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Tag Archives: Immanuel

Build The Temple! Will Messiah Come?

11 Saturday Mar 2017

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Immanuel

“If you build it, he will come.”

For the second consecutive week, the Eye of Prophecy article begins with another legendary citation, ranked number 39 on the 100 most iconic film quotes designated by the American Film Institute.

Do you recognize the line? What was built and who was it that came when it was built? Do you know the name of the movie?

You are correct if you said: Field of Dreams.

This fantasy drama sports film was released in 1989 starring Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, and Burt Lancaster in his final role before he died. Nominated for three academy awards, including Best Picture, it is one of my two favorite sports movies. The other is The Natural (Robert Redford, Glenn Close, and Robert Duvall).

If you watched the movie, then you remember that Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, heard a mysterious voice telling him, “If you build it, he will come.” The plot is then shaped around his efforts to identify the voice and the reason for him to build a baseball diamond near a corn field in Dubuque County Iowa. Sure enough, when the baseball field is finished, Shoeless Joe Jackson and some of his teammates from the infamous 1919 Chicago White Sox appear. And so does Ray’s deceased father, John Kinsella, who was a devoted baseball fan.

My own take on the underlying theme of the movie is that of redemption; a mysterious restoration from the “unforgivable sin” of the Chicago Black Sox (as they were dubbed), throwing the 1919 World Series. Shoeless Joe Jackson is allowed to return once again to play the game that he loved so dearly, and in some fashion to atone for his misdeeds. And Ray was able to play catch with his dad, who some say was the voice that spoke to him, although it could have been Shoeless Joe Jackson’s voice. Either way, their pain was eased (another well-known quote in the story).

However, any fictional analogy to real-life historical, present, or future events always has its limitations.

Even the title of today’s article needs some up-front clarification. Which is: Messiah Jesus’s physical return to this earth will take place some seven years after he takes his bride (believers who have received him as personal Savior) to heaven. Known as the Rapture, this miraculous event will occur at the exact time appointed by the Lord. That time has already been determined, and many contemporary signs suggest that it is so very close at hand.

Thus, the Day of the Lord beginning with the Rapture and culminating with the glorious return of Messiah to Jerusalem to usher in the Millennium does NOT depend upon the Jewish Temple being rebuilt. Putting it another way: It is not the building of the Temple that will cause Messiah to return (for that reason). However, the sequence of the Last Day’s events is such that the Temple will, in fact, have been rebuilt before Messiah Jesus returns to the earth. See Eye of Prophecy article recently published on 2-25-17, entitled, End of the World Events … In Chronological Order!

Nonetheless, when the Temple is rebuilt (if you build it), it is a sure thing that Messiah will return to earth (he will come). In that regard, the thematic line in Field of Dreams is a dramatic likeness with melodramatic imagery of what will be the supreme building project of the 21st century. Which, in turn, will be a catalyst to the greatest event since Messiah Jesus came to earth 2,000 years ago as the Lamb of God to ransom many by his atoning sacrifice on the cross—the magnificent return of Messiah as King of all kings.

The Significance of a Rebuilt Temple

As written in a few previous Eye of Prophecy articles, a rebuilt Jewish Temple is a passionate prophetic anticipation of the Jews, second only to their longing for the appearance of Messiah. Religious and secular Jews alike yearn for the restoration of the Temple, although most do not understand its ultimate purpose and significance as set forth in Scripture.

For Orthodox Jews a rebuilt Temple will mean renewal of the long-lost Levitical Sacrificial System which ended with the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 AD. Most Orthodox and Conservative Jews believe that Messiah will not come unless the Temple stands again on Temple Mount. A few believe that God will literally send the Temple down from heaven and Messiah will appear soon afterward. Liberal and secular Jews also desire a temple but more as a symbolic confirmation of Israel’s existing and hoped-for perpetual status as a sovereign country in the global family of nations. A rebuilt Temple will solidify their identity and unity as Jews like nothing else since Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948, then reclaimed Jerusalem as their eternal capital in 1967.

(Image of Rebuilt Temple Superimposed on Temple Mount)

Will the 3rd Jewish Temple be rebuilt? Yes, absolutely it will. Scripture is abundantly clear on this fact. And animal sacrifices will resume, too. (See Eye of Prophecy articles, A Third Jewish Temple, Part I & II, posted 4-26-14 & 5-3-14).

Why and when will it be rebuilt? These are provocative questions, especially in the context of the Lord allowing not only Solomon’s Temple, but also the 2nd Temple to be destroyed. However, what is the point of another temple, when the New Covenant of Grace produced a brand new (spiritual) Temple for both Jew and Gentile?

What’s the purpose for resumption of animal sacrifices? When, in historical fact, the Ark of the Covenant with its Holy Seat of Atonement disappeared before or during the first exile of the Jews to Babylon. Then the Temple Curtain separating the inner Holy of Holies from the rest of the (2nd) Temple was torn in half while Messiah Jesus was dying on the Cross for the sins of the whole world. To this day, non-Messianic Jews are still in denial that the Levitical Sacrificial System ended because the purpose for which it served (a pattern and type) was replaced by the once for all redemptive sacrifice of their Messiah. For that matter, most Jews still deny that Jesus is the Messiah or that Messiah’s (next) appearance will be his return. (See Eye of Prophecy articles, The Cross and the Torn Curtain I & II, published 2-6-16 & 2-13-16).

Today’s article will answer these questions.

Since the New Covenant came into existence with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the Lord through the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in born-again believers, Jew and Gentile alike. Believers are a spiritual temple; in our heart, mind, and body is the Kingdom of Heaven which will soon become the physical Kingdom of God on earth.

Said the Apostle Paul to the believers in Corinth: “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16).

