A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Pentecost comes in the early summer (mid May-mid June).   It’s the only Levitical Feast Day between the 3 Spring Feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits) and the 3 in the fall (Rosh Hashanna, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles). The Hebrew name for this Day is Shavuot, which means weeks, so in Israel it’s often called the Feast of Weeks.

This is because it’s supposed to occur  7 weeks after the Feast of First Fruits (Lev. 23:15-16).  Deut. 16:9 confirms this.  “Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.” The first cutting of the grain took place on the Feast of First Fruits.   Since First Fruits was the first day after the Sabbath that follows Passover, it was always observed on a Sunday.  Shavuot, being 7 weeks later, was always on a Sunday, too, and celebrated the beginning of the summer harvest.

But  in 140 AD, following the final defeat of the Jewish nation after the bar Kochba revolt of 135 AD,  the Sanhedrin changed the focus of Shavuot from the summer harvest to the giving of the Law. They did this because Shavuot was one of the three feasts all Jews were required to observe (Exodus 23:14-17 tells us Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles were the other two) and the defeated and dispersed nation would no longer have any national harvests to celebrate.  From that time on, the count down began from the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the day the Israelites left Egypt.  So now Shavuot can come any day of the week and takes place on the 6th day of the Hebrew month called Sivan, which is the traditional day Moses received the Law from the Lord.  Making this change placed the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai exactly seven weeks after the Exodus from Egypt and preserved the Feast of Weeks in Jewish life.

Christians call this day by its Greek name, Pentecost, from a Greek word that means “50 days”.  There were 50 days from the Sabbath that followed Passover to the Feast of Pentecost, and that’s where the Greek name comes from.

Early Christians also changed the way the various dates are determined, although we’ve retained the Sunday requirement for Pentecost.  Christians now start counting on the day we call Easter Sunday, which is officially the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the Spring Equinox. We count Easter Sunday as day one, so Pentecost is always 49 days after Easter and always comes on a Sunday. By counting Easter Sunday on both ends of the span we can arrive at 50 days (Pentecost) and still keep the celebration on the 7th Sunday after Easter.

I know all this is really confusing, but the bottom line is that in 2013 the Jewish observance will take place on May 15 and Christians will celebrate Pentecost on Sunday May 19, and it won’t be the Biblically established date for either group.

What’s a Pentecost?

As I said, Jews now celebrate Pentecost (I’ll just use its Greek name to avoid any more confusion than necessary) as the day Moses received the Law on Mt. Sinai and the nation of Israel was born. (Exodus 19-20) Christians celebrate it as the day the Holy Spirit came upon the Disciples in Jerusalem and the Church was born (Acts 2).  If you agree with my view that the parables of Matthew 13 describe the Kingdom of Heaven during the Church Age and that the parable of the yeast (Matt. 13:33) predicts the Church will be filled with sinners, you’ll be interested in the fact that unlike all the other Jewish Feasts that call for unleavened bread (no yeast), Pentecost calls for two loaves of bread baked with yeast (Lev. 23:17).  In the Bible leaven, or yeast, is a model of sin because it causes the dough to begin spoiling.

Other Jewish Pentecost ceremonies also reveal a subtle link to the coming church. In synagogues, the Book of Ruth is read on Pentecost. The story of Ruth has been called “The Romance of Redemption”.   It’s about Naomi, a Jewish woman from Bethlehem who lost her land due to a famine in Israel and was forced to flee into neighboring Moab, where there was no famine.  Shortly thereafter her husband passed away leaving her penniless and alone in a foreign country.

After the famine ended, she returned to Bethlehem accompanied by Ruth, a gentile woman who had sworn never to leave her.  Ruth was a Moabite who had married one of Naomi’s sons (who also died) making her Naomi’s daughter-in-law and a destitute widow as well.

Once back in Bethlehem Naomi’s close relative, a prominent Jewish man named Boaz fell in love with Ruth and married her.  In the process he also regained Naomi’s land as her kinsman redeemer.  Both these events were accomplished according to the Law.  For Naomi it was the law of redemption (Lev 25:25), and for Ruth it was the law of leverite marriage (Deut. 25:5-6).

The modeling here is dramatic, with Naomi in the role of Israel, destitute and alone; Ruth as the Church, the gentile bride; Boaz as the Messiah and the story itself as a prediction of the relationship that would involve all three of them.  In the process of redeeming Israel, the Messiah takes a gentile bride. In doing so, He saves both from their destitute condition and restores Israel’s Land.  The identification of the Church with Pentecost began in the prophecies of Ruth. To learn more about these incredible prophecies, and enjoy one of the world’s classic love stories, read Ruth’s Story.

