From HHC Sermons
Rome was not an anarchy. The once free society which had risen to a state of prominence in the Mediterranean with a voluntary welfare system and a locally supported militias. It became an authoritarian benefactor which led to tyranny and despotism.
Wealth steadily seduced an industrious people into an apathetic welfare state With growing system of social benefits came tax burdens upon the rich, which shifted to the craftsmen and laborer. Centralization of power brought a burgeoning bureaucracy. Together they all brought debasement of social morals. The love of wealth, comfort and security replaced the love of simplicity, service and sacrifice.
Many societies became dependent upon elaborate systems of taxation. In Judea Gabbai [tax collector], collected ... ground-, income-, and poll-taxes while the Mokhes collected duty upon imports and exports; on all that was bought and sold.... They had invented taxes that reached into the life of almost everyone. There were taxes based on the number of axles, wheels, pack-animals, pedestrians, the use of roads, highways; on admission to markets; on carriers, bridges, ships, and quays; on crossing rivers, on dams, on licenses, in short, on such a variety of objects, that even the research of modern scholars has not been able to identify all the names.1
They not only had to collect these taxes, but they had to keep track of who had paid and who had not, as well as who was a taxpayer and who was exempt or excluded. Among the slaves, citizens, and residents there were more than one status. They had many ways to keep track of slave and freeman as well as who had paid and who was still owing on the myriad of taxes, fees, and tariffs, including interest, and penalties.
Both Greeks and Romans used small framed boards filled with wax or clay. A thin coating of dark wax was used for brief or short term notations. Scratching letters in the soft wax with a stylus so that the light-colored backing would showed through. The tablets were sometimes linked together with rings, which was called a codex.
Longer documents were written on a paper called papyrus and could be glued together into rolls 15 to 40 feet long called volumen. Contracts might be etched or engraved in wet clay with a quill with marks or seals of the parties pressed in as a signature. After drying they were stored in the temple. This ancient method of record keeping was widely accepted.
Loans of indebtedness and usury sometimes took advantage of this more permanent form. Record keeping solemnized by seals and marks in clay that were fired to make them “unbreakable”.
Slaves in the market place were given dried clay tablets to identify them and their occupation. If these tablets were baked with the seal of the owner they took on a permanency that protected the slave from unwarranted detention as he traveled through the public streets on errands for his master. That etched document was referred to as a charagma2 [caragma]. The word might refer to several other forms of identification that appeared during Rome's long history.
Some employed servants or slaves were very wealthy because of their skills or position. They might be physicians or engineers or lawyers. Their charagma would identify a status, occupation or use, and might be made of clay, stone, lead, iron, copper, silver, or even gold. It originally was of private issue but became a form of official identification.
A “Charagma is well attested to have been an imperial seal of the Roman Empire used on official documents during the first and second centuries.”3
The word mark in Revelations is from charagma. It is a stamp or a badge or an imprinted mark. It is from the word charax from charasso (to sharpen to a point). A charax is a pole or stake, a palisade. The only connection between a charax and a charagma is that the early charagmas were made in clay with a charax, a sharp stick.
Knowing your status quo during the census required usually required a token to mark those who had been counted subjects of the Empire. The census called for by Augustus “was regarded as the badge of servitude, and incompatible with the Theocratic character of Israel.”4
What is the essential characteristic of a charagma? Is it important to note that it is etched with a sharp object or on the forehead or in the hand? Or is it because a charagma is a badge of servitude? Does it mark who is bound and loosed, who is free and who must serve?
“Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them...” Ex 23:24
Is the essential characteristic of a mark its location, shape, form or is it what the mark stands for? A charagma had a specific purpose. It was a mark that expressed ownership, the right of possession, the right to---or the employer of---the use of an item, creature or human as a resource.
Be not thou [one] of them that strike hands, [or] of them that are sureties for debts. (Pr 22:26)
The word mark in Revelation is specifically a “badge of servitude”. Charagma appears 9 times in the Bible and is translated graven in Acts 17:29. This is the only place outside of Revelations that charagma appears, and it is also the only place it is not translated mark.
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven [a charagma] by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Acts 17:28, 30
The word offspring is from genos which is translated, kind, kindred, or nation expressing that God is the original authority in our lives.
The word ought is from the Greek opheilo rather than the more common dei or tis. It is also translated owe, be bound, be (one’s) duty, be a debtor, be guilty, be indebted. Opheilo is defined “to owe, to owe money, be in debt for, that which is due, the debt.” It also appears in John 13:14 expressing this concept of indebtedness: “If I ... have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
The words “graven [charagma] by art and man’s device”, are talking about systems of authority created by men, which include social programs or schemes, making the word of God to none effect.5
The word device here is from enthumesis, which means a thinking, consideration; thoughts. There are no more powerful false gods than those created in our minds and bound by pride. Men begin to worship,6 and give allegiance to their created institution more so than God.
We are commanded not to let the creations of our own thinking become our godhead, our patronus, or our father because we owe that title to our Father in Heaven. No man on earth should stand as our substitute father, with the authority to mark us with his charagma.7
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, Revelation 14:8-9
IF ANY MAN is translated from two words; e,i meaning if or whether, and tis, meaning a certain. Together they mean “whoever, whatever” and is followed by conditions which need to be examined.
WORSHIP is from proskuneo meaning an expression of profound reverence… used of homage shown to men of superior rank: such as a profound reverence for an office or a flag or the acceptance of an exercising authority.
Worshiping God has nothing to do with singing in Church. Worshiping has to do with accepting a superior authority. In the Hebrew worship is often translated from “hxv shachah” meaning “to bow down”. If God is the ultimate authority, then to bow down or worship Him is to bow to His authority. Singing may be a gesture along these lines but is concerned with a more substantive behavior. Are we taking His name in vain if we are bowing to other authorities to obtain their benefit. Are we to rule over our fellow man or be ruled by them?
The BEAST is from the word therion from the diminutive thera which means “trap” or “hunting to destroy.” Therion is translated beast, wild beast, venomous beast. In the Bible the beasts always represented governments, such as Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.
There are two fundamental classifications of governments. The first type is based upon faith, hope, love and charity and obeying their natural Father or Creator in heaven. It is a voluntary union of people based on an equal love of neighbor and self, with forgiveness and thanksgiving. This government is created by families coming together in a fellowship, which shares a common acceptance of the Character of God’s Name or Nature, (e.g. justice and mercy) written on their hearts and minds.
The second type is the one that hunts or devours men. It operates on the basis of enforced control, imposed restrictions, exercising authority, and ultimately, bondage and oppression. It seduces the masses by promising security at the expense of their neighbor. It solicits their applications, which, upon acceptance, becomes binding social contracts, covenants, and leagues of allegiance.
“The real destroyers of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and Benefits.” Plutarch, 2000 years ago.
In such systems, men endlessly write and codify laws and become the ruling elite. Born or elected they share a desire to control and rule over their neighbors. They are corrupted by power and a willingness to covet.
And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and [will set them] to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. 1 Samuel 8:12
The righteous system is spiritually based, and dependent on faith, patience, charity and thanksgiving. It is populated by those who are willing to give---and forgive---under the perfect law of liberty. They maintain free choice by granting the same to others and accepting responsibility for themselves and showing mercy and justice to all.
In a government of liberty people must seek to rule themselves, not their neighbor. They hope to master only charity and mercy, forgiveness and service. They serve God by serving one another.
Both systems depend on faith or allegiance and are composed of dedicated believers. One is based on the authority of men over men, and has a man sitting as a central father (or patronus) or ruling authority. The other has God the Father of all men living in their hearts and minds.
Both types of governments are in essence a family. In one, the family is truly free, in the other men are Parens Patriae, "father of the people".
God the Father’s family is based on the natural family instituted by God with the solemn joining of Husband and Wife. These families freely associate as a nation through a voluntary network. The natural Family holds the dominion of God bound only in love of their neighbor.
Can a government be based on love and charity? Can people unite on a national scale and still remain a free people? Voluntary governments have been the rule in man’s history, “our modern reliance on government to make law and establish order is not the historical norm.”8
“That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who [were] the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered:” Numbers 7:2
Note here the word OVER. It is from amad [dme], which is translated stood or stand or endure hundreds of times and is translated over only one time in the Bible. These fathers were not to rule over each other but came together as equals. In their homes they were to rule as Christ ruled the Church with love and patient service, self sacrifice, and obedience to the Father, enduring the burdens of their Natural Office.
In authoritarian governments, men substitute faith in God for allegiance to men who would be gods over them, the word god simply meaning ruling judges, and was used to address magistrates in court.
“If we will not be governed by God, then we will be ruled by tyrants.”9
Israel was the kingdom of God, not the religion of Heaven on earth. Herod the Great had been baptizing his citizenry into his version of the kingdom of Heaven. This Hellenization of Judea was rejected by John the Baptist who had another vision for that kingdom of God.
"Herod's scheme of initiation into a new form of Judaism was immensely successful. Jews everywhere were willing to join the worldwide society ... Entry was for members only; they had to show at the door an admission token in the form of a white stone from the river Jordan which the missionaries gave them at baptism." "The missionaries... with their leather wallets full of white stones, would come back with the same wallets full of money, in foreign currency. Once put into Jewish currency by the money-changers, it would be stored in vaults, ready to be used by Herod for his vast building projects, or any subsequent causes."10
Eventually many of the citizens of Judea accepted John's cousin, Yeshua, a.k.a Jesus, as king. Proclaimed by the people as Hosanna son of David, the anointed, and officially recognized King of the citizens of Judea by the Roman god,11 Pontious Pilate.
Eventually thousands of Judeans followed the Way of John and Jesus and were apart of His kingdom at hand; they were excluded from the the social schemes of Herod which we know as the Corban of the Pharisees.
THE IMAGE of the Beast in Revelation 14:9 is translated from the Greek word eikon which means an image or likeness.
Who was the first beast? Was it Babylon or Rome, or does it matter? Are they not all the same, as was Egypt, Ur and even Haran? Who or what is the beast like? What is that image, or similitude, of the beast?
At the time of Jesus, Rome, as a faltering republic, was well into a process of decay. “Each class contributed its share to the common decay… The free citizens were idle, dissipated, sunken; their chief thoughts of the theater and the arena… more than two hundred thousand persons were thus maintained by the State, what of the old Roman stock remained was rapidly decaying, partly from corruption, but chiefly from the increasing cessation of marriage, and the nameless abominations of what remained of family-life.... The sanctity of marriage had ceased. Female dissipation and the general dissoluteness led at last to an almost entire cessation of marriage. Abortion, and the exposure and murder of newly-born children, were common and tolerated; unnatural vices, which even the greatest philosophers practiced, if not advocated, attained proportions which defy description.”12
Family values were a chief topic of political rhetoric before every election and during the writing of the new constitution by Augustus. The rise of that Empire out of the ashes of a free republic was unrelenting.
After their civil war, the first of the three offices sought by Augustus was Emperator,13 commander in chief of the army and naval forces. The second office was Principas Civitas, the First Citizen, the chief executive officer or President of Rome,14 a municipality. The third office was ApoTheos, literally translated the appointor of gods.
The duties of this office were to appoint all the judges or magistrates for the empirical courts. Each office required an oath based on constitutional restrictions. Successors were determined by an electoral college of the Senate, known as the “Conscripted Fathers.”15
The word ‘and’ in “Worship AND Receive” can make a great difference in the interpretation of this text. If you merely received the mark without worshiping the beast, then you do not qualify. If you receive the mark, through ignorance or deception or a combination of both, but have not made a conscious decision to pay homage, or allegiance to the beast, then you have not really worshipped16 it.
The word RECEIVE [his] mark comes from the Greek word lambano, and means “to take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it; to take up a thing to be carried; take possession of, i.e. to appropriate to one’s self … to receive what is offered; not to refuse or reject… give him access to one’s self.”