This verse emphasizes that the entire body of Christ (composed of born-again believers) is the collective spiritual Temple of God on earth, which replaced the Temple of the Old Covenant.

Then Paul declares that the Temple of God is not only the entire body of Christ (all believers together), but also each Christian is a temple of the Lord. “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (I Corinthians 6:19-20).

Indeed, Christ’s death on the cross was the greatest sacrifice ever made by the highest price ever paid. Not only forgiveness of our sin, pardon of the penalty of that sin, everlasting life in heaven, but also the precious privilege of God (The Holy Spirit) residing in every believer.

God’s Amazing Plan to Live Among and Then In His People

Though our Great God dwells in heaven, long ago he chose to live among his chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This began with the Tabernacle built by the Hebrews under the instruction and supervision of Moses.

However, the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant fell into disuse and misuse as it rested in Shiloh for over 360 years. In part this was due to the constant rise and fall of Israel during the time of the Judges. Near the end of his life, King David embraced a passionate purpose: To construct a more permanent building (like the Tabernacle), but greater in size and more beautiful in its splendor in which God would dwell among his people. Although the Lord approved David’s plan, he told him that it would be David’s son, Solomon, who would build the Temple.

King David and King Solomon were the two greatest kings of Israel’s glory days some 3,000 years ago. Most know Solomon as the wisest man who ever lived even though he made several bad decisions, not the least of which was allowing some of his many wives to set up and worship idols in Israel.

Concerning the Temple, Solomon offered a lengthy prayer of praise and gratitude to the God of Israel; indeed, the God of the Universe. Included are these words:

“…O Lord, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness” (II Chronicles 6:1).

We’ll stop here for a moment to remember that when God guided his people through the wilderness, his glory was concealed in a dark cloud by day and column of fire by night. When the Lord spoke directly to Moses and whenever his glorious presence filled the Tabernacle, especially in the Holy of Holies over the Ark of the Covenant, he did so through a dark cloud.

This was absolutely necessary to shield the people, Moses, and the High Priest from the (literal and lethal) brilliant light and glory of God’s presence. Though God is Spirit, his very presence consist of and is surrounded by tangible light and pure spiritual holiness that would be the death of anyone looking directly at the Lord. That is one of the reasons that God the Son came to this earth as a man. Not only to bear our sins as one of us (Son of Man), but also to shield us from God the Father’s awesome glory by temporarily giving up the divine glory that also belonged to Jesus, the Son of God.

We see the same thing happening at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, one of the grandest celebrations of all time as described in II Chronicles 5 and I Kings 8.

Before the planned dedication service could be completed, we read what happened:

“The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: ‘He is good! His faithful love endures forever!’

“At that moment, a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God” (II Chronicles 5:13-14).

Continuing with Solomon’s Prayer of Praise:

“Now I have built a glorious Temple for you, a place where you can live forever! … Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father, ‘From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have never chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel as the place where a Temple should be built to honor my name…’” (II Chronicles 6:2-5).

We see two powerful precedents being set here: (1) God would now dwell among his people in and through a permanent Temple, not a portable Tabernacle that had already served its purpose during the Hebrews’ journey through the wilderness. (2) God had chosen a special city in Israel to dwell with his people: JERUSALEM. Actually, God’s presence is what made Jerusalem special.

Temple Mount was also the ancient site where God spared Isaac’s life. Only to not spare the life of God’s own Son, Messiah Jesus, some 2,000 years later and nearly 2,000 years ago. But praise and glory to God: To not spare his son meant that we could be saved from an eternity in the Lake of Fire separated from God. ALL we need do is believe and receive Jesus as personal Savior (Romans 10:9-10).

Yet our majestic God created the universe, the heavens, the earth, and all living things. Does he really need a Temple in which to dwell on earth, when the entire earth belongs to him, when the entire expanse of heaven is his home?

Listen to Solomon’s wisdom to understand all this:

“But will God really live on earth among people? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!” (II Chronicles 6:18).

Then at the close of this splendid prayer of praise:

“And now arise, O Lord God, and enter your resting place, along with the Ark, the symbol of your power. May your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation; may your loyal servants rejoice in your goodness” (Verse 41).

Why Did The Lord Choose To Live Among His People?

Many people don’t know or have forgotten (including some Christians) that God actually dwelt on this earth in the form of what is called in Hebrew his “Shekinah” glory. Yes, God was present with his people the Jews, and is now present in his people, both Jew and Gentile, who have been redeemed by the Son of God, Messiah Yeshua.

Why on earth (an expression we often use) would God choose to live on earth? God is God no matter where he dwells. Scripture clearly shows us that God is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere and all at once if he chooses to be).

Solomon knew that, which is why he was in awe that the Lord would, “really live on earth among people.”

From direct Biblical passages and from inferred reasoning, I believe that Scripture is abundantly clear: the main purpose (above all) that God chose to dwell among his people is to show us (his creation) that he is a PERSONAL GOD. Then he sent his beloved Son, born as both God and man, to show us that he is a PERSONAL SAVIOR. Then he gave the Holy Spirit as a gift to indwell each believer to be our PERSONAL MENTOR.

In Tabernacle and Temple times only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and only one time a year—Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement. Under the New Covenant of salvation through grace apprehended by faith in Christ Jesus, each believer is a spiritual temple indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Triune God. As a result:

“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).

With this wonderful position in Christ each born-again believer has the awesome privilege to:

“…boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean…” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Praise God, there are tens of thousands of Jews all over the world who have recognized Jesus as Messiah, who have accepted his once for all redemptive sacrifice.

As the Jewish author of the book of Hebrews writes: “…He (Messiah Jesus) cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy (separated from the world) by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time” (Hebrews 10:9-10, parenthesis mine).