By the way, Boaz was the son of Rahab, the harlot from the Book of Joshua (read “The Gospel in Joshua … The Story of Rahab” ), and 3 generations later his great-grandson David became the King of Israel. Rahab and Ruth are both listed in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 1:5), and King Solomon named one of the pillars at the entrance to the Temple after his ancestor Boaz.

When’s Your Birthday?

By tradition Enoch, one of the patriarchs from Genesis 5, was born on the day later to be known as Pentecost. Enoch’s name means “teaching”, a primary function of the Church (Matt. 28:19-20)  For this reason many scholars see him as a “type” of the church as well. Genesis 5:21-23 indicates that Enoch had a close relationship with God and was actually taken live (raptured) into Heaven before the Great Flood. Pre-Trib scholars see this event as one of several Old Testament hints that the Church will disappear from Earth before the Great Tribulation.

These same traditions also hold that Enoch was taken on his birthday. So here’s a man identified with the church being born and raptured on the day that would become Pentecost, the day the church was born.  Will the Church be raptured on our birthday too?  Personally I don’t believe the Rapture of the Church will be the prophetic fulfillment of any of Israel’s Holy Days.  But if I’m wrong and the Rapture does fulfill a Jewish Feast, Pentecost is by far the most obvious candidate.

As you probably know, I believe the reason no one on Earth can accurately predict the day of the Rapture is because it’s a number specific event, not a date specific one. In Romans 11:25 Paul implied the church has a “full number”, when its ranks will be considered complete.  When that number is reached the Church will “come in” which means it will arrive at its scheduled destination, like when a ship “comes in.”  Jesus said the destination of the Church is His Father’s house (John 14:2). Put it together and I believe it means we’ll be raptured as soon as the pre-determined number of Christians has been born again, no matter what day it happens to be.

Soon And Very Soon

One day soon now, all who are in Christ, having heard and believed the Word of Truth, the Gospel of our salvation (thereby receiving the seal of the promised Holy Spirit) will suddenly disappear from the face of the Earth along with all children and others who are intellectually incapable of making informed choices about their eternal destiny. In one instant we will have been going about our daily routines on Earth and in the next we’ll be standing in the presence of our Redeemer, our sins forgiven and forgotten, and all our imperfections gone. Among us will be all the faithful dead of the Church Age, reunited with perfected bodies and restored to eternal physical life. Together we will begin the most incredible journey of exploration and realization ever dreamed of, and it will last forever.

Neither we, nor the unbelieving world, will have received any advance warning of the timing for this event; it will have come totally by surprise. Maybe it will happen on Pentecost, maybe not. But one thing is certain, when it does happen, none of us will care one bit whether we had predicted it’s timing accurately. We will only express in unimaginable joy our gratitude for being there. For it is by grace you have been saved through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephe. 2:8-9)

As it is written: 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). You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 05-18-13.

Last Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. (Psalm 110:1-2)

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,” they replied.

He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, ” ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ‘

If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Matt 22: 41-46)

It’s pretty clear that both the Lord and the Pharisees he was addressing believed that Psalm 110 referred to the Messiah and that the Holy Spirit had inspired King David to write it. Where they differed was in their understanding of the Messiah’s origins. The Pharisees believed he would be a human descendant of King David, and nothing more. The Lord knew He was also God in the flesh, and quoted Psalm 110 to remind them that David knew this too.

Many translations show the first appearance of Lord in Psalm 110 all in caps (LORD) and the second one in lower case except for the first letter (Lord). This is to show that David was writing of a conversation he overheard, through the power of the Holy Spirit, between the Father and the Son.

There are two facts to support this conclusion.  First, Lord is a title one uses in addressing a superior, and only two were superior to the King. One was God the Father, represented by LORD and the other was God the Son, called Lord.  In effect Jesus reminded the Pharisees that David would have referred to a merely human descendant as his son, not as his Lord.

And second, in Hebrew the “word” translated LORD is YHWH, the four initials of the unpronounceable name of God, and used only of Him, while the one translated Lord is a different word, Adonai.

Responding truthfully to the Lord’s question would have forced the Pharisees to agree with David, something they weren’t prepared to do. Not then, not ever. At His trial before the Sanhedrin, the Lord’s declaration that He was the Messiah and that they would all see Him seated at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven is what stirred them to convict Him of blasphemy, a capital crime. (Matt. 26:64)

Their only problem was that the Romans wouldn’t let them execute anyone without permission.  So they took him to Pontius Pilate.  Pilate wasn’t concerned about the charge of blasphemy. That was an internal matter among the Jews. But in calling Himself a King (John 18:33-37), Jesus was confessing to treason under Roman law, also a capital crime (Matt.27:11). Even then Pilate was inclined to release Jesus, but when the crowd became adamant, he saw a way to yield to their wishes while remaining within Roman Law. That’s why he had them place a sign on the Lord’s cross that said, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”  He was announcing that the crime for which Jesus was being executed was treason.

