Table of contents for Something Old Something New

1. Something Old, Something New
2. Lessons From Jonah

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.’” (Psalm 40:6-8, from the Septuagint translation. Attributed to Jesus in Hebrews 10:5-7).

People who don’t think of the Bible as one message for everyone, but see the Old Testament as the part for the Jews while the New testament is the part for the Church miss out on a lot. They don’t see that while the two parts of the Book are obviously different they are also tied together.

The Old Testament explained how the Israelites were supposed to behave while the New Testament takes some of those behavioral imperatives and presents them in the spiritual sense to show us what we’re supposed to believe. If you look closely you’ll find that things that obviously call for external, physical, and national behavior in the Old Testament often become internal, spiritual and personal beliefs in the New.

The Sign Of The Covenant

Let’s start with the very foundation of Israel’s relationship with God to show you what I mean. Shortly after God made His covenant with Abraham He required him and everyone in his household to be circumcised as a sign of their covenant. He said from that time on every male eight days old or older had to be circumcised or he would be excluded from being part of God’s people (Genesis 17:10-14). It was an external sign, it was physical, and it was national.

Now listen to Paul in Romans 2:28-29. A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.

Circumcision was an external, physical sign, an identifying mark that every male Israelite had to take to be part of the nation. The mark that replaced it in the New Testament is a spiritual one that no man can see, and that God gives to us. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Cor. 1:21-22)

And in Galatians 3:28-29 Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Circumcision had become internal, spiritual, and personal.

The Giving Of The Law

Later, at Mt. Sinai, God said, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6) He was adding the most elaborate and detailed system of religious and social behavior ever devised. 613 laws to keep, dietary restrictions to follow, sacrifices every day for all manner of violations, and everyone had to obey. It was external, physical, national behavior.

And what became of all those laws, restrictions, and sacrifices? The endless religious work that God required of all Jews? According to the quote from Psalm 40:6-8 above, none of this was pleasing to God. Its only purpose was to set aside the penalties due the Israelites for their sins until the Redeemer came to pay those penalties on their behalf. Jesus said He didn’t come to abolish the Law but fulfill it (Matt. 5:17).

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28-29).

External, physical, national behavior from the Old Testament had become an internal, spiritual, personal belief in the New.

The Sabbath

The Sabbath was a day of rest, a holy day. God had labored for six days in the Creation. On the seventh day the work of creation was finished and He rested (Genesis 2:2-3). In memorial, He commanded the Israelites to do the same (Exodus 20:8-11). Anyone caught working on the Sabbath was to suffer physical death (Numbers 15:32-36).  External, physical, national behavior.

But Jesus worked on the Sabbath (John 8:14-16), and Paul wrote that while some consider one day to be more sacred than another, others consider every day to be alike. He said each one should be fully convinced in his own mind (Romans 14:5). Had the Sabbath become optional?

Then the writer of Hebrews explained that the Sabbath Law was symbolic of the rest a believer enters upon being saved. Just as the Lord rested when the work of creation was done, we are to rest in the Lord when we’re saved because as soon as we accept the pardon He purchased for us the work of salvation is done. We’re a new creation (Hebrews 4:9-11, 2 Cor. 5:17). Internal, spiritual, personal belief.

Those who continue to work to either earn or keep their salvation are saying they aren’t really saved yet. In effect they’re relying on their own work and are not resting in the Lord’s completed work on their behalf. Since their work can never be sufficient they will be scheduled for spiritual death.

Bread From Heaven

Or how about the manna God sent the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16)? Everyone had to go out and collect their own, no one could collect it for anyone else, and everyone got just enough. It kept them alive in the wilderness. External, physical, national behavior.

Jesus called Himself the bread from Heaven and said said the manna symbolized Him. Anyone partaking of him would never go hungry (John 6:31-35). But everyone has to get Him for themselves, no one can get him for anyone else and everyone gets just enough to save them forever. Internal, spiritual, personal belief.

There are more examples we could use but I think you get the idea. Hebrews 10:1 says the Law is only a shadow of the good things to come not the realities themselves. The reality is Jesus and the whole Book speaks of Him.

A New Creation

The Pharisees were the best examples of proper Old Testament behavior ever, but Jesus said our righteousness has to surpass theirs in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 5:20). He said they looked great from the outside but on the inside they were full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean (Matt. 23:27). Tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the Kingdom ahead of them (Matt. 21:31).

He said this because their obedience to the Law was an act of their own will and a matter of self discipline rather than a changed heart. It was external, physical behavior. They were not born again. Their spirit was not one with the Spirit of God. They had trained themselves to look good on the outside but on the inside they hadn’t changed themselves at all. They were not a new creation.

That’s because no one can make recreate themselves. We’re not sinners because we sin, we sin because we’re sinners. It’s in our nature. We can only escape judgment because God sent His Son to pay the penalty due us for our sins. Our behavior alone will not suffice, no matter how exemplary.

Paul said no one will be considered righteous by keeping the Law, but that a righteousness apart from the Law has been made known. It’s a righteousness from God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22). Internal, spiritual, personal belief.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:17,21).

From God’s perspective everyone who is born again has already become a new creation even though we still see ourselves the same old way. Paul even went so far as to say that when he sinned, God looked at him as though it wasn’t really he who had sinned but the sin nature that still lived within him (Romans 7:20).

He also said that everything that was written in the past was written to teach us (Romans 15:4). In this case the lesson we’re supposed to learn is that man’s best external, physical behavior falls hopelessly short of God’s standards.

Israel proved that applying will power and self discipline to behave the way God commanded them always led to rebellion, because it was all external behavior they grew to resent. There was no internal change. Mankind will prove this point again in the Millennium. 1,000 years of perfect in person rule by the Lord Himself with Satan bound in chains will result in rebellion on a world wide scale (Rev. 20:7-10).

Only a new heart will solve our problem, and this will only happen when our mortal, perishable, corruptible bodies are changed. The wages of sin is death, Paul wrote (Romans 6:23), and death will be the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26). As long as there are natural humans in the world there will be sin, no matter what external circumstances exist.

Beginning with the rapture of the Church, Jesus will be focused on destroying this enemy. He has to reign until this is accomplished (1 Cor. 15:25). At the rapture we the living, together with the dead in Christ, will be changed from mortal to immortal (1 Cor. 15:51-53). At the Second Coming Old Testament saints and Tribulation believers who died for their faith will have a similar experience (Daniel 12:1-2, Rev. 20:4). At the end of the Millennium the same will happen for Millennial believers. (Although the focus of the Great white Throne judgment is on unbelievers of all ages, Rev. 20:15 gives us a hint that believers from the Millennial Age will be spared.)

During this time Jesus will have destroyed all dominion, authority, and power that conflicts with God’s will (1 Cor. 15:24). The Greek word translated destroyed means to deactivate or render inoperable. The one for dominion means origin. Authority means agency, the ability to do as one chooses. And power means strength. This means when we’re perfected the Lord will disable our power of choice. Whether our origin was angelic or human, we’ll no longer have either the desire or the strength to rebel against God’s will. Sin will be no more. Death will have been conquered.

At that point all of God’s Creation will finally be at peace, in perfect harmony with the will of our Creator forever. Hallelujah. Selah. 03-03-12

Recently, I was reminded of a video I had watched some years ago on the life of Abraham. First shown on one of the cable networks, it was surprisingly faithful to the Bible’s account of Abraham’s life.

The late Richard Harris portrayed Abraham as a man of great sensitivity, with a yearning to know God. Eventually he was successful, for the Bible describes him as God’s friend (Isaiah 41:8). It does not tell us why Abraham sought God, or how he even knew there was a God. Although Abraham’s early ancestors had obviously known of Him, the people of Abraham’s time were not followers of this God. How did Abraham find out about Him?

Creation Chronology

Genesis 5 is a chronology of the first 10 generations of man. It’s given without explanation or embellishment and covers the period from Adam through Noah. Since the chronology is specific, calculating the life span of each man is simple, as is the total time from Adam’s creation to Noah’s death – 2006 years. Genesis 6 – 9 then shifts gears to describe the Great Flood, which occurred 1656 years after Adam’s creation. Chapter 10 is about the Tower of Babel.

Then in Genesis 11: 9 the chronology abruptly begins again with Noah’s son Shem and continues through Abraham (then called Abram) in Genesis 11:26. Once again we can calculate both the individual life spans and the total elapsed time of 10 generations. By putting the two lists together you come to the amazing discovery that Noah was still alive when Abram was born and died when Abram was 59.

You can also see that if Adam recounted the story of his origin to his son Seth and his grandson son Enosh, (seems likely, since Adam’s origin was pretty unique) then Enosh could have told Noah. In fact six of the other nine family heads were still alive and well during most of Noah’s life. Only Adam and Seth had died, and Enoch was raptured. Since they all lived in the same general vicinity, Mesopotamia, it’s likely they all knew Adam’s story and could have passed it along.

Hello Noah? This is Abraham

Only Noah, his three sons, and their wives survived the flood, but any of them could have talked with Abram. In fact Noah’s son Shem, still around when Abram’s son Isaac was born, actually out lived Abram. (Some say Shem was the one called Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-20, the King of Salem to whom Abram paid a tithe on the spoil he had taken while rescuing Lot.)