Sadly, there are still millions of Jews and billions of Gentiles who do not believe or do not care that the New Covenant prophesied by Isaiah and Jeremiah has replaced the Old Covenant of the Law with its incessant sacrifice of animals. If they could only see and accept that:

“The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshippers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4).

I would encourage you to read a trilogy of Eye of Prophecy articles entitled, Where Is The Temple, Part I, II, III, published 11-29, 12-6 & 12-13-14. Here is a brief excerpt from Part III (in italics):

The intriguing question posed in this article and the past two Eye of Prophecy articles relating to the fate of the Jewish Temples is designed as a challenge to explain what happened to them and why. To stimulate reflection about the repercussions of such a devastating time of Jewish history. To investigate the staggering impact on the entire Jewish faith WHEN Solomon’s Temple, then (hundreds of years later) Herod’s Temple, was destroyed. But also Gentile participation in this history pertaining mostly to religious systems that, to varying degrees, were patterned after and around the Mosaic Laws.

To once again come to terms with the rolling Premise of these articles: No Temple, no sacrificial offerings. No sacrifices, no atonement forgiveness of sins. No forgiveness, no redemption. No redemption, no right standing with God.

Once again I will pose the question: Will there be a rebuilt Jewish Temple? And yet again, the answer is: Absolutely it will be rebuilt.

But why? And even more so: Why will the Jewish sacrifices be restored, when Scripture clearly tells us that Messiah Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection was and is a sufficient sacrifice for all time?

In the final Revelation of Jesus Christ that completed the Canon of Scripture, we read about the magnificent New Jerusalem that descends directly from heaven to hover over the earth for all eternity. Included in that amazing description is:

“I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light” (Revelation 21:22-23).

(It’s Quite Difficult to Artistically Depict the New Jerusalem)

Yet only believers in Messiah, both Jew and Gentile, will inhabit the New Jerusalem and not until the end of the Millennium.

(Size of the New Jerusalem If Placed Over the Above Land Mass on Earth, Dimensions are 1,400 miles wide, 1,400 miles long, and 1,400 miles high … Revelation 21:16)

However, (Old) Jerusalem—the eternal capital of Israel and the city most loved by God above all other cities—will remain on this earth. There are numerous Old Testament prophecies and promises to validate this statement. During the Millennium, Christ Jesus will rule and reign from Jerusalem, Israel, and believers will go freely to and from Jerusalem … all the while serving him throughout the earth wherever he stations us.

And on Temple Mount in Jerusalem, there will be another Temple.

What a Temple It Will Be!

Ezekiel Chapters 40-47 provide meticulous detail on that temple, which was not the 2nd Temple built by Zerubbabel (see books of Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah). One of the differences between Ezekiel’s Temple and the 2nd Jewish Temple was the size (dimensions).

Another remarkable distinction: from Ezekiel’s Temple flowed a river with many trees growing on both sides of its banks.

With the astounding result that: “…This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows” (Ezekiel 47:8-9).

I’ve been to Israel; unfortunately, I didn’t have time to make it to the Dead Sea. But I’ve read much about it and seen many photographs of people floating on the surface, buoyed up by the tremendous amount of minerals including salt. There’s nothing alive in the Dead Sea. All that will change when Messiah returns.

John, the author of the book of Revelation, confirms that the Temple will have been rebuilt before the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation.

“Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, ‘Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshippers. But do not measure the outer courtyard (Court of Gentiles), for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months” (Revelation 11:1-2, parenthesis mine).

As written in several past Eye of Prophecy articles, Antichrist Nero’s seven year treaty with Israel will lead directly to the rebuilding of the 3rd Temple soon after the treaty goes into effect. Although Nero will desecrate the Temple near the very end of the Tribulation, the Temple will not be destroyed. Instead, it will be made even better and bigger to fit the size of the Temple as given to Ezekiel. Or it’s possible that the Jews who rebuild the Temple soon after the Rapture will follow precisely Ezekiel’s specifications. Either way, half way through the seven-year treaty Nero will bring a screeching halt to sacrifices (Daniel 9:27).

Nevertheless, Temple services will resume when Messiah triumphantly returns to earth to vanquish Israel’s enemies, including Antichrist and the False Prophet. The offerings will then continue into the Millennium. How do we know this? And once again, why?

Not only from Ezekiel, but also from the prophet Zechariah, we read:

“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 (none other than Jesus the Messiah), and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters” (Zechariah 14:16, parenthesis mine).

All seven of the Jewish Festivals ordained by God required sacrifices, including the Festival of Shelters (Feast of Tabernacles) or Sukkot as it is now called by the Jews. Sukkot will be the one Festival in which representatives from all nations will be required to attend.

Continuing in Zechariah:

“On that day, even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: HOLY TO THE LORD. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar. In fact, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy (consecrated) to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices. And on that day there will no longer be traders in the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (Zechariah 14:20-21, parenthesis mine).

At the beginning of the marvelous Millennial Reign of Messiah Jesus, the Temple will once again be purified … to be what Jesus said (quoting the prophet) it was intended to be from the beginning.

Soon after Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem when he was hailed as the Messiah, the Son of David, we read:

“When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, ‘The Scriptures declare, My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.’ When the leading priests and the teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching” (Mark 11:15-18).

(Depiction of Solomon’s Temple)

This wasn’t the first time that God’s chosen people had defiled their own Temple. Listen to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah concerning the people and Solomon’s Temple:

“Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie! Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, ‘We are safe!’—only to go right back to all those evils again? Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Jeremiah 7:8-11).

Read with me one of the many end times prophecies concerning the return of the Jews from exile to the four corners of the earth, which is being fulfilled before our 20th and 21st century eyes:

“I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says, I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel” (Isaiah 56:7-8).