King Jesus, Our High Priest

David had written that the Messiah would be both a king and a priest just like Melchizedek had been. From Genesis 14:18 we learn that Melchizedek, whose name means King of Righteousness, was both a priest of the Most High God and the King of Salem, a Jebusite city that later became known as Jerusalem.  When David conquered the Jebusites he made Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and purchased the land on nearby Mount Moriah where Abraham had sacrificed Isaac several hundred years earlier for the Temple location.

Never since the founding of Israel had one man been both a king and a priest. It was forbidden. Kings came from the tribe of Judah, while priests were descended from Levi.  One king who tried to function as a priest earned the Lord’s immediate displeasure, and serves to illustrate the point. Daring to offer incense in the Temple, King Uzziah immediately contracted leprosy and was quarantined till his dying day (2 Chron. 26:16-21).  Some prophets were also priests, Ezekiel and Zechariah for example, and David was a king and a prophet.  But no one was ever both a king and a priest in Israel.

However, prophecies in Ezekiel 21:25-27 and  Zechariah 6:9-13 tell us the two offices will eventually be united when Messiah comes and that He will be both a king and a priest.   And of course in the Book of Hebrews Jesus is called our King (Hebr. 1:8) and Our High Priest (Hebr. 4:14).  This is possible because Jesus is not a priest in the Levitical sense but in the higher order of Melchizedek.  All of Hebrews 7 is devoted to this topic.

I Know I Am But What Are You?

In Exodus 19:6 Israel is called a kingdom of priests but in 1 Peter 2:9 we read, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” He was speaking to the Church, calling us a royal priesthood.   Only kings are considered royalty.

And in Revelation 1:5-6 it’s even clearer. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV)

Some of the modern translations prefer the word kingdom over kings in the passage above, and it’s true, the Greek word there can be translated either way. They try to compare the Revelation passage with Exodus 19:6 to bolster their replacement theology bias, making the Church look like Israel. But to most conservative scholars it’s clear that both the context and the grammatical structure of the passage require that the Greek word be translated kings. (The same is true in Revelation 5:10 where the same phrase is repeated.)

Kings Of What?

The Bible doesn’t have a specific answer for this, but in Ephesians 2:6-7 Paul wrote,  “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” 

The “coming ages” alludes to the time of the Millennium and beyond where we’ll serve as living examples of the incomparable riches of God’s grace, seated with our King and High Priest on His throne.

Throughout human history the best kings have always been the ones most sincerely devoted to the well being of their subjects. And  the priests  were not just religious officials.  In most generations they were their society’s repository of knowledge in philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history and language. If these can serve as worldly models of our heavenly future, then we can assume there’s a lot more to being a king and a priest than sitting on a throne or conducting a worship service.

In the USA we don’t have a royal family so many of us don’t know what that’s like.  But people from other countries do, and they know that for the most part, “royals”, as they’re called, don’t work.  Many of them don’t even help run the countries their families rule.  They follow a higher calling,  pursuing personal interests and living lives of service.  They have no need to support themselves, so they’re free to devote all their time, energy, and intellect to the things they find to be the most fulfilling.

On Earth we all have a sin nature, so we can be drawn off the path of righteousness, and we’ve seen that happen with many royals.  And because of our fallen nature even the best of us can only achieve a small percentage of our nearly limitless potential.  But in our perfected state, these things won’t be a problem.   We’ll discover that God created us with capabilities we’ve barely used.  Now we’re like a thoroughbred race horse that has been consigned to pulling a child’s cart.  But all that will change forever at the rapture.  Finally there will be nothing to prevent us from achieving our full potential in any undertaking we can imagine.

Both Paul (1 Cor. 15:42-44) and John (1 John 3:2) made it clear that we won’t know in advance exactly what we’ll be like after the rapture/resurrection.  Our motives, our capabilities, and our  appearance may all be different.  But they both said we’ll be like Jesus. That means whatever we do will be pleasing to God and done for His glory. We can only speculate about the specifics.