In the word lambano there is nothing about a tattoo or the injection of a chip into the hand. Taking the mark is about receiving what is offered, it is simply a matter of not refusing or rejecting an offer. It is about an acceptance or to receive what is offered.
We do see the word HAND at the end of the text which is translated from the word khire. Its definition is expressed as “1) by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.” It is clear by this definition that the word is not limited to the concept of the physical appendage.
The preposition IN could lead us believe the mark must go inside the hand. The word ‘in’ in this verse is translated from the word epi. It is a generic preposition that is translated many different ways. For example, it is translated on, in, upon, come to, by, at, before, over, etc.
There can be no assumption that the mark actually enters the flesh of the hand. One may obtain the use of mark or badge of servitude without ever even touching it with the physical hand. Khire expresses that you may receive the use of the mark through the help or agency of any one.
FOREHEAD is translated from metopon and is defined the space between the eyes, the forehead. Some people have suggested that the mark is a lithium powered microchip injected along the hairline near the ear. Again, there is no reason to make that assumption.
The word metopon is often associated with memory or thought. If you only need to remember the name or the number associated with the mark, it could be assumed that the physical possession of a mark is not even necessary, and that the reference to the forehead or the space between the eyes is cognizant of the mind, thought or memory.
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: Revelation 14:10
What is the WRATH OF GOD? The Hebrew word for wrath [Pa Aleph Phie] is translated face, nostrils, nose, before, countenance, forbearing, forehead, even worthy The same Hebrew letters are also translated also, even, yet, moreover, yea, with, low, therefore, and much.
In the Greek WRATH is from thumos and may include the idea of passion or ardour, and is from the word translated “gods” or “God.”17
The word DRINK is from pino which does mean to drink but figuratively, to receive. To drink of the wine of the wrath of God seems to be a metaphor meaning that they will receive something poured out at full strength and not very diluted.
The words AND HE SHALL BE TORMENTED can give us the idea of torture or punishment. Tormented here is from basanizo which actually means “to test (metals) by the touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the colour of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal” It might imply torture but the word was also used by sailors or fishermen whose ship was struggling with a head wind. The word has the sense of a test.
The word PRESENCE is from enopion which is more commonly translated before or in the sight of. To emphasize the nature of these events as a test rather than a cruel punishment with torment and tortures I must ask, “Why would the holy angels and the Lamb want to watch people being tortured and suffering”?
Does the good shepherd take delight in punishing his sheep?
Is this a test of our love, faith, hope, and humility?
What is written in your heart and mind?
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Revelation 14:11
Many will tell you that smoke of their TORMENT ascendeth up means if you take the mark, you will be cast into hell. This is a conclusion based again on the word torment, which we have seen has to do with a test and the words fire and brimstone are not, nor have they ever been, synonymous with hell.
FIRE AND BRIMSTONE appears during the time of the liberation and redemption of the Israelites from Egypt. I suspect that since most of the world is now back in a bondage worse than that of Egypt,18 it would seem reasonable that we will see some “fire and brimstone” before the people are all free souls under God on earth again.
The words SMOKE ASCENDING has also been interpreted as coming from hell. Throughout the Bible the idea of smoke going up has to do with the accepting of a sacrifice as worthy and in the times of the great test men will be called on to sacrifice many things, including their very lives in order to pass the test hence the smoke goes up.
REST is not from the word anesis, meaning a loosening (which is translated rest 3 times and liberty and be eased once each). Nor is it from koimesis, meaning a reposing, taking rest. It is from anapausis, which actually means intermission, cessation of any motion, business or labor. As more is revealed about the nature of the “test,” our understanding of this passage may increase. One may see in this sentence two different points of view. One is that the smoke from the test goes up forever, and the others who do not repent, change their ways, get no cessation or intermission from their labors, their bondage. It may help to examine more of the context to this one line:
Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12
The word PATIENCE is from hupomone, which means steadfastness, constancy, endurance. This may be disappointing to those who are expecting to be raptured away during this test, since it is clear you are going to need steadfastness, constancy, and endurance to pass.
There is also some requirements to keep the commandments. Salvation is by grace, but God does not owe us salvation simply because we say we believe. Many people proclaim that they believe just as the Pharisees claimed to believe. The test will be a witness to the truth.
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Revelation 13:11
The beast comes OUT OF THE EARTH, rather than the sea. If these beasts are governments, it could be presumed that the difference between rising from the land, verses rising from the sea, could have to do with the “Law of the Land” rather than the “Law of the Sea.”
Most people are not schooled in these classic forms of jurisprudence. For simplicity here we will just say that the Law of the Land is based in the Mosaic Law, Common Law and the Law of Nature and Nature’s God, while the Law of the Sea could include Admiralty, Commercial Law and Equity, a.k.a. the law men establish for themselves. One form of law encourages the virtues that set men free and the other lends itself to delivering men into debt and bondage.19
Lamb’s horns could denote that the original authority was small.
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. Revelation 13:12
Numerous people interpret the beast as the Roman Church who was wounded at a particular point in time and recovered. Amazingly, they also interpret the Roman Church as the Harlot. It seems that it cannot be both. The Beast, at the time of the writing of St. John's Revelations, was clearly the empire of Rome. The image of the beast is not a matter of location, but the nature, characteristics and precepts of the beast.
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, Revelation 13:13
One distinction between the beast and the image of the beast is that the latter can make fire come down from heaven in the sight of the men. The emperor, or “commander-in-chief” of Rome, had an army and navy while a modern commander-in-chief often has an air force which gives them the power to MAKE FIRE COME FROM THE SKIES.20
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. Revelation 13:14
Just about everyone on earth is DECEIVED. What helps bring about this deception are miracles. Are those miracles yet to come or have they already deceived us? We have television, computers, modern medicine the power of flight even into space. Some say that these are miracles.
Semeion is defined a sign, mark, token. It is translated sign 50 times and MIRACLE only 23. In this age of modern miracles, could we have been deceived? Where is the image of the beast? Do we give it power?
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Revelation 13:15
The words POWER TO GIVE is from didomi and simply means to give. The word LIFE is from pneuma which is the word translated into spirit. It is the beast out of the land with little horns of authority that really gives life and force to the image of the beast. Those who will not pay homage to the image of the beast are to be killed.
There are many words for KILLED in the Greek: Thuo can be translated killed but is usually used in the context of sacrifice. Phoneuo is translated “killed, murder,” and is from the word phonos, to murder. Thanatoo is also translated killed and does mean put to death. Anaire also is translated killed, slay or put to death. Each word can have a different meaning or use. But they are not the word used here.
The word in 13:15 is apokteino which means to kill in any way whatever, to destroy, to allow to perish. The words should be are from hina which means in order that. Because the word apo means of separation the Greek apokteino means more that they would be allowed to die or perish because of separation or exclusion during the test in order that they might perish.
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: Rev. 13:16
AND HE CAUSETH what? He causeth to receive. Causeth is from poieo meaning to make as in to be the author of, make ready or to prepare. It is most often translated do. RECEIVE is from didomi which means simply to give, to give something to someone, of one’s own accord to give one something, to his advantage, to bestow a gift, to grant, give to one asking, let have, to supply, furnish, necessary things… something to be administered. Although the English words causeth to receive may give the idea of force, the Greek text does not support such interpretation. In this verse the original text gives the idea of an offer, gift or grant as a result of asking or applying, not compelling.
Does RIGHT HAND mean that it is okay to receive the mark in our left hand? Right hand is from dexios which is an adjective that is translated right hand 39 times, right 12 times, right side twice. It can mean “the right” or “the right hand side” but it also is commonly used as “a place of honour or authority”. Note that this word is from dechomai, which also means receive, take or accept.
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13:17
The words And that NO MAN are not translated from oudeis, which is translated 94 times “no man” and “none” 27 times, or “any” or “any man” 6 times. Nor is it from medeis which is translated no man 32 times and means nobody or no one. Nor did the author use ou anthropos meaning no man or no human.
The words THAT NO is translated from “hina me” which is translated “that not” 45 times, or “lest” 43 times and “that … no” only 6 times or even “albeit not” and “so that not” once each.
MAN is translated from “tis” which is an enclitic [leaning] indefinite pronoun translated certain 104 times, some 73, any man 55, any 37, one 34, man 34, anything 24, a 9, certain man 7 times, something 6, somewhat 6, ought 5, some man 4 times.
It is defined “a certain, a certain one ; some, some time, a while”.
It should be becoming clear that many misconceptions, unsupported by the earlier text, are being propagated in the world today. There are many specific statements and words used by the author of the Bible that have been blurred, twisted and distorted by modern versions of the text.
Many are being misled by words like cause and no man. Will no one be allowed to BUY OR SELL if they do not take the mark? The word man is not even in the original text. We may now see that the words of the author, who used an indefinite pronoun to express, at best, that only certain or some would be excluded---and because of this exclusion or separation, they might die because they do not take the mark.
The phrase HAD THE MARK is from“echo.” It means “to have, i.e. to hold. to have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind… 2) to have i.e. own, possess 2a) external things .... 2b) used of those joined to any one by the bonds of natural blood or marriage or friendship or duty or law etc. …” Those who think they have nothing to worry about as long as they do not take the chip implant appear to be deceived.
To have the mark has nothing to do with the injection of a chip but does clearly includes the idea membership, joined by bonds of family, or duty or law. If you have to prove you are a member of the family of the beast with a special identification card or number, or else you will be excluded from the some of the benefits of its commercialized market place, then that would meet the language of the authors of Revelations.
If government policy requires a numerical identifier to get a job, a bank account, credit, business license, marriage license, and even a drivers license (or the individual is excluded from that market place), then such exclusion by the political benefactors and commercial world might make survival difficult or even impossible in a time of deficiencies, deficits and deprivation. Such exclusions are already law according to Section 666, of the United States Codes, Title 42.21
The word MIGHT is from dunamai meaning, “to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom” The word custom includes the synonym “practice” and therefore policy. It is again clear in the Greek text that the author, in the original language, is denoting the idea of favorable circumstance or permission of the legal system---or even just a matter of policy.
All these exclusions presently apply to people without a Social Security Number. They have been excluded for years and those exclusions are growing. Obtaining a Social Security Number is also a key point of consent, since it is absolutely voluntary. The number is linked to similar systems in over a hundred and seventy different countries. Are the social security numbers of the world systems the modern mark of the beast? Shouldn't we look at the biblical and spiritual implications of these systems or schemes?
The word NAME in the text is from onoma which does mean name but is also “... used for everything which the name covers.” It is used to express “one’s rank, authority, interests… the cause or reason named: on this account,…” The word “name” denotes the authority by which the number is used not a particular name but rather an authorization.
The word BUY is from agorazo which means “to be in the market-place, to attend it, hence to do business there, buy or sell”. The marketplace, since we are dealing with the world merchants, traffickers, or Canaanites allow men into their system, first by adoption, the birth certificate, the acceptance of benefits, and finally the application to labor or to serve as a registered member, making your offering.22
The modern social insurance systems with compelled contributions are identical to the system of Corban, or unrighteous mammon,23 instituted by the Pharisees before Christ's arrival. The sacred temple of Rome, called the Capitol, had a similar systems called Qurban. The Pagan and Moslem Qurban or Korban systems were similar.
These words all have to do with the sacrifices of the people, but have not always been collected in the same way. In these systems, the widows and orphans, elderly and needy of society were taken care of by either freewill or compelled offerings. The compelled offering was contrary to the the precept of freewill offerings and were forbidden by Christ, who claimed these traditions, also translated as “ordinances,” made the word of God “of none effect.”24 The religion of the Pharisees was not pure.
As things got worse in Rome there was a rationing of benefits and also essential goods. Those without the “mark” were excluded.