What God says will happen, always happens. What he says he will do, he always does. Hundreds of fulfilled Biblical prophecies attest to the indisputable fact that there is one and only one God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Yes, Jesus of Nazareth will return as King of all kings.

“On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter. 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 14:8-9).

There is no doubt whatsoever: The Temple will be rebuilt and will once again be filled with God’s glory. But there’s more this time: The Son of God who was the first to be raised from the dead with an everlasting spiritual body will return to rule the nations with truth, justice, righteousness, and peace. And we, who will be given these same wonderful spiritual bodies at the Rapture, will reign with him … as we have been destined to share his inheritance.

Among many other glorious experiences (soon to come):

“In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all—the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. People from many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’

For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear” (Micah 4:1-4).

Summary

The two-day Jewish Festival of Purim begins tomorrow. Jews will celebrate Queen Esther’s bold, but uninvited entrance to King Xerxes’ presence to save her people from genocide. Bold, because Esther didn’t know if the king would accept her or reject her (under penalty of death). For Messianic Jews and Christians the world over, we also honor the story of Esther. And in our remembrance, we can be thankful for another miracle: the miracle of God’s grace that (through redemption in Messiah) grants us unlimited access to the very presence of God.

In fact, the King, God’s Royal Son, has already extended his standing invitation:

“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Things to Ponder

If you build it, he will come.

And, if you build it, they will come.

This was an intriguing invitation from a fantasy filled story that even the authors and actors didn’t fully understand what they were saying, or what it meant, or how it would work… not in the context of today’s realty and things to come. Yet, the Bible—the Word of God—tells us so much of what has happened, what will happen, and how and why. Scripture presents God’s remarkable plan of redemption for the human race and the fascinating finish of our salvation including, but not limited to, Messiah’s ultimate victory over evil and death itself.

In summary answer to the questions of why a rebuilt Temple and resumption of offerings:

Solomon’s Temple was built so that God’s glory (his very presence) would be personally with the people. But God’s people couldn’t and wouldn’t keep the Lord’s commandments nor trust in him as their God, the only God. Thus, the Lord abandoned them and withdrew his presence and protection, allowing their enemies to completely conquer them (not once but twice) and exile them throughout the earth. The Lord departed from Solomon’s Temple and his glory did not return to Herod’s Temple. Both of these temples were destroyed.

Thus, the Lord implemented his New Covenant with the Jews, to this time include the Gentiles. The physical temples of stone and wood and the sacrificial offerings were but a pattern, a prelude pointing to something, someone far greater and much better. They gave way to the spiritual temple of the believer’s body, soul, and spirit.

When Christ Jesus returns, he will be forever Immanuel … God with us. As will the Father. But this time the Temple and the Temple offerings will point back as a solemn and also joyful reminder of so great a salvation purchased by the life blood of so great a Savior.

It will be a graphic illustration and meaningful reminder of the timeless sacrifice of the Jewish Messiah for his people, which is the culmination of Israel’s destiny from the beginning—to be a light to the Gentiles.

And while we wait, may we always remember:

“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds” (Titus 2:11-14).

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!

Everlasting praise to the Lion from the Tribe of Judah

The Virgin Birth of Messiah … How and Why?

24 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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Immanuel, The miracle of birth

“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.

manger-to-the-cross

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 4th 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).

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*Note: Simeon was just one of many 1st 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).

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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).

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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.

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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.

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(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.

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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 6th 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 5th century B.C. and the vile Greek/Syrian despot Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the 2nd 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).

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(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).

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(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).

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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 2nd 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).

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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.

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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).

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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 3rd 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!

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Let’s Celebrate … Forever!

25 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by garybowers in Prophecy in General

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2nd coming, Immanuel, Messiah Jesus, reign of Christ

Festival of Tabernacles … Part II

“I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago….” (I Corinthians 10:1).

There are some things that must never be forgotten; but always remembered as examples for us, for our children, and for their children. Whether things precious or things dreadful. Be they helpful or hurtful. Whether a child’s cheerful appeal, “Remember, daddy, you promised;” or whether the ominous refrain of an entire nation that lost six million of its own during the 2nd World War: “Never again. We must always remember … this can never happen again.”

The triumphs and tragedies of the past become lessons for the present and patterns for the future. History does repeat itself, especially if we fail to learn from past mistakes and failures. The future is much brighter and our expectations and hopes much stronger when we anticipate and then celebrate milestone events of human history and of our very lives. That’s why we honor birthdays and anniversaries … our own, friends, family, and influential people that helped shape the world we live in. That’s why we commemorate life-changing episodes of our human existence.

That’s why we remember times of great turmoil, that ended victoriously … such as Independence Day and Veterans Day. Or birthdays of great leaders that changed the course of history—such as Presidents Washington and Lincoln and civil rights champion Martin Luther King. And certainly the miraculous birth, horrific death, and awesome resurrection from the grave of Messiah Jesus … at Christmas, Good Friday, and Resurrection Day (Easter), respectively.

The apostle Paul challenged the Jewish believers in Corinth to remember what happened to their ancestors in the wilderness … much of which was covered in last week’s article on the Feast of Shelters. Specifically the attitude and actions of the recently delivered Hebrews (from Egypt) and God’s protection and provisions for them even when they were unfaithful to him. Yes, and God’s correction of them, because the Bible tells us that God disciplines those whom he loves.

“I don’t want you to forget … about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground … All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ” (I Corinthians 10:1-4, italics for emphasis).

It’s crystal clear in the Old Testament record that the food (manna) was actual physical food and the water was real thirst-quenching water, miraculously delivered by God. But Paul shares something with the Corinthian believers even more amazing: Christ was literally with the Hebrews in the wilderness and it was he who supplied both their physical and spiritual sustenance.