Does all this exceed the limits of your imagination? Of course it does. That’s why Paul called it “the incomparable riches of His grace.” He also said, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9). Having been there and seen our future (2 Cor. 12:2-4) he knew it was beyond the ability of our sin-contaminated minds to imagine.  But know this.  Being both a king and a priest will be by far the most rewarding, fulfilling calling we’ve ever had. Selah 05-11-13

A. In Luke’s account of the Olivet Discourse, specifically Luke 21: 24, Jesus said that after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, it would be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. When Israel recaptured East Jerusalem in June of 1967, many prophecy scholars saw it as the fulfillment of this prophecy.

However in Rev. 11:1-2, which takes place just before the beginning of the Great Tribulation, John wrote of being given a measuring rod to measure the Temple  and count the worshipers there. He was told to exclude the outer court because it has been given to the gentiles, who will trample on the holy city for 42 months.

I find it curious that John used the same phrase as Jesus did to describe the Gentiles trampling on the Holy City.  And the 42 month period is the length of the Great Tribulation. Therefore I’ve concluded that the times of the Gentiles won’t really be fulfilled until the 2nd Coming.

A.  Remember when God told Abraham He was giving him the Promised Land but Abraham couldn’t have it for 400 years because the sin of the Amorites was not yet complete? (Genesis 15:12-21) .  God had given the Amorites some unknown amount time to repent and return to Him, and there were 400 years remaining.  He knew they weren’t going to do it, but He kept His promise to them anyway.

It’s the same with Israel and the Church.  God promised Israel a Kingdom, and sent His Son to be their King.  He knew they would reject Him, but He kept the offer open anyway because He had made a promise.  Even after they had put Him to death, Jesus gave them 40 more days to accept him before returning to Heaven.  When they didn’t, the Church was born, and the Kingdom came to us in fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy of Matt. 21: 43-44.

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

He spoke this a few days before the crucifixion, at the end of the Parable of the Tenants, where He prophesied His death at their hands.

But they’re not the only ones who didn’t know what the Lord would accomplish through the Church.  In 1 Cor. 2:7-8 Paul said that if the rulers of this age (Satan & Co.) had known  what was coming they would never have crucified the Lord.

En este estudio vamos a tratar con una nueva definición que está llegando al léxico cristiano. La palabra que está siendo re-definida es vencedor y la nueva definición es que un vencedor es alguien que vive una vida al estilo de Cristo, y no solamente hablar de ella. Estas personas han muerto a sí mismas y ahora viven una vida que es santa e inmaculada. Algunas personas que abrazan esta definición afirman que solamente aquellas que cumplen con estos requisitos serán la Novia de Cristo, mientras que los demás creyentes pasarán el Milenio en “las tinieblas de fuera” aprendiendo la santificación que no pudieron aprender en la tierra, para así estar preparados para la eternidad cuando los mil años terminen.

El hecho de que la Biblia nunca utiliza esa palabra en este contexto no parece ser un problema para los seguidores de esta nueva definición. Es como la palabra arrepentimiento, la cual nunca se usa en la Biblia para describir un cambio de comportamiento, sino solamente un cambio de actitud. Ya que a estas personas nunca se les ha enseñado eso, la intención del significado de esta palabra nunca ha entrado en la mente de la mayoría de las personas. El conocimiento común de ‘vencedor’ se enfrenta al futuro mismo.

Pero para poder ordenar las cosas, veamos cómo es que la Biblia define un vencedor. La palabra ‘vencedor’ aparece primero en relación con los creyentes en Juan 16:33:

“Estas cosas os he hablado para que en mí tengáis paz. En el mundo tendréis aflicción; pero confiad, yo he vencido al mundo”.

A pesar de que este mundo no es un lugar perfecto, nosotros sí podemos tener paz en nuestras vidas sabiendo que Jesús ha vencido al mundo. No importa lo malo que se torne la vida para nosotros aquí, en Cristo se nos asegura que tendremos una vida venidera mucho mejor. Jesús es el vencedor, y Él nos lo dijo para alentarnos. (Imagínese cómo se sentiría usted sobre esta palabra de aliento si usted llega al cielo solamente para enterarse de que usted debe de completar un programa de adoctrinamiento con una duración de mil años antes de poder ser digno de entrar en el Reino.)

Pablo dijo que nosotros debemos vencer el mal con el bien (Romanos 12:21). Pero así como él nos advierte una y otra vez de ir más allá de la salvación para lograr la victoria sobre nuestra naturaleza pecaminosa y así poder ganar las coronas que están disponibles por hacerlo, él ni una sola vez dijo que nuestra participación en el reino dependía de ello. Esta es la única vez que él utilizó esa palabra en relación con nuestro comportamiento.