The notion that the Creation story came from fables told by illiterate primitives around campfires at night just isn’t so. The chain of information from Creation to Abraham needed only 3 links; Adam, Enosh (Adam’s grandson) and Noah. It is no stretch of the imagination to conclude that Abram had heard about the Creator of the Universe through this chain and then sought Him out. You see, in those days there was great interest in the lessons of the past; the wisdom of the ages. (For more detail see From Adam To Abraham.)

What’s The Point?

Today in almost every field, great emphasis is placed on new thought. Nothing wrong with that per se, but in our quest for the “latest thing” are we losing our grounding in the wisdom of the ages?

Through out history, every society has relied on the wisdom of its elders to instruct the young, guaranteeing that its heritage would remain intact and that simple truths would not be lost. Because for the most part western society no longer venerates its elders and their wisdom, we live in a revisionist world, where even the past is becoming uncertain. (Was Columbus a good guy or a bad guy? Was the Holocaust real? Who was JFK?)

Many of life’s simple truths are no longer passed along, yet they have always been effective in building successful lives. They were first written down for us in the Bible, confirmed in the biographies of successful people, and documented by society’s observers. Here’s an example.

The Greatest Discovery Of Our Generation

That’s how the findings of author James Allen were described when his book “As A Man Thinketh “ was published in 1903. And what was his great discovery? The realization that “we can change our lives by changing our attitudes of mind.”

Ever since the study of human behavior had begun, psychologists had asserted that basic life patterns were not subject to change but were either genetically predisposed or were formed through a process called “environmental conditioning” that took place shortly after birth and, once complete, was irreversible. Allen had discovered that these patterns are not irreversible, but can be altered through conscious volition (choice).

Since then, an abundance of research has supported Allen’s conclusion. In fact it’s now common knowledge that many of the most successful people among us, in every field imaginable, were not only “destined” for failure; but were actually headed that way before achieving great success by making a conscious effort to change their behavior by changing the way they thought. So it appears James Allen was right. Today his book is called a timeless classic, and is still in print after 108 years. But was it really his discovery?

Paul The Behavioral Scientist

In about 60 AD The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church at Ephesus; “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:22-24) Earlier he had counseled the church at Rome not to conform to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2). Sound familiar?

So what was called the greatest discovery of our generation 100 years ago was known to Paul almost 1900 years earlier, and he had taught it to the early Church. In fact Paul knew every great truth having to do with what we now call personal growth and development and taught them all in his letters, calling them spiritual weapons with divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Cor. 10:3-5).

Let’s review some of them because they’re especially good for getting us through the difficult times we’re currently experiencing.

The Power of Positive Thinking (Positive Expectancy)

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:4-7).

There’s a related tool here, sometimes called the theory of displacement. The human mind, with all it’s power, has one limitation. At the conscious level it can only focus on one thing at a time. Training our mind to focus on positive thoughts makes it impossible for negative thoughts to distract us. Here’s how Paul described it.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Phil 4:8).

Paul said God is working everything together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28) and Jesus promised to meet all our needs if we promise to seek His Kingdom (Matt. 6:31-33). Therefore no matter what happens in life believers have cause to rejoice and give thanks to God. By giving our concerns to Him in prayer we can rise above our circumstances and live in peace in spite of them. To avoid becoming discouraged in times of difficulty we should count our blessings, focus on the positive aspects of our life, and fill our mind with the promises of God. We live by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

The Power Of A Personal Goal

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:13-14).

Our goal is to live each day in a manner pleasing to God, expressing our gratitude for the free gift of salvation, but we often fail to achieve it. Thankfully, God’s mercies are new every morning (Lament. 3:22-23). No matter how badly we stumbled yesterday, a simple prayer of confession wipes the slate clean and it’s like it never happened (1 John 1:9). Every day brings a fresh opportunity to live up to what we’ve already attained (Phil. 3:16) The past is past and we can’t do anything to change it. With God’s help we can forget past failures, focusing on the incredible future that awaits us as our motivation to keep trying.

The Power of Visualization

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor 4:17-18).

This world is temporary and is quickly coming to an end. It’s the next one that matters because it’s the permanent one. Regardless of what happens today, at its end we’ll be one day closer to a guaranteed inheritance that’s beyond human comprehension. A few hours of time and today is gone, but our inheritance is eternal and cannot be taken from us (John 10:27-30). We should stop worrying so much about this life, start thinking more about how great the next one will be, and visualize ourselves there. The Holy Spirit will help us.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit (1 Cor. 2:8-10).

The Power of Affirmation or Self Talk

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Phil 4:12-13).

Blessed are we who’ve been given everything for we don’t have to worry about anything. Affirmations like this adaptation of the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12) have been described as statements made in times of doubt that would otherwise be true. Bible verses make the best affirmations because we know they’re not just wishful thinking, they’re the promises of God. Paul knew that no matter what his earthly situation was, the Lord had given him the strength to endure and therefore he could always be content. Repeating Phil. 4:13 when we’re discouraged reminds us that promise is for us too.

When it came to behavioral psychology, Paul was greater than Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, B.F. Skinner, Abraham Maslow and all the others combined. When it came to motivational writing he topped Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Shuller, Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, and anyone else you can name. No wonder he started so many churches. No wonder he was so thoroughly despised by his enemies.

Why The Big Secret?

Today, these Biblical principles have been hijacked by secular humanists and even proponents of other “religions,” who deceitfully claim them as their own. They remove God from the equation, promoting the supremacy of the human spirit or the achievement of some kind of personal godhood instead. They often derive great fame and fortune from sharing their “secrets”, omitting any mention of their actual origin.

Out of Biblical ignorance, the Church largely ignores or even fears these truths. And yet, even with God out of the picture they’ve have helped bring great success to countless followers. How much more powerful would they be if we used them for the purpose God intended? How many defeated lives would be changed? How many oppressed and enslaved believers would be set free?

Whose Idea Was This Anyway?

But where did Paul get his knowledge; his understanding of motivational leadership? Listen to his own words: “I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12).

Earlier Jesus had said, I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Then He gave Paul the tools we need to make His claim a reality.

Clearly, the Lord intended for us to use these truths to escape the prison built for our mind by the experiences of our life. It’s with good reason the Bible is called the Owner’s Manual for the Human Race. This is truly the Wisdom of the Ages. 11-12-11

Table of contents for Epistle Of Jude,

1. Jude, Gateway To Revelation … Part 1
2. Jude, Gateway To Revelation … Conclusion

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

The Book of Acts is sometimes called the Acts of the Apostles because it’s a record of their experiences in building the early Church. That being the case, the Book of Jude could be called Acts of the Apostates because it’s devoted to warning the Church of the false teachers who were coming. This being the time of the Great Apostasy (2 Thes. 2:3) we should review Jude’s 1 chapter letter the the Church and see what it says to us today.

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. (Jude:1-2)

The author identified himself as a servant of Jesus and a brother of James, who was head of the Church in Jerusalem in the years between Pentecost and his death just prior to Jerusalem’s destruction. Since James was a half brother of Jesus, Jude would also have been the Lord’s half brother. Neither James nor Jude were believers until after the resurrection. (John 7:5)

Jude was clearly writing to the Church. The Greek word translated “called” in verse 1 means sanctified (set apart) and is from the word for saint. The claim that we are loved by God and kept by Jesus Christ combines John 3:16 (For God so loved the world) and John 6:39 (my father’s will is that I should lose none of all that He has given me) and confirms other passages that say once we’re saved the Lord takes responsibility for keeping us that way.

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude: 3-4)

Jude wanted to write about loftier things, but already the Church was being invaded by false teachers, something that continues to this day, and he felt the need to warn us about them. Like it is today, these teachers were saying sin doesn’t matter, Jesus wasn’t really God in the flesh, and he’s not the only way to salvation. Back then this was called the gnostic error, one teaching of which held that all Spirit is pure and all matter is evil, so what we do in the flesh is irrelevant to our spiritual life.

This same teaching held that God, being spirit, is pure and could never have dwelt in a physical body so Jesus could not have been divine. They said the Spirit of God came to be with Him for a time but departed before His crucifixion leaving Him to die a broken man. Followers of gnosticism believed that salvation could not be attained through the death of a man, but by the acquisition of secret knowledge. (The Greek word gnosis means to know.) The New Age religions are modern examples that build on this kind of thinking.

The doctrine of inclusivism in liberal Christian theology teaches that Jesus is not the only way to salvation. Different religious philosophies outline their own beliefs and as long as people are sincere in practicing the beliefs of their chosen religion, they can find the way to God. They say it would be arrogant of Christians to insist that ours is the only way.

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude:5-7)

These people might think they’re smart, behaving like they do. The way they intellectualize the Scriptures and emphasize their advanced degrees shows them to have a superior attitude, acting as if they’re the only ones who really understand. But we should remember what happened to those who thought they were too smart for God in the past. Paul said, “Although they claimed to be wise they became fools” (Romans 1:22) and reminded us that God promised the wisdom of the wise will perish and the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish. He was quoting Isaiah 29:14. Having learned nothing from history these people who think they’re so smart will find themselves repeating it.

