he speaks about the future in the past or present tense, as though it had already occurred or was taking place when he spoke.

When you think about that, it makes all the sense in the world. For one thing: All Biblical prophecy has come to pass, or is currently unfolding before our eyes, or will happen in what I believe is the near future. For another thing, God is timeless. In fact, he created time itself. He is from everlasting to everlasting. He knows the end from the beginning; to him all time is compressed conveniently into the present. He sees all the parade floats (events) of the human race before him at once—from start to finish. For human beings, time and events unfold in a linear fashion … in sequence. On the best of days, we can see only a few floats at a time.

Isaiah Chapter 40 begins with this marvelous prophetic promise to Jerusalem, the Holy City of the Holy Land; which God separated, prepared, and gave as an everlasting inheritance to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants.

In less than twenty years after the Lord called Isaiah to be his prophet, Assyria vanquished the ten northern tribes (Israel). It would be another 136 years before the Babylonians destroyed Judah and Jerusalem and exiled most of the survivors to Babylon. Isaiah foretold the Babylonia conquest of the two southern tribes (Judah and Benjamin) before Babylon even became a world power. Likewise, with Mede-Persia subsequently conquering Babylon with such prophetic detail that God through Isaiah gives the name of the Persian King (Cyrus) who would defeat Babylon long before Cyrus was even born!

Yet, Isaiah says: “…Tell her (Jerusalem) that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned…”

Individually, Jews (and Gentiles through the light of the Jewish Messiah Jesus) first experienced this New Covenant salvation when Christ arose from the dead in the first century. Nationally, the complete physical and spiritual restoration (sad days gone … sins pardoned) will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation when Messiah Jesus returns to the earth. We are only a hop (up to heaven at the Rapture), skip (directly to the seven-year tribulation), and jump (immediately thereafter into the Millennium) away from the few Bible prophecies not yet fulfilled.

Isaiah tells us that by the time all of Israel’s sins are pardoned, she will have been “punished … twice over for all her sins.” Which is why the passage also begins with a double or twice over instruction to “Comfort, comfort my people … Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.” Why? Because the Lord has punished her twice over. The twice over prophecy has come to pass in my generation, with the second national discipline of Israel ending in 1967.

Which begs an intriguing question that has three possible answers (options): Why does God repeat himself … Comfort, comfort my people, and (because he has) punished Israel twice over for all her sins?

First Option:

Repetition exclusively for emphasis. There are a few instances in Scripture of a prophecy repeated for emphasis; to make sure that everyone fully understands what is being said as well as to stress the surety that what God said will happen would indeed take place.

Example: Pharaoh’s consecutive dreams of cows and stalks of grain that Joseph interpreted (directly from God) as the soon-to-come seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine in Egypt.

Another example: The two visions recorded by Daniel (one given to Nebuchadnezzar and one to Daniel himself) of the four Gentile kingdoms that would rule the world. Four nations chosen by God to rise and then to fall, accomplishing his primary purpose: to begin, complete, end, resume, and continue God’s judgment of Israel until the appointed time to end this discipline—the “twice over” punishment identified by Isaiah.

A third example: John’s (two) visions of the beast as recorded in Revelation Chapters 13 & 17. The doubling up of these prophetic visions is for emphasis and also to provide a few more details in order for each of the two revelations to complement the other.

Second Option:

The “twice over” punishment of Israel’s sins is a way of stating its severity; symbolically saying that God’s punishment will be twice as harsh because of her (detestable) sins. There is one huge problem with this application: Many times through many prophets beginning with Moses, God uses descriptive language vividly depicting Israel’s punishment that is not associated at all with numbers (twice over and seven times over). Such explicit expressions as: severe, violent, shatter, without pity, unforgiving (Israel had passed the point of no return), cursed, cut off completely, no escape, demolish, crush, and others.

There are many passages of such warnings, particularly applied to Babylon’s cruel destruction of Judah, Jerusalem, and the Temple. The following passage in which the Lord is speaking to/about Judah is a prototype example which includes specific means that God would use to punish his disobedient people:

“So I will turn you into a ruin, a mockery in the eyes of the surrounding nations and to all who pass by … You will be a warning to all the nations around you. They will see what happens when the Lord punishes a nation in anger and rebukes it … I will shower you with the deadly arrows of famine to destroy you … And along with the famine, wild animals will attack you and rob you of your children. Disease and war will stalk your land, and I will bring the sword of the enemy against you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Ezekiel 5:14-17).

Yet, the vast majority (easily 99%) of these prophetic warnings contain no reference to a multiple (numerical) “formula,” like the twice over declaration in Isaiah Chapter 40. There’s no reason to, because the severity of the discipline is clearly indicated by the graphic descriptions in great detail of what would happen if Israel refused to return to the Lord, their God.

Another argument against this option: Use of numbers in the context of God’s punishment of Israel is confined to “seven times over” and “twice over.” If they are applicable to the severity factor/feature of Israel’s discipline, then there is a contradiction. Which is it? Seven times over as found in Leviticus Chapter 26, or twice over as found in Isaiah Chapter 40?

For one thing, there’s really no way to measure (how much) the severity of God’s discipline in terms of multiplication. To what do we compare it? Do we measure it by the quality (inherent severity of the punishment) or by the quantity of horrible things taking place. Even if severity could be measured with a multiplication factor, there’s a substantial difference between being punished seven times versus two times more strictly for Israel’s disobedience.

For another thing, neither twice over nor seven times over fits the clear principle found in the Levitical Law that the punishment must fit the crime. This is a legal and moral standard God established for Israel that some nations throughout history have borrowed; albeit, some of the inherent punishments for the Jewish people were harsher than those subsequently adopted by Gentile nations and others not nearly as severe. Plus, Leviticus Chapter 26—later summarized in Deuteronomy absent the “seven times over” paradigm—contains God’s general, panoramic (down through the ages) long-term promises (blessings) and warnings (curses) related to Israel’s ongoing national trust in and obedience to God and her rebellion against God, respectively. As opposed to the specific, day-in, day-out wrong things done and the consequential punishment imposed.

(Scales and Sword of Justice)

Third Option:

The only application of the twice over punishment and the corresponding, comfort, comfort, my people that fits is the same one that fits the amazing seven times over prototype model found in Leviticus Chapter 26. Neither have to do with the harshness of the punishment, as the severity factor is mentioned separately in Leviticus 26 … a total of four times, with each punishment becoming increasingly stern. Likewise in Isaiah with the “twice over” having nothing to do with a multiplied severity of punishment, as the severity feature is explained in hundreds of other passages by several Old Testament prophets.

Answer/Application: The correct choice is that God’s utilization of the multiplied factor of seven specified in Leviticus and two as found in Isaiah directly denotes the time duration of the punishments. Both are successive and both involve the 70-year Babylonian captivity of Israel followed by an agonizingly longer time-lapse of Gentile domination over Israel that finally ended in 1967.

Thus, the “seven times over” prophecy in Leviticus occurred twice in Israel’s history.

Revisiting the Amazing Seven Times Prophecy

I would like to begin this review by quoting from the Eye of Prophecy article entitled, Jubilee & Messiah … They Go Together! (Posted 1-25-16), which included a brief overview of the trilogy of articles posted in January & February, 2014 on the Seven Times Over phenomenon and the subsequent article, The Omega Generation.

Here are excerpts (in italics) from Jubilee and Messiah … They Go Together:

Then the entire 26^th chapter of Leviticus is God’s promise of his blessings on Israel if they worshipped only him; if they loved, respected, and obeyed him and the commandments given to them for their own good. Followed by God’s warnings if they did not, “…listen to me and obey all these mitzvot (commandments or more broadly—general principles for living), if you loathe my regulations and reject my rulings, in order not to obey all my mitzvot but cancel my covenant, then I, for my part, will do this to you: I will bring terror upon you … I will set my face against you—your enemies will defeat you, those who hate you will hound you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you” (Leviticus 26:14-17, New Jewish Bible).

Throughout this stunning 26^th chapter of Leviticus, the Lord specifies four successive seven times over punishments that he would inflict on his people if they began and continued their disobedience. Which is exactly what they did leading up to the Babylonian Captivity, but also following their return to Israel after seventy years of exile. Then continuing without interruption to and through the Diaspora that began with the Roman conquest of Israel and destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

The worst of this divine discipline took place during the horrible Holocaust; which, however, led to the rebirth of Israel in 1948 and the final end of Gentile domination of the Jews in 1967.