De todos los escritores del Nuevo Testamento, Juan es el que utilizó esa palabra con más frecuencia, diciendo que todos aquellos que creen que Jesús es el Hijo de Dios son vencedores.

“Os he escrito a vosotros, jóvenes, porque sois fuertes, y la palabra de Dios permanece en vosotros, y habéis vencido al maligno” (1 Juan 2:14).

“Y todo espíritu que no confiesa que Jesucristo ha venido en carne, no es de Dios; y este es el espíritu del anticristo, el cual vosotros habéis oído que viene, y que ahora ya está en el mundo. Hijitos, vosotros sois de Dios, y los habéis vencido; porque mayor es el que está en vosotros, que el que está en el mundo” (1 Juan 4:3-4).

“Porque todo lo que es nacido de Dios vence al mundo; y esta es la victoria que ha vencido al mundo, nuestra fe. ¿Quién es el que vence al mundo, sino el que cree que Jesús es el Hijo de Dios?” (1 Juan 5:4-5).

Nosotros hemos vencido al maligno, al espíritu de anticristo, y al mundo, y ¿cómo fue que hicimos eso? Por medio de la fe, al creer que Jesucristo es el Hijo de Dios. Como es siempre el caso, es nuestra fe la que nos hace parecer santos e inmaculados, no es nuestro comportamiento con el cual nunca podremos calificar.

En Apocalipsis 2—3 esta palabra se utiliza en cada una de las siete cartas a las iglesias para describir a aquellas personas que resisten, o rechazan, el pecado religioso por el cual la iglesia está siendo criticada y/o permanecen en la verdad del evangelio.

Los Vencedores En Éfeso

“Pero tengo contra ti, que has dejado tu primer amor. Recuerda, por tanto, de dónde has caído, y arrepiéntete, y haz las primeras obras; pues si no, vendré pronto a ti, y quitaré tu candelero de su lugar, si no te hubieres arrepentido… Al que venciere, le daré a comer del árbol de la vida, el cual está en medio del paraíso de Dios” (Apocalipsis 2:4-5,7).

Hacia finales del Siglo I la Iglesia ya estaba tan ocupada haciendo obras religiosas que se le olvidó que la obra ya había sido hecha y que nuestro propósito primordial es el de adorar al Señor y darle las gracias. La relación que Él quería tener con nosotros y por la que Él entregó Su vida, se estaba convirtiendo en otra religión. Todas aquellas personas que cambiaran de actitud y vencieran la tendencia humana de intentar ganar una posición con Dios, se apoyan en el hecho de que Jesús lo hizo todo y se encontrarán con Él en el árbol de la vida en el paraíso. El vencedor es aquel que descansa en la fe y adora a Dios.

Los Vencedores En Esmirna

“No temas en nada lo que vas a padecer. He aquí, el diablo echará a algunos de vosotros en la cárcel, para que seáis probados, y tendréis tribulación por diez días. Sé fiel hasta la muerte, y yo te daré la corona de la vida. El que tiene oído, oiga lo que el Espíritu dice a las iglesias. El que venciere, no sufrirá daño de la segunda muerte” (Apocalipsis 2:10-11).

Los diez días mencionados aquí son el reino de 10 césares, el cual tuvo una duración de 250 años, hasta el Siglo III. Durante todo este tiempo, los cristianos fueron perseguidos sin descanso. Muchos fueron llamados para dar la vida por su fe. El Señor no ofreció ningún escape de eso excepto el que proviene de la muerte. Pero todas aquellas personas que permanecieron fieles creyendo en Su promesa de la vida eterna, la recibieron. El vencedor murió en fe y recibió la vida.

Los Vencedores En Pérgamo

“Pero tengo unas pocas cosas contra ti: que tienes ahí a los que retienen la doctrina de Balaam, que enseñaba a Balac a poner tropiezo ante los hijos de Israel, a comer de cosas sacrificadas a los ídolos, y a cometer fornicación. Y también tienes a los que retienen la doctrina de los nicolaítas, la que yo aborrezco. Por tanto, arrepiéntete; pues si no, vendré a ti pronto, y pelearé contra ellos con la espada de mi boca. El que tiene oído, oiga lo que el Espíritu dice a las iglesias. Al que venciere, daré a comer del maná escondido, y le daré una piedrecita blanca, y en la piedrecita escrito un nombre nuevo, el cual ninguno conoce sino aquel que lo recibe” (Apocalipsis 2:14-17).