Even the angels had to learn this. When some of them thought they could rebel and begin a new order, they took on human form without permission, chose human women as wives and produced a hybrid race of super humans (Genesis 6:4). Before long the human gene pool was almost entirely corrupted. But God brought the Great flood and destroyed them all, preserving only Noah and his family to begin again. Those who led this rebellion have been chained in darkness for over 4,000 years, awaiting their judgment. Peter also had this in mind when he wrote,

“God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment” (2 Peter 2:4)

Later, Satan tried to pull this same stunt again, infesting the land God promised to His people with giants to frighten the Israelites away. It worked for a while, but God gave His people supernatural strength and courage to drive them out.

Some are convinced Satan will try this one more time, as the End of the Age approaches. They say the Nephilim of Genesis 6 are returning as extra-terrestrials to help Satan kick God off the planet for good. I have no first hand evidence to prove or disprove this theory. But this I know. The Bible says it has happened before, and there are hints it could happen again. (For our complete study on the Nephilim go here)

And who could deny the current effort to re-create Sodom and Gomorrah in our midst? Using the law of the land to force the acceptance of deviant behavior on the people pits human governments directly against the Word of God and will produce the same response that has followed every preceding attempt. Judgment.

In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them. (Jude:8-10)

The Gnostics of old felt comfortable indulging to excess in every form of perversity. And if you think this kind of thing only happened long ago, just watch a few prime time TV shows. A short generation ago such behavior would have been scandalous, unfit even for public discussion. Now it’s openly celebrated, and even admired.

In this passage we come closer than any other place in the Bible to understanding why God allows Satan into His presence. Satan is a dignitary, a celestial being at the top of the order. Even Michael the Archangel, occupying the second highest position in the angelic hierarchy can not speak disrespectfully to him. With all the harm Satan has done to the creation, at least for now he is still afforded the courtesy due his position.

But the false teachers of yesterday and today feel free to slander anybody, including God, who they don’t understand. They even rebel against the things they intuitively know are right. One of these is the indisputable fact that our world had to have been created. In Romans 1:18-19 Paul wrote,

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

Scientists are intelligent enough to read the signs God has plainly shown them in the Creation. Their insistence upon believing the so-called theory of evolution is not due to the fact that they’ve proven it to be true. In fact a growing mountain of evidence is showing it to be false. It’s due to the fact that they don’t want to believe the Biblical account which they intuitively know to be true, and so they suppress the truth by promoting a lie.

Another self-evident truth is when life begins. There isn’t a person alive who doesn’t know deep in his or her heart that a pre-born child is a living being. And yet these false teachers relentlessly spout theories that contradict their intuitive knowledge in a failed effort to justify their behavior. These are the ones to whom God will one day shout, “What were you thinking?” as He shows them the millions of defenseless children they’ve murdered.

Now don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m only talking about the secular world here. Remember, Jude said these teachings would come into the Church. And so they have. Today only a minority of those who call themselves Christian believe the Bible is true just as it’s written.

Speaking of these false teachers Peter said, “Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand.” (2 Peter 2:10-12)

And Jude continues, Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.(Jude:11)

The way of Cain is to offer the works of our hands as payment for our sins rather than accept the sacrifice of an innocent substitute (Genesis 4:3-4). The Bible says Cain knew what was right, but refused to do what was right (Genesis 4:6). Similarly some preachers today put their flocks in greater bondage than they were before they were saved by teaching that although Jesus died so we could be saved it’s up to us to earn the right to stay that way.

Balaam’s error was to offer false prophecies for a fee. He loved the wages of wickedness (2 Peter 2:15) Today we would say, “He’s in it for the money.” Some of our most prominent televangelists teach things they know in their heart to be untrue just to get money from their gullible followers.

Korah rebelled against God’s chosen one (Moses) inciting the people to disobedience (Numbers 16). Because of him many people refused to follow God’s constituted authority. For the Church today, God’s constituted authority is His word. But I get emails almost every day from people who can’t find a Bible believing church where they live. Others write to bemoan the fact that the church they’ve grown up in is suddenly taking a dramatic turn away from the Bible into things its writers have repeatedly warned us against doing.

So far it’s not looking good for the false teachers whether of Jude’s time or ours. But Jude is far from concluding his rant against them and before we’re finished Peter will have more to say too. Better stay tuned. Selah 01-29-11

The Bible isn’t such a complex document that it requires years of formal education before you can begin to comprehend it. I’ve always believed the Bible was meant to be understood by any believer who can read and has a serious interest in knowing what it says. I say this because I believe the Bible is best approached by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit rather than one’s own intellect. James 1:5 says that any of us who lacks wisdom need only ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault.

Conversely the man without the Spirit can not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God regardless of his mental prowess. (1 Cor. 2:14) This is why we hear of people who tried to read the Bible as non-believers and found they couldn’t figure it out, but as soon as they were born again it began to make sense. They didn’t suddenly become more intelligent, they simply gained the supernatural insight of the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things. (John 14:26)

Over the 25 years or so I’ve been studying the Bible I’ve picked up a handful of principles that have also given me a better understanding of what it says. They help keep me honest so I know it’s the Holy Spirit teaching me, and not just my sin infested intellect coming to its own conclusion. From time to time I get asked about these principles, having mentioned them in answers to various questions, so here they are.

The Golden Rule of Interpretation

“When the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.” Dr. D.L. Cooper

This hasn’t become known as the Golden Rule of Interpretation for nothing. If you ignore all the others and only follow this one rule you will avoid almost all the mistakes people make in reading the Bible. And the next one is like it, sort of an expanded version of the first.

Literal, Historical, Grammatical, Contextual

These could be called the most important words in Biblical Hermeneutics, which is the science of properly interpreting the Bible.

Literal means that each word is given the same exact basic meaning it would have in normal, ordinary, customary usage, whether employed in writing, speaking or thinking. Unless it’s clearly indicated otherwise, we’re to assume the Bible means exactly what it says. Examples of passages that are not intended to be taken literally are parables, dreams, and visions. These are all identified as such, alerting us to the fact that they’re meant to be understood symbolically.

Historical means that each passage is put into its proper historical setting and surrounded with the thoughts, attitudes, and feelings prevalent at the time of its writing. In Biblical times the Jewish view of the Messiah was one of a charismatic leader like King David. In other words, a man, not God in human form. Knowing that helps us understand how they failed to recognize Him, and why they accused Him of blasphemy when He claimed to be God.

Grammatical means that words are given meanings consistent with their common understanding in the original language at the time of writing. Grammatical interpretation also includes following recognized rules of grammar and in its more advanced form, applying the nuances of the Hebrew and Greek languages to the understanding of a passage.

A good example showing the importance of following the rules of grammar can found in Daniel 9:27 where the subject of the first sentence in the verse is a personal pronoun. “He will confirm a covenant with (the) many.” The rule of grammar regarding personal pronouns is that they refer to the closest preceding personal noun. In this case it’s “the ruler who will come” in verse 26 indicating that the person who will confirm the covenant with Israel is the anti-Christ, not the Lord as some commentators assert.

Contextual interpretation involves always taking the surrounding context of a verse/passage into consideration when trying to determine its meaning. The Holy Spirit has usually prompted the Bible’s writers to place indicators in the text surrounding a passage to guide you in interpreting it. In 1 Cor. 9:24-27 Paul compares our life to that of an athlete, training and competing for crowns. The mention of crowns tells us the passage is not about salvation, which is a free gift, but rewards believers can win after being saved. (In this case it’s the crown of victory, awarded to those who overcome the ways of the flesh by getting rid of selfish desires, bad habits and attitudes, etc.)

When you stop to think about it, reading the Bible this way actually makes perfect sense. If you received a letter from a friend you wouldn’t have to be reminded to apply these principles. You would naturally assume that your friend was using words that meant the same thing to both of you. You would understand them within the parameters of your shared history, you would assume that the rules of grammar you had both been taught applied, and you would interpret what was written within the context of your relationship. You would expect your friend to alert you if any of these assumptions were not going to apply, and explain the reason for it.

The only difference with the Bible is that it was written over a long period of time, during which the meanings of some words changed, and society is generally different now than it was when the Bible was written. This makes books on Bible history and a good concordance valuable additions to your library.

Expositional Constancy

This is a fancy term to remind us that symbolism in scripture tends to be consistent. For example, through out the Bible leaven, or yeast, is used symbolically to stand for sin. Therefore there’s no justification for claiming that in the Parable of the Yeast (Matt. 13:33) and there alone, it stands for the Gospel. Expositional Constancy only applies to words that are used symbolically, so be careful. Peter’s statement in 2 Peter 3:9 that with the Lord a day is like 1000 years and 1000 years is like a day does not justify substituting 1000 years for a day every time it comes up. Peter was simply explaining that the Lord’s concept of time is way different from ours.

Internal Consistency

The Bible, being the word of God, cannot contradict itself. The Lord is just and righteous so He can’t say something in one place and something different in another. He knows the end from the beginning so He can’t change His mind or take back something He’s given. Everything He says has to agree with everything else He says. For example, if the Bible says it’s God who makes us stand firm in Christ, that He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us and put His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee of what’s to come (2 Cor. 1:21-22), then it can’t say that we can walk away from our salvation or have it taken away from us someplace else.