Here I want to pause and refer you to an astounding disclosure that the Lord gave to me nearly ten years ago (October, 2006). Namely, that these four cycles of seven times correction of God’s people was administered consecutively in actual years, both in principle and practice, to correlate with the seven-year Sabbath land cycle and the fifty-year Jubilee cycle. In order to see the amazing details of how this developed historically, coming to an end in the phenomenal year of 1967, please read the three-part Eye of Prophecy series entitled, Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th power!) Parts I, II, III, published 1-25-14, 2-1-14, and 2-8-14, followed by the summary article The Omega Generation, posted on 2-15-14.)

A review of the seven times over prophecy in Leviticus Chapter 26 will enhance our awareness that Isaiah’s prophetic twice over punishment of Israel is literal. It is exactly what it says and means—two separate time periods and events. Therefore, as previously indicated, the twice over terminology is not referring symbolically to the severity of the judgment. The final (fourth phase) of the first seven times over began with Assyria’s conquest of Israel, but not completed in its entirety until the 70-year exile of Judah in Babylon fully ended in 516 B.C. with construction of the second temple.

The second seven times over began immediately after the first (four phases) set of seven times over ended; and sadly lasted much longer. It included such horrible events in Israel’s history as (temporary) subjugation by Antiochus Epiphanies IV in 167-168 B.C; destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in 70 AD followed by massive exile of the Jews (a second time) from Israel—known as the Diaspora; subsequent European pogroms against the Jews; hundreds of years of persecution at the hands of Muslims; and worst of all … The Holocaust.

Let’s read the introductory warning to each phase. Focus on the words italicized for emphasis in each verse that clearly infer successive, uninterrupted periods of disobedience in Israel’s history.

First phase: “And if, in spite of all this, you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times over for your sins” (Leviticus 26:18).

Second phase: “If even then you remain hostile toward me and refuse to obey me, I will inflict disaster on you seven times over for your sins” (Verse 21).

Third phase: “And if you fail to learn the lesson and continue your hostility toward me, then I myself will be hostile toward you. I will personally strike you with calamity seven times over for your sins” (Verses 23-24).

Fourth phase: “If in spite of all this you still refuse to listen and still remain hostile toward me, then I will give full vent to my hostility. I myself will punish you seven times over for your sins” (Verses 27-28).

Moses then provides the longest narrative, by far, of what this fourth and final phase will bring (compared to the first three phases), ending with the worst possible disaster that could have befallen Israel: “I will scatter you among the nations and bring out my sword against you…” (Verse 33).

That’s exactly what happened to Israel; not just once, but twice over (Isaiah’s Chapter 40 prophecy). The first time was the culmination of the first seven times over punishment inflicted on Israel—the Babylonia Captivity. The second was the horrific forced exile of the Jews from Israel beginning in 70 AD, lasting until the 20^th century. Moreover, this final dispersion of the Jews from Israel took place within the fourth stage of the four continuous phases.

With the fourth phase beginning shortly after the end of the third phase (167-168 BC) when Antiochus IV devastated Israel, but one that did not result in complete exile of the Jews. As explained in Part III of the Seven Times Seven articles, the first three sets of seven (7 x 7 x 7) equals (348 Jewish calendar years) exactly the time from 516 BC (when the 2^nd … twice over seven times seven pattern began again) to when Antiochus IV (temporarily) conquered Jerusalem and defiled the Temple.

Details from Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th power), Part II:

(*Note: The non-italicized words in the following italicized excerpts were italicized in the original article).

It’s all too evident that the prophetic clock of Leviticus Chapter 26 begin to tick when Israel entered the Promised Land. The entire book of Deuteronomy is a condensed summary of God’s instructions to Israel just before Joshua led them to several victories over the Canaanites. They were given the choice between life and death, blessing and curses (Deuteronomy 30:19). God even told Moses that the prophecy would, in fact, come to pass; because it (unfortunately) was a foregone conclusion that the Israelites would rebel and turn from God (see Deut. 31 & 32). And that’s exactly what they did, not long after Joshua died.

It’s important to understand that the ultimate seven times over discipline is chronologically consecutive and even more so that it is uninterrupted or continuous in its prophetic unfolding. This is clarified by the passage itself. The Lord repeats a total of four times: IF Israel continues to disobey him, then he will prolong the corrective discipline and each time the punishment will be harsher, culminating in exile to foreign nations. Thus, the seven times over is not a symbolic expression of the severity of the discipline; rather, it is (as we have seen and will see) a measure of the lapse of time that all this will take place.

So, then, in examining Israel’s history from the Promised Land advent to the Babylonian captivity, do we find an unbroken, continuous, linear time-lapse (chain of events) in which Israel never repented and turned back to the Lord? No, we don’t. This is crystal clear during the times of the Judges and Kings of Israel. There were several periods of time lasting at least two generations (80 years or more), such as the consecutive reign of King David and King Solomon or the subsequent reign of a few “good” kings like Josiah. There were cycles of disobedience, deliverance, and restoration; but, on the whole, the Jews became progressively “hostile” toward the Lord, their God. Thus, the seven times over cycle was not continuous during this period of Israel’s history, which is why the Babylonian exile (as devastating as it was) would last for only 70 years—a relatively mild punishment considering the hundreds of year that Israel was mostly, but not entirely, unfaithful to God and his commands.

You might ask: “Relatively mild compared to what?” Good question. Answer: Compared to what happened AFTER their return to the Holy Land from the 70-year captivity.

So, did the Babylonian exile bring a conclusion to the seven times over prophecy of Leviticus? Sadly, the answer is, NO. Instead, it set into motion the ultimate severity of the prophecy. What transpired after the return of the Jews was even more tragic. Despite a relatively brief (part of a generation) resurgence of Israel’s devotion to God, as found in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, Israel never fully returned to the Lord. As indicated, the book of Malachi vividly illustrates Israel’s unyielding stubbornness.

Even though the Jews returned to Israel and rebuilt the second temple, they never again became a completely sovereign nation. They never again experienced the full blessings of the Lord. There were no more kings, and the Shekinah glory of God never returned to the temple. There were no prophets for the last 400 years before the birth of John the Baptist, and then the birth of Messiah. Israel had been, to some degree or another, under the domination of the Persians, Greeks, Syrians, and finally the Romans before and after the utter destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

The first set of seven times over judgments (up to the time of the Babylonian captivity), is best illustrated by the formula: 7 + 7 + 7 + 7. When the people confessed their sins and returned to God, the cycle of discipline ended. In other words the punishments were not continuous; however, each one lasted for a certain period of time, culminating with a specified period of 70 years for the Babylonian captivity.

Because the people didn’t (by any stretch of the imagination) continually seek the Lord when they journeyed back to Israel, the seven times over paradigm began again. This time it would be continuous, leading all the way to and through the greatest horror of all … the Holocaust of the 20th century. There would be no stoppage of the increments of punishment until all four phases had run their course. In fact, the seven times syndrome contained a mathematically measured built-in period of time, with a beginning and an end.

Tragically, Israel did not learn from its Babylonian captivity lesson. From the time Nehemiah returned to Babylon in 433 BC, 12 years after arriving in Jerusalem with another group of exiles to rebuild the walls; to his second trip to Israel a few years later, the people’s promise to serve the Lord had evaporated like an early morning fog. They had fallen into all kinds of detestable practices. Listed to Nehemiah’s words: “So I confronted the nobles of Judah. ‘Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?’ I asked. ‘Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!’” (Nehemiah 13: 17-18).

And, so the seven times over sequence had begun again. This time the prophetic march of time relentlessly continued unabated and uninterrupted. If, however, the seven times over to the 4th power represents a measurable period of time, then it must come to an end. That’s what occurred to me that night in October, 2006: Although I didn’t know where it would lead me (what year in history), I realized that God was telling Moses and the people that the seven times seven model necessitated and would, in fact, unfold according to an exact prophetic timeline. Moreover, the formula was built into the prophecy: 7 x 7 x 7 x 7. When this prophetic paradigm reached its measurable deadline, Israel’s punishment would also reach its predetermined limit; and they would no longer be under Gentile domination!

A Phenomenal Finding (Let’s do the Math)

Calculations: 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 equals 2,401 (years). Remember the premise: This prophecy is a specific time-lapse utilization of sevens that can be measured in years, in a very similar manner to the Daniel Chapter 9 prophecy. We must now convert the 2,401 years to Jewish years.

Roman to Jewish calendar: 2,401 years x 365 Roman calendar days = 876,365 days. Dividing 876,365 by 360 Jewish calendar days = 2,434 years Jewish years. (We’re rounding this off, because we’re only interested in the year, unlike the exact day(s) of the Daniel prophecy).

