My Kingdom is Not of This World

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 4:18

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

I know I’ve departed from my usual bible study format for several weeks now, but with recent world events I’ve been led to focus on their relevance to Ezekiel 38-39. As you know I believe the battle described by Ezekiel there is the next major event on God’s prophetic timetable and may trigger the Rapture of the Church. There certainly were some interesting developments again this week. I’ll list them and offer comment from the perspective of Ezekiel 38-39 where appropriate. I haven’t seen any report on some of these in the main line media, and think their occurrence is noteworthy.

Airliner Crash In The Black Sea

A Siberian Airlines jetliner with mostly Israeli passengers exploded and crashed into the Black Sea this week shortly after taking off from Tel Aviv. An attempt to blame the explosion on a stray Ukrainian surface to air missile has not worked and terrorism is the most likely cause. In a highly unusual situation Israeli Prime Minister Sharon harshly accused the US of sacrificing Israel in an attempt to appease the Arab world, comparing Israel to the situation of Czechoslovakia prior to WW2. The US reacted angrily and Sharon back tracked. Turns out both Russia and Israel had agreed to attribute the cause of the Siberian jet crash to terrorism, but the US found out and talked them out of it, advancing the Ukrainian missile theory as a plausible cover. President Bush didn’t want to give the Israelis cause to mount a punitive attack against the terrorists and take the world’s focus off the impending US attack against Afghanistan. It was this demand by the US that really prompted Sharon’s comments, especially since it came right on the heels of the admission that US policy supports the creation of a Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its shared capital. Of course in the grand scheme of things, Sharon’s right. All the nations of the world will eventually line up against Israel (Zech. 12:3)

Retaliation In The US

Speaking of the US attack on Afghanistan, nearly every expert in the world agrees that more violence on US soil (both coasts this time) will follow our retaliation against bin Laden. Our response to the recent terrorism was anticipated by bin Laden and counter attacks were planned even in advance of the one on the World Trade Center. Experts believe the terrorists are already in place and await only our move on Afghanistan. Soon there will come a backlash as US civilian casualties mount and the idea surfaces that they’re due to our support of Israel. This will be an erroneous assumption since bin Laden sees the US as the single greatest obstacle to radical Islam’s goal of world domination, but that notion won’t wash in our politically correct world. Being mostly secular humanists, Americans aren’t ready to see the religious implications of this war, so blaming Israel will be the acceptable alternative.

Syria On The UN Security Council

Syria, claimed by 5 successive US presidents to be a state sponsor of terrorism will likely be voted on to the UN Security Council for a 2 year term tomorrow. The US will abstain from the vote but make no effort to block the appointment. We’re hoping Syria will “change its spots” according to a State Dept. Spokesperson. No word yet on what the US will require of Syria to sit this one out, but Syria is in current violation of every provision of the Security Council’s recently issued anti-terrorism declaration. Syria is missing from the roster of countries Ezekiel lists in his anti-Israel coalition, so maybe the State Department is right. Watch this one.

Arafat Warned

Yassar Arafat was warned this week by Colin Powell to either start keeping his commitments or face a shift in US policy. About time. The current broken promise of a cease fire is the 6th Arafat promise that Israel has honored without much more than a merely symbolic and very temporary reduction of violence in return.

And Two Of The Most Alarming Developments

Russian President Putin and US President Bush have agreed to bring tactical nukes onto the battlefield. Russia is already set to use them in Chechnya against bin Laden backed rebels there, and the US will use them in response to any chemical or biological attack on US troops or if its deemed the only way to avoid massive US casualties. And…
China has sent troops into Afghanistan to support and protect bin Laden. Up to 15,000 Chinese troops arrived on Friday and more are on the way. China is alarmed over the US / Russia Alliance, feels it’s the greatest shift in global balance in our generation and has to intervene to protect its interests as a world power and in Central and Southwest Asia.

If My People Who Are Called By My Name

This currently popular passage from 2 Chronicles 7:14 is being widely misinterpreted in the church today and smacks of replacement theology (appropriating promises made to Israel by the Church). Nowhere in the Bible does God promise to heal or preserve America. In fact a strong case can be made that He never mentions the US at all. It’s a measure of our arrogance that causes us to presume He does. The passage is spoken to Israel, and His promise to heal their land is a core value of Jewish eschatology. Israel is the world’s first and only Theocracy; a nation whose King is God. Israel is the only nation in history whose political boundaries and national existence are inextricably woven into their theology, and are promised by God to be eternal in nature.

So where does that leave America? Well the Bible does speak of temporary revivals in gentile nations that delays judgment upon them. The Book of Jonah describes such a case (read the Book of Nahum for the ultimate outcome). The US is a nation founded upon Christian Principles and has been blessed accordingly. The fact that we’ve abandoned these principles makes us ripe for judgment. Perhaps prayer and revival can delay that judgment, perhaps not. Maybe it’s already begun. As Christian Americans we should not confuse patriotism for our country with faith in the promises of our God. The only place on Earth we’re told to ask peace for is Jerusalem. The peace promised to the Church comes in the rapture, when we’re removed to our real home.

What Country Do You Come From?

Remember that our Lord, speaking of His Church said that it was “not of this world.” It’s another, perhaps ultimate example of things in the Old Testament being external and physical, and pointing to counterparts in the New Testament that are internal and spiritual (read ). It is true that as Christians we are a people called by His name, but not all of us (perhaps not even many) are Americans. The Church as a Kingdom knows no earthly boundaries and our permanent dwelling place is not in this world. Our home is the New Jerusalem, the Jerusalem that is above and is free (Gal. 4:26) whose architect and builder is God (Hebr. 11:10). God will deal with America as He sees fit. Our prayer is not that He should save America, but that He should forgive our sins and save our souls, that we may dwell in His Kingdom forever. And in the time left to us here that we should be empowered to help Him bring as many as possible with us when He calls us to our real home. Better hurry, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.