Principle Of First Mention

Often when an important concept is mentioned for the first time there is elevated significance in the context of the passage in which it appears. The first mention of the Church is in Matt.16:18 where Peter declared that Jesus is the Messiah, son of the living God. Jesus said that this truth would be the foundation upon which He would build His Church. Notice who’s going to be doing the building and whose Church it is. Studying the passage where an important concept first appears can be very helpful in interpreting subsequent passages on the same subject.

Use Clear Passages To Interpret Obscure Ones

Some passages of Scripture are more difficult to interpret correctly than others. When confronting one of these, it’s best to locate the clearest verses on the subject and use them to help interpret the difficult one. A classic example is Hebrews 6:4-6 which, when taken alone, seems to say that we can fall away and lose our salvation, and if that should happen we can never get it back. But the clearest verses on salvation are Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Cor. 1:21-22, and they plainly state the opposite. The Ephesians passage says we were included in Christ when we first heard and believed the gospel. Having believed we were sealed with the Holy Spirit, a deposit that guarantees our inheritance. In 2 Corinthians Paul went even further saying that God himself has accepted responsibility for making us stand firm in Christ and has set His seal of ownership on us, like a rancher brands his cattle.

Applying the principles above we must conclude that the writer to Hebrews had to be talking about something else. When we look at the context of the letter, we find that it was written to Jewish believers who were being lured back into the Levitical system, which used the sacrifice of a lamb to atone for sins. For the Church, the Lord’s death fulfilled what the sacrifice only symbolized, so going back to this was tantamount to sacrificing Him all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace, because by their actions they were saying that His death was not sufficient to atone for their sins.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, going back to the sacrifice was no longer acceptable to God because the Law was only a shadow of the good things that are coming, not the realities themselves. For that reason it could never make perfect those who draw near to worship no matter how many times they repeated it. (Hebr. 10:1) But when the Lord offered His sacrifice once for all time, He made perfect forever those who are being made holy (Hebr. 10:12-14) During the Church Age all we have to do after sinning is confess our sins to receive forgiveness, be brought back to repentance, and be purified from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Now Hebrews 6:4-6 makes sense because it conforms to the internal consistency of God’s Word.

There are lots of other rules and principles man has developed for application to God’s word, but in my opinion if we just apply the ones I’ve listed above we’ll stand a good chance of avoiding the errors and misinterpretations that seem to be so common these days.

The Bible is quite simply the most incredible book ever written. Some parts of it were written at least 4000 years ago, and by 95AD its most recent chapters were finished. But according to Paul it was written to teach us, upon whom the end of the age has come. (Romans 15:4, 1 Cor. 10:11) If we’ll just read it the way we would any other document, as if it means what it says, the Holy Spirit will reveal wondrous truths from within its pages. Truths that will give us an anchor against the storms of deceit and controversy that have become so common in our time. Maybe that’s why it was written primarily to us. Selah 11-14-09

The other day I received an interesting response to my answer stating that the Bible supports an approximate 6000 year history for the human race. This person didn’t dispute the Bible, only our interpretation of it, in disagreeing with my answer.

The essence of his response was that since science has found what it considers to be persuasive evidence that contradicts the literal view of the creation account, then our traditional interpretation of the language in Genesis 1 has to be flawed.

The writer is a scientist and a Christian. He presented a calm and reasoned response claiming that every relevant field of science is in agreement that “enormous amounts of very convincing evidence exists for an old–very old–earth and even for evolution, including humans.”

Now I’ve said before that I’m OK with an old Earth. In other articles I’ve shown how an old Earth and young civilization are entirely compatible with a literal interpretation of Genesis 1. (Read More) But in his view the old Earth includes animals and other life, some of whom later evolved into humans. I’m not OK with that because the Bible says that animals came along on day 6, same as man.

He went on to ask, “So what is more likely, that thousands of highly educated, highly experienced, highly motivated, life-long scientists and thinkers are wrong about immeasurable amounts of finely done, peer reviewed data or that your interpretation of a document which is thousands of years old is ever so slightly incorrect?”

Then he repeated that He’s not contesting the accuracy of Scripture, only man’s interpretation of it.

Let’s set aside the fact that most of those thousands of highly educated, highly experienced, highly motivated, life-long scientists and thinkers are non-believers who don’t think the Biblical Creation account is even a remote possibility. We’ll consider only the believers among them, because they’re the ones who say that the Scripture is accurate, but our interpretation of it is flawed.

For all the generations from the dawn of creation until the early part of the 20th Century, almost all believers accepted the Lord’s account of the Six Day Creation. So what is it that we’ve “misinterpreted” for all these thousands of years?

It’s About Time

All believers agree that ultimately God is our Creator. So the basic conflict between the differing views of our origin really comes down to the time involved. Evolution requires millions of years, but the Bible says the creation was complete from start to finish in 6 days. Now there’s there’s only one sentence in the entire creation account that concerns time. Therefore the whole argument boils down to a claim that for all these generations we’ve misinterpreted one sentence. That one sentence, repeated 6 times, reads like this. “And there was evening, and there was morning, day (1-6) “ (Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31) Furthermore, within that sentence there are only three words that relate to time; evening, morning, and day. If there’s been a misinterpretation, it has to be in one of those three words.

By the way, let’s address the Bible’s accuracy here in case you’re thinking maybe some words got changed along the way to cause our misinterpretation. According to Rabbinical sources, there are 79,847 words in the Torah, as the first five books of the Bible are called, made up of 304,805 Hebrew letters. Fewer than 2 dozen of these letters are in dispute, and then only for spelling differences. That means the Torah we have today is a 99.99% accurate copy of the one Moses originally wrote. We know this because every letter in Hebrew has a numerical value, so every line and every column of text has a correct sum. In hand copying the text every line was checked for accuracy by adding the sum of its letters and comparing it with the correct total. In the case of a difference, the page was destroyed, and the copyist started over. Remember, these people were entrusted with the very words of God and took that trust seriously.

Three Little Words

With that said, let’s take a look at the three words having to do with time.

The Hebrew word for evening is erev. It’s always translated evening, sunset or night.

The word for morning is boqer. There’s no question that it means morning. Hebrew speaking Jews greet each other at the beginning of each day with “Boqer tov” (good morning).

And the word for day is yomn. As does its English counterpart, yomn can have a figurative meaning as well as a literal one. Of its 2287 appearances in Scripture, 2008 describe a literal 24 hour day. In the figurative sense it can mean a longer span of time, such as in the phrase “Day of the Lord “ in Amos 5:18 where it refers to the 3.5 year long Great Tribulation.

But common sense tells us that when combined with evening and morning, as it is in each of the six references of Genesis 1, it’s meant to be taken literally, a single 24 hour period, because there are no figurative applications for the Hebrew words erev and boqer. And the Bible doesn’t say there were evenings and mornings, it says there was evening (singular) and there was morning (singular). One of each. And that means one 24 hour day.

We also have the first mention of the word day in Genesis 1:5 and it demonstrates the Lord’s intention for the word’s use.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. (Genesis 1:3-5)

This verse established the way time would be reckoned. First there was evening, the beginning of the dark period, night, and then there was morning, the beginning of the light period, day. This cycle has repeated itself every 24 hours throughout history.

Are we supposed to believe that for almost all of human history the words evening, morning, and day haven’t meant what people thought they meant?

How Could This Be?

In an effort to reconcile the creation account with evolution, some believers try to give the Lord more time to do His work of creation. They call the six days of creation by a new name, “creation days”, implying that each one is more like an age than a 24 hour period. But the accepted meanings of the words evening, morning, and day don’t accommodate this dramatic stretching of time. The Hebrew language has other words for that purpose, so these words are never used to describe an age, especially when used together.

I also realize that some believers don’t accept the Bible as being the word of God. They say it merely contains it. This allows them to discard parts of the Bible with which they disagree. Some discard the entire Old Testament, including the creation account, as little more than a collection of folk tales. But in Romans 15:4 Paul said that everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. In 1 Cor. 10:1-11 he cited a number of events from Israel’s history when the people rebelled and were disciplined. Then he said that these things happened to them as warnings for us on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. And in 2 Timothy 3:16 he said that all scripture is God-breathed, or as we would say, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. In all these cases he had to be referring to the Old Testament, since the New testament didn’t exist yet. Who are we to dispute this and ignore his warnings? The Old testament is the inspired Word of God, just like the New, and is meant to play an important role in a believer’s life.

But between the liberal denomination I grew up in and the public schools I attended, evolution was the only explanation of our origins I ever heard until I was well into adulthood. Sure God was our creator, but evolution was the way He did it. No body I knew thought to even question it. It wasn’t till I was born again at age 40 that I heard any teaching about the Creation, and then it was something I had to seek out for myself. I’m sure thousands of you had similar experiences growing up.

In the last 100 years or so, a heresy called the documentary hypothesis has infested liberal theology. This hypothesis makes the claim that Moses didn’t write the Torah, but that it was pieced together long afterward from writings by several unrelated groups. Proponents of this view ask us to ignore the fact that Moses is mentioned by name in 85 verses of the New Testament, and that among them are multiple references to his authorship of the 5 Books of the Torah, including direct quotes from the Lord Himself. Was Jesus unaware of the real authors of these passages He quoted? Was he just going along with a tradition He knew was false, or did He know that Moses had written them?