En el Siglo IV la iglesia se unió con la religión pagana de Babilonia, y las prácticas que no solamente están en contra de la Biblia sino que son detestables al Señor, eran comunes. El Señor amenazó con pelear contra esas prácticas con la espada de Su Boca, la cual es Su Palabra. Los vencedores fueron aquellas personas que permanecieron en la verdad del Evangelio no adulterado y vivieron por la fe en sus promesas. Ellos recibieron el Pan de Vida y un testimonio que los elogia ante el Padre en nombre del Hijo.

Los Vencedores En Tiatira

“Pero tengo unas pocas cosas contra ti: que toleras que esa mujer Jezabel, que se dice profetisa, enseñe y seduzca a mis siervos a fornicar y a comer cosas sacrificadas a los ídolos. Y le he dado tiempo para que se arrepienta, pero no quiere arrepentirse de su fornicación. He aquí, yo la arrojo en cama, y en gran tribulación a los que con ella adulteran, si no se arrepienten de las obras de ella. Y a sus hijos heriré de muerte, y todas las iglesias sabrán que yo soy el que escudriña la mente y el corazón; y os daré a cada uno según vuestras obras. Pero a vosotros y a los demás que están en Tiatira, a cuantos no tienen esa doctrina, y no han conocido lo que ellos llaman las profundidades de Satanás, yo os digo: No os impondré otra carga; pero lo que tenéis, retenedlo hasta que yo venga. Al que venciere y guardare mis obras hasta el fin, yo le daré autoridad sobre las naciones” (Apocalipsis 2:20-26).

La unión ilícita de la Iglesia con Babilonia produjo cuatro hijas, las cuales están vivas hoy en día en la tierra. Tiatira representa la Iglesia Católica, la primera hija. Se hizo rica confiscando propiedades por medio de acusaciones falsas, como lo hizo Jezabel, y también instituyó la venta de indulgencias las cuales autorizaban prácticas licenciosas cobrando una cuota. Pero aquellas personas que mantienen a Jesús en sus corazones y rechazan las tradiciones que le agregan a lo que Él hizo en la cruz, Jesús les promete la salvación. Estas personas no se han dado cuenta de los secretos de Satanás de Jesús más María, la Gracia más las obras, las Escrituras más los sacramentos, y han vencido, viviendo solo una vida de fe.

Los Vencedores En Sardis

“Sé vigilante, y afirma las otras cosas que están para morir; porque no he hallado tus obras perfectas delante de Dios. Acuérdate, pues, de lo que has recibido y oído; y guárdalo, y arrepiéntete. Pues si no velas, vendré sobre ti como ladrón, y no sabrás a qué hora vendré sobre ti. Pero tienes unas pocas personas en Sardis que no han manchado sus vestiduras; y andarán conmigo en vestiduras blancas, porque son dignas. El que venciere será vestido de vestiduras blancas; y no borraré su nombre del libro de la vida, y confesaré su nombre delante de mi Padre, y delante de sus ángeles” (Apocalipsis 3:2-5).

La Iglesia Protestante es la que está representada por Sardis, y ejecutó la amenaza del Señor de juzgar las prácticas de la Iglesia con la Espada de Su Boca. El llamado de la Reforma fue “Sola fides (sólo por la fe) sola gratia (sólo por la gracia), solus Christus (sólo con Cristo), y sola Scriptura (sólo Su Palabra)”. Por vez primera la Biblia estaba disponible a todas las personas para ser leída. Se fundaron grandes seminarios para enseñarles a los pastores la Palabra de Dios. Pero en diablo se introdujo en estos seminarios, a así la autoridad de la Palabra de Dios fue desafiada. Todo se llevó a cabo en nombre del intelectualismo por lo que se pensaba que eso era correcto, pero pronto al Evangelio le fue robado su poder, la luz de la fe se fue, el Espíritu fue apagado, y la gente se calmó y se durmió.

Muchas personas aun están dormitando, pero sí hay unas que aun recuerdan el Evangelio y se aferran a él. Estas personas se han arrepentido de la Hipótesis Documental, el Racionalismo Moderno, y todo lo demás. Ellas han vencido lo que Walter Martin llamó el Culto del Liberalismo y han retenido el poder del Evangelio. Estas personas han sido lavadas en la Sangre del Cordero y se les han dado vestiduras limpias. Sus nombres no han sido borrados del Libro de la Vida del Cordero, y Él nunca los borrará.