And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore25 upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and [upon] them which worshipped his image. Revelation 16:1 2
Many believe this NOISOME AND GRIEVOUS SORE has to do with a lithium battery operated-computer chip that will leak, causing a terrible sore will result. If this hypothesis is incorrect millions of people are being lulled into a false sense of security. The idea that the mark is a chip is really without any true support except in the imaginations of the producers of Christian fables. Let us look with clear eyes.
There are at least nine different words that are used to produce the English word SORE in the King James New Testament text. Eight of them [sphodra, aganakteo, lian, en, polus, ekthambeo, megas, hikanos] have nothing to do with a sore as a sore or wound, or even being sick or ill.
The word NOISOME, describing this sore, is from kakos, meaning “of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be or of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting, base, wrong, wicked or even troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful.”
According to Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) the word Noisome does mean Noxious to health; hurtful; mischievous; unwholesome; insalubrious; destructive. The problem is that kakos is only translated noisome once and is translated evil forty times. Kakos is not normally be found modifying the word sore or wound.
The second word to modify sore is GRIEVOUS, which is from poneros from a derivative of ponos, meaning great trouble, intense desire. It is also translated evil some fifty-one times and wicked or wicked one some sixteen times. To translate both poneros and kakos into the word evil does not do the Greek text justice. Poneros is defined, “full of labours, annoyances, hardships 1a) pressed and harassed by labours 1b) bringing toils, annoyances, perils;…”
Poneros is commonly used to describe something such as pressed labor or bringing toil and again has an evil or wicked nature. Again, with the words poneros and kakos, we have something that is full of pressed labors and not what it ought to be, with a bad or wicked nature, possibly as a result of wrong thinking. These words have a great deal to do with forced labor for an evil cause or condition. In the bondage of Egypt the people were forced to labor and God delivered them from that state and told them never to return.26
The word helkoo means to make SORE or cause to ulcerate and that word is from helkos which can mean a wound or even a sore or ulcer. It is helkos that appears in the text. Helkoo is from helkos not the other way around. The word helkos with a Strong’s number 1668, is from helkuo or helko which means to draw, drag off. It is akin to the word haireomai which means to take for oneself, to prefer, choose or to choose by vote, elect to office. Helko appears in Acts 21:30 “they dragged him from the temple” and James 2:6 “Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?” Also the Greek holkos, connected with helko meaning I draw.
In “Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament,” Moulton and Milligan say the Greek term helko or helkuo has almost the sense of dragging by force. It is used of hauling bricks, of towing, of dragging along, and even in connection with impressing people as laborers.
This meaning would fit well with poneros and kakos, NOISOME AND GRIEVOUS, which can both easily be used with the idea of impressing people as laborers as they were in the bondage of Egypt, which at first was a government where the gold and silver were in a central treasury, the people paid 20% income tax,27 and they only had a legal title to their land.28
The fact is a Charagma means a badge of servitude, the Ten Commandments29 tells us not to “serve” the other “gods,” and we are not to covet our neighbors' goods through the agency of governments, including the authoritarian benefactors which Christ told us not to be like in Matthew 20:25, Mark 10:42 and Luke 22:25.
“And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” 2Pe 2:3
In the Old Testament there is a mark of God related to the forehead.
“And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” Ezekiel 9:4
This is the Mark of the LORD. This mark was not a computer chip either. The Mark of the Beast is the antitheses of the Mark of God. The Mark of God is the Tav, [t]. The Tav is the final letter of the Hebrew Alef-beit. It corresponds to malchut, meaning kingdom. The Tav is said to be the seal of Faith.
Through faith the malchut or kingdom passes in inheritance from generation to generation. The precept of this faith is the secret of the power that makes the kingdom of God a reality at hand.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice; By faith, Enoch was translated; By faith, Abraham obeyed and he went out; By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gedeon, Samson, David, Samuel, and the prophets “through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, and escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”30
Christ said the kingdom of God is at hand and we were to seek it and His righteousness, as well as to preach it. We were to have faith and believe that the perfect law of liberty, with Christ in our hearts and minds, would work and be our salvation. When people were baptized under Moses, they were supposed to drink of the same spiritual rock which is Christ.31 But God was displeased with them. Many did not pass the test of faith, and they gave us examples of lust and idolatry, fornication and the rejection of God. Could God be displeased with us now? Do we understand the precepts of that faith that was in the prophets? Do we have that working faith or do we fall short?
We know that “Not every one that saith unto me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”(Matthew 7:21). There are no magic words or incantations of faith that open the living kingdom of God to men.
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not ... done many wonderful works?” (Matthew 7:22). But the answer will be “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”(Matthew 7:23). Jesus even asks the question, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).
Where do we stand in relationship to this warning? What is the evidence and precepts of faith and what is its antithesis?
The Mark of the Beast is the evidence of a lack of faith in God and His ways. If the Mark of God is a life of faith, hope, and charity, under the perfect law of liberty, where we love our neighbor as ourselves, then the Mark of the Beast would be a life where people force their neighbor to provide for their benefit through benefactors, who exercise authority one over the other. Those who will not live by hope often desire entitlements guaranteed by the right arm of governments. They do not live by charity, but by enforced contributions taken from the sweat and blood of their neighbor. Are they coveting their neighbor's goods and rejecting the righteousness of God.32
The Christian lived in the world of Rome in a much different way than modern Christians live in modern governments today. The Pharisees had ordered that all who saw Jesus as the Christ were to be cast out of the system of Corban managed at the temple. Like Exodus, Pentecost was the liberation of the people from the social contracts that had bound them to the systems established by the Hasmonians, Herod.
This idea of centralizing the control of society and its charitable functions is as old as the city of Cain. Lemech did it. Nimrod and Pharaoh, Saul and Solomon all forced the contributions of the people. Samuel told Saul that because he had done this foolish33 thing and forced the contributions of the people his kingdom would not remain.
The Christian understood that the social programs offered by governments were voluntary in the beginning, but soon became oppressive. Having been cast out of one system, they did not desire to enter another. Christ had set them free. The religion of the Pharisees had conformed to Rome. It was not a pure religion taught by John and Jesus. They took care of the widows and orphans and needy of their society, but they did so with those compelled Corban, like the Romans.
Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.
The early Christians lived in the world but not of it. They still took their day of rest on the Sabbath, but we also see them meeting on the first work day of the week, For what purpose?
In Justin's First Apology we see an explanation of the government of the Christians with the words, “And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place... And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and, in a word, takes care of all who are in need.”
Justin had written the Emperor Antonius Pius, “And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost.”34
The Romans and many other countries had systems of social welfare but to the Christians those were the Nicolaitan35 altars which God hated.
Re 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
The Romans persecuted many of the early Christians because they would not take oaths of allegiance, nor serve, by contributing to the “gods” of Rome. These gods required donations, or tribute, in the form of an excise tax. A small book, or “libellus, made of papyrus”36 was used as a passport throughout their world. It identified you as a contributing member and contained your signature --- and was believed to be the mark of the beast in its time. These temples administered systems of social security, education, justice, and national defense.37 They even operated as a world bank.38
Very few people understand the similarities between the system of the Roman beast and the image of the beast in the world today. Nor do they understand how those early systems came into conflict with the kingdom preached by Christ and the early Church.
In Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” he praised “the union and discipline of the Christian republic.” He pointed out that “it gradually formed an independent and increasing state in the heart of the Roman Empire.”39 How did it work before the apostasy of Constantine?40
Constantine did not require that the people repent. Those who received his baptism continued in the systems offered by Rome. They were instant Christians claiming a new religion but keeping the old ways under a new name. Most modern Christians sometimes follow the ways of Constantine more than Christ. They may cry Lord, Lord in their Church buildings but do they do the will of the Father?
To learn that the Christians would not participate in the social security and welfare systems of that authoritarian world of Rome because they demanded an allegiance rather than faith, force rather than charity. They offered entitlements rather than hope. This is an area of moral and spiritual conflict not addressed by the modern Church. It is in that conflict that we find the defining characteristics of the Mark.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:49).
In 168 AD, Marcus Aurelius wanted no child to be left behind. He required, by law, that everyone must register the birth of their children with the Secretary of Treasury or Provincial Registrars within 30 days. The Christians would not. They would called no man on earth Father.
Such registration would be an application to the Father of the State, and would be turning from Christ’s command.41 The State would be “In Loco Parentis” which in the Latin, means “in the place of a parent,” which is a turning away from the Natural Family instituted by God.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Mt 23:9, 11
This is a reiteration of the precepts and the prime directive of the Church.42 Christ was a king. Shepherds knew it, angels knew it, Kings from the east knew it, the Sanhedrin knew it, Pontius Pilate knew it, and thousands on Pentecost knew it. It is modern Christians who seems to not know it, for they have learned a gospel devoid of the kingdom.
Christ said he would take the kingdom from the Pharisees.
Mt 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
He said that he would appoint it to other:
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32
And then Christ appointed, with instructions, a new kind of prince.
And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; Luke 22:29
Christ gave specific instructions to those he would appoint to minister to His kingdom. Before appointing this kingdom at hand to his new ambassadors he clarified some of those instructions.
And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. Lu 22:25, 26
In modern Churches it is acceptable to pray (apply) to benefactors who exercise authority one over the other. It is acceptable to covet your neighbors' goods through the agency of men who exercise that authority.
There are always those who make the word of God to no effect. They make covenants,43 swear oaths,44 and will not let every man remain subject to the higher liberty.45 There were in the days of Cora, and Saul, Rehoboam and the Pharisees. They gave God lip service, said their prayers, sang their songs, and built their churches but they forgot justice and mercy.
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” Mt 7:22
The Mark of the Beast is evidence of who owns our service, our labor, and our estate as free souls under God. Have we become the package, the merchandise, the human resource of a foreign power? Is it faith or allegiance? It is the vain coveting of your neighbors' goods through the agency of government, which has made you merchandise under an alien dominion.
“Redemption is deliverance from the power of an alien dominion and the enjoyment of the resulting freedom. It involves the idea of restoration to one who possesses a more fundamental right or interest. The best example of redemption in the Old Testament was the deliverance of the children of Israel from bondage, from the dominion of the alien power in Egypt.”46
The Kingdom of Heaven
The Kingdom of Heaven47 is the same as the Kingdom of God. The phrase kingdom of Heaven only appears in Matthew because he wrote originally in Aramaic. In Aramaic, the word malkuthach is translated into kingdom of heaven. It actually means a dominative realm on earth.
According to John Burnet, ouranos, is best translated “world”.48
“He owns the land from the heavens and to the center of the earth.”49
The word Ouranos actually means not so much what is beyond the sky but it is “the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things with in it.” Ouranos, comes from a root that means “to cover, encompass.” Jesus was a king. His kingdom was not a part of Rome but it was and is at hand upon earth.
Jesus told Pontious Pilate that his kingdom was “not of this world.” He did not use the Greek word meaning “planet.” He used the Greek word meaning “an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government.”50 There are five different Greek words in the New Testament which are occasionally translated into the word world.
The words “kingdom of God” are translated from the words basileia theos. Theos means ruling judge and is often translated God or gods. We know there were “gods many,” because Paul tells us---and because there were many judges throughout the Roman Empire and Judea. The word basileia is translated “kingdom,” but it really means the right to be ruled by. What Jesus was saying is “the right to be ruled by God is at hand.”
“Are men the property of the state? Or are they free souls under God?
This same battle continues throughout the world?”51
God led Abraham out of Ur and Haran. He lead the Israelites out of Egypt. And Jesus led the people out of the the power of Rome, and into the kingdom of heaven. The Pharisees did not want to let go of their acquired power over the people and condemned themselves by saying “we have no king but Caesar.” The Christians found salvation by saying there is another king named Jesus, but they did not just say it, they lived it. They gathered their families together in congregational groups of ten, uniting tens, hundreds and thousands in a system of charity and hope.