After his spectacular encounter with the risen Jesus on the Damascus Road and his equally astounding conversion, Paul knew full well that Yeshua was not only the Son of God, he was God the Son; and that Christ was also fully human, the Son of Man. He understood that the Messiah had made several pre-Incarnate appearances throughout the Old Testament; and Paul fully comprehended that this Jewish born Messiah from the tribe of Judah, from the lineage of King David, had existed with God from the very beginning.

Listen to Paul’s magnificent description of Jesus: “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. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross” (Colossians 1:15-20).

WOW!

Do you care to know who Jesus Christ really is and what he has done for you, for me, and for the whole world? Then read this passage again and know beyond any doubt that he is God, Creator, and our Savior. If you believe that he is Creator God and your personal Savior, you will be saved from your sins and the Wrath of God, and you will live forever with Him in heaven.

“God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. The Good News is about his Son, Jesus. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:2-4).

Warnings and Examples

Paul continues with the epic saga of the Hebrews in the wilderness: “These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, or worship idols as some of them did … Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snake bites. And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age” (I Corinthians 10:6-11, italics for emphasis).

As indicated in last week’s article, the Jews were commissioned to bring to mind all the things that happened to them in the wilderness, most importantly the magnificent ways that God protected them and provided for them after he miraculously delivered them from Egypt. One of the more meaningful methods to never forget the sovereign providence of the Lord is by periodic observance of these monumental events. The last, but certainly not the least, of the seven Festivals to be kept by the Jews is the Festival or Feast of Shelters.

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Folks, more than ever before, we are living at the end of the age. We are contemporary, modern-day witnesses to the fulfillment of powerful prophetic signs and events recorded throughout Scripture, the most significant of which is the divinely orchestrated rebirth of Israel, followed by the ever-increasing boasts of terrorist groups and entire nations to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. Yet, just last week in the midst of imminent threats from terrorists, regional conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, Iraq and other nations that threaten to entangle the United States, Russia, and the EU, millions of Jews and tens of thousands of Gentile Christians celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles.

Why is this Holiday so important? What makes it unique in comparison to all of the other Jewish and Christian Holy Days?

One of a Kind

The Bible tells us this Festival that remembers the remarkable providential protection and provision of God in the lives of his people is the only Holiday (Holy Day) that individuals and even nations are required by God to observe at the end of the age … known as the Day of the Lord. As alluded to in past Eye of Prophecy articles, the Day of the Lord begins with the Rapture (transformation, transference, transfiguration of earthly to heavenly bodies) of dead and living believers in Christ. Followed by the seven-year treaty/tribulation that culminates in the apocalyptic battle of Armageddon. Ending with the majestic return of Messiah Jesus to save the Jews from annihilation and the world from extinction. Then the one-thousand year reign of Christ and believers on the earth. From there … eternity, infinity, and beyond!

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The Old Testament Prophet Zechariah who tells us more about Messiah that any other of the Minor prophets declares: “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” (Zechariah 14:16).

What plague? In the preceding verses, Zechariah graphically describes this affliction. “And the Lord will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. On that day they will be terrified, stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will fight their neighbors hand to hand. Judah, too, will be fighting at Jerusalem….” (Zechariah 14:12-14).

Some Bible scholars believe this passage is describing nuclear warfare, i.e. what could happen to human bodies when a nuclear device explodes. Although there very well may be a nuclear exchange during the Great Tribulation, I don’t believe it applies to this passage. With the primary reason that the Lord, himself, will (supernaturally) inflict this catastrophe on the nations that attack Jerusalem as opposed to other nations including Israel launching nuclear missiles. On the other hand, the very power that Christ wields by the Word of his mouth could very well unlock molecules and unleash the power of the atom that essentially holds all things together.

Revelation vividly tells us more about this final battle, as do a handful of other Scripture passages, both Old and New Testament. “Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords” (Revelation 19: 11-16).

It gets even more explicit: “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: ‘Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great’” (Verses 17-18).

Back to Zechariah and the Feast of Tabernacles. “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 14:17-19).

The reason why the Festival of Shelters is a divine requirement for all time, with the corresponding harsh punishment if people and nations deliberately and arrogantly refuse to attend this Holy Day once a year, is found in the text … which is the very purpose of celebrating this memorial. “To worship the King…”

And who is the King? The King of all kings? Among other New Testament books, the final book of the Bible tells us exactly who the king is and will be. The very first verse of the first chapter in the Book of Revelation boldly declares: “This is a revelation from Jesus Christ….” Then we read about Jesus: “…He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the 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 had made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6, italics for emphasis).

Immanuel … God with us.

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.

santuary1

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).

They will come to, Worship the King.

Festival of Shelters … Worship of and Gratitude for a Divine Solution to the World’s Problems

What do we do when we worship something or someone? According to Webster’s Dictionary, worship is: “to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power; to regard with great, even extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.”

Undying loyalty and extraordinary respect goes hand in hand with deep awe and reverence, but also perpetual gratitude for what Christ has done and what he will do to set things right when he returns to the earth.