Stop And Think

As you can see, these reasons for denying the 6 day creation won’t stand the test of rational thought. They’re just excuses people use to disregard the truth.

Most scientists don’t say, “Our science is based on universally accepted assumptions, and yet our findings disagree with the Creator’s account of what He did. Our assumptions must be incorrect. “

Instead they say, “Our science is based on universally accepted assumptions, and yet our findings disagree with the Creator’s account of what He did. His account must be incorrect.”

“For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” (1 Cor. 2:16)

I can understand non-believers searching for an alternative to the Biblical account. They have to find one in order to justify their disbelief. But how can scientists who are Christian actually think man can know more about how we were created than the One who did it, to a point where they can dispute the accuracy of the Creator’s account?

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” (1 Cor. 1:19)

The time will come when we’ll know everything, just like God does. At that time we won’t have to take His word for anything. As Paul said, “We will know fully as we are fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:12) Until then I don’t believe we have the right to pick and choose what parts of His Word we want to believe. We certainly don’t have the perspective. “Who has known the mind of the Lord? we’re asked, Or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:34) Selah 10-31-09

A recent poll claimed that about half of all professing Christians don’t believe that Jesus is God, or that the Holy Spirit and Satan even exist.  Smaller but still significant percentages don’t believe that Jesus lived a sin free life or that He is the only way to salvation.  This has prompted questions about whether this means they aren’t really saved.  I remembered an article on this subject that I wrote a number of years ago and in response to these questions I have updated and expanded it.  I believe it will explain what you have to believe about Jesus to be saved.  Let’s read it.

The Other Six

Ever suspect while talking with someone that you may have a mutual friend? Then as you get further into the conversation you realize that you are describing two different people who happen to have the same name? So it is with discussions of Jesus. The name’s the same but the descriptions vary widely. Over the years I’ve collected numerous descriptions of men named Jesus. Which one do you know?

First there’s the Jesus of Judaism. He’s known in Jewish writings as the illegitimate son of Miriam (Mary). He lived in the first century CE (they don’t use AD) and led people away from main stream Judaism into a cult. His followers were first called Netzerim (people of the branch) and later Christians. In his name Jews have been persecuted unmercifully over the centuries.  Jews who admit to believing He was their Messiah are often considered dead to their families. Jews don’t believe in a second coming because they don’t believe there’s been a first one.

Then you have the Jesus of Islam.  He was a prophet and teacher on a par with Mohammed. His role was to help prepare people for the great leader from Allah coming at the end of time to judge the world.   He was the son of Mary but was not the son of God because the Quran says “God begets not, nor is he begotten.”  He didn’t die for the sins of the people because in Islam salvation comes from good works.  Neither was he resurrected. Instead, in a time of confusion God took him live into heaven and someone else was crucified.  He will return at the end of the age to defeat the anti-Christ, call everyone to Islam, and prepare the world for judgment.

The Jesus of Mormonism is the spirit brother of Lucifer.  Both are sons of a god who was once a man and one of his many wives.  This Jesus became a human as the result of a sexual union between the Mormon god and an unmarried Jewish girl named Mary. He’s often called the Savior but never Lord, because although he’s one of god’s sons, he’s not god.  If he determines that you’ve done everything you possibly can to earn your own salvation and are still short, he’ll graciously make up the difference.  He’ll return at the End of the Age, having protected his saints through the time of  Great Tribulation, to set up his kingdom.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have a Jesus too. He’s a son of Jehovah, but He’s not God. Rather, he was a perfect man just like Adam originally was.  Before he became a man he was the Archangel Michael, who The Witnesses believe to be Jehovah’s  first created being.  Just believing in Jesus is not enough to save us. we also have to become a Jehovah’s Witness, be baptized, and obey God’s laws all of our life to prove ourselves worthy.  Their Jesus wasn’t physically resurrected, but came back to life in Spirit form.  He returned to Earth in Spirit form in 1914 and will become a physical being again at Armageddon.

Then there’s the Jesus of the liberal denominations. He’s a first century man who lived an exemplary life of such gentleness and grace that it was almost as if he was God. He’ll see that everyone who joins their denominations gets accepted into heaven whether they’re born again or not. Some proponents of liberal theology claim that he’ll also see that everyone who was sincere in whatever other religion they practiced will get to heaven too. For the most part, liberal denominations don’t believe in the literal fulfillment of End Time events.  For many, the 2nd Coming happened to each person when they first believed in Jesus.

The New Age Jesus is really one of the oldest. He originally appeared in first century Gnosticism. This Jesus was a man who like 40 other “ascended masters” holds the key to knowledge (gnosis) that when learned will bring about the next phase of human evolution, a spiritual growth that will finally make peace on earth possible. He didn’t die for our sins because there’s no need for us to be saved.

You’ll find variations on these six themes in nearly every major religion and cult around today. It seems every body wants you to think they know a man named Jesus, even if they have to redefine him to suit their beliefs.

The Real Jesus

But there is one more man named Jesus.  He is not a created being.  On the contrary He is our Creator. As Paul wrote in Colossians 1:16,  By him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He’s not an angel and he’s not a mere man, because He created both.  The archangel Michael might be the first created being, but if he is, Jesus is the one who created him.  And Lucifer may have many brothers, but if he does, Jesus created them all.

This is the Jesus of the Bible. He claimed to be God in the form of man (John 10:30 and 14:9). Men who knew Him agreed. Paul taught the Deity of Jesus in Colossians 1:15-16. So did John (John 1:1-3). The writer of the Book of Hebrews also agreed (Hebr 1:3) and included a quote from Psalm 45:6-7 that shows God Himself addressing Jesus as God (Hebr 1:8). And this is not just a New Testament idea.  In his prophecy of the Messiah’s birthplace, Micah said He was an eternal being whose goings forth were from days of eternity.  Literally from before time and perpetual. (Micah 5:2) He is the eternal God.

Here’s where your knowledge of Scripture becomes really important, because in order to be all the Bible claims, Jesus has to be both 100% man and 100% God. If He isn’t a man He couldn’t have been made like us in every way and suffered our temptations as Hebr. 2:17-18 claim; he couldn’t be our High Priest as Hebr. 4:14-15 assert; and he can’t be our redeemer because he wouldn’t be our next of kin as required by Lev. 25:47-48 and explained in Rom 5:18-19.  If He isn’t God He couldn’t be King David’s Lord (Matt 22:41-45) He couldn’t be sinless (Rom 3:20) and He couldn’t be our Savior (Mark 2:6-12 and 1 Ptr 1: 18-21).

Is This a Cult?

Three things distinguish Christian cult beliefs from orthodox theology. The cults deny the doctrine of salvation by grace alone. You have to earn at least part of the salvation they offer. They also deny the notion of eternal punishment for sin. Everyone goes to some kind of Heaven. And most importantly, they deny the deity of Jesus. They portray Him as a great man and role model; a great teacher, a prophet, even a social revolutionary, but certainly not God.

In truth Jesus was all of that. But He was also much more. He was God in the form of man; the Father dwelling in the Son (Col 1:19). To think of Jesus as anyone other than God is to reject the truth concerning Him revealed through out His Word, and to put yourself at risk of trusting in the wrong Jesus for your eternal destiny. The Jesus of the Bible is the only one of the seven men named Jesus who is able to save you.    Selah 05-02-09

Table of contents for Paul's Mystery

1. Was The Church Foreseen In Old Testament Prophecy?
2. Paul’s Mystery

Last Week’s Featured Article by Jack Kelley

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:2-6)

From our study on whether the Church was foretold by the Prophets of Israel, the obvious question left unanswered was, “What did Paul mean when he said it was a mystery that was not made known to men in other generations?”

Well, the mystery was not about whether the Lord would reach out to the Gentiles, since Isaiah had made it clear that the Messiah would bring His salvation to all nations. The mystery was in how He would do it. As we saw from Acts 15:13-18 James was the first to say that Israel was being set aside for a time until the Lord took a people for his name from among the Gentiles, but that afterwards He would turn again to Israel. (Actually, the Lord had hinted at this in Matt. 21:43 when He told the Jewish leaders that the Kingdom would be taken away from them and given to a people who would produce its fruit. James was just clarifying His statement.)

With 20/20 hindsight, we can see a number of gaps in Old Testament prophecy into which the Lord has inserted the Church. But it’s mostly the kind of thing you can only see looking back from our perspective. It’s like a hidden path on a hiking trail that you can only see after you’ve passed it, and then only by looking back in the direction from which you’ve come.

(Some claim to have found 24 of these gaps and use that fact to help identify the 24 Elders in Rev. 4 as representing the Church after the Rapture. The fact that the Elders are wearing the crowns of over comers, which the Church will only receive after the Rapture, lends support to this view.)

As I said, we find these gaps in Old Testament prophecy, and one of the clearest ones is in Isaiah 9:6-7 where the Lord had Isaiah say:

Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His Kingdom establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The angel Gabriel told Mary that her son would fulfill this prophecy (Luke 1:33) but looking back we can see that it was only partially fulfilled during the Lord’s life. The child was born and the son was given, but that’s all. The rest awaits the 2nd Coming and in between is the Church.