What does the kingdom look like? What was the early Church doing, and what were the early Christians really seeking? Is the kingdom of God appointed by Christ the only way to liberty under the God?52
Have we exchanged ritual and form for the spiritual substance of justice and mercy? The kingdom of God is not of the dead, but of the living.53 It does not come by observation.54 It is at hand. We should be seeking it, rather than benefits from those who exercise authority.55
How should the Church be organized today?56 Should it be incorporated by the state?57 Should Christians be getting marriage licenses from the State?58 What about Birth Certificates?59 What was baptism all about?60
The Mark of the Beast is a badge of servitude which you can receive and carry with you or you may just remember its' number. Without it, you will not have much access to the commercial or political benefits of society. You may be excluded from the market place by policy and law.
The modern mark identifies you and is used to prove who is a member entitled. Those with a numerical identifier your faith, hope, and charity may be tested in hard times.
The mark of God is faith, hope, and charity under that perfect law of liberty. It is mercy and justice. It is forgiving and forgiveness. It is thanksgiving among free people. It is about loving God and loving your neighbor as your self. Those who do not cultivate the love of God will feed the beast in their own hearts and minds and in the world.
The “world” means the benefactors and governments that exercise authority one over the other. They are filled with the people who covet their neighbor's goods. The kingdom of God is filled with those who love God and their neighbor as themselves. They would rather go without than to be a part of a system that takes from their neighbor without his daily consent.
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. …
And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it:
but if it be not worthy, let your peace61 return to you. Mat. 10:7-13.
See also print ready formats:
Mark of the beast booklet
http://www.hisholychurch.org/study/bklt/markofthebeast.pdf
Mark of the Beast Standard print
http://www.hisholychurch.org/study/bklt/markofthebeastst.pdf
Footnotes:
1“Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah” Bible CD: Chapter III.
2charagma {khar’-ag-mah} from the same as 5482; a scratch or etching, i.e. stamp (as a badge of servitude), or sculptured figure (statue); graven mark.
3Walter A. Elwell (Ed.). Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books. 1996. 22nd, July, 2003.
4This was the sole grounds of resistance to the census. Josephus. Ant. xviii. 1. 1, 6.
5 Mark 7:13 Christ was speaking of their system of social welfare, Corban.
6See Worship http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/worship.html
7Call no man Father http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/fatherabba.html
8The Enterprise of Law: Justice without the State. Bruce L. Benson Publisher: Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy (San Francisco), 1991
9William Penn
10Jesus and the Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls by Barbara Thiering.
11Theos, commonly translated into the word gods or God, was a common term used to address judges in courts of Rome and Judea. This is why Paul says There Are gods Many http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/theosgod.HTM
12“Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah” Chapter XI.
13Emperator, emperatoris m.commander in chief Collins L.E. Dict. '62.
14"Thus the republic was restored under the presidency of its 'first citizen' (princeps civitatis)." (Encyclopedia Brittanica Vol 2, p. 687, '53
15Rome vs. US http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/romeus.HTM
16Worship http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/worship.html
17There Are gods Many http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/theosgod.HTM
18Employ vs. Enslave http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/gods/eve.htm
19Thy Kingdom Comes http://www.hisholychurch.net/thykingdom/tkca.html
20Rome vs. US http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/romeus.HTM
21http://www.hisholychurch.net/news/article/Section666.html
22Employ vs. Enslave http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/gods/eve.htm
The Charagma http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/gods/chvca.htm
23The Unrighteous Mammon http://www.hisholychurch.net/news/SSSfail.asp
24 ... Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. ... But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban,... Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. Mr 7:9…
25helkos probably from 1670; n AV - sore (3) 1) a wound, especially a wound producing a discharge pus, a sore, an ulcer
26Deuteronomy 17:16 But he shall not ... cause the people to return to Egypt, ... forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
27Employ vs. Enslave http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/gods/eve.htm
28Law vs. Legal http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/gods/lvl.htm
29Exodus 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:...
30Hebrews Chapters 11 and 12.
311Co 10:2, 5 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
32The Voice of the People http://www.hisholychurch.net/news/voteking.asp
331Sa 13:13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
34The Eucharist http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/eucharist3.PDF
35The Nico-laity were the conquered people. They were the people who no longer had a choice in what was to be contributed to the needy. Nicolaitians http://www.hisholychurch.net/news/nicolaitans.PDF
36According to the expert testimony of Dr. Elliott, concerning the Mark of the Beast, the priests of the temples, like the Capital, “were functioning, not as we would think religious priests would, but rather as police...” David Stevens v. Stephen Berger, United States District Court, New York, 428 F.Supp. 896 (1977)
37Rome vs. US http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/romeus.HTM
38Temples and Churches http://www.hisholychurch.net/temples.asp
39Rousseau and Revolution, Will et Ariel Durant p.801. fn 83 Heiseler, 85.
40The Wolves http://www.hisholychurch.net/thykingdom/tkczzg12.html
41Call no man on earth Father http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/fatherabba.html
42ARTICLE X Http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/polity/articlex.html
43The Covenants of the gods http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/gods/writings.htm
44"Oaths http://www.hisholychurch.net/news/a4constitution6aoath.html
45ROMANS 13 http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/Romans13.html
46Zondervan’s Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible
47Thy Kingdom Comes http://www.hisholychurch.net/thykingdom/tkca.html
48“…indeed we have no suitable word to express what the Greeks at first called an ouranos. It will be convenient to use the term 'world' for it; but then we must remember that it does not refer solely, or even chiefly, to the earth, though it includes that along with the heavenly bodies.” John Burnet,. Plato’s Dialogues, Early Greek Philosophy, Introduction.
49Cuius est solum, ejus est usque ad caelum et ad inferos
50My kingdom is not of this world http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/world.HTM
51Cecil B. DeMille in “The Ten Commandments.”
52Thy Kingdom Comes http://www.hisholychurch.net/thykingdom/tkca.html
53Lu 20:38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
54Lu 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
55Mt 20:25 But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: ...
56http://www.hisholychurch.net/church/index.html
57The Body of Christ Vs. The Body of the State
Http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/gods/bvb.htm
58Holy Matrimony vs. Marriage http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/gods/mvm.html
59Birth certification http://www.hisholychurch.net/pdfiles/births/
60Baptism, Washing up http://www.hisholychurch.net/net/baptism/index.html
61Peace from eirene meaning 1) a state of national tranquility
The Qetoret (Temple Incense)
Vendyl Jones Research Institute
An estimated 600 lbs. of what looked like "reddish earth" was uncovered at the North entrance of the Cave of the Column by excavation volunteers in the late Spring of 1992. Team members reported detecting the smell of cinnamon present in the substance. Preliminary analysis by Dr. Marvin Antelman of the Wiezmann Institute revealed that the find was indeed, organic. "Density indicates that the material which is lighter than water is excluded from the category of red soil or red minerals......also the high percentage of ash is typical of plant source." Dr. Antelman later told the Jerusalem Post in a story dated May 1, 1992, "I'm very excited about this find. He added that he had positively identified borit karshina (karsina lye)which is one of the ingredients spelled out in the Talmud."
When Dr. Terry Hutter performed a more exhaustive analysis and stated that, "the red-brown spice sample is composed of nine different and unique plants. The plants are recognizable both by pollen and organic maceral types." Dr. Hutter listed these as :
•Three kinds of Cinnamon
•Saffron
•Balsam
•Myrrh
•Galbanum
•Cassia
•Frankincense
The quantity of the Incense is also significant. It corresponds to the amount prepared for one year of daily Temple service. The Torah only lists four ingredients for the Qetoret. The Mishna lists eleven, in addition to Sodom salt and Karcina lye. The latter text also tells of the Avtinas family and how they were charged with the secret of compounding these precious spices. The fragrance of the Qetoret was said to be so powerful that that when it was being prepared, one could smell it as far away as Jericho, 12 miles to the north of Qumran.
Curiously, when young Muhammed adh-Dhib, discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, only two of the ten clay jars contained anything. One of the pots held the Scrolls and the other was filled with "reddish earth."
An estimated 600 lbs. of what looked like "reddish earth" was uncovered at the North entrance of the Cave of the Column by excavation volunteers in the late Spring of 1992. Team members reported detecting the smell of cinnamon present in the substance. Preliminary analysis by Dr. Marvin Antelman of the Wiezmann Institute revealed that the find was indeed, organic. "Density indicates that the material which is lighter than water is excluded from the category of red soil or red minerals......also the high percentage of ash is typical of plant source." Dr. Antelman later told the Jerusalem Post in a story dated May 1, 1992, "I'm very excited about this find. He added that he had positively identified borit karshina (karsina lye)which is one of the ingredients spelled out in the Talmud."
When Dr. Terry Hutter performed a more exhaustive analysis and stated that, "the red-brown spice sample is composed of nine different and unique plants. The plants are recognizable both by pollen and organic maceral types." Dr. Hutter listed these as :
•Three kinds of Cinnamon
•Saffron
•Balsam
•Myrrh
•Galbanum
•Cassia
•Frankincense
The quantity of the Incense is also significant. It corresponds to the amount prepared for one year of daily Temple service. The Torah only lists four ingredients for the Qetoret. The Mishna lists eleven, in addition to Sodom salt and Karcina lye. The latter text also tells of the Avtinas family and how they were charged with the secret of compounding these precious spices. The fragrance of the Qetoret was said to be so powerful that that when it was being prepared, one could smell it as far away as Jericho, 12 miles to the north of Qumran.
Curiously, when young Muhammed adh-Dhib, discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, only two of the ten clay jars contained anything. One of the pots held the Scrolls and the other was filled with "reddish earth."
Shemen Afarshimon
Vendyl Jones Research Institute
The Shemen Afarshimon, the Holy Anointing Oil, from the Holy Temple, was found in April, 1988 by the VJRI excavation team. After intensive testing by the Pharmaceutical Department of Hebrew University, financed by the VJRI, the substance inside the small juglet was verified to indeed be the Shemen Afarshimon of Psalm 133.
The oil was used as the fragrance on the oblation for a sweet smelling savor on the sacrifices. It was also used as the Holy Anointing Oil for the priest, prophets and kings.
The finding of the oil was important for two reasons. It is the first item to be found from the First Temple period and is one of the items listed among the treasures in the Copper Scroll. http://www.bnainoah.net/VJRI/copperscroll.html
On February 15, 1989, the news of the find was broken to the public by the New York Times newspaper. During the ensuing few weeks, most major news media institutions, ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, carried the story on national and international television. In October, 1989, National Geographic Magazine featured the find, followed by Omni Magazine in December of the same year. Countless other news sources carried the story for their publications.
The Shemen Afarshimon, the Holy Anointing Oil, from the Holy Temple, was found in April, 1988 by the VJRI excavation team. After intensive testing by the Pharmaceutical Department of Hebrew University, financed by the VJRI, the substance inside the small juglet was verified to indeed be the Shemen Afarshimon of Psalm 133.
The oil was used as the fragrance on the oblation for a sweet smelling savor on the sacrifices. It was also used as the Holy Anointing Oil for the priest, prophets and kings.
The finding of the oil was important for two reasons. It is the first item to be found from the First Temple period and is one of the items listed among the treasures in the Copper Scroll. http://www.bnainoah.net/VJRI/copperscroll.html
On February 15, 1989, the news of the find was broken to the public by the New York Times newspaper. During the ensuing few weeks, most major news media institutions, ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, carried the story on national and international television. In October, 1989, National Geographic Magazine featured the find, followed by Omni Magazine in December of the same year. Countless other news sources carried the story for their publications.
In Search Of Tola At Shani- The Crimson Worm
From The Temple Institute.Org
THE RETURN OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL to the land of Israel continues to inspire the rediscovery of ancient scientific, cultural and practical knowledge, all necessary for the reemerging sovereign nation of Israel, the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, and the renewal of the Divine service. The Temple Institute plays a formidable role in these efforts as the recreation and renewal of Temple vessels and priestly garments requires a working knowledge of the materials and methods commanded by Torah. Knowledge lost over two millenia of exile must be relearned. This rediscovery is itself part of the redemptive process that we are experiencing in our day. The following words describe once such leap forward toward the redemption and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. The feeling of all who took part in the events described was one of being an active participant in G-d's unfolding plan for mankind.
ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 13TH OF TAMMUZ (JULY 16TH), the Temple Institute organized an historic event: the first tola'at shani - crimson worm - harvest in the land of Israel in perhaps 2000 years. The location of the harvest was the Samarian hilltop village of Neve Tsuf. The immediate purpose for the event was the need to gather the crimson worms for the purpose of creating the avnet - the sixteen meter long belt for the bigdei kehuna - the priestly garments now being produced by the Temple Institute. The long-term goal was to educate a new generation about the elusive tola'at shani, how to harvest it, and how to produce from it the crimson dye prescribed in the Torah for a number of Temple related purposes, including the priests' avnet - belts, the scarlet wool tied onto the se'ir l'azazel - the scapegoat - on Yom Kippur, and one of the essential ingredients for producing the ashes of the red heifer.
WEDNESDAY'S GATHERING BEGAN with a fascinating lecture delivered by Professor Zohar Amar, of the Bar Ilan University, researcher and world expert in the ancient dye and incense ritual and industry of the Middle East, focusing on their application in the Holy Temple. Professor Amar described his own odyssey with the tola'at shani, which he has been intensely researching for ten years. Studying ancient texts, including Torah and Talmudic literature, as well as ancient Greek, Latin and Aramaic works, and more recent Arabic texts, the professor began to re-identify and re-discover the unique properties and characteristics of the tola'at shani. He travelled the world in search of the worm, and indeed, discovered the worm being harvested in the mountains of Turkey, and being grown on plantations in South America, where they are used commercially as food color (E120). Ironically, it was only after his travels abroad that he discovered the tola'at shani worms he had been so diligently studying, literally 50 feet from his own front door, in their favorite nesting ground in Israel - the common Israeli oak tree.
THE SHANI - RED DYED WOOL OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, along with the biblical techelet and argaman, (blue and purple), was among the most prized and valuable fabrics of its day. Naturally, it fulfilled an important function in the Holy Temple, where, aside from the ritual purposes mentioned about, it was copiously employed in the various curtains and tapestries that adorned the Holy Temple.
PROFESSOR AMAR EXPLAINED TO HIS AUDIENCE, which included representatives from the Temple Institute, and well as fifty students from two nearby yeshivas, the art of identifying and removing the five millimeter tola'at shani from the bark of the oak trees to which it attaches itself. The worm is actually not a worm at all, but a tiny insect. The female attaches herself to the trunk and branches of the oak, and as its eggs develop during the early summer it grows from the size of a pinhead to its maximum of five to seven millimeters in diameter. It is essential to harvest them at this point, before the red eggs hatch and leave the mother, taking with them their red pigment.
THE PROFESSOR CONCLUDED HIS LECTURE with a demonstration, dissolving worms previously harvested and dried, in a glass of boiling water. The results can be seen in the photographs above.
FINALLY THE TIME HAD ARRIVED to take to the trees and being what we hope will be the first annual harvest of the tola'at shani in the land of Israel. Although many worms were gathered, it was still short of the amount needed for the dying of the wool to be embroidered onto the avnet - belts - of the 120 priestly garments that the Temple Institute is currently producing. To supplement the supply of tola'at shani the Institute has sent an emissary to Ankara, Turkey, to purchase the tola'at shani that are native to the mountains of Turkey.
THE RETURN OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL to the land of Israel continues to inspire the rediscovery of ancient scientific, cultural and practical knowledge, all necessary for the reemerging sovereign nation of Israel, the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, and the renewal of the Divine service. The Temple Institute plays a formidable role in these efforts as the recreation and renewal of Temple vessels and priestly garments requires a working knowledge of the materials and methods commanded by Torah. Knowledge lost over two millenia of exile must be relearned. This rediscovery is itself part of the redemptive process that we are experiencing in our day. The following words describe once such leap forward toward the redemption and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. The feeling of all who took part in the events described was one of being an active participant in G-d's unfolding plan for mankind.
ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 13TH OF TAMMUZ (JULY 16TH), the Temple Institute organized an historic event: the first tola'at shani - crimson worm - harvest in the land of Israel in perhaps 2000 years. The location of the harvest was the Samarian hilltop village of Neve Tsuf. The immediate purpose for the event was the need to gather the crimson worms for the purpose of creating the avnet - the sixteen meter long belt for the bigdei kehuna - the priestly garments now being produced by the Temple Institute. The long-term goal was to educate a new generation about the elusive tola'at shani, how to harvest it, and how to produce from it the crimson dye prescribed in the Torah for a number of Temple related purposes, including the priests' avnet - belts, the scarlet wool tied onto the se'ir l'azazel - the scapegoat - on Yom Kippur, and one of the essential ingredients for producing the ashes of the red heifer.
WEDNESDAY'S GATHERING BEGAN with a fascinating lecture delivered by Professor Zohar Amar, of the Bar Ilan University, researcher and world expert in the ancient dye and incense ritual and industry of the Middle East, focusing on their application in the Holy Temple. Professor Amar described his own odyssey with the tola'at shani, which he has been intensely researching for ten years. Studying ancient texts, including Torah and Talmudic literature, as well as ancient Greek, Latin and Aramaic works, and more recent Arabic texts, the professor began to re-identify and re-discover the unique properties and characteristics of the tola'at shani. He travelled the world in search of the worm, and indeed, discovered the worm being harvested in the mountains of Turkey, and being grown on plantations in South America, where they are used commercially as food color (E120). Ironically, it was only after his travels abroad that he discovered the tola'at shani worms he had been so diligently studying, literally 50 feet from his own front door, in their favorite nesting ground in Israel - the common Israeli oak tree.
THE SHANI - RED DYED WOOL OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, along with the biblical techelet and argaman, (blue and purple), was among the most prized and valuable fabrics of its day. Naturally, it fulfilled an important function in the Holy Temple, where, aside from the ritual purposes mentioned about, it was copiously employed in the various curtains and tapestries that adorned the Holy Temple.
PROFESSOR AMAR EXPLAINED TO HIS AUDIENCE, which included representatives from the Temple Institute, and well as fifty students from two nearby yeshivas, the art of identifying and removing the five millimeter tola'at shani from the bark of the oak trees to which it attaches itself. The worm is actually not a worm at all, but a tiny insect. The female attaches herself to the trunk and branches of the oak, and as its eggs develop during the early summer it grows from the size of a pinhead to its maximum of five to seven millimeters in diameter. It is essential to harvest them at this point, before the red eggs hatch and leave the mother, taking with them their red pigment.
THE PROFESSOR CONCLUDED HIS LECTURE with a demonstration, dissolving worms previously harvested and dried, in a glass of boiling water. The results can be seen in the photographs above.
FINALLY THE TIME HAD ARRIVED to take to the trees and being what we hope will be the first annual harvest of the tola'at shani in the land of Israel. Although many worms were gathered, it was still short of the amount needed for the dying of the wool to be embroidered onto the avnet - belts - of the 120 priestly garments that the Temple Institute is currently producing. To supplement the supply of tola'at shani the Institute has sent an emissary to Ankara, Turkey, to purchase the tola'at shani that are native to the mountains of Turkey.
The Palestinian National Covenant
Written by Ascension Ministries
"They make shrewd plans against Thy people, and conspire together against Thy hidden ones. They have said, 'Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.' For they have conspired together with one mind; against Thee do they make a covenant."
- Psalms 83:3-5 NAS
In 1964, the Palestinian National Council (PNC), representing the Arab governments hostile toward Israel, met in Cairo to draft the Palestinian National Covenant. This is the covenant that King David refers to in his prophecy about the Arab conspiracy to destroy Israel in the last days: Articles 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 30 call for either armed struggle against Israel, or the outright destruction of Israel. The terrorist organization known as the PLO was created to carry out this covenant, and their efforts to destroy Israel and the Jewish people are a matter of historical record.
The Palestinian National Covenant provided marching orders for the PLO until October 30, 1991 when the Madrid Peace Conference instituted the "Roadmap for Peace". At this time, the Palestinian National Covenant became an obstacle to any kind of peace agreement that might be obtained. Consequently, on May 23, 1996, the PNC reported that they had revoked passages in the covenant that would stop their armed struggle against the Jews and allow them to recognize Israel's right to exist. Unfortunately, the PNC did not officially pass the changes, but only reported they did in order to pacify world opinion.
Israel treated this report as one more attempted at deception by the PLO and demanded that the changes be officially adopted by a public vote of the PNC. As a result, at their 1998 Gaza Conference, the PNC, which is now the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), conducted a non-binding show-of-hands vote that revoked certain passages of the covenant which called for the destruction of Israel. Unfortunately, only small portions of Articles 9, 15, 19 and 22 were revoked, which actually did very little to neutralize the covenant's plans to destroy the Jewish State.
The following is the complete text of the Palestinian National Covenant, as it was published by the PLO in 1964. Passages underlined are the passages that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) revoked at the Gaza Conference on the first day of Hanukkah, December 14, 1998. Passages in bold italics are the passages that still call for the elimination of Israel.
The Palestinian National Covenant
Article 1: Palestine is the homeland of the Arab Palestinian people; it is an indivisible part of the Arab homeland, and the Palestinian people are an integral part of the Arab nation.
Article 2: Palestine, with the boundaries it had during the British Mandate, is an indivisible territorial unit.
Article 3: The Palestinian people possess the legal right to their homeland and have the right to determine their destiny after achieving the liberation of their country in accordance with their wishes and entirely of their own accord and will.
Article 4: The Palestinian identity is a genuine, essential and inherent characteristic; it is transmitted from parents to children. The Zionist occupation and the dispersal of the Palestinian Arab people, through the disaster which befell them, do not make them lose their Palestinian identity and their membership of the Palestinian community, or do they negate them.
Article 5: The Palestinians are those Arab nationals who, until 1947, normally resided in Palestine regardless of whether they were evicted from it or have stayed there. Anyone born after that date, of a Palestinian father - whether inside Palestine or outside it - is also a Palestinian.
Article 6: The Jews who had normally resided in Palestine until the beginning of the Zionist invasion will be considered Palestinians.
Article 7: That there is a Palestinian community and that it has material, spiritual and historical connections with Palestine are indisputable facts. It is a national duty to bring up individual Palestinians in an Arab revolutionary manner. All means of information and education must be adopted in order to acquaint the Palestinian with his country in the most profound manner, both spiritual and material, that is possible. He must be prepared for the armed struggle and ready to sacrifice his wealth and his life in order to win back his homeland and bring about its liberation.
Article 8: The phase in their history through which the Palestinian people are now living, is that of national (watani) struggle for the liberation of Palestine. Thus the conflicts among the Palestinian national forces are secondary, and should be ended for the sake of the basic conflict that exists between the forces of Zionism and of the imperialism on the one hand, and the Palestinian Arab people on the other. On this basis the Palestinian masses, regardless of whether they are residing in the national homeland or in a Diaspora (mahajir) constitute - both their organization and the individuals - one national front working for the retrieval of Palestine and its liberation through armed struggle.
Article 9: Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine. Thus it is the overall strategy, not merely a tactical phase. The Palestinian Arab people assert their absolute determination and firm resolution to continue their armed struggle and to work for an armed popular revolution for the liberation of their country and their return to it. They also assert their right to normal life in Palestine and to exercise their right to self-determination and sovereignty over it.
Article 10: Commando action constitutes the nucleus of the Palestinian popular liberation war. This requires its escalation, comprehensiveness and mobilization of all the Palestinian popular and educational efforts and their organization and involvement in the armed Palestinian revolution. It also requires the achieving of unity for the national (watani) struggle among the different groupings of the Palestinian people, and between the Palestinian people and the Arab masses so as to secure the continuation of the revolution, its escalation and victory.