Jubilee Years: Again, we need to remember that the ultimate criteria that God used to preclude or preempt any excuses or rationalization of the people was the Sabbatical rest of the land. But we also need to include all Jubilee years, which was a 50-year cycle of freedom from debt, servitude, and also resting the land from crop planting. Because of space/time restraints, I didn’t cover this, but it can be found in Leviticus Chapter 25. Because the Israelites also failed to keep the Jubilee requirements, this would be a central part of God’s formula for discipline.

So we divide 2,434 Jewish years by 50 and we get 49 (rounded off) Jubilee years over that period of time.

We add 2,434 years + 49 (Jubilee) years. The sum of these two: 2,483 (years).

The Astonishing Result: 2,483 years minus 516 BC (we must subtract BC years from the total) leads us to the year: 1967! Or 1,967 years AD plus 516 years BC is a total of 2,483 years.

What makes the year 1967 so amazing? We will cover this in more detail during next week’s article, but for now I will simply say: In 1967, one of the three monumental milestones of Jewish modern history took place. In fact, many students of Biblical prophecy (including me) identify the six-day war of June, 1967 as the turning point of Israel’s future, even surpassing her statehood of 1948. For the 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 prophecy to end in 1967 is no coincidence or a mathematical fluke.

*Note: Reminder that the preceding paragraph’s reference to “next week’s article” is still part of the excerpts from the Seven Times Seven (Part II) article; thus the next week article would have been, Part III.

Significance of the (Twice Over) Double the Trouble and Double the Blessings for Israel

First Significance: Other than the seven times prophecy from Moses, the twice over from Isaiah, and two other “double their punishment” passages in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 16:18 & 17:18), the scarcity of numerical based prophecies in the Old Testament is reason alone to realize that Israel’s punishment—so noted by the model of seven times over occurring twice in Israel’s history—was meant to be understood in actual years. With the first seven times over coming to an end with the Babylonian captivity, some 700 years after the Jews entered the Promised Land.

The reason that the otherwise continuous (in terms of years) seven times over ended and then started again during the period of Israel’s judges and kings is because there were, at different intervals, one or two entire generations of Jews that returned to the Lord.

However, with the second installment of seven times over, there was no meaningful or recognizable interruption of Israel’s unfaithfulness to the Lord, tragically epitomized by rejection of their Messiah in the first century. This national denial of their Savior led directly (less than 40 years later) to their second exile to the nations, which ever so sorrowfully lasted until the Jewish nation of Israel was reborn in 1948. Gentile domination of Israel finally ended when the Jews recaptured Jerusalem, the Holy City of the Holy Land in 1967.

Second Significance: For many, including even ardent students of the Bible in general and prophecy in particular, Isaiah’s (profound) prediction that Israel would be punished twice over for her sins isn’t exactly a prophetic headline grabber. But now that you know the rest of the story, I’m thinking you just might place this seemingly inconspicuous prophecy and the significance of the words to describe it (twice over) alongside of the seven times over prophecy; with both of them right up there with such prophecies as the miraculous return of Jews to the land promised to them by God himself.

Such as found in Jeremiah as quoted in the following excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, The Second Exodus (published 5-10-14).

The way I see it, all Bible prophecies fall into the category of amazing; if for no other reason than they were fulfilled just as prophesied. But there are some like the subject of this article that zoom right past amazing to astounding, incredible, or mind-boggling. After you read it, pick your own superlative description. Here is the prophecy:

“In that day,” says the Lord, “when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ Then they will live in their own land” (Jeremiah 23:7-8).

Third Significance: Another considerable impact of Isaiah’s twice over prophecy is one that is both stated and implied in today’s article and previous Eye of Prophecy articles. One that can be applied directly to the deceitfully insidious hypothesis that many term, Replacement Theology, i.e. the Church has replaced Israel including the individual and national prophecies (exclusively) applied by God to Israel in the end times.

Taken from an article entitled, Why Is Support for Israel Waning among Younger Evangelicals? Written by Dr. Michael Brown, his final point #6 begins with, “The theology of preterism is rising in some circles teaching God judged Israel forever in 70 A.D. and that no national promises remain for the Jewish People as a nation.”

Time/space does not permit a long dissertation on preterism, except to say that the underlying premise of “scholars” who support this theory claim that there is no Rapture … that all of the Tribulation events predicted in Daniel and Revelation took place in the first century. Not only is this one of most absurd errors of prophetic study, but also the easiest to refute. As indicated, however, one very harmful side effect is that it reinforces the completely erroneous anti-Biblical claims of Replacement Theology.

Thus, when we grasp even tighter the fact that God’s discipline of Israel didn’t end until 1967 (Gentile domination), then compare this to the same generation when Israel once again became a sovereign state (1948), we clearly see that Isaiah’s prophecy of Israel’s national salvation (soon to come … all sins pardoned) dovetails in space and time with the end of Israel’s 2^nd seven times over judgment from the Lord.

(IDF Paratroopers at Western Wall, Celebrating Six-Day War Recapture of Jerusalem)

Please see Eye of Prophecy articles, Replacement Theology, Part I & II, posted 7-19-14 and 7-26-14.

Things to Ponder

Double Israel’s Blessings: God, through his prophet Isaiah, proclaims that his special possession Israel is to be comforted, then comforted again. This isn’t merely a repetition for effect. Instead it is a direct correlation to the “twice over” punishment of Israel announced in the very same passage.

Time/space in this week’s article doesn’t permit an in-depth examination of Israel’s double blessing; thus, a very brief overview:

The first comfort relates to the return of the Jews from Babylon. The second comfort fast forwards 2,500 years to the permanent return of the Jews (never to be exiled again) to the Promised Land that began primarily and prominently in the 20^th century. There is another verse in Scripture that fully tracks with Isaiah’s purposeful repetition to “comfort, comfort my people” (Israel). Says the Lord to his chosen people, the Jews:

“Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners who still have hope! I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles” (Zechariah 9:12).

The two blessings are described frequently throughout both the Old and New Testaments: The first is even mentioned in this same chapter in Zechariah, when it says, “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt” (Zechariah 9:9).

Remember? Jesus precisely fulfilled that prophecy when he rode into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey, less than one week before he was crucified and exactly one week before he arose from the grave! This was the first giant blessing (comfort) for Israel—spiritual salvation through their Messiah that has continued since the first century, and which will be finally fulfilled when Jesus returns on the same Mount of Olives from which he ascended to heaven.

The second blessing is also spoken of hundreds of times in Scripture: Total physical restoration of the Jews to God’s beloved land of Israel and to its consecrated capital, Jerusalem.

A very comforting double blessing for Israel to replace her twice over punishment, wouldn’t you say!

“Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him. Tell all the nations, ‘The Lord reigns!’ … He will judge all peoples fairly” (Psalm 96:9-10).

“…He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth” (Psalm 96:13).

“He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

Stand Still & Watch God Fight for Israel!

30 Saturday Jul 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Gentile nations, God & Israel

Universal Truth of Scripture

“For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!” (Isaiah 64:4).

This amazing verse is one of many in Scripture that declares a universal truth for individuals, peoples, and nations whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12)—those who sincerely seek after God, and who believe and trust his Word as recorded in the Bible. However, like most passages and prophets in the Old Testament, Isaiah is first and foremost speaking directly to Israel, which God calls his “special possession,” and to the Jews … God’s “chosen people.”

For instance, in the preceding chapter, Isaiah writes: “Lord … return and help us, for we are your servants, the tribes that are your special possession … Sometimes it seems as though we never belonged to you, as though we had never been known as your people” (Isaiah 63:17, 19).

Then Isaiah Chapter 64 begins with: “Oh that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame! When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! For since the world began…. (Isaiah 64:1-4a).

Isaiah is referring to God’s presence on Mount Sinai and before that the Lord’s deeds in the form of mighty miracles to deliver the Jews from Pharaoh and from Egyptian slavery.

There are many things that separate the Bible and the true and living God of the Bible from all other so-called sacred texts and the man-made gods of those religions, but two features stand out: (1) Only Biblical God-given prophecies come to pass with 100% accuracy—hundreds of them. What God says he will do, he does. What God says will happen, happens.

(2) Only God’s Word (the Bible) offers salvation as a free gift by simply believing and receiving the substitutionary sacrifice of God’s Son (Messiah Jesus) to forgive our sins and pardon the penalty of those sins. All other religions promote a form of self-righteousness based on good works.

God Does Take Sides

History confirms the following premise: God has providentially intervened in individual battles and the outcome of wars that eventually determined the destiny of entire nations, especially the nation of Israel. There are numerous examples of divine interdiction through the accounts of soldiers, civilians, generals, and national leaders trying to explain mysterious events that led to rescue and/or victory. The ultimate (only) conclusion: there had to have been purposeful providential participation.