The disciples stumbled on another one when Jesus said that the Temple would soon be destroyed in Matt. 24:2. They knew that 69 weeks (483 years) of Daniel’s 70 week (490 years) prophecy had passed, and that Herod had spent the previous 40 years building the Temple. And now Jesus told them it was going to be completely torn down just 7 years short of the time at which Daniel had said they would finish transgression, put an end to sin, atone for wickedness, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up vision and prophecy and anoint the most holy (place). (Daniel 9:24) Without a temple this deadline couldn’t be met. Their amazement over the Lord’s prophecy led to the Olivet Discourse and the discovery of what we now realize is a gap between the first 483 years and the last 7. Once again, the gap was filled by the Church.

But even that didn’t reveal the mystery. No, the secret that blew everybody away was that the Gentiles were being made heirs of the Kingdom together with Israel, and that God was actually creating an entire new race of mankind, a spiritual one composed of both Jews and Gentiles but sharing a destiny with neither. Paul described this in Ephesians 2:14-16:

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

No longer would humanity consist only of Jews and Gentiles in God’s eyes. From now on it would include a third type of human, the Church (1 Cor. 10:32). And just as God had called the Jews out from among the Gentiles, now He was calling the Church out from among Jews and Gentiles. It was through the Church that Jews and Gentiles would come together to share equally in God’s inheritance.

Gentiles In The Old Covenant

From our side of the prophecies we can see that God intended this all along. But to get a feel for how this must have shocked the Jewish Apostles, lets take a look at the way Gentile converts to Judaism had fared under the Old Covenant. From the earliest times that Gentiles had come under the Law, they shared both its privileges and its responsibilities.

Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely exclude me from his people. Foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant- these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:3, 6-7)

But especially in the 2nd Temple period there was a definite class distinction. The Temple itself was a good example of this. It was surrounded by a series of courts for the worshipers, each one separated from the others by walls and gates. Immediately outside the building where the altar of sacrifice was located was the Court of the Priests. Just beyond that was the Court of the Men, and surrounding it the Court of the Women. Together they formed the Court of the Israelites. Separated from the court of the Israelites by another wall with guarded gates was the outermost court, the Court of the Gentiles. On each gate of this wall of separation a sign was posted warning Gentiles not to proceed further on pain of death. Worse than the nosebleed seats at a sports arena, it was at least 100 yards from the altar, much more in most places, and behind a wall. While some Gentiles could hear what was going on, none could see. In addition, some believe that the money changers and animal sellers were allowed to set up shop in this court on holy days further limiting the Gentiles’ opportunity to worship the Lord. Jesus quoted the Isaiah passage above in condemning the Jews for this.

Now Paul was saying that Gentiles would be elevated to a place of equality with the Jews as “those who once were far away have been brought near through the Blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)

Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit

In the Book of Acts there two occasions of new believers speaking in tongues. Both involve Gentiles in the presence of Jews. In Acts 10 it was the guests in the home of Cornelius and in Acts 19:6, it was a group of men in Ephesus, part of modern Turkey. Acts 10:45-46 says, The circumcised (Jewish) believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Acts 19 is similar. I believe these two experiences were recorded for the express purpose of showing the Jews that Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit just as they had, as Acts 10:45 explains. God was making sure they knew that in the Church both would be equal. These are the only two places mentioned in the Book of Acts where speaking in other tongues accompanied salvation. (It’s interesting that one happened before the believers were baptized and the other one happened after.)

Through the Church Jew and Gentile would become one in Christ, whether male or female, slave or free. (Gal. 3:28) They would serve as the highest and best examples of the incomparable riches of God’s grace. His work of art, His masterpiece. (Ephes. 2:6-10) All their imperfections would be healed and they would finally be what God intended, as perfect as He is, immortal and incorruptible (1 Cor. 15:53) Their eternal home would also be a work of art, made of the finest gold and precious stones, 2000 years in the making. Nothing impure will ever enter it, neither will there ever be any death or mourning, or crying or pain there. (Rev. 21) They would be joint heirs with Christ and co-regents of His universe, dwelling in His presence forever in a perpetual state of bliss.

Not even at the height of Solomon’s glory had the world ever witnessed such a thing as the Lord has planned for the Church. And while it’s available to Jew and Gentile alike, it appears that the Church will be populated mostly by Gentiles.

So Paul’s mystery wasn’t that the Lord would reach out to the Gentiles, it was that He would do it so lavishly. This is why Paul wrote:

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” (1 Cor. 2:9-10)

It was obvious to anyone who read the Bible that God was going to include all the nations in His plan for salvation. But until God revealed it to His Holy Apostles and Prophets, no man on Earth had ever imagined what that would mean for us. That was Paul’s mystery. Selah 09-05-08

Table of contents for Paul's Mystery

1. Was The Church Foreseen In Old Testament Prophecy?
2. Paul’s Mystery

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

There is a view among some Christians that the Church was never foreseen by the prophets of Israel. Those who teach this view claim that since Paul called the Church a mystery that was not made known to men in other generations (Ephes. 3:2-6) there couldn’t have been any prophecy about it, since prophecy is the opposite of mystery.

They take this to mean that there are actually 2 gospels in the New Testament. First there’s the Gospel of the Kingdom, taught by Jesus, the original Apostles, and James, Jude, and whoever wrote Hebrews. It was intended for Israel only. Then there’s the Gospel of Grace taught by Paul and meant for the Church. They say the rest of the New Testament doesn’t apply to us, and that the Church didn’t begin with Jesus, or even on Pentecost, but not until after Paul began teaching his new Gospel.

Some who follow this line of thinking conclude that having rejected the Gospel of the Kingdom, which they say was preached only to Israel up to the time that Paul came on the scene, Israel has no further place in God’s plan for man and therefore its rebirth fulfills no end times prophecy. But most believe that the Church is an un-prophesied pause in the Dispensation of the Law which has 7 years to run after the Church is gone. (Daniel’s 70^th Week).

What Was The Question?

So the question is, “Was The Church Foreseen In Old Testament Prophecy?” Because if it was, then this view is not correct. People usually think of Genesis 12 for an answer first, because there the Lord promised to bless all the nations through Abraham’s offspring.

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

Admittedly this is a vague reference and we probably wouldn’t even connect it to the Church if we didn’t already know there was such a thing, and that Jesus was the offspring God was talking about. But it does tell us that right from the start God’s intention was to bless everyone, Jew and Gentile, through a descendant of Abraham’s.

But Wait, There’s More!

The prophecies of Isaiah clearly mention the Gentiles and can’t be dismissed so easily.

This is what God the LORD says— he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

“I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” (Isaiah 42:5-9)

These are words that the Father spoke to the Son and had Isaiah record for our learning. The Messiah’s mission was both to personify God’s covenant with Israel and bring light to the Gentiles, opening their eyes to God and freeing them from their captivity to sin.

In announcing this He reminded us that His former promises had all come true, and now He was declaring something new, in advance of its happening. We should expect His promise that He would reach out to the Gentiles to come true as well.

I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:12-13)

Once God has made up His mind about something, no power in the universe can change it. Comparing recent events in Russia with the fall of the Soviet Union is a good example. I remember back in December of 1991 when the Soviet Union officially ended its own existence. Lots of people were asking, “What’s going to happen to Ezekiel 38?” According to Isaiah, the answer is, “Nothing. The Lord’s prophecies will be fulfilled just as He has ordained them.” Commentators are now announcing the return of the Soviet Union and the Cold War, as Russia again takes center stage in world news. What was the Soviet Union is now Russia but God’s word remains the same and His prophecies are just as reliable as ever.

Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.(Isaiah 46:9-10)

There is no such thing as an un-prophesied event on God’s calendar. The only problem is man’s understanding. You can’t blame Israel for thinking that the Lord’s outreach to the Gentiles would come through them and in a way it did, in the person of the Messiah. They just didn’t realize that their nation would temporarily disappear in the process. At the Council of Jerusalem, the one question on the agenda was, “Can a Gentile become a Christian without first becoming a Jew?” But in the back of everyone’s mind was another question, an unspoken one that was perhaps even more important to early Church leaders who were all Jewish. “If so, what’s to become of Israel?”

James, the Lord’s half-brother and head of the Church at Jerusalem, clarified it for them. He said that first the Lord was going to take a people for Himself from among the Gentiles (the Church) and after that He would turn once again to Israel. (Acts 15:13-18) In effect, this explained the gap between the 69^th and 70^th weeks of Daniel’s prophecy to Israel (Daniel 9:24-27) but it also revealed how the Lord was going to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the Gentiles.  Yes, there would be a pause, but the prophecy had been there all along.  Only the methodology was missing.

But just because the Church took Israel by surprise doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have expected it. In Amos 3:7 the Lord promised, “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.” If the Church is an un-prophesied event, then He was not truthful with Amos.

In His clearest prophecy on the Messiah’s responsibilities the Lord had Isaiah say this:

Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” But I said, “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand, and my reward is with my God.” (Isaiah 49:1-4)

Israel was given four tasks to perform for God; to transmit the Scriptures (Isa. 42:9), to be a witness for Him (Isa. 43:10), to showcase His blessings (Isa. 49:3), and to be the channel for the Messiah (Isa. 49:5). The Lord has Isaiah prophesy that they would consider themselves to be failures in accomplishing these things, because these four verses are spoken as if by Israel.