Article 11: The Palestinians will have three mottoes: national (wataniyya) unity, national (qawmiyya) mobilization and liberation.
Article 12: The Palestinian people believe in Arab unity. In order to contribute their share towards the attainment of that objective, however, they must, at the present stage of their struggle, safeguard their Palestinian identity and develop their consciousness of that identity, and oppose any plan that may dissolve or impair it.
Article 13: Arab unity and the liberation of Palestine are two complementary objectives, the attainment of either of which facilitates the attainment of the other. Thus, Arab unity leads to the liberation of Palestine; the liberation of Palestine leads to Arab unity; and work towards the realization of one objective proceeds side by side with work towards the realization of the other.
Article 14: The destiny of the Arab nation, and indeed Arab existence itself, depends upon the destiny of the Palestinian cause. From this interdependence springs the Arab nation's pursuit of, and striving for, the liberation of Palestine. The people of Palestine play the role of the vanguard in the realization of this sacred national (qawmi) goal.
Article 15: The liberation of Palestine, from an Arab viewpoint, is a national (qawmi) duty and it attempts to repel the Zionist and imperialist aggression against the Arab homeland, and aims at the elimination of Zionism in Palestine. Absolute responsibility for this falls upon the Arab nation - peoples and governments - with the Arab people of Palestine in the vanguard. Accordingly the Arab nation must mobilize all its military, human, and moral and spiritual capabilities to participate actively with the Palestinian people in the liberation of Palestine.
It must, particularly in the phase of the armed Palestinian revolution, offer and furnish the Palestinian people with all possible help, and material and human support, and make available to them the means and opportunities that will enable them to continue to carry out their leading role in the armed revolution, until they liberate their homelands.
Article 16: The liberation of Palestine, from a spiritual point of view, will provide the Holy Land with an atmosphere of safety and tranquillity, which in turn will safeguard the country's religious sanctuaries and guarantee freedom of worship and of visit to all, without discrimination of race, colour, language, or religion. Accordingly, the people of Palestine look to all spiritual forces in the world for support.
Article 17: The liberation of Palestine, from a human point of view, will restore to the Palestinian individual his dignity, pride and freedom. Accordingly the Palestinian Arab people look forward to the support of all those who believe in the dignity of man and his freedom in the world.
Article 18: The liberation of Palestine, from an international point of view, is a defensive action necessitated by the demands of self-defense. Accordingly, the Palestinian people, desirous as they are of the friendship of all people, look to freedom-loving, justice-loving and peace-loving states for support in order to restore their legitimate rights in Palestine, to reestablish peace and security in the country, and to enable its people to exercise national sovereignty and freedom.
Article 19: The partition of Palestine in 1947 and the establishment of the State of Israel are entirely illegal, regardless of the passage of time, because they are contrary to the will of the Palestinian people and to their natural right in their homeland, and inconsistent with the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations, particularly the right to self-determination.
Article 20: The Balfour Declaration, the Mandate for Palestine and everything that has been based upon them, are deemed null and void. Claims of historical or religious ties of Jews with Palestine are incompatible with the facts of history and the true conception of what constitutes statehood. Judaism, being a religion, is not an independent nationality. Nor do Jews constitute a single nation with an identity of its own; they are citizens of the states to which they belong.
Article 21: The Arab Palestinian people, expressing themselves by the armed Palestinian revolution, reject all solutions which are substitutes for the total liberation of Palestine and reject all proposals aiming at the liquidation of the Palestinian problem, or its internationalization.
Article 22: Zionism is a political movement organically associated with international imperialism and antagonistic to all action for liberation and to progressive movements in the world. It is racist and fanatic in its nature, aggressive, expansionist and colonial in its aims, and Fascist in its methods. Israel is the instrument of the Zionist movement, and a geographical base for world imperialism placed strategically in the midst of the Arab homeland to combat the hopes of the Arab nation for liberation, unity and progress. Israel is a constant source of threat vis-ˆ-vis peace in the Middle East and the whole world. Since the liberation of Palestine will destroy the Zionist and imperialist presence and will contribute to the establishment of peace in the Middle East, the Palestinian people look for the support of all the progressive and peaceful forces and urge them all, irrespective of their affiliations and beliefs, to offer the Palestinian people all aid and support in their just struggle for the liberation of their homeland.
Article 23: The demands of security and peace, as well as the demands of right and justice, require all states to consider Zionism an illegitimate movement, to outlaw its existence, and to ban its operations, in order that friendly relations among peoples may be preserved, the loyalty of citizens to their respective homelands safeguarded.
Article 24: The Palestinian people believe in the principles of justice, freedom, sovereignty, self-determination, human dignity, and in the right of all peoples to exercise them.
Article 25: For the realization of the goals of this Charter and its principles, the Palestinian Liberation Organization will perform its role in the liberation of Palestine in accordance with the Constitution of the Organization.
Article 26: The Palestine Liberation Organization, representative of the Palestinian revolutionary forces, is responsible for the Palestinian Arab people's movement in its struggle - to retrieve its homeland, liberate and return to it and exercise their right to self-determination in it - in all military, political and financial fields and also for whatever may be required by the Palestinian case on the inter-Arab and international levels.
Article 27: The Palestine Liberation Organization shall cooperate with all Arab states, each according to its potentialities; and will adopt a neutral policy among them in the light of the requirements of the war of liberation; and on this basis it shall not interfere in the internal affairs of any Arab State.
Article 28: The Palestinian Arab people assert the genuineness and independence of their national (wataniyya) revolution and reject all forms of intervention, trusteeship and subordination.
Article 29: The Palestinian people possess the fundamental and genuine legal right to liberate and retrieve their homeland. The Palestinian people determine their attitude towards all states and forces on the basis of the stands they adopt vis-ˆ-vis the Palestinian case and the extent of the support they offer to the Palestinian revolution to fulfill the aims of the Palestinian people.
Article 30: Fighters and carriers of arms in the war of liberation are the nucleus of the popular army which will be the protective force for the gains of the Palestinian Arab people.
Article 31: The organization shall have a flag, an oath of allegiance and an anthem. All this shall be decided upon in accordance with a special regulation.
Article 32: Regulations, which shall be known as the Constitution of the Palestine Liberation Organization, shall be annexed to this Charter. It shall lay down the manner in which the Organization, and its organs and institutions, shall be constituted; the respective competence of each; and the requirements of its obligations under the Charter.
Article 33: This Charter shall not be amended save by (vote of) a majority of two-thirds of the total membership of the National Congress of the Palestine Liberation Organization (taken) at a special session convened for that purpose.
The Conspiracy Continues
As you can see, Articles 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 30 still call for armed struggle against Israel. Hence, the Palestinian National Covenant to destroy Israel is alive and well and is still the intended goal of the PNA. Unfortunately for the PNA, God equates their covenant to destroy Israel as a covenant against Him personally (Ps. 83:5), which is never a good thing to declare.
Add to this the fact that God has a Covenant of His own which blesses those who bless Israel and curse those who curse them (Gen. 12:1-3). In other words, Yahweh's covenant promises to turn the PNA's covenant to destroy Israel back against them until they are destroyed. This is not God's will, but it will happen if they fail to repent.
Let Us Pray
Therefore, let us pray that the Arab people would turn to Yahweh and accept Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah. Let us also pray that they would embrace God's Covenant to restore Israel to the Promised Land, so that they might receive His blessing.
However, for those who would ultimately reject God's Covenant with Israel, let us pray the prophetic prayer of war that David prayed against all those who seek to destroy His ancient Jewish people:
"Deal with them [the Arab conspirators] as with Midian, as with Sisera and Jabin, at the torrent of Kishon, who were destroyed at En-dor, who became as dung for the ground. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, 'Let us possess for ourselves the pastures of God.' O my God, make them like the whirling dust; like chaff before the wind. Like fire that burns the forest, and like a flame that sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Thy tempest, and terrify them with Thy storm. Fill their faces with dishonor, that they may seek Thy name, O Lord (Yahweh). Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever; and let them be humiliated and perish, that they may know that Thou alone, whose name is the Lord (Yahweh), art the Most High over all the earth." (Psalms 83:9-18 NAS)
"They make shrewd plans against Thy people, and conspire together against Thy hidden ones. They have said, 'Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.' For they have conspired together with one mind; against Thee do they make a covenant."
- Psalms 83:3-5 NAS
In 1964, the Palestinian National Council (PNC), representing the Arab governments hostile toward Israel, met in Cairo to draft the Palestinian National Covenant. This is the covenant that King David refers to in his prophecy about the Arab conspiracy to destroy Israel in the last days: Articles 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 30 call for either armed struggle against Israel, or the outright destruction of Israel. The terrorist organization known as the PLO was created to carry out this covenant, and their efforts to destroy Israel and the Jewish people are a matter of historical record.
The Palestinian National Covenant provided marching orders for the PLO until October 30, 1991 when the Madrid Peace Conference instituted the "Roadmap for Peace". At this time, the Palestinian National Covenant became an obstacle to any kind of peace agreement that might be obtained. Consequently, on May 23, 1996, the PNC reported that they had revoked passages in the covenant that would stop their armed struggle against the Jews and allow them to recognize Israel's right to exist. Unfortunately, the PNC did not officially pass the changes, but only reported they did in order to pacify world opinion.
Israel treated this report as one more attempted at deception by the PLO and demanded that the changes be officially adopted by a public vote of the PNC. As a result, at their 1998 Gaza Conference, the PNC, which is now the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), conducted a non-binding show-of-hands vote that revoked certain passages of the covenant which called for the destruction of Israel. Unfortunately, only small portions of Articles 9, 15, 19 and 22 were revoked, which actually did very little to neutralize the covenant's plans to destroy the Jewish State.
The following is the complete text of the Palestinian National Covenant, as it was published by the PLO in 1964. Passages underlined are the passages that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) revoked at the Gaza Conference on the first day of Hanukkah, December 14, 1998. Passages in bold italics are the passages that still call for the elimination of Israel.
The Palestinian National Covenant
Article 1: Palestine is the homeland of the Arab Palestinian people; it is an indivisible part of the Arab homeland, and the Palestinian people are an integral part of the Arab nation.
Article 2: Palestine, with the boundaries it had during the British Mandate, is an indivisible territorial unit.
Article 3: The Palestinian people possess the legal right to their homeland and have the right to determine their destiny after achieving the liberation of their country in accordance with their wishes and entirely of their own accord and will.
Article 4: The Palestinian identity is a genuine, essential and inherent characteristic; it is transmitted from parents to children. The Zionist occupation and the dispersal of the Palestinian Arab people, through the disaster which befell them, do not make them lose their Palestinian identity and their membership of the Palestinian community, or do they negate them.
Article 5: The Palestinians are those Arab nationals who, until 1947, normally resided in Palestine regardless of whether they were evicted from it or have stayed there. Anyone born after that date, of a Palestinian father - whether inside Palestine or outside it - is also a Palestinian.
Article 6: The Jews who had normally resided in Palestine until the beginning of the Zionist invasion will be considered Palestinians.
Article 7: That there is a Palestinian community and that it has material, spiritual and historical connections with Palestine are indisputable facts. It is a national duty to bring up individual Palestinians in an Arab revolutionary manner. All means of information and education must be adopted in order to acquaint the Palestinian with his country in the most profound manner, both spiritual and material, that is possible. He must be prepared for the armed struggle and ready to sacrifice his wealth and his life in order to win back his homeland and bring about its liberation.
Article 8: The phase in their history through which the Palestinian people are now living, is that of national (watani) struggle for the liberation of Palestine. Thus the conflicts among the Palestinian national forces are secondary, and should be ended for the sake of the basic conflict that exists between the forces of Zionism and of the imperialism on the one hand, and the Palestinian Arab people on the other. On this basis the Palestinian masses, regardless of whether they are residing in the national homeland or in a Diaspora (mahajir) constitute - both their organization and the individuals - one national front working for the retrieval of Palestine and its liberation through armed struggle.