As an example, here are some excerpts (in italics) from the Eye of Prophecy article, The Reign of Terror (posted 9-13-14), concerning the three major wars of Israel’s modern-day history and God’s divine direction that directly led to Israel’s victories. But still, the Jews had to fight.

On May 15, 1948, the day after Israel became a sovereign state, five Arab nations led by Syria and Egypt attacked with armies that vastly outnumbered and outgunned the hastily assembled, rag-tag Jewish army. National leaders the world over, including US President Harry Truman, gave the Jews no chance whatsoever of winning; Israel would die a national death within days or weeks after its rebirth. Instead, it was the Arabs who were soundly defeated in Israel’s War of Independence. Even hardened Israeli officers and soldiers, some of whom had abandoned the notion that God any longer cared about Israel’s destiny, attributed the victory to divine intervention. The miracle of this victory was transparently obvious: there’s absolutely no way that Israel could have or should have won that war. Perhaps God was on their side after all.

The Six-Day War in June, 1967 was equally stunning. Not because Israel didn’t have (by that time) a much stronger military than in 1948; but because of the sheer brilliance of the Israeli Defense Force’s strategy and execution of those plans. Which accomplished a feat that has never in military history been achieved: A massive rout of an enemy that was still much stronger (on paper) in men and material in only six days! Strong evidence that God was on their side.

Finally, the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Because the Arab nations struck without warning on one of Israel’s high holy days (Day of Atonement), they caught Israel woefully unprepared. It was the bloodiest war with, by far, the highest casualties on both sides. Yet, Israel’s victory was no less miraculous for the very reason that such a sudden attack from an enemy that still boasted a clear military superiority should have by all rights defeated a foe that was caught completely off guard. It would be similar to the United States rebounding in a short time and actually defeating the Japanese at Pearl Harbor or soon afterward; rather than taking another four years to finally conquer Japan. There’s no doubt that God was on Israel’s side!

Although there have been a handful of battles won “without firing a shot” (such as British Field Marshal Edmund Allenby capturing Jerusalem from the Ottoman Turks during World War I), invariably they were part of a larger series of local, regional, national, or international conflict (war).

With exception of three extraordinary events, there is no record, Biblical or secular, of God (alone through direct intrusion) supernaturally defeating an enemy of Gentile nations involved in a righteous justified war, without the necessary fighting and dying of those whom God helped to accomplish their worthy cause and God’s ultimate plan. Each of these three exceptions involve Israel. All three validate the Lord’s ultimate authority and power over nations. It is God’s demonstration to Israel and Gentile nations that his ultimate plan and purpose for all peoples will be accomplished despite the evil and terror that the Lord has allowed to exist for millennia.

No one can completely understand the thoughts and ways of our great God or the entire scope of his purpose for mankind.

We know that for believers in Christ Jesus, God causes all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28). What we don’t even come close to grasping is how he carries out this promise and many other majestic promises and prophecies in Scripture. Or how he circumvents the innumerable bad decisions we all have made and the adverse consequences of those regrettable choices, not to mention the evil in this world, to accomplish his plan for the human race. The how and sometimes the why of it all is for God and God alone to know. Our job is to simply trust and obey him.

But throughout Scripture, the Lord does give us a panoramic view of why he has permitted individuals and nations to exist despite the incessant evil that men do and the perpetual death and destruction that results.

A Biblical Overview: After the Great Flood, God gave the human race another chance (and a lengthy one at that, i.e. some 5,000 years) to follow him and his ways; OR to demonstrate that individuals, governments, and nations can bring peace and stability to this world without God. We don’t have to read much history or look very far in today’s world to comprehend the obvious: Mankind has failed miserably to establish any kind of paradise whatsoever on earth.

Even God’s chosen people/nation wouldn’t and couldn’t accomplish this noble objective. They, too, abandoned the only One who had assured them that they and all nations through them would be richly blessed and protected if they would simply love, listen to, and obey the Lord their God.

The other reason that God has allowed societies to continue on a path of apocalyptic ruin is so that many will come to a saving knowledge of God’s magnificent design of redemption through Messiah (Jesus) who came at the appointed time. Ultimately, however, God will need to unilaterally intervene in the affairs of Planet Earth on a scale that will affect every man, woman, and child. Thereby, fulfilling God’s prophetic plan and purpose for his creation; while, at the same time, saving the human race from self-extinction.

Let’s look at the three improbable exceptions and the reasons for these departures from the normal course of human events, particularly involving war; in which God fought for Israel, winning an awesome victory without his people so much as lifting a finger in battle.

*Note: I am not including God’s miracle of splitting the Sea, allowing his people to cross on dry land, and then drowning Pharaoh’s army when they arrogantly pursued the Israelites. For two reasons: The Hebrews were not yet the nation of Israel. And, they did not yet have a standing army.

The Backdrop of the First Major Exception Made by God

For the most part, Jehoshaphat was one of the better kings of Judah, which along with the tribe of Benjamin comprised the Southern Kingdom of Israel. He was the fourth king to rule Judah (872 BC to 848 BC) after the nation of Israel split into two kingdoms when King Solomon died.

“Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the example of his father, Asa. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel” (I Kings 22:43-44).

Good News: Jehoshaphat “made peace with the king of Israel.” Bad News: That king of Israel (northern kingdom) was none other than the infamous Ahab, husband of the very wicked Jezebel.

In fact, Jehoshaphat agreed to go to war with Ahab, who enlisted Judah’s help to defeat the armies of Ramoth-gilead in particular and the nation of Aram in general. Jehoshaphat agreed but only if they first consulted a true prophet of God (Micaiah) instead of the false prophets of Baal whom Ahab preferred. Ahab agreed, but when Micaiah predicted that the combined forces of Israel and Judah would be defeated and that Ahab would be killed in battle, Ahab became furious. He ordered Micaiah put in prison. Even though Jehoshaphat had recommended Micaiah, he went along with Ahab’s decision. Bad mistake.

Nevertheless, Ahab was more than a little concerned about Micaiah’s prophecy. To the extent that he came up with a “brave” plan to lead their respective armies into battle. Said Ahab to Jehoshaphat: “…As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes” (II Chronicles 18:29).

What a magnanimous gesture on the part of Ahab! Not! Equally pathetic is that Jehoshaphat went along with it. Many students of Scripture know the rest of the story: An Aramean soldier randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit Ahab (disguised as one of his soldiers) between the joints of his armor. Later, Ahab died from this wound. Jehoshaphat barely escaped with his life. God was angry with Jehoshaphat for ignoring the words of God’s prophet; but also, as asked rhetorically after the battle by another prophet, Jehu, “Why should you (Jehoshaphat) help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?” (II Chronicles 19:2).

The First Exception … King Jehoshaphat & Israel’s Victory Won Exclusively by God

“After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites (Aram) declared war on Jehoshaphat. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A vast army from Edom (Aram) is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea’ … Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance … So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help” (II Chronicles 20:1-4).

Commentary: Good response. Not only the king, but representatives from all of Judah sought the counsel and help of the God of Israel. Once again, the Bible is crystal clear on this principle: If we sincerely call on the Lord to rescue us and with equal sincerity listen to him through his Word and obey him, he will hear us. If we exclude the Lord and certainly if we expel him from the affairs of our nation, individually and collectively, then we’re on our own.

O that these words of Jehoshaphat speaking for the entire nation of Judah could be heard in our Halls of Congress, in the White House, in the seats of our Supreme Court Justices, and throughout the Pentagon:

“…O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!” (II Chronicles 20:6).

Jehoshaphat then goes on to honor the Lord by acknowledging and remembering (reminding the people) how the Lord stood with the Jews when they entered the Promised Land, when they were faced with “war, plague, or famine.” This prayer and others like it in Scripture could easily apply to the United States of America in our times of adversity and uncertainty. Also in our times of prosperity!

He goes on to say: “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance” (Verses 10-11).

Make no mistake: There are many in America who, given any legal and even illegal means at their disposal, would like nothing better than for all those who think and live by the Judeo-Christian values of the Bible, especially believers in Jesus Christ, to be gone from this country. At the very minimum, to relieve us of our God-given right to worship, publish, and proclaim the everlasting universal absolute truths of God’s Word.

Whether now or later—preferably now because later could be too late; whether it is those from within who recklessly abandon and ruthlessly attack all that is good and right in this country; or those from without such as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Muslim terrorists who would gleefully applaud and (when they think the time is right) enthusiastically participate in the demise of the United States, we and our leaders need to echo the words of Jehoshaphat:

“O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help” (Verse 12).