Los Vencedores En Filadelfia

“Yo conozco tus obras; he aquí, he puesto delante de ti una puerta abierta, la cual nadie puede cerrar; porque aunque tienes poca fuerza, has guardado mi palabra, y no has negado mi nombre… Por cuanto has guardado la palabra de mi paciencia, yo también te guardaré de la hora de la prueba que ha de venir sobre el mundo entero, para probar a los que moran sobre la tierra. He aquí, yo vengo pronto; retén lo que tienes, para que ninguno tome tu corona. Al que venciere, yo lo haré columna en el templo de mi Dios, y nunca más saldrá de allí; y escribiré sobre él el nombre de mi Dios, y el nombre de la ciudad de mi Dios, la nueva Jerusalén, la cual desciende del cielo, de mi Dios, y mi nombre nuevo” (Apocalipsis 3:8, 10-12).

“Retén lo que tienes” le ordena el señor a la Iglesia Evangélica, porque “yo vengo pronto. Y porque has guardado la palabra de mi paciencia, yo también te guardaré de la hora de la prueba que ha de venir sobre el mundo entero”

¿Y a qué es lo que tenemos que sostenernos? Tenemos Su Palabra, Su Nombre, y Su promesa. Él viene pronto. En el Nuevo Testamento se mencionan cinco coronas a las que los creyentes deben aspirar. Pero aquí el Señor solamente menciona una de ellas. ¿Cuál de todas es? Yo creo que es la descrita en 2 Timoteo 4:8, la Corona de Justicia, para todas aquellas personas que aman Su venida. ¿Quién sino la Iglesia Evangélica creyente en la Biblia, y que estudia la profecía, puede calificar para recibir esta corona, y cuál es la que mejor describe el anhelo de nuestros corazones?

Los Vencedores En Laodicea

“Yo conozco tus obras, que ni eres frío ni caliente. ¡Ojalá fueses frío o caliente! Pero por cuanto eres tibio, y no frío ni caliente, te vomitaré de mi boca… He aquí, yo estoy a la puerta y llamo; si alguno oye mi voz y abre la puerta, entraré a él, y cenaré con él, y él conmigo. Al que venciere, le daré que se siente conmigo en mi trono, así como yo he vencido, y me he sentado con mi Padre en su trono” (Apocalipsis 3:15-16, 20-21).

Aquí tenemos la cuarta hija, la iglesia apóstata de los tiempos del fin. Próspera y sin necesidad de nada. A ellos les gusta ser llamados seguidores de Cristo, no simplemente creyentes, y el centro de todo definitivamente son las obras. Difícilmente algunas de estas personas escuchan el llamado a la puerta, lo que significa que Él está fuera intentando entrar. Para aquellas personas que vencen la locura de la prisa por conquistar el mundo en nombre de un Jesús que muchas de ellas no conocen, esperando lograr algo que Él no quiere, para esas personas que escuchan su llamado a la puerta y lo invitan a entrar en sus corazones para que encienda los fuegos de la fe, Él les dará el derecho de sentarse con Él en Su trono.

Estas siete cartas nos dan siete ejemplos que muestran que solamente por la fe es que podemos ser vencedores. De la Iglesia en Éfeso vemos a los vencedores adorando al Señor y dándole las gracias por haber terminado toda la obra de nuestra salvación. De la Iglesia en Esmirna vemos que es permaneciendo fieles hasta la muerte que somos vencedores y recibimos la vida. Los vencedores en Pérgamo rechazaron los rituales paganos de Babilonia que oscurecen y pervierten la Historia del Evangelio. Aquellas personas en Tiatira rechazaron añadirle a la simpleza del Evangelio, mientras que en Sardis rechazaron permitir que sus poderes le fueran arrebatados. Los vencedores en Filadelfia se sostienen en Su Nombre, Su Palabra y Su Promesa, y los vencedores de Laodicea son advertidos de escuchar Su llamado a la puerta y abrirle sus corazones cuando lo escuchen.

Así como es la voluntad de Dios que seamos conformados a la imagen de Cristo en nuestro comportamiento, y que vayamos más allá de la salvación para obtener la victoria, de las Escrituras queda claro que somos vencedores cuando nos mantenemos tenazmente en nuestra fe, como de niño, puesta la obra completa del Señor en la cruz. Las siete iglesias eran exactamente eso, iglesias. Sin embargo en su mayor parte introdujeron doctrinas que oscurecían el evangelio y destruían la fe, las cuales en las generaciones siguientes han mantenido a innumerables millones de personas alejadas del camino a la vida eterna. Solamente aquellas personas que vencen por la fe son salvas.

“Y me dijo: Hecho está. Yo soy el Alfa y la Omega, el principio y el fin. Al que tuviere sed, yo le daré gratuitamente de la fuente del agua de la vida. El que venciere heredará todas las cosas, y yo seré su Dios, y él será mi hijo” (Apocalipsis 21:6-7).