Article 9: Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine. Thus it is the overall strategy, not merely a tactical phase. The Palestinian Arab people assert their absolute determination and firm resolution to continue their armed struggle and to work for an armed popular revolution for the liberation of their country and their return to it. They also assert their right to normal life in Palestine and to exercise their right to self-determination and sovereignty over it.
Article 10: Commando action constitutes the nucleus of the Palestinian popular liberation war. This requires its escalation, comprehensiveness and mobilization of all the Palestinian popular and educational efforts and their organization and involvement in the armed Palestinian revolution. It also requires the achieving of unity for the national (watani) struggle among the different groupings of the Palestinian people, and between the Palestinian people and the Arab masses so as to secure the continuation of the revolution, its escalation and victory.
Article 11: The Palestinians will have three mottoes: national (wataniyya) unity, national (qawmiyya) mobilization and liberation.
Article 12: The Palestinian people believe in Arab unity. In order to contribute their share towards the attainment of that objective, however, they must, at the present stage of their struggle, safeguard their Palestinian identity and develop their consciousness of that identity, and oppose any plan that may dissolve or impair it.
Article 13: Arab unity and the liberation of Palestine are two complementary objectives, the attainment of either of which facilitates the attainment of the other. Thus, Arab unity leads to the liberation of Palestine; the liberation of Palestine leads to Arab unity; and work towards the realization of one objective proceeds side by side with work towards the realization of the other.
Article 14: The destiny of the Arab nation, and indeed Arab existence itself, depends upon the destiny of the Palestinian cause. From this interdependence springs the Arab nation's pursuit of, and striving for, the liberation of Palestine. The people of Palestine play the role of the vanguard in the realization of this sacred national (qawmi) goal.
Article 15: The liberation of Palestine, from an Arab viewpoint, is a national (qawmi) duty and it attempts to repel the Zionist and imperialist aggression against the Arab homeland, and aims at the elimination of Zionism in Palestine. Absolute responsibility for this falls upon the Arab nation - peoples and governments - with the Arab people of Palestine in the vanguard. Accordingly the Arab nation must mobilize all its military, human, and moral and spiritual capabilities to participate actively with the Palestinian people in the liberation of Palestine.
It must, particularly in the phase of the armed Palestinian revolution, offer and furnish the Palestinian people with all possible help, and material and human support, and make available to them the means and opportunities that will enable them to continue to carry out their leading role in the armed revolution, until they liberate their homelands.
Article 16: The liberation of Palestine, from a spiritual point of view, will provide the Holy Land with an atmosphere of safety and tranquillity, which in turn will safeguard the country's religious sanctuaries and guarantee freedom of worship and of visit to all, without discrimination of race, colour, language, or religion. Accordingly, the people of Palestine look to all spiritual forces in the world for support.
Article 17: The liberation of Palestine, from a human point of view, will restore to the Palestinian individual his dignity, pride and freedom. Accordingly the Palestinian Arab people look forward to the support of all those who believe in the dignity of man and his freedom in the world.
Article 18: The liberation of Palestine, from an international point of view, is a defensive action necessitated by the demands of self-defense. Accordingly, the Palestinian people, desirous as they are of the friendship of all people, look to freedom-loving, justice-loving and peace-loving states for support in order to restore their legitimate rights in Palestine, to reestablish peace and security in the country, and to enable its people to exercise national sovereignty and freedom.
Article 19: The partition of Palestine in 1947 and the establishment of the State of Israel are entirely illegal, regardless of the passage of time, because they are contrary to the will of the Palestinian people and to their natural right in their homeland, and inconsistent with the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations, particularly the right to self-determination.
Article 20: The Balfour Declaration, the Mandate for Palestine and everything that has been based upon them, are deemed null and void. Claims of historical or religious ties of Jews with Palestine are incompatible with the facts of history and the true conception of what constitutes statehood. Judaism, being a religion, is not an independent nationality. Nor do Jews constitute a single nation with an identity of its own; they are citizens of the states to which they belong.
Article 21: The Arab Palestinian people, expressing themselves by the armed Palestinian revolution, reject all solutions which are substitutes for the total liberation of Palestine and reject all proposals aiming at the liquidation of the Palestinian problem, or its internationalization.
Article 22: Zionism is a political movement organically associated with international imperialism and antagonistic to all action for liberation and to progressive movements in the world. It is racist and fanatic in its nature, aggressive, expansionist and colonial in its aims, and Fascist in its methods. Israel is the instrument of the Zionist movement, and a geographical base for world imperialism placed strategically in the midst of the Arab homeland to combat the hopes of the Arab nation for liberation, unity and progress. Israel is a constant source of threat vis-ˆ-vis peace in the Middle East and the whole world. Since the liberation of Palestine will destroy the Zionist and imperialist presence and will contribute to the establishment of peace in the Middle East, the Palestinian people look for the support of all the progressive and peaceful forces and urge them all, irrespective of their affiliations and beliefs, to offer the Palestinian people all aid and support in their just struggle for the liberation of their homeland.
Article 23: The demands of security and peace, as well as the demands of right and justice, require all states to consider Zionism an illegitimate movement, to outlaw its existence, and to ban its operations, in order that friendly relations among peoples may be preserved, the loyalty of citizens to their respective homelands safeguarded.
Article 24: The Palestinian people believe in the principles of justice, freedom, sovereignty, self-determination, human dignity, and in the right of all peoples to exercise them.
Article 25: For the realization of the goals of this Charter and its principles, the Palestinian Liberation Organization will perform its role in the liberation of Palestine in accordance with the Constitution of the Organization.
Article 26: The Palestine Liberation Organization, representative of the Palestinian revolutionary forces, is responsible for the Palestinian Arab people's movement in its struggle - to retrieve its homeland, liberate and return to it and exercise their right to self-determination in it - in all military, political and financial fields and also for whatever may be required by the Palestinian case on the inter-Arab and international levels.
Article 27: The Palestine Liberation Organization shall cooperate with all Arab states, each according to its potentialities; and will adopt a neutral policy among them in the light of the requirements of the war of liberation; and on this basis it shall not interfere in the internal affairs of any Arab State.
Article 28: The Palestinian Arab people assert the genuineness and independence of their national (wataniyya) revolution and reject all forms of intervention, trusteeship and subordination.
Article 29: The Palestinian people possess the fundamental and genuine legal right to liberate and retrieve their homeland. The Palestinian people determine their attitude towards all states and forces on the basis of the stands they adopt vis-ˆ-vis the Palestinian case and the extent of the support they offer to the Palestinian revolution to fulfill the aims of the Palestinian people.
Article 30: Fighters and carriers of arms in the war of liberation are the nucleus of the popular army which will be the protective force for the gains of the Palestinian Arab people.
Article 31: The organization shall have a flag, an oath of allegiance and an anthem. All this shall be decided upon in accordance with a special regulation.
Article 32: Regulations, which shall be known as the Constitution of the Palestine Liberation Organization, shall be annexed to this Charter. It shall lay down the manner in which the Organization, and its organs and institutions, shall be constituted; the respective competence of each; and the requirements of its obligations under the Charter.
Article 33: This Charter shall not be amended save by (vote of) a majority of two-thirds of the total membership of the National Congress of the Palestine Liberation Organization (taken) at a special session convened for that purpose.
The Conspiracy Continues
As you can see, Articles 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 30 still call for armed struggle against Israel. Hence, the Palestinian National Covenant to destroy Israel is alive and well and is still the intended goal of the PNA. Unfortunately for the PNA, God equates their covenant to destroy Israel as a covenant against Him personally (Ps. 83:5), which is never a good thing to declare.
Add to this the fact that God has a Covenant of His own which blesses those who bless Israel and curse those who curse them (Gen. 12:1-3). In other words, Yahweh's covenant promises to turn the PNA's covenant to destroy Israel back against them until they are destroyed. This is not God's will, but it will happen if they fail to repent.
Let Us Pray
Therefore, let us pray that the Arab people would turn to Yahweh and accept Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah. Let us also pray that they would embrace God's Covenant to restore Israel to the Promised Land, so that they might receive His blessing.
However, for those who would ultimately reject God's Covenant with Israel, let us pray the prophetic prayer of war that David prayed against all those who seek to destroy His ancient Jewish people:
"Deal with them [the Arab conspirators] as with Midian, as with Sisera and Jabin, at the torrent of Kishon, who were destroyed at En-dor, who became as dung for the ground. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, 'Let us possess for ourselves the pastures of God.' O my God, make them like the whirling dust; like chaff before the wind. Like fire that burns the forest, and like a flame that sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Thy tempest, and terrify them with Thy storm. Fill their faces with dishonor, that they may seek Thy name, O Lord (Yahweh). Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever; and let them be humiliated and perish, that they may know that Thou alone, whose name is the Lord (Yahweh), art the Most High over all the earth." (Psalms 83:9-18 NAS)
UN Resolutions 242 and 338
Written by Ascension Ministries
The Arab States and others who are hostile toward Israel make a lot of vague references to UN Resolutions 242 and 338 in the media. They say that these resolutions call for Israel to completely withdrawal to the Armistice Demarcation Lines of 1949 and 1950, which equate to the pre-1967 borders. More clearly stated, the Arabs insist that 242 requires Israel to give back all the land captured during the 1967 Six Day War, when defending themselves against an imminent attack by Egypt, Jordan and Syria with support from Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Algeria. According to the Arab's misinterpretation of 242, Israel would have to give up the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), the Gaza, The Golan Heights and East Jerusalem. This would create indefensible borders for Israel and further advance the Arab Covenant to destroy God's ancient Jewish people (Ps. 83).
Below is a chart that clarifies what 242 says, and what 242 means in simple language:
What 242 Says 1 What 242 Means
■"Termination of all claims or states of belligerency…"
■The Arab states must end the state of war initiated and maintained by them since their attempted invasion of Israel in 1948.
■"…respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area…"
■The Arab states must recognize the State of Israel and its inherent right to exist.
■"… [every State's] right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."
■Israel is entitled to clear and defensible borders, which is the right of every nation and is guaranteed by international law
■"Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict."
■Israel should withdrawal from some, but not all of the territories captured in the June 1967 Six-Day War.
The most misinterpreted portion of 242 is the part that calls for Israeli "withdrawal from territories occupied in the recent [June 1967] conflict." The Arabs have deliberately misrepresented this to mean that Israel must completely withdraw to the pre-1967 borders. However, world leaders and other legal experts, who authored Resolution 242, do not interpret it this way.
Aurthur J. Goldberg, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1965-1967) and an author of Resolution 242, said:
"It [242] calls for respect and acknowledgement of the sovereignty of every state in the area. Since Israel never denied the sovereignty of its neighboring countries, this language obviously requires those [Arab] countries to acknowledge Israel's sovereignty.
The notable omission in regards to withdrawal are the words 'the' or 'all' and 'the June 5, 1967 lines'... the resolution speaks of withdrawal from occupied territories, without defining the extent of withdrawal." 2
Lord Caradon, U.K. Ambassador to the UN (1964-1970), was another author of UN Resolution 242. He confirmed this interpretation when he said:
"We didn't say there should be a withdrawal to the '67' line; we did not put the 'the' in, we did not say "all the territories," deliberately... We all knew that the boundaries of '67' were not drawn as permanent frontiers; they were a cease-fire line of a couple of decades earlier... We did not say that the '67' boundaries must be forever." 3
UN Security Council Resolution 338 did nothing more than to reaffirm Resolution 242 when fighting broke out between Arabs and Jews after 242 was passed. 4 Eugene V. Rostow, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs (1966-1969), clarifies both 242 and 338 in their entirety when he said:
"Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338É rest on two principles. Israel may administer the territory until its Arab neighbors make peace; and when peace is made, Israel should withdraw to 'secure and recognized borders,' which need not be the same as the Armistice Demarcation Lines of 1949." 5
This is clear evidence that 242 and 338 do not call on Israel to withdraw to the pre-1967 borders, but to secure and defensible borders, which is all that Israel has ever wanted.