Biblical fact: Any nation, including what many think is the invincible United States of America, is powerless to help themselves if God is not with them. Period. End of story … end of nation.

Immediately, we realize that the Lord heard and honored Jehoshaphat’s plea on behalf of Judah. We know because of the astonishing miracle that followed—beginning with God’s Spirit poured out on one of the men standing nearby when Judah called out to God. This man, Jahaziel, boldly proclaimed what he knew would happen, because the people had opened their hearts to the Lord.

Said Jahaziel, “…Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” (Verses 15-17).

Then Jehoshaphat and all the people bowed and worshipped the Lord. The next morning, Jehoshaphat said to the people as they prepared to meet the invading enemy:

“…Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed” (Verse 20).

When Jehoshaphat said, “believe in his prophets,” he was referring to all of God’s Word spoken and written down by the prophets at that time, not the least of which were the greatest prophets, Moses and Samuel.

Here’s what happened next:

“After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: ‘Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!’

“At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped” (Verses 21-24).

Stunning!

Many of us remember the wartime slogan, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.” We all know that to mean: Seek the Lord’s help for a righteous cause and praise him for all he has done and will do; but we must still fight and some will die to win the victory. That is a maxim for armies that the Lord has aided down through the years.

Not so with Jehoshaphat and his people. All they did was to praise the Lord! No bows, arrows, spears, swords, or ammunition of any kind. The Lord did it all. There have been documented cases in war when an army or militia turned on one of its allies. Yet they are few and certainly didn’t result in total annihilation of each other, before they even began to engage their real enemy. Nothing like what happened to the armies of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Aram. All the people of Judah had to do was trust the Lord, praise him for a victory already guaranteed against a massive coalition that would have annihilated Judah, and then, “…gather the plunder” (Verse 25).

This monumental miracle of a victory ends with: “When all the surrounding kingdoms heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them. So Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side” (II Chronicles 20:29-30).

You think!

Second Historical Incident … King Hezekiah and Judah

In the year 701 BC, during the reign of one of Judah’s greatest and most godly kings, Hezekiah, God on a massive scale once again delivered his people from national destruction; and did so without any fighting on the part of Judah’s army. Let’s look at this astounding event, paying special attention to the pattern and parallels of what happened with Jehoshaphat some 140 years earlier. In terms of time-comparison, think of the gap between our Revolutionary War and World War I. And once again remember: our ancestors had to fight in both of those wars (and of course World War II) in order for God to providentially guide us to victory.

As a backdrop, the powerful nation of Assyria had already conquered the ten northern kingdoms of Israel in 722 BC; this according to God’s warning of what would happen if Israel continued to abandon and disobey their God who created the nation of Israel (through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and protected and prospered her for hundreds of years thereafter. God’s patience ran out and he allowed Assyria to vanquish Israel.

The Assyrian King, Sennacherib, had already attacked and taken most of the fortified towns of Judah and had marched on Jerusalem to complete his conquest of the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Sennacherib proudly boasted in messages to King Hezekiah that no one, not even the God of Israel, could prevent him from capturing Jerusalem (that alone was a huge mistake … to blatantly and arrogantly defy the true and living God).

“When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the Lord” (II Kings 19:1).

Obviously Hezekiah was distraught for he knew that Judah was no match against the mighty Assyrian army. So he sent for Isaiah (again seeking God’s Word through the voice of God’s prophet). Isaiah’s response was an immediate and emphatic promise from God:

“…This is what the Lord says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword” (Verses 5-7).

After a second taunting and threatening message from Sennacherib’s officials, Hezekiah went to the Temple again, spread the message out before the Lord, and prayed passionately:

“…O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God. It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God” ((II Kings 19:15-19).

Though it hasn’t come yet to an immediate threat of another world war, the winds of war and the rattling of sabers can be heard all over the globe in today’s world. In a matter of a few weeks, precipitated by the unparalleled and virtually unmitigated civil wars, terrorism, and unrest in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States, the entire world could erupt into an international conflagration.

What would happen if either or both of our presidential candidates now or as the next President, senators and congressmen from both parties, Supreme Court justices, and other prominent men and woman (especially those who know the Lord personally) poured our hearts out to God to deliver us from our enemies and from ourselves? What if we prayed the words of Hezekiah who humbly acknowledged God’s greatness and pleaded for his sovereign intervention?

I don’t know how God would do it or how quickly; but on the final authority of God’s Word (Scripture), I can confidently say, “This nation would be great again.” Or, if you’re in the other camp, “Stay great.” For the standing of any nation is determined by God himself. Any maintenance of or return to greatness through that same divine determination is predicated on a verse quoted recently in the Eye of Prophecy article, America the Beautiful Is Getting Ugly, posted 7-9-16.

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (II Chronicles 7:14).

Turn from our wicked ways. Stop killing our babies while they’re still in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16). Stop worshiping creation and the god of evolution (Romans 1:21-23). Worship the Creator instead. Stop calling God a liar or that he’s outdated when he gives clear timeless warnings against same sex-behavior (Romans 1:24-32). Overturn immoral legislation and ungodly high court decisions that sanction and even fund abortion and same-sex marriage proponents.

Will we never listen? Will we never learn? Will we never turn or return to God?

The following verses are just a part of Isaiah’s second message to Hezekiah, because Hezekiah had prayed to the Lord. The second message was much longer, and repeats some of the first message.

“And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: ‘His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside its gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls. The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came. He will not enter this city, says the Lord. For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it’” (II Kings 19:32-34).

Do you remember what happened next? It is only the most mind-boggling event in the annals of warfare. It will remind you of what happened to the first-born of every Egyptian when Pharaoh’s arrogance had stretched God’s patience to the limit, which also happened at the hands of an angel sent by God. Read with me:

“That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there” (Verses 35-36).

Once again, you think!

Boom, just like that. Sennacherib and what was left of his decimated troops were “out of there.” And why not! This boastful king had just lost 185,000 soldiers. Scripture doesn’t give us the size of his army, but that wouldn’t matter anyway. When you lose that many soldiers in one night while the survivors slept through it, you’re not going to stick around to see what might happen next.

But there’s more, to fulfill the precise prophecy of Isaiah:

“One day while he (Sennacherib) was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria” (Verse 37).

Assyria was never the same again. In a few decades, Babylon would utterly destroy the once mighty Assyrian kingdom.

Just like with Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and his army didn’t so much as shoot one arrow at the Assyrians. God did it all.

The Third and Last Event in Which God (alone) Annihilates Israel’s Enemies

Do you know which one it is? How it happens? Who is involved? If you know, then many kudos to you; because they are, in part, trick questions. Why? This final, most spectacular God-directed and God-inflicted defeat of Israel’s enemies hasn’t taken place yet. But it will, just as sure as God’s predictions for Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, the people of Judah, and their enemies came to pass.

We’re talking about the (soon to come) massive Gog/Magog invasion of Israel, which many Bible scholars have written about, including me in several Eye of Prophecy articles.

*Note: For more details on Russia, Iran, and their anti-Semitic agendas leading to fulfilment of the Gog/Magog prophecy, please see articles entitled: Beware of the Bear (posted 3-22-14); Russia & Iran Versus Israel (10-4-14); Gog, Magog & Leviathan (1-3-15); The Russians Are Coming! (11-14-15); Beginning of the End (3-5-16).

As indicated in some of those articles, I’m convinced (reasons given) that this monstrous campaign against Israel will occur within the first year or so of the seven-year Tribulation, which immediately follows the Rapture, which will happen any day now. Because you may be familiar with Ezekiel Chapters 38 & 39, and because of past columns on this subject, I will limit this week’s article to comments that fit today’s theme.

Which is to show that God’s autonomous confrontation of the Gog/Magog confederacy fits the same pattern as demonstrated in the first two incidents.

Ezekiel Chapters 38 & 39

“But this is what the Sovereign Lord says: When Gog invades the land of Israel, my fury will boil over! In my jealousy and blazing anger, I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel on that day … all the people on earth will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth. I will summon the sword against you on all the hills of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord. Your men will turn their swords against each other. I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur!” (Ezekiel 38:18-22)

As we’ve seen: God’s victorious rout of Israel’s enemies in the time of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah was nothing short of stunning. For Jehoshaphat, God supernaturally turned Israel’s enemies against each other, so completely that all of the armies of that coalition were eliminated. For Hezekiah, the Lord sent only one of his mighty angels; overnight, 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were slain.