Those who survive the Great Tribulation, including even those who were fighting against the Jews and against Christ himself will recognize, respect, and revere Jesus Christ as the one who:

  • In fact, wages a righteous war. The One who utterly defeats an immoral, unrighteous, ruthless enemy much like we see with today’s terrorists and the ungodly, wicked, shocking slaughter of innocent civilians perpetrated on entire populations as occurred during Hitler’s evil Third Reich. So will it be when the Antichrist beast of Revelation unleashes his unholy alliances against those who refuse to take his mark. Messiah Jesus will deal harshly and decisively with tyranny and oppression to the extent that, “Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end” (Proverbs 22:8).
  • The One (and only one) who will bring true and lasting Peace to a destructive world filled with unrestrained corruption, unbridled immorality, unchecked violence, and the horrors of death. He is the, “…Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end….” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
  • The One who can and will bring pure justice with him and administer this justice fairly to all peoples. “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:12). And, “…He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9:7).
  • The One whose way and ways are built on absolute truth and righteousness, which all people long for in a ruler. “… Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways O King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed” (Revelation 15: 3-4).
  • The One whose decisions and judgments surpass any human magistrate or Supreme Court known to man: “…Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just” (Revelation 16:7).
  • The One who is the “Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25). The One who has conquered death itself. “I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave” (Revelation 1:18).
  • The One who will make everything brand new, better than ever before, surpassing even the Garden of Eden. The only One who can be fully trusted to do what he says he will do. “…Look, I am making everything new! And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:5).

The overwhelming price paid by Jesus Christ for our sins—his agonizing painful death on the Cross—is far too great to trivialize or overlook. His majestic return to the earth is far too glorious and benevolent to ignore or minimize, both before and after the fact. The awesome price of peace with God and peace among men paid for by Jesus blood must always be remembered, not just during the Feast of Shelters but all through the days and years to come. Those who refuse to accept the very presence of God in the form of his Son, Yeshua ha Mashiach; and, thereby, refuse to attend the Festival of Shelters, will also pay a heavy price. Because they (like so many today who will never see the light of Heaven) will not acknowledge what the Lord has done and will do on that day and forever more.

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“The day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them. In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this will be its name: The Lord is Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:15-16).

Things to Ponder

On the Jewish calendar, the Festival of Tabernacles is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The number five signifies Grace … the grace of God that bestows blessings and his very presence in all hearts who invite him in. That is the way of it now … the Kingdom of Heaven in the hearts of men, women, and children the world over; those who have believed and received the Son of God, the Son of Man.

“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets” (Acts 3:19-21).

One day soon, Jesus Christ will tabernacle among us. He will be Immanuel, God with us … forever. He will restore all things. As it once was long ago, so shall it be again. He will establish the Kingdom of God on the earth and will, thereby, bring lasting Peace to a troubled world—a planet teetering on an axis of evil, ready to plunge into an Abyss of hopelessness and helplessness.

“…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).