And now the LORD says— He who formed me in the womb to be His servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength. He says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:5-6)

But Israel was not a failure and did accomplish great things for God, the greatest of which was to bring forth the Messiah, who is speaking in verses 5-6. He said God instructed Him to not only restore Jacob (the unfaithful) and Israel (the faithful) to Him, but to bring His salvation to the Gentiles as well. And just to make sure we would know who God was appointing to this task, He had Isaiah put the Messiah’s name right in the prophecy. (The Lord’s Hebrew name, Yeshua, appears in the Hebrew text of this passage. It means “God brings salvation” and is translated “bring My Salvation” in Isaiah 49:6)

Joy To The World, The Lord Has Come!

Skip forward 750 years to the time of the Lord’s birth. God had promised a righteous man named Simeon that he wouldn’t die until he saw the Messiah. Then He gave Simeon a special gift. At the proper time the Holy Spirit would come upon him and enable him to recognize the Messiah. As His earthly parents brought Jesus into the Temple courts for His obligatory presentation before the Lord, called the Redemption of the Firstborn (Exodus 13:2), the Holy Spirit moved Simeon to enter the Temple courts as well. When he got there he took Mary’s child in his arms and prayed,

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)

There’s a tradition that Simeon had been a priest in the Temple, perhaps even the High Priest. If so it’s interesting that he was not only looking for the Messiah, but also knew that when He came the Messiah would bring the revelation of God’s salvation to the Gentiles. He could only have known this from his study of the Old Testament.

Was the word church specifically mentioned in the Old Testament? No, the first mention of the word is in Matt. 16:18. But when Jesus told the disciples He would build His church upon the rock of Peter’s confession, no one asked Him what a Church was. The Greek word simply means an assembly of people called to a specific place.

One Gospel Or Two?

Proponents of the two Gospel view point out that the Apostles, especially Peter, stressed the idea of repentance as a necessary preliminary to becoming a believer, while Paul did not. They say this difference proves that Peter’s gospel was different from Paul’s. But the problem lies with our misunderstanding of the word repent. It means to change one’s mind. Peter’s messages in the first part of Acts were primarily to Jews who had been raised to believe that salvation came from obeying the Law. They needed to change their minds and realize that keeping the Law could never save them.

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

The endless list of names who couldn’t save them included their own. Unless they changed their minds and abandoned their quest for self-righteousness in favor of a righteousness imputed to them by faith, they would never see the Kingdom.

But Gentiles had no such pre-conceptions. They weren’t bound up in the Law, and hadn’t been taught the incorrect idea that they could save themselves by the way they behaved. Many of them had no idea about salvation at all, so once they were taught this they had only to accept what the Lord offered, the free gift of pardon. So there aren’t two gospels, just two audiences. Jesus was right. The only work God requires of us, Jew or gentile, is to believe in the One He sent. (John 6:28-29)

Once again, the problem lies not with God’s word, but with man’s understanding. Selah 08-30-08

The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.(Jeremiah 23:5)

Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.(Zech 3:8)

Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD.(Zech 6:12)

In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.(Isaiah 4:2)

King, Servant, Man, Lord

These four passages all speak of a coming Messiah and while each refers to Him as “The Branch” they all portray Him in a different way.

The Hebrew word translated branch is tsemach, which comes from a root (no pun intended) meaning “to spring up.” In Isaiah 11:1-2 a different word, netzer, is used to convey the same idea.
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD …

The only difference between these two words is that netzer is always used figuratively where tsemach can also be literal. From the Isaiah passage we also get the concept of the Seven Fold Spirit of God, referring to the Holy Spirit.

That the Israelites saw these passages as being Messianic is confirmed by the fact that early Christians were sometimes called “People of the Branch” (Netzerim). But more important is the intent hidden in each of the four modifiers; King, Servant, Man and Lord, because they give us four views of Jesus and symbolize the four assignments He was given.

King

First, He came to Earth to be Israel’s King, the Lion of Judah. The Angel Gabriel told Mary that her Son was going to sit on the throne of His ancestor David, and from there rule over the House of Jacob forever. (Luke 1:32-33) He was repeating a promise the Spirit of the Lord had given to the Prophet Isaiah 750 years earlier.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.(Isaiah 9:6-7)

Servant

But the people weren’t ready for such a King. So before He could ascend to the throne He had to humble Himself, become a voluntary servant, and accept an almost impossibly difficult assignment. This Jesus, Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:6-8) He had do die for our sins so we could be made Holy enough to receive Him as our King.

After the introduction of sin into the world the quality of life on Earth quickly deteriorated to such an extent that mankind was no longer able to live under such a righteous King as He. Had He not chosen to die in our place, He would have had to execute us all to satisfy the debt of sin we owed Him. So it was either Him or us and He chose Him.

Man

In order to die for us He had to agree to become a man, because God’s law stipulated that only a next of kin could redeem what man had lost. (Lev. 25:25) But being a close relative alone was not enough. The next of kin had to be able to pay the price of redemption, in this case the blood of a sinless man. And so the perfect eternal sinless Son of God stepped down off His Heavenly Throne and forever became the Son of Man, born of woman into the human family, and gave His life to redeem ours.

Lord

And that brings us to His fourth assignment. Having given His life as a ransom for ours, He was laid in a tomb in the manner of all men. The servant’s assignment was successfully completed, the price paid by the blood of a man. To confirm this, God brought Him out of the tomb three days later as visible proof that the penalty for every sin you ever have or ever will commit was paid in full.

From the cross back to Adam and forward to the last man born, anyone accepting by faith the pardon His blood purchased would now be qualified to live in His Kingdom. What had appeared to some as a crushing defeat had really been the greatest victory of all time! And since He had restored so much more than had been lost, all mankind would realize that this Jesus is no ordinary King, He is our Lord as well.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(Phil 2:9-11)

A Final Confirmation

Each of the four Gospels presents a different view of Jesus, and they parallel the four modifiers of The Branch.

Matthew presented Him as Israel’s Messiah-King. There are more confirmations of Messianic prophecy fulfilled through the life of Jesus in Matthew than in any other Gospel. In fact, Matthew’s most frequently used phrase is “it was fulfilled.” His genealogy begins with Abraham and places Jesus in the line of David and Solomon, showing His Royal lineage.

Mark described events in the life of Jesus in such a way as to show Him as the obedient servant of God. Since we’re not interested in the pedigree of a servant, Mark’s gospel contains no genealogy. It’s essentially a series of verbal snapshots, showing what Jesus did in obedient service to His Master.

Luke portrays Jesus as the Son of Man and traces His heritage back to Adam, the first man. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul refers to Jesus as the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) also demonstrating His connection to mankind.

John made no bones about it. He saw Jesus as the Son of God, Lord of all. John’s genealogy shows that in the beginning the Word (Jesus) was with God and the Word was God. When Thomas, who had been absent at the Lord’s first post-resurrection appearance, finally saw Him a week later, he bowed before Him exclaiming, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus didn’t dispute the claim, instead pronouncing a blessing upon all who would come to a similar conclusion by faith alone.(John 20:29)

So here’s another presentation of the Messiah from the Old Testament, fulfilled dramatically and specifically in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. It’s further testimony to the accuracy of David’s prophecy from Psalm 40:6-8 which the author of Hebrews also attributed to Jesus (Hebr.10:5-7).
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced (I’ve become a servant for life, Exodus 21:6); burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

The Hebrew word translated will in the last sentence is ratsown. It’s used 15 times in the Old Testament and means “a voluntary favor.” It comes from a root meaning “to satisfy a debt.” It was God’s will that His Son become a servant to perform a voluntary favor for Him. In so doing He would satisfy a debt that was owed to God, a debt that could never be satisfied by sacrifices and offerings. The voluntary favor was to give His life as a ransom for sin. The debt this would satisfy was ours.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:18-21) Selah 7-17-05

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. (Hebr. 11:1-2)

Last time we confirmed the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth beyond a reasonable doubt. (Read ) Even by our very conservative estimates we concluded that there’s only a 1 in 9 x (10 to the 45th power) chance that Jesus or anyone else could have coincidentally fulfilled the 7 Messianic prophecies we chose. And remember, He fulfilled over 300 others that we didn’t even consider. 1 chance in 9 with 45 zeros after it exceeds the limit of statistical probability by a wide margin, so there’s really no reason to doubt that Jesus is just who He claims to be, Israel’s Messiah and the Church’s Savior and Redeemer. We should also remember that although we only looked at Messianic prophecies, there are lots other things that God has promised and then performed as well. And He has a perfect track record in all these other things, too.

So then, since God always has fulfilled prophecy with 100% accuracy isn’t it logical to assume that He always will? After all, Hebrews 13:8 says He’s the same, yesterday today and forever. Let’s review a few of the 500 prophecies concerning our times and see. We’ll take some that have been fulfilled to prove that He’s still doing this and then some that haven’t been to get a feel for what’s coming.