Against Gog and Magog, the Lord doubles down. He strikes this massive alliance of several nations—what presumably will be hundreds of thousands or even millions of troops aligned against Israel—by turning the forces of nature against them and also causing their troops to turn on each other.

Yes, this will be the third time in the chronicles of warfare that God alone will destroy Israel’s enemies without the Jews needing to fight at all. As with Jehoshaphat and his people, the Israelis will simply, “stand still and watch the Lord’s victory.” As did Sennacherib in Hezekiah’s time, all of Israel will watch Gog (if he survives) flee the scene with the proverbial “tail between his legs.”

Oh, the Israelis will need to contribute, but only after the fact. Here is what they will do:

“Then the people in the towns of Israel will go out and pick up your small and large shields, bows and arrows, javelins and spears, and they will use them for fuel. There will be enough to last them seven years! They won’t need to cut wood from the fields, or forests, for these weapons will give them all the fuel they need. They will plunder those who planned to plunder them…” (Ezekiel 39:9-10).

In today’s terms think of guns, grenades, mortars, missiles, assault vehicles, tanks, and aircraft.

Things to Ponder

Twice Almighty God directly struck down Israel’s enemies without the Jews needing to fight at all. In the near future, the Lord will do so again. What is the primary reason for this departure from the normal means of God helping Israel and nations who at least acknowledge the God of Israel as God, but with the requirement that the people participate in defense of their land and freedom?

Answer: At that critical point in Israel’s history, to get the undivided attention of both Israel and their enemies; that God’s sovereignty and glory is supreme over all peoples and nations. Which requires that both Jews and Gentiles, individually, make a decision: To turn, trust, and yield to the true and living God as Savior and Lord; OR to defy and reject him at great risk and peril, both now and throughout eternity.

For Jehoshaphat and his people: “When all the surrounding kingdoms heard that the Lord himself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them” (II Chronicles 20:29).

For Hezekiah and his people: “Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God” (Isaiah 37:20).

For wicked Gog and the evil forces of Magog: “In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 38:23).

And also to Israel:

By the time Russia, Iran, and the nations aligned with them in conspiracy against Israel are utterly crushed by God alone, all of Israel and all of the world will know beyond any doubt who was responsible for Gog’s humiliating defeat. At that point, both Jew and Gentile must decide whether to believe and follow God and the true Messiah, Jesus; or to ignore and defy the God of Israel and choose Satan’s false messiah, Nero.

First part of Psalm 83 says: “They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence’” (Psalm 83:3-4)

Then, “O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind! As a fire burns a forest and as a flame sets mountains ablaze, chase them with your fierce storm; terrify them with your tempest. Utterly disgrace them until they submit to your name, O Lord” (Verses 13-16).

Does that sound like what takes place when God triumphs over Gog/Magog?

This Psalm closes with: “Then they will learn that you alone are called the Lord, that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth” (Psalm 83:18).

Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here?

25 Saturday Jun 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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First Advent of Christ, Second Coming

Messiah’s Imminent Arrival! His First or Second Appearance?

Globally, especially in Israel, both religious and secular Jews are longing for redemption.

It is what Webster’s Dictionary defines as: “to free from captivity by payment of ransom.”

The Bible says: “The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins, says the Lord” (Isaiah 59:20).

Contrasting the Old Covenant of the Law to the New Covenant of Grace, we read:

“…For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established. So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of the created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever” (Hebrews 9:9-12, italics for emphasis).

Many Jews see redemption almost entirely from a more secular meaning of the concept:

“To free from what distresses or harms; to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental; to change for the better; to get or win back.” (Webster’s Dictionary).

Messianic Fervor at a Fever Pitch

There is one common dream, one prevailing hope, one unified passion: Messiah will ultimately redeem Israel and Jews the world over. And the time is near … so very near.

As touched on often in Eye of Prophecy articles, such as Great Expectations for Messiah (posted 8-8-15) and Amazing Anticipation for Messiah (8-29-15), the level of expectancy for Messiah’s arrival has never been so intense since before the turn of the first century—when time itself was changed from B.C. to A.D.

From an article in Breaking Israel News posted by Rivkah Lambert Adler on 6-20-16, we read a quote from Orthodox Rabbi Pinchas Winston:

“Today, it is so much easier than, let’s say, 10 years ago, to want Moshiach (messiah) to come, because things are out of control… If you step back and look at all the events of history, everything is so ‘Armageddon-ish.’ It’s actually quite bad. The world is actually tremendously unstable.”

*Note: At least for me, it’s of no small interest that the Rabbi would even mention Armageddon. Why? Although reference to Megiddo Valley is found in the Old Testament (Zechariah 12:11, which will be quoted in just a moment), Armageddon (Har Megiddo … literally Mount Megiddo) is found only in the New Testament, which non-Messianic Jews do not consider on par with their Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) or consider much at all! I have been to Megiddo in Israel. It is a vast valley overlooked by a fairly steep and prominent hill.

“And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16, italics already in the text).

Listen to what Rabbi Winston says about the Messiah.

“And now we’re approaching the Final Redemption. Without question. Moshiach is around the corner… Without question he’s here already. I don’t know how old he is, where he’s sitting, what he’s doing, what he’s learning. But he’s here. He’s not going to be born tomorrow. We’re just too close to the end. Way too close to the end. He has to be here right now!”

Rabbi Winston is not alone in his enthusiastic expectations. Several other Rabbis have made equally strong statements that Messiah is already here … he just hasn’t shown himself yet. Such as Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky’s words to a grieving father whose son had just died. Said Rabbi Kanievsky:

“The redemption is closer than ever … Don’t be sad. The Messiah is already here. He will reveal himself very soon and your son will see his children again.”

(Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, Lower Portion of Photo)

Just a few months ago, a group of rabbis led by Rabbi Yosef Berger—one of the rabbis with administrative charge over King David’s Tomb in Jerusalem—completed a Torah Scroll to present to Messiah upon his arrival. Before the project was completed, another prominent Rabbi, David Hai Abuhatzeira, told those working on the scroll:

“Write the Sefer Torah as fast as possible, you don’t have much time! … I hope you have a chance to finish!”

What Will Happen When Messiah Does Arrive?

Indeed, there will be great joy when Messiah appears, not just with the Jews but with all the surviving tribulation saints who are on the brink of Armageddon-ish destruction.

Sadly, before the rejoicing, there will be great sorrow and mourning throughout Israel and with Jews globally. I’ve sometimes quoted the following verses and will cite them again, because it is a passage that you seldom hear or see quoted by Jews, especially the Orthodox among them. It is one of several Messianic passages in the Old Testament that Judaism unfortunately ignores or tries to explain away. See Eye of Prophecy articles, Does God Really Have a Son, Part I & II (published 10-31-15 & 11-7-15) for some of these key passages.

When reading the following passage, pay special attention to the personal pronouns. The context is clearly the very last days just before and during Messiah’s magnificent appearance. Actually, his return; which is, as indicated, the main emphasis of today’s article … reappearance versus appearance.

“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David, and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be like the great mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo. All Israel will mourn…” (Zechariah 12:10-12).

Messiah is speaking, and he tells Israel that they will, “look on me whom they have pierced.” Then switches to the 2^nd person and states, “…and mourn for him…”

The piercing was literally fulfilled when the Romans cruelly staked Jesus to a cross with spikes driven into his wrists and feet—a form of execution not yet invented (at least not like the Romans “perfected” it) when Zechariah made this prophecy.

Considering the anxious anticipation and eager expectation for Messiah and the wonderful things he will do to restore and redeem Israel, why on earth would Israel mourn when they first see him? If the Jews are right that this will be Messiah’s initial appearance, what then would produce such great sorrow, before their joy of being delivered from their enemies?

The text is explicitly clear: They will recognize that it was Jesus all along who was and is their Messiah. Their personal redemption had been purchased long ago, which is why they will mourn for him individually and separately (see the rest of Zechariah 12). Grief will flow from their (and their ancestor’s) rejection of Messiah and their decision to ignore the New Covenant that Isaiah and Jeremiah had promised would come.

(Mourning and Grief Will Be Much Greater Than Portrayed in This Photo)

However, in light of the remarkable events taking place in the 20^th and 21^st century, the rabbis are right about the imminent appearance of Messiah. Please see, Look up, Redemption is Near, I & II, (posted 7-11 & 7-18-15) for a list of twelve of these Biblically predicted indicators.

The rabbis are also correct that Messiah is alive today!

But they are incorrect that he is now on the earth, or that he is a man born in the generation of the last days. They are mistaken that this will be Messiah’s first appearance. As clearly clarified in Isaiah Chapter 53, they are also regrettably wrong that Messiah cannot be both the suffering servant Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and also the Lion from the Tribe of Judah who will return it great glory and power to save the Jews, indeed the entire world from extinction.