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

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  • “One Ring To Rule Them All….”
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  • A Revived Roman Empire … Or Not?
  • A Sleeping Giant
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  • An Unprecedented Palestinian Attack in Jerusalem
  • And Justice For All
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  • Antichrist … Is He Alive Today?
  • Antichrist and Anzio … What Do They Have in Common?
  • Antichrist and the Vicar of Christ … Part I
  • Antichrist and the Vicar of Christ … Part II
  • Antichrist’s Dreaded Arrival / First or Second Appearance?
  • Armageddon & Messiah’s Return … An Amazing Sequence of Events
  • Beginning of the End
  • Beware of the Bear!
  • Biblical Terms Not in the Bible … Are They Biblical?
  • Blood Moons
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  • Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (of Israel)
  • BREXIT … What’s It All About?
  • Bring Back Our Boys
  • Build The Temple! Will Messiah Come?
  • Can A Murderer Be A Martyr?
  • Christ or Antichrist … who will it be?
  • Comparing A Phenomenal Prophecy in Leviticus With One in Zechariah
  • Conspiracy Theories … A New World Order
  • Countdown to Armageddon … End of the Fourth 400-Year Era
  • COVID-19 / Just Another Plague?
  • COVID-19 / Just Another Plague? (Part II)
  • Cunning Makeover of the Great City (Revelation 17)
  • Daniel’s 70 Prophetic Weeks & The Number Seventy!
  • Day of Infamy
  • Did God Really Appear to People? When & How?
  • Diplomacy With Israel Despite Anti-Semitism / A Puzzling Paradox
  • Divine Consequences of Iran’s Arrogance (Part I)
  • Divine Consequences of Iran’s Arrogance (Part II)
  • Does Christmas Really Need Christ?
  • Does God Really Have a Son? … Part I
  • Does God Really Have a Son? … Part II
  • Does Israel Belong To The State of Israel?
  • Does The Holy Spirit Restrain (the Man of) Lawlessness?
  • Don’t Seal The Book of Revelation!
  • Double Israel’s Trouble & Double Her Blessings!
  • End of the World Events … In Chronological Order!
  • Ethnic Cleansing of Jews … The Real Palestinian Agenda
  • Exposing Antichrist’s Identity … More Compelling Evidence (Part I)
  • Exposing Antichrist’s Identity … More Compelling Evidence (Part II)
  • Extraordinary Biblical Prophecies w/Predicted Times of Fulfillment (Part I)
  • Extraordinary Biblical Prophecies w/Predicted Times of Fulfillment (Part II)
  • Festival of Tabernacles … Part I
  • First Century Existence of Christ and Antichrist & Their 21st Century Return
  • Five Life-Changing Meals in the Bible
  • For or Against Israel?
  • For Such A Time As This
  • Fountain of Youth & Fountain of Life … Is There a Difference?
  • Four Locust Kingdoms!
  • Freedom … What Does It Really Mean?
  • Fulfilled Prophecy Proves We Can Trust The Bible
  • Gateway to the World
  • Giving Thanks … What is it all about
  • Global Obsession with Jerusalem … In Biblical Proportions!
  • Globalism or Populism … Which Will Antichrist Prefer?
  • God Is Great & Yet He’s So Good!
  • God Is in Control
  • God’s New Covenant with Israel … Minus the Temple (Part I)
  • God’s New Covenant with Israel … Minus the Temple (Part II)
  • Gog, Magog and Leviathan
  • Gog/Magog’s Prophetic Clock Is Ticking, Ticking….
  • Grace and Law … A Biblical Balance
  • Great Expectations for Messiah
  • Hanukkah & Christmas / Do They Have Anything in Common?
  • Hanukkah … The Festival Born of a Prophecy!
  • Happy New Year … Jerusalem Style!
  • Has Antichrist Already Died … How, When & Why
  • How and When Does The World End?
  • How the Rapture
  • Humiliating End of the Great City (Revelation 17)
  • Hurricane Harvey & A Year of Prophetic Milestones (2017)
  • Intriguing Comparisons Between Antiochus IV & Antichrist (Nero)
  • Israel Is Again The Head, Not the Tail (The Deal of the Century)
  • Is President Trump Wavering On “The Waiver”?
  • ISIS, Nero, and Rome
  • Israel Is Here To Stay … Forever!
  • Israel’s Annexation of Occupied Territory? We Must Define The Terms
  • Israel’s Controversial Nation-State Law
  • Israel’s Government in Limbo … Unprecedented!
  • Israeli Occupation … Fact or Myth?
  • Italy’s New Government / A Thorn in the EU’s Side
  • Jerusalem … A Capital Without a Country?
  • Jerusalem … City of Peace?
  • Jerusalem / City Above All Cities
  • Jerusalem’s Mysterious Eastern Gate … Making Headlines
  • Jesus’s Stunning Statements While on the Cross… A Summary of Salvation!
  • Jesus Is The Very Essence of Prophecy
  • Jewish Christian / Christian Jew … An Oxymoron?
  • Jewish Settlements in Judea/Samaria … Are They Illegal?
  • Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount (Part I)
  • Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount (Part II)
  • Jubilee and Messiah … They Go Together!
  • Judea/Samaria & Gaza Strip / Who Has Sovereignty?
  • Just How Imminent is Messiah’s Imminent Return?
  • King David’s Tomb
  • Kingdom of God
  • Las Vegas Massacre … A Broader Perspective
  • Lazarus and Lazarus & The Sign of Jonah
  • Let’s Celebrate … Forever!
  • Let’s Make a Deal
  • Light of The World (Sequel To: The Incomparable Power & Authority of Jesus Christ)
  • Look Up, Redemption Is Near … Part I
  • Look Up, Redemption Is Near … Part II
  • Major Earthquake in Israel … When & Where It Will Strike
  • Melchizedek … A Man of Mystery!
  • Merry Christmas … What’s It All About?
  • Messiah and the Jewish Festivals … An Extraordinary Connection!
  • Messiah’s Amazing Appearances Before He Was Born
  • Messiah’s Arrival … On Whose Authority?
  • Messiah’s Ascension & Coronation … Seen Long Before It Happened!
  • Messiah’s Millennial Reign … Incredible Changes on Earth
  • Messiah’s Number & Its Prophetic Value
  • Messiah’s Return & The Rapture (Same or Separate Events?)
  • Messianic Jews … Who Are They?
  • Modern Day Antichrist?
  • Moral Equivalency
  • More Palestinian Lies
  • More Than One Messiah?
  • Moses & Elijah vs. Antichrist & The False Prophet
  • Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem … A Broken Promise?
  • NERO & The Remarkable Revival of His Name
  • O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
  • Old & New Testament Saints … Is There a Difference?
  • One Global Language … Coming Soon! (Part I)
  • One Global Language … Coming Soon! (Part II)
  • One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand Messianic Jews … Part I
  • One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand Messianic Jews … Part II
  • One Nation Under (the wrath of) God
  • One World Government?
  • One World Religion?
  • Palestine or Israel? Which Is It? / Your Answer May Be In Jeopardy!
  • Palestinian Propaganda Is Pure Poison
  • Palestinian Refugees… Are They Really Refugees?
  • Palestinian Terrorism & UN Resolutions … Neither Will Defeat Israel
  • Palestinian Terror Tunnels & Poetic Justice
  • Passover & Messiah Are Inseparable!
  • Passover … an Enduring Legacy
  • Peace Between Israel and Judah … Then World Peace!
  • Peace on Earth … Is It Really Possible?
  • Peace or a Palestinian State … Which Will It Be?
  • Powerful Proof of Messiah’s Identity & Arrival in The First Century!
  • Preach the Gospel … But Not to the Jews!