El Libro de Apocalipsis finaliza como empezó, al decirnos que la vida eterna se otorga sin costo alguno a todas aquellas personas que caminan solamente por la fe en Él, creyendo que la obra está completamente terminada y que el Señor es el principio y el fin de su búsqueda de la eternidad. Esos son los vencedores. Selah. 09/08/2008

A.  In 2 Sam 7:16 God promised David that his throne would last forever. This established the Davidic line as Israel’s royal line from which future kings would come. But in Jeremiah 22:28-30 God declared that the Davidic kings had become so wicked that He would not allow them to continue.  This caused the Davidic line to be cursed and the current king, Jehoiachin, became the last one.  This happened just before the Babylonian captivity in the 6th Century BC.

God told Ezekiel, who lived at the same time, that He was going to suspend the royal line “until He comes to whom it rightfully belongs” (Ezek. 21:27) And in Jeremiah 31:15-17 He said He would make a righteous branch sprout from David’s line who would fulfill His promise to David.

The angel Gabriel told Mary that Jesus would sit on David’s throne and reign over the house of Jacob forever (Luke 1:31-33).  So we know Jesus is the One to whom the throne belongs.  He’s the Righteous Branch. He hasn’t taken the throne yet but according to Revelation 11:15 He will do so at the time of the 7th Trumpet.  He will arrive on Earth to claim it at the time of the second Coming (Zechariah 14:9) after He has defeated His enemies in the end times judgments.

In Ezekiel 37:24 God said His servant David will be the King of Israel.  Some take this as a reference to David himself, but most scholars  believe the Messiah will fulfill this prophecy.

A. In Isaiah 17:1 the Bible  says Damascus will no longer be a city after its destruction, becoming a heap of ruins.   But it doesn’t give us any clues as to the means by which Damascus will be destroyed.   From our understanding of things it appears likely that some kind of unconventional weapons will be involved.  However, Israel most likely has weapons we’re not aware of that could reduce the entire city to a heap of rubble in short order without causing a lot of collateral damage.  The way things are going over there, we may not have to wait very long to see just how this prophecy will be fulfilled.

A. Psalm 122:6 commands us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  From the study of prophecy we know that when we do this we’re praying for the Lord to return.  Only He can end Israel’s warfare and restore His people. After over 60 years of trying to establish a lasting peace in the Middle East by human effort, mankind still hasn’t learned that this is beyond our capability.  However, all things are possible with God and He has promised to do this. Who knows what could have happened by now if man had spent the same time, energy, and resources praying as we have fighting, coercing and manipulating. Praying is the best thing we can do because it’s only thing that will work.

A.  The Church’s eternal home is the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:27) which will not be on Earth.  We’ll all be taken there to begin our eternal life with the Lord (John 14:2-3).  When that happens, dead believers will be given new physical bodies and the bodies of living believers will be changed from mortal to immortal (1 Cor. 15:51-52). Since the Lord promised to rescue living believers from the time of God’s Wrath (1 Thes. 1:10, Rev, 3:10), He has scheduled this to take place before the end times judgment begin.

Israel’s eternal home is in the promised land on Earth (Ezekiel 43:1-7).  Israel has not been promised deliverance from the end times judgments but will be purified through them (Jeremiah 30:11). But dead Old Testament believers do not need to be purified.  Raising them from the dead to live on Earth just as the end times judgments are beginning wouldn’t make sense.  Therefore the Lord will raise them at the time of the 2nd Coming, after the judgments have ended (Daniel 12:2).

Tribulation believers will not come to faith in time for the Rapture, and they won’t be part of the Church.  The resurrection of those who die before the 2nd Coming will happen at the same time as Old Testament believers (Rev. 20:4). Surviving tribulation believers will go into the Millennial Kingdom on Earth in their natural bodies. (Matt. 25:31-40)

A. According to Exodus 16:4 God said that He was going to give the Israelites manna to eat to test them. The animals they had came with them when they left Egypt, and the sea cows (porpoises) came from the Red Sea which was near by. Although we’re not specifically told this, they probably traded with neighboring people as well, and from tracking their route, it appears that they didn’t move as often as you might think.

Between the manna and the fact that neither their shoes nor their clothing ever wore out, God was showing them that He could provide all of their needs. When they complained of having no meat, He sent them quail. This made it possible for them to reserve the animals they didn’t use as sacrifices for breeding so they would always have an adequate supply.

I think the wilderness experience can serve as a model for the Church.  In Matt. 6:25-34 the Lord promised those who seek His Kingdom and His righteousness that He will provide for all our needs.