Jesus is Messiah! Our Redeemer lives! But he’s in heaven waiting to return any day to the earth.

Remember King David’s amazing disclosure when he refers to The Lord (God the Father) speaking to David’s Lord (God the Son): “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet’” (Psalm 110:1). See also Psalm 2 that speaks of “God’s royal son.”

David continues, “The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow; ‘You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek’” (Verse 4).

The, “you,” is the other Lord, David’s Lord, who is God’s Son spoken about in Psalm 2. When God says, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand…” the syntax and contextual meaning is crystal clear: The sitting or resting at God’s right hand is a result of something stupendous that David’s Lord had already accomplished.

Hundreds of Old Testament and New Testament passages tell us exactly what Messiah (Jesus) would achieve. He would be both High Priest and King (after the order of Melchizedek). Even more: The Son of God, himself, would be the once for all sacrificial Lamb of God.

“For God’s will was for us to be made holy (called out and set apart) by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time … But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet” (Hebrews 10:10-13).

Tragically, most Jews and also many (more) Gentiles either reject or ignore the indisputable historical evidence that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled dozens of specific Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. He was seen by at least five hundred people after his resurrection from the dead (I Corinthians 15). Several witnessed his physical return to heaven (Acts 1).

Many other Gentiles allow the historical record that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (his place of birth also prophesied … Micah 5:2) and even concede the fact that he arose from the dead; but they stop short of accepting the reason he was born and the reason he was crucified. They do not personally acknowledge him as God’s Messiah Savior, the Son of God who claimed to be the only way of salvation, the only way to God (John 14:6).

Thanks be to God: There are millions on this planet (including me) who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ Jesus. For one reason only: We simply believed in Jesus and received the amazing grace of God’s gift of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Messiah Jesus as our Savior to forgive our sins and pardon the penalty of those sins. Instead of eternal separation from God, we now have a God-given guarantee of everlasting life in heaven.

Jewish (and Gentile) Denial that Messiah Arrived at the Appointed Time in History

Most of the religious Jewish leaders of Jesus’s time refused to believe the evidence in front of them. Nor did they make any effort to match the timing of Jesus’s birth and years later his triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) followed shortly by his death and resurrection, with their Scriptures.

We’re going to take another look at one of those Scriptures. One that is the most definitive prophecy in the Bible with regard to the appointed time for Messiah to arrive on earth—precisely when the prophet said he would. A passage so conclusive in its prediction and subsequent fulfillment, that to deny or ignore it would have to be an uninformed but also deliberate effort to dispute the very truth of it. I am referring to the first advent of Messiah Jesus.

In today’s Part I article we have already and will continue to emphasize that Jesus is the Messiah and that he has already arrived (the first time). Hence, the emphasis will be geared more so toward Jewish refusal or at least reluctance to believe and receive their own Scriptures.

Next week’s article will concentrate on the extraordinary evidence as presented in the second part of this passage—the ruler who would arise (Antichrist) was none other than the Roman Emperor Nero. That he, too, will return (from the Abyss … Revelation 17:8); meaning that the Antichrist cannot be born in the generation of the Rapture and Tribulation to immediately follow, which I firmly believe is our generation. Like Christ, his counterfeit imposter will not be a modern-day born man.

Here, an important distinction needs to be made: The misapplication or misunderstanding of this passage (and a few other passages on the Antichrist, but especially the one that I’m about to quote) is unfortunate. However, this mistaken interpretation doesn’t have the serious impact or consequences that failure to recognize the fact that Messiah has already arrived has had on the majority of Jews (also Gentiles) and on Judaism itself. Although the Antichrist portion of this passage is not a matter of eternal life or death right now; it is still important to get right. Because if you’re left behind at the Rapture, you won’t be nearly as amazed as the rest of world when they see a Roman Emperor return from the grave.

On the other hand, it will be a matter of their eternal destiny if those left behind choose Nero over Messiah Jesus as savior.

Whether you’ve heard or read it directly from Scripture or from a prior Eye of Prophecy article or from my book, Out of the Abyss; or from other books or articles, or not at all, here is the stunning prophecy given to the prophet Daniel by the archangel Gabriel on direct orders from God:

“Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times. After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple…” (Daniel 9:25-26).

First, a comment on the second sentence of this passage before we examine the fabulous feature of this prophecy that predicts the actual time (dates) when the Messiah would come.

That Jerusalem would be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times, took place progressively after the Jews returned from Babylonian conquest and captivity. The rebuilding included the Temple, then the walls of Jerusalem, and eventually the entire infrastructure of Jerusalem. By the time that Jesus was born, the Romans had taken control of Israel. Although the Jews were subjects in the Roman Empire, the Romans provided them with protection from other potential enemies. Some Jews were also Roman citizens, including the Apostle Paul. The fact is that Jerusalem was a well-fortified city when this prophecy came to pass.

The Actual Time Lapse of the Sixty-nine Sets of Seven (483 years)

Four Hundred, Eighty-Three years would, “pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes.”

At this point, I would like to provide some excerpts from my Eye of Prophecy article entitled, An Incredible Time-Lapse Prophecy, posted 1-18-14. That article immediately preceded and prepared the way for a trilogy of articles called Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th Power), I, II, & III (published 1-25, 2-1, 2-8-14). Those articles contained a stunning disclosure from Leviticus Chapter 26; also concerning a specified prophetic time-lapse, but pertaining to Times of the Gentiles—the precise amount of time that Israel would be under Gentile domination which ended in 1967. That illumination was similar in principle to that of Sir Robert Anderson’s disclosed application of Daniel’s prophecy about the coming Messiah in his book, The Coming Prince.

In italics from An Incredible Time-Lapse Prophecy:

At the outset it is vitally important to distinguish the command to rebuild Jerusalem (starting with the walls of the holy city) from another edict/command issued by a totally different ruler to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. It was the Persian King Cyrus who issued the decree in 538 BC for the Jews to return from their Babylonian captivity and rebuild their holy Temple. In fact restoration of the Temple began a few years later and was completed in 516 BC, 70 years after Israel was conquered and exiled to Babylon, i.e. the 70-year prophesied captivity. Some Bible scholars erroneously selected Cyrus’s edict as the beginning point of Daniel’s 483-year prophecy. They mistakenly assumed that the prophetic words of Daniel’s prophecy (rebuild Jerusalem) also applied to the Temple. But, prophetically and historically we can now clearly see that the rebuilt Temple and rebuilt walls of Jerusalem were two distinct events separated by nearly 100 hundred years.

Once again notice that Daniel’s prophecy is referring exclusively to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The specifics of his prediction came to pass generations later, through another decree; this time given by another Persian King Artaxerxes Longimanus to Nehemiah in 445 BC. The Old Testament book of Nehemiah contains the records/history of the edict and renovation of the walls.

The Anointed One is none other than the Messiah; in fact, many Bible translations actually use the term Messiah in Daniel 9:25 (Messiah means Anointed or Chosen One). Yet, Messiah Jesus was on this earth for some 33 years, so what aspect (time-frame) of his life do we select as the year/time when he would come (to the earth)? His birth, passing into Jewish adulthood (age 13), beginning of his ministry, his crucifixion, his resurrection? Answer: none of the above. The moment in time to identify the passage of 483 years can be none other than Palm Sunday, a week before his crucifixion. Why? That is the precise time when Jesus allowed others to recognize and worship him as the Messiah, which is the specific fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. Prior to his heralded ride into Jerusalem, he had discouraged even his disciples from publicly hailing him as Messiah. Why?

It wasn’t the right time yet. The time chosen by God long before was to synchronize and confirm his very identity as Messiah (Son of God) with his ultimate mission of purchasing our redemption through his death, burial, and resurrection. As indicated, Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday occurred in consecutive weeks. Nearly all Bible scholars agree that the accolades from thousands of people given to Christ as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (historically kings would ride into a city on a donkey if the king was coming in peace … a horse if the king was coming to conquer) demonstrated public acknowledgment that he was Messiah.

In 1894, a Scotland Yard Detective, Robert Anderson, who was also an ardent student of the Bible, especially prophecy, published his book called, The Coming Prince. Through extensive study and research, he corrected and clarified previous applications of Daniel’s prophecy from such notables as Sir Isaac Newton … one of the greatest scientist of all times, but also a Christian who studied Biblical prophecies extensively. We simply can’t do justice to Sir Robert Anderson’s book in one article; therefore, we will briefly examine the two most important discoveries by him (which are really disclosures and discernment given to him by the Lord).