  • Prince of Peace
  • Prophecy & A Jewish Holiday
  • Prophetic Fate of Israel’s Friends and Foes
  • Prophetic Implications of the Fires in Israel (Part I)
  • Prophetic Implications of the Fires in Israel (Part II)
  • Proportional Warfare
  • Reappearance of Satan, a Roman Emperor & Two Ancient Prophets … Bodily!
  • Reappearance of the Beast (Antichrist)
  • Reexamination of Messiah’s Imminent Return & The Omega Generation
  • Remember December (Kislev) … A Hidden Gem of Prophecy!
  • Removing Christ From Christmas … What Are The Consequences?
  • Replacement Theology (Part I)
  • Replacement Theology (Part II)
  • Resurrections / How Many Will There Be? One, Two, Or Could There Be Three?
  • Rome and Jerusalem … friends or foes?
  • Russia & Iran versus Israel
  • Russia’s Shocking Invasion of Ukraine … A Preview of Gog/Magog’s Attack on Israel?
  • Salvation … “To The Jew First!”
  • Satan in Bodily Form … When & Why (Part I)
  • Satan in Bodily Form … When & Why (Part II)
  • Scripture Says Everyone Will Die / But What About the Rapture?
  • Separation of Church and State … For or Against? (Part I)
  • Separation of Church and State … For or Against? (Part II)
  • Sequel to Stunning Catastrophes & Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation
  • Seven Essentials of The Rapture (Part I)
  • Seven Essentials of the Rapture (Part II)
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part I
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part II
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part III
  • Seven Wonders of The Millennium
  • Seven Wonders of The Millennium (Part II)
  • Shameful Saga of the Great City (Revelation 17)
  • Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation
  • Significant Sets of Twos in the Bible
  • Six Million Reasons … To Trust the Bible
  • Soon Comes the Antichrist … Straight From the Abyss (Part I)
  • Soon Comes the Antichrist … Straight From the Abyss (Part II)
  • Spiritual Bodies … A Contradiction of Terms? (Part I)
  • Spiritual Bodies … A Contradiction of Terms? (Part II)
  • Stand Still & Watch God Fight for Israel!
  • Stunning Catastrophes of the Tribulation / Their Timing & Purpose
  • Sudden Appearance of Antichrist … Why So Different?
  • Sukkot … The Forever Festival!
  • Superhuman Bodies for Believers / How & Why?
  • Tell a Big Lie Long Enough….
  • Terror, Terror, Terror (Part II)
  • Terror, Terror, Terror! (Part I)
  • The “Right of Return” … For Palestinians or Jews?
  • The Ark of the Covenant … Part I
  • The Ark of the Covenant … Part II
  • The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part I)
  • The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part II)
  • The Beast and His Name
  • The Birth of a Nation
  • The Child of Promise (Part I)
  • The Child of Promise (Part II)
  • The Cross and the Torn Curtain (Part I)
  • The Cross and the Torn Curtain (Part II)
  • The End of the Age … how close are we?
  • The False Prophet (Part I)
  • The False Prophet (Part II)
  • The Final Treaty of Rome … Part I
  • The Final Treaty of Rome … Part II
  • The Gog/Magog Countdown Has Begun!
  • The Heart & Soul of Israel
  • The Incomparable Power and Authority of Jesus Christ
  • The Jewish Dichotomy In & Outside Israel
  • The Legacy of Temple Mount
  • The Legendary Return of Nero
  • The Liberation of Jerusalem
  • The Magnificent Millennial Reign of Believers with Messiah
  • The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible (Part I)
  • The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible (Part II)
  • The Most Significant End-Times Sign Of All
  • The Myth of Al Aqsa Mosque
  • The Number of the Beast
  • The Omega Generation
  • The Peace Treaty That Will Guarantee War
  • The Phenomenal Thousand Years/One Day Parallel
  • The Prince and the People That Destroyed the Jewish Temple / Who Were They?
  • The Prophetic Endgame of Gog/Magog
  • The Rapture / Before or After The Great Tribulation?
  • The Real Reason for Palestinian Terrorism
  • The Reign of Terror
  • The Remarkable Rebirth of a Nation
  • The Rest of the Story … Bibi’s Speech to the United Nations
  • The Right to Life?
  • The Russians Are Coming!
  • The Seal of Approval
  • The Second Exodus
  • The Seven Year Treaty
  • The Shout Heard Around the World
  • The Shroud of Turin … Real or Fake? / A Decisive Answer
  • The Shroud of Turin … Real or Fake? / A Decisive Answer (Part II)
  • The Terrible Trio of Gog and Magog
  • The Three Greatest Trials of All Time
  • The Tremendous Transfiguration of Believers!
  • The Two Witnesses (Part I)
  • The Two Witnesses (Part II)
  • The Two Witnesses (Part III)
  • The Vatican and Islam … A Perfect Match for Antichrist
  • The Virgin Birth of Messiah … How and Why?
  • The Whole Truth
  • The Woman and the Beast
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part II)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part III)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part IV)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part V)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part VI)
  • The Wonder Of It All … Birth of the Child!
  • The World Wants a Messiah … But It Needs (The) Messiah
  • There’s No Place Like Homs
  • There’s Resurrection; And There’s Resurrection!
  • Three … A Divine Number of God!
  • Times of & Fullness of the Gentiles … What Do They Mean?
  • To Be or Not To Be … in Heaven?
  • To Be Or Not To Be … In Heaven? (A Revisit)
  • Trump, Cyrus, and the Jewish Temple
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part I … Turmoil)
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part II … Tragedy)
  • Turmoil, Tragedy, & Terror in Israel (Part III … Terror)
  • Two-State Solution & The Seven-Year Treaty … Impossible?
  • Two Thirds of the Jews Killed … Past or Future?
  • U.S. President Agrees with God … Jerusalem Is Israel’s Capital!
  • Under the Radar
  • UNESCO / “Theatre of the Absurd” Against Israel
  • United Nations Downsizing of Israel (Resolution 2334)
  • Value of Prophecy
  • West Bank or Judea/Samaria? What’s In A Name?
  • What Is A Saint?
  • What Is Done To Israel Will Be Done In Return / The Iran Nuclear Deal
  • What Is Done to Israel Will Be Done in Return / Dangers of a Divided Jerusalem
  • What is Palestine & Who Is A Palestinian?
  • What is the Rapture?
  • What Is The Unpardonable Sin?
  • When the Rapture?
  • Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here?
  • Where Is The Temple? Part I
  • Where Is The Temple? Part II
  • Where is the Temple? Part III
  • Who is Messiah?
  • Who Is the Antichrist & How Will He Appear (Part I)
  • Who Is The Antichrist & How Will He Appear? (Part II)
  • Who the Rapture?
  • Whom Do You Most Want To See In Heaven?
  • Why the Rapture?
  • Why the Rapture? (A Revisit)
  • Why The World Idolizes Antichrist & How It Reacts To The Tribulation
  • Wiles of the Woman
  • Will All Children Be Taken in The Rapture?
  • Will Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation? (Part I)
  • Will Believers Go Through The Great Tribulation? (Part II)
  • Will There Still Be Unbelievers Throughout Eternity?
  • Yom Kippur / With Or Without Atonement?
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