The Re-Birth Of Israel

Beginning with Moses, several Old Testament prophets wrote that Israel would be uprooted from their land for disobedience. It’s happened twice. The first occasion took place in 586 BC and resulted in the 70 year Babylonian captivity. The second one followed the Lord’s crucifixion and is the one about which Isaiah wrote in 750 BC. (The Lord had Amos promise that after the 2nd re-gathering they would never be dispersed again. Amos 9:15)

Prophecy: In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11-12)

Fulfillment: After over 50 years of a growing desire to re-gather in their ancient land the Jews were finally given formal approval to become a nation again in May of 1948. From North, South, East and West they have come in increasing numbers throughout the 20th Century. When the concentration camps were liberated at the end of WW2 a massive influx of Jewish refugees from Europe swelled their number into the millions. The prophecy’s fulfillment was begun and continues to this day. Many believe God’s timepiece had stopped in 70 AD when Judea was overrun by the Romans, the Temple destroyed and the people dispersed. But now it seemed that with his people back in the Land the stage was being set for the progressive fulfillment of the other End Times prophecies as well.

Jerusalem Becomes A Jewish City Again

In the first re-gathering, after the Babylonian Captivity, the Israelites had received permission to resettle their lands and rebuild their Temple but had not been given the go ahead to reconstruct the walls around the City of Jerusalem. This proved to be a great handicap since in those days a city wall was the only protection against enemy attack. Work on the Temple came to a standstill because of the continuous interference of hostile neighbors. Later, when Nehemiah was given authority to rebuild the city walls the work of reestablishing the nation progressed more rapidly and the 2nd Temple was finally completed.

In the second re-gathering Israel’s Arab neighbors attacked the fledgling nation soon after the UN had formally recognized it. Jordanian troops attacking from the East captured the Old City and Temple precincts and for 19 years Jerusalem was a divided city.

(Some scholars see this nineteen years as a parallel to the 19 years separating the date of Nebuchadnezzar’s first attack on Israel in 605BC and his third and final one in 586. The result of first siege is sometimes referred to as The Servitude of the Nation since Jewish sovereignty effectively ended then, and the third is called the Desolations of Jerusalem since that’s when the city was burned to the ground and Israel ceased to exist. Prophecies from Ezekiel 4:4-6 can be used to tie 605 BC to 1948 and 586 BC to 1967. It takes a lot of math but it works.)

Prophecy: When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-24)

Fulfillment: This is a companion prophecy to the one from Luke 19:41-44 that we reviewed last time. There Jesus had said that the Romans would surround the city and destroy it. Here He warned them that when that happened, Jerusalem would become a Gentile city until the period of Gentile Dominion ended. Indeed when the Roman Emperor Hadrian put down the bar Kochba Rebellion in 135 AD finally defeating the Jews for good, he made it illegal for a Jew to enter Jerusalem. As I stated above, in the 1948 War of Independence Jordan captured the Old City and Temple Mount and Jerusalem became a divided city. It wasn’t until June of 1967, toward the end of the six-day war, that Jewish troops broke into East Jerusalem and re-captured the Old City including the Temple Mount. The Star of David flew over the unified city for the first time since the nation had been dispersed by the Romans. The times of the Gentiles had come to an end, further indication that the End Times had begun.

All End Times Prophecies Fulfilled Within A Single Life Span

All the prophecies of the 1st Coming were fulfilled within the lifetimes of those being born around the time of the first Christmas. They began with the birth of John the Baptist, who was only 6 months older than Jesus, and ended with the destruction of the Temple and Holy City. In the passage below, the Lord explained that the 2nd Coming prophecies would be fulfilled in the same manner.

Prophecy: Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Matt. 24:32-35)

Fulfillment: The fig tree is the last to come out of its winter dormancy. It doesn’t sprout buds and leaves until the warm weather has come to stay, making it a reliable sign that summer is truly near. So it is with End Times prophecies. When their fulfillment begins, it means that the end is coming soon. In fact in the next sentence, the Lord explained that some from the generation being born when the first signs are fulfilled will still be alive at the end.

Since that sentence is surrounded by controversy, let’s look at it again, more carefully. We want to make absolutely sure it says what we think it does. The controversy centers on the word translated generation in verse 34. In Greek it’s genea, and can mean generation or race. It’s the word from which we get generation and genealogy.

There are three major interpretations of the passage:

1.

The End Times would occur during the life spans of the generation to whom Jesus was speaking. Some believe the Great Tribulation and 2nd Coming had occurred by 70 AD, and the Millennium began in Heaven then. They’re called Preterists and they believe there are no more End Times prophecies to be fulfilled.

2.

The Greek word genea should be translated race and should be applied to the Jewish people. This is the view of those called Idealists and in fact the Jews have endured in spite of all efforts to eradicate them. But does the Idealist view accommodate all the End Times prophecies? Sadly, no. Idealists don’t believe in a literal fulfillment of prophecy.

3.

The generation being born as the first of the End Times signs were being fulfilled would live to see them all fulfilled. This is the most logical view and the one held by those who take the Bible literally. It’s easy to prove that the Lord hasn’t come again in the manner indicated by Scripture, and after 6000 years of literal fulfillment of prophecy, why would the Lord suddenly switch to an allegorical method of fulfillment, especially where it concerns making good on His promises to His people?

The big mistake made here by many who follow a literal method of interpretation is to assume the word generation describes a span of time as well as a group of people born during a particular period. Making this mistake led them to predict that all End Times signs would be fulfilled within the span of one generation, nominally 40 years. Connecting this assumption to the re-birth of Israel, they predicted the Lord would return in 1988, and of course they were wrong.

What the Lord said was that the generation alive when the fulfillment of End Times signs begins would not pass away until all was fulfilled. A Biblical lifetime is 70 years according to Psalm 90:10. There’s also a question as to whether the 1948 re-birth of Israel began the final count down or whether is should begin with the 1967 recovery of Jerusalem. After all, the prophecy from Daniel 9:24-27 concerning the Lord’s first coming was timed to the rebuilding of Jerusalem, not the first re-gathering of the nation.

Our best estimate, at least for now, is to expect that all the End Times prophecies will have been fulfilled as early as 2018 (70 years from 1948) and no later than 2037 (70 years from 1967). So the question is, what has to happen between now and then.

Well, there are over 500 unfulfilled prophecies concerning the 2nd Coming. We’ll just take some of the major ones and put them into their proper sequence so we’ll always know what to look for next as we go.

I believe the next sign to be fulfilled will be the disappearance of the Church as foretold in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18. This one could happen at any moment since there’s nothing that has to precede it.

Right on its heels will come the battle foretold in Ezekiel 38-39, causing two critical events to happen as a result. One, the Lord will use that battle to re-instate His covenant with Israel, and two, the Anti-Christ will emerge with a plan to restore peace in the Middle East. A central provision of his plan will permit the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, as required by Israel’s renewed covenant with the Lord. Daniel 9:24-27 indicates the duration of the anti-Christ’s plan will be seven years, and that in the middle of it, he’ll stand in the new Temple and commit an abomination that causes the Temple to become desolate. (In 2 Thes. 2:4 Paul wrote that the abomination is the anti-Christ proclaiming himself to be God.)

In Matthew 24:21, Jesus said that the anti-Christ’s proclamation will kick off the Great Tribulation, a period of judgments 3½ years long (Daniel 9:27). During that time the Earth will be shaken and bombarded to a point that will make the recent tsunami seem like child’s play and ½ of the world’s remaining population will perish.

But some will survive to see the Lord’s return in Glory, and those who’ve come to believe in Him will be ushered into His Kingdom (Matt 25:34). They will have lived the most harrowing and dangerous life of any generation ever born, having seen all the End Times prophecies fulfilled right before their eyes.

After judging the survivors from the nations the Lord, now King of all the Earth, will commence a 1000 year reign of peace (Rev. 20:4). Earth will have been restored to the way it was created, a beautiful sub-tropical garden paradise, and His people Israel will once again be its pre-imminent nation (Isaiah 2:3).

Meanwhile believers from the Church age will dwell with Him in the nearby New Jerusalem, a place where only those whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life may enter (Rev. 21).

During the 1000 years Satan will have been bound and imprisoned, no longer free to deceive man and afflict God’s people. (Rev. 20:1-2) But at its end, he’ll be released and will immediately recruit a large army with which to attack God. God will defeat him of course and he’ll be thrown into the place of eternal judgment with all those who sided with him (Rev. 20:10). At that time, the unsaved dead will be brought to life and judged before being thrown into the Lake of Fire to join the Devil, the anti-Christ, and his false prophet (Rev. 20:11-15).

After that, all who believe in the Lord and are called by His name will embark on an eternity filled with blessing in the presence of the Lord.

This is just a summary of events, listed in the sequence I believe the Bible gives us, to permit a glimpse of how the end will unfold. If you’re a believer, you’ll observe all of this from your vantage point in the New Jerusalem, safe and secure. If not, you’ll be able to predict just how close the Lord’s return is by witnessing these signs as they occur on Earth. Better keep your head down though, you’ll only have a 50-50 chance of surviving to the end. I strongly recommend that you make your peace with the Lord now, while you still have the option of being hidden away with the rest of us. For if you listen closely you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 02-04-05