Correct Application of Biblical Years: Simply stated, every Jewish month consists of 30 days (based on the moon’s phases); therefore, every year contains 360 days, not 365 days that we use on the Julian or Roman calendar. Biblical months/years are based on the Jewish calendar. The Roman calendar came along thousands of years after the Jewish calendar. Time doesn’t permit explanation as to why we use the Roman calendar, except to say that Sir Robert Anderson fully realized the necessity of converting Julian years to Jewish years if he or anyone could accurately correlate precise dates in Biblical and secular history …. Days, months, years.

Pinpoint Identification of Exact Dates, via Meticulous Investigation of Historical Records: Once again, time/space prohibits extensive review of what he found, so I will highly condense his amazing discovery: Sir Robert Anderson calculated (with partial assistance from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich) the Julian date of King Artaxerxes edict to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to have been March 14th, 445 BC. Furthermore, the Julian date for Jesus’s magnificent ride into Jerusalem was April 6th, 32 AD. By employing the Hebrew calendar, Sir Robert Anderson tallied 173,880 days had elapsed which is exactly 483 Jewish years!! Absolutely astounding! I repeat for emphasis: Incredible!!

(End of excerpts)

Two Main Reasons Why Jesus Was Rejected as Messiah and therefore Crucified for claiming to be Messiah (before the Temple Was Destroyed)

Wrote the Apostle John about Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1, Complete Jewish Bible).

Then, “He came to his own homeland, yet his own people did not receive him. But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12, Complete Jewish Bible).

First Reason: Although there was increasing awareness and fervor that Messiah’s time had come, both the Jewish religious leaders and nearly all of the common people expected (wanted) a Messiah who would arrive as a victorious king to deliver them from Roman oppression, to unify Israel, and restore the glory that began with King David and the successive dynasty of kings that ended when Babylon conquered Judah, the southern kingdom. They could not and would not recognize someone of less than noble birth—a carpenter from Nazareth, despite the power of the truth that he told and miracles that he performed.

They saw no purpose in the sacrificial death of anyone, particularly someone who claimed to be the Son of God … no matter that Jesus proved that claim by rising from the dead. After all, the Law of Moses was enough even though they didn’t and couldn’t keep it, and had been disciplined by the Lord through subjugation by Gentile nations for that very reason.

Second Reason: Some Jews like Simeon and Anna (Luke Chapter 2) and even some Gentiles—like the Magi who obviously had studied Daniel’s prophecy or they wouldn’t have traveled hundreds of miles to bear gifts to the Christ child—knew that it was time for Messiah to come. Whether the Jewish scribes and religious leaders had figured out Daniel’s prophecy and chose to ignore it, or whether they hadn’t even bothered to look more closely at the prophecy is anybody’s guess.

However, I’m convinced that at least some of them knew the prophecy, but simply dismissed out-of-hand the possibility that Jesus was the Messiah—mostly because the truth he spoke and the miracles he performed were jeopardizing their authority over the common people. I say this because of the previously quoted verse that they, “did not receive him.” In other words, this was a deliberate rejection of Jesus as Messiah and Savior despite the crystal clear evidence. As was their denial that Jesus was the prophet foretold by God through Moses who would mediate a New Covenant later announced by Jeremiah.

Moses writes: “Then the Lord said to me … ‘I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19).

(Jesus Reading from Isaiah Chapter 61, as Recorded in Luke Chapter 4. His First Announcement That He Came to Fulfill the Messianic Prophecies)

Said Jesus to the Jewish religious leaders: “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life” (John 5:24).

Then later to those same leaders, Jesus proclaimed:

“In fact you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved … But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you. You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life” (John 5:33-40).

Jesus concluded with more astonishing words: “Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” (Verses 45-47).

Not just Moses, or Isaiah, or Jeremiah, or Ezekiel, but also Daniel. The religious leaders rejected Jesus because they refused to objectively and comparatively match these and other prophets—particularly Micah (a ruler of Israel would come, born in Bethlehem whose origin is from the distant past) and Zechariah (riding on a donkey into Jerusalem) and Daniel—to Jesus’s birth, life … to all he said and did.

A cursory math calculation of Daniel’s prophecy would have matched the prophetic dates to their time; the very time that Jesus of Nazareth was restoring the sight of the blind, healing the crippled and the terminally ill, setting aside the laws of physics (walking on water), casting out demons like no one had ever done before, and raising people from the dead!

Even more specifically: The very time that he entered Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah’s prophecy, Chapter 9) which was also the time-lapse fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy.

He was the prophet spoken of by Moses. Which is why Jesus said that Moses would condemn them (for their unbelief). Many Messianic prophecies were being fulfilled before their very eyes. Yet, Daniel’s prophecy alone takes away all excuses and arguments against Jesus as Messiah.

Even Less Excuse after Jesus Was Killed and the Temple Destroyed

After this period of 483 years, “…the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple…” (Daniel 9:26)

(Depiction of Roman Legions Destroying the Second Temple)

Daniel’s prophecy is unambiguously clear: The Messiah would appear before the destruction of the Temple, which took place in 70 AD. And that’s exactly what occurred … Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection some 40 years before the Romans sacked Jerusalem, which irrefutably validates the accuracy of Daniel’s prophecy.

Whereas, the religious leaders and people of Jesus’s time scorned him for the reasons given thus far—most prominent of which was ignoring the plain evidence for the time of Messiah’s appearance and marginalizing or outright rejecting his teachings and miracles—all those who deny that he is Messiah after the Temple was destroyed have no grounds whatsoever to refute the Messiahship of Jesus.

Why?

Because they have the 20/20 hindsight of history, right up to the present day. The Messiah would come at the end of 483 years, exactly when Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem … hailed by the people as the Son of David, the Messiah.

Then the Messiah would be killed BEFORE the Temple was destroyed by the armies of a ruler who would arise (shortly) AFTER Messiah arrived and was killed.

According to the time-line of Daniel’s prophecy, there is no way that the Messiah could (first advent) arrive on the scene of history AFTER the Temple was destroyed.

As Zola Levitt, a well-known Messianic Jew used to say: “And that’s all there is to that.”

Don’t miss next week’s article. Although there are other passages to show that the Roman Emperor Nero is Antichrist, we’ll concentrate on this same text in Daniel and its historical fulfilment to prove that the Antichrist has already been revealed and will also return (reappear) to the earth. Only to meet his final fate at the hands of the true Messiah, when Jesus returns!

Things to Ponder

The Lord calls Israel his special possession and the Jews his chosen people. He loves them with an everlasting love. So do I, and so should everyone who cares at all about the Jewish Messiah, Jesus.

Listen to the Jewish Apostle Paul, a devout Pharisee before the risen Christ changed his heart and his destiny.

Speaking specifically to Roman Gentile Christians, he writes: “I want you to understand this mystery … so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles come to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved…” (Romans 11:25-26).

There are dozens of Old Testament prophecies and New Testament fulfillment of those predictions to conclusively confirm that Jesus is the Messiah. Yet, if I were a Jew truly seeking the truth about redemption and the Redeemer, the spectacular prophecy of Daniel 9 would be more than enough to convince me that Jesus was and is the promised One.

Jew or Gentile, what about you?

Hear the prophetic voice of Messiah:

“And now the Lord speaks—the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him. The Lord has honored me, and my God has given me strength. He says, ‘You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Isaiah 49:5-6).

Thousands upon thousands of Jews and millions upon millions of Gentiles down through the centuries have experienced the light of salvation directly from the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ. Which is: “…Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said” (I Corinthians 15:3-4).

No other man in history has or will ever do what Messiah Jesus has done for me and for you!

He loves you. He gave his all for you. If you haven’t already, give Him your heart.

Call upon the Lord and you will be saved!

(Please take a couple more minutes to listen to this beautiful song written by Michael Card, sung by Amy Grant. With some stunning visuals from the movies, The Ten Commandments & The Passion of the Christ. El Shaddai means Almighty God. El Elyon, in the song, means Most High God)

https://youtu.be/SKHa6Cm62uI

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eyeofprophecy … watch and wait

~ "For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus" (Rev.19:10)

Category Archives: Prophecy in General

The Virgin Birth of Messiah … How and Why?

Sukkot … The Forever Festival!

Yom Kippur / With Or Without Atonement?

Blow the Trumpets … Messiah Will Come!

Passover & Messiah Are Inseparable!

Messiah and the Jewish Festivals … An Extraordinary Connection!

The Peace Treaty That Will Guarantee War

Double Israel’s Trouble & Double Her Blessings!

Stand Still & Watch God Fight for Israel!

Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here?