Author's Note: This does not mean that I believe Israel should withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and allow the creation of a Palestinian State. I'm only pointing out the deception in the Arab's misrepresentation of 242 and 338 as part of their continuing effort to eradicate the Jews.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.U.N. Security Council Resolution 242 - November 22, 1967:
The Security Council,
Expressing its continuing concern with the grave situation in the Middle East, Emphasizing the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in which every State in the area can live in security.
Emphasizing further that all Member States in their acceptance of the Charter of the United Nations have undertaken a commitment to act in accordance with Article 2 of the Charter, Affirms that the fulfillment of Charter principles requires the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East which should include the application of both the following principles:
Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;
2.Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force;
Affirms further the necessity:
■For guaranteeing freedom of navigation through international waterways in the area;
■For achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem;
■For guaranteeing the territorial inviolability and political independence of every State in the area, through measures including the establishment of demilitarized zones;
Requests the Secretary General to designate a Special Representative to proceed to the Middle East to establish and maintain contacts with the States concerned in order to promote agreement and assist efforts to achieve a peaceful and accepted settlement in accordance with the provisions and principles in this resolution; Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on the progress of the efforts of the Special Representative as soon as possible.
3.Arthur J. Goldberg, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, The Meaning of 242, June 10, 1977. Source: Israel Information Center.
4.Lord Caradon, U.K. Ambassador to the UN, MacNeil/Lehrer Report, March 30, 1978. Source: Israel Information Center.
5.U.N. Security Council Resolution 338: The Security Council,
Calls upon all parties to present fighting to cease all firing and terminate all military activity immediately, no later than 12 hours after the moment of the adoption of this decision, in the positions after the moment of the adoption of this decision, in the positions they now occupy;
Calls upon all parties concerned to start immediately after the cease-fire the implementation of Security Council Resolution 242 (1967) in all of its parts;
Decides that, immediately and concurrently with the cease-fire, negotiations start between the parties concerned under appropriate auspices aimed at establishing a just and durable peace in the Middle East.
6.Eugene V. Rostow, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, The Truth About 242, November 5, 1990. Source: Israel Information Center.
The Arab States and others who are hostile toward Israel make a lot of vague references to UN Resolutions 242 and 338 in the media. They say that these resolutions call for Israel to completely withdrawal to the Armistice Demarcation Lines of 1949 and 1950, which equate to the pre-1967 borders. More clearly stated, the Arabs insist that 242 requires Israel to give back all the land captured during the 1967 Six Day War, when defending themselves against an imminent attack by Egypt, Jordan and Syria with support from Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Algeria. According to the Arab's misinterpretation of 242, Israel would have to give up the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), the Gaza, The Golan Heights and East Jerusalem. This would create indefensible borders for Israel and further advance the Arab Covenant to destroy God's ancient Jewish people (Ps. 83).
Below is a chart that clarifies what 242 says, and what 242 means in simple language:
What 242 Says 1 What 242 Means
■"Termination of all claims or states of belligerency…"
■The Arab states must end the state of war initiated and maintained by them since their attempted invasion of Israel in 1948.
■"…respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area…"
■The Arab states must recognize the State of Israel and its inherent right to exist.
■"… [every State's] right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."
■Israel is entitled to clear and defensible borders, which is the right of every nation and is guaranteed by international law
■"Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict."
■Israel should withdrawal from some, but not all of the territories captured in the June 1967 Six-Day War.
The most misinterpreted portion of 242 is the part that calls for Israeli "withdrawal from territories occupied in the recent [June 1967] conflict." The Arabs have deliberately misrepresented this to mean that Israel must completely withdraw to the pre-1967 borders. However, world leaders and other legal experts, who authored Resolution 242, do not interpret it this way.
Aurthur J. Goldberg, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1965-1967) and an author of Resolution 242, said:
"It [242] calls for respect and acknowledgement of the sovereignty of every state in the area. Since Israel never denied the sovereignty of its neighboring countries, this language obviously requires those [Arab] countries to acknowledge Israel's sovereignty.
The notable omission in regards to withdrawal are the words 'the' or 'all' and 'the June 5, 1967 lines'... the resolution speaks of withdrawal from occupied territories, without defining the extent of withdrawal." 2
Lord Caradon, U.K. Ambassador to the UN (1964-1970), was another author of UN Resolution 242. He confirmed this interpretation when he said:
"We didn't say there should be a withdrawal to the '67' line; we did not put the 'the' in, we did not say "all the territories," deliberately... We all knew that the boundaries of '67' were not drawn as permanent frontiers; they were a cease-fire line of a couple of decades earlier... We did not say that the '67' boundaries must be forever." 3
UN Security Council Resolution 338 did nothing more than to reaffirm Resolution 242 when fighting broke out between Arabs and Jews after 242 was passed. 4 Eugene V. Rostow, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs (1966-1969), clarifies both 242 and 338 in their entirety when he said:
"Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338É rest on two principles. Israel may administer the territory until its Arab neighbors make peace; and when peace is made, Israel should withdraw to 'secure and recognized borders,' which need not be the same as the Armistice Demarcation Lines of 1949." 5
This is clear evidence that 242 and 338 do not call on Israel to withdraw to the pre-1967 borders, but to secure and defensible borders, which is all that Israel has ever wanted.
Author's Note: This does not mean that I believe Israel should withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and allow the creation of a Palestinian State. I'm only pointing out the deception in the Arab's misrepresentation of 242 and 338 as part of their continuing effort to eradicate the Jews.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.U.N. Security Council Resolution 242 - November 22, 1967:
The Security Council,
Expressing its continuing concern with the grave situation in the Middle East, Emphasizing the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in which every State in the area can live in security.
Emphasizing further that all Member States in their acceptance of the Charter of the United Nations have undertaken a commitment to act in accordance with Article 2 of the Charter, Affirms that the fulfillment of Charter principles requires the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East which should include the application of both the following principles:
Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;
2.Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force;
Affirms further the necessity:
■For guaranteeing freedom of navigation through international waterways in the area;
■For achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem;
■For guaranteeing the territorial inviolability and political independence of every State in the area, through measures including the establishment of demilitarized zones;
Requests the Secretary General to designate a Special Representative to proceed to the Middle East to establish and maintain contacts with the States concerned in order to promote agreement and assist efforts to achieve a peaceful and accepted settlement in accordance with the provisions and principles in this resolution; Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on the progress of the efforts of the Special Representative as soon as possible.
3.Arthur J. Goldberg, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, The Meaning of 242, June 10, 1977. Source: Israel Information Center.
4.Lord Caradon, U.K. Ambassador to the UN, MacNeil/Lehrer Report, March 30, 1978. Source: Israel Information Center.
5.U.N. Security Council Resolution 338: The Security Council,
Calls upon all parties to present fighting to cease all firing and terminate all military activity immediately, no later than 12 hours after the moment of the adoption of this decision, in the positions after the moment of the adoption of this decision, in the positions they now occupy;
Calls upon all parties concerned to start immediately after the cease-fire the implementation of Security Council Resolution 242 (1967) in all of its parts;
Decides that, immediately and concurrently with the cease-fire, negotiations start between the parties concerned under appropriate auspices aimed at establishing a just and durable peace in the Middle East.
6.Eugene V. Rostow, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, The Truth About 242, November 5, 1990. Source: Israel Information Center.
Messiah's Warning to the Church
By Norm Franz
First Published: June 15, 2001 | Last update: August 6, 2009
In chapters two and three of the book of Revelation, Jesus speaks to the seven churches of Asia Minor. He addresses both their accomplishments, as well as their on going rebellion. Then He commands five of the seven churches to repent or they will not share in the great rewards of the overcomers in Jesus Christ.
Prophetically speaking, Jesus is also describing the condition of the worldwide body of Christ as we enter the end of the age. He commends us for our accomplishments, but He also rebukes us for our rebellion, and commands us to repent.
The Church of Laodicea is unique in that it has no good deeds, but is a lukewarm church that ends up being spit out of God's mouth. Their lukewarmness is the result of their great love of money and their lust for riches that leads them to seek prosperity rather than God's righteousness. This church builds an artificial wealth that caused them to believe they are rich and wealthy and have need of nothing, but God says they are really wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked:
"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked...'" (Revelation 3:14-17 NAS)
Today, the church of Laodicea is that part of the body that emphasizes financial prosperity over biblical righteousness. I'm talking about the prosperity gospel which teaches that having money is the primary sign of spirituality. If this were true, Donald Trump, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet would all be apostles.
Consequently, this has led many Christian believers to chase after every kind of money-making, get rich quick scheme imaginable. From the off-shore arbitrages that never pay off, to leveraged options trading in the currency markets, to promises of huge transfers of wealth that are continuously delayed, the prosperity church has abandoned the commandments of God for the sake of gaining a buck.
However, when these prosperity schemes fail, debt always seems to be their fallback position. That's because debt gives them the image of prosperity without them actually having to be prosperous. Moreover, the OPM (Other People's Money) syndrome, which promotes borrowing your way to prosperity, has driven the body of Messiah into the debt pit along with the most of the world. In other words, they look wealthy, but in the end they are really nothing more than debtors who are the slaves (property) of their lenders (Pr. 22:7; Rev, 18:13).
Rich Man Poor Man
In every financial crisis since the 1987 stock market crash, I have met with numerous rich men who have become poor men over night. One wealthy industrialist from Indonesia said that, before Asia's financial crisis hit in 1997, he had the wealth of seven generations, but after the crisis hit, all he had was a mountain of debt that ten generations could not pay back.
In other words, before 1997, he considered himself to be rich and wealthy and in need of nothing, but when the debt bubble collapsed, it revealed that most of his wealth was only an image build on debt that could not be paid back. Consequently, overnight he and many other believers in Asia discovered that they were rich men, who were actually poor men of the church of Laodicea.
Unfortunately, the current global financial crisis has revealed that many believers around the world, who thought they were prosperous, are actually broke. Material possessions purchased with credit, that once made them look wealthy, have been repossessed by their true owners - i.e., the lenders. As a result, they are coming to realize that they too are part of the "Rich Man" who is really a "Poor Man" church of Laodicea.
Great End Time Shaking
I believe that all the financial calamities since 1987 have been part of the great end time shaking that God is using to expose the unrighteousness of the world financial system. Consequently, today's global economic crisis is one of the great prophetic sign that we are moving rapidly toward the end of the age and the return of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.
The financial losses are a form of discipline that is designed to wake us up and call us to repent and return to the ways of God. Therefore, Yeshua's (Jesus') message to end time church of Laodicea is the same as that of the Apostle John's day:
"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:19-21)
In His love and mercy, God is giving those who have found themselves to part this lukewarm church another opportunity to return to His ways in the area of finance and investments. May we all hear His cry and repent.
First Published: June 15, 2001 | Last update: August 6, 2009
In chapters two and three of the book of Revelation, Jesus speaks to the seven churches of Asia Minor. He addresses both their accomplishments, as well as their on going rebellion. Then He commands five of the seven churches to repent or they will not share in the great rewards of the overcomers in Jesus Christ.
Prophetically speaking, Jesus is also describing the condition of the worldwide body of Christ as we enter the end of the age. He commends us for our accomplishments, but He also rebukes us for our rebellion, and commands us to repent.
The Church of Laodicea is unique in that it has no good deeds, but is a lukewarm church that ends up being spit out of God's mouth. Their lukewarmness is the result of their great love of money and their lust for riches that leads them to seek prosperity rather than God's righteousness. This church builds an artificial wealth that caused them to believe they are rich and wealthy and have need of nothing, but God says they are really wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked:
"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked...'" (Revelation 3:14-17 NAS)
Today, the church of Laodicea is that part of the body that emphasizes financial prosperity over biblical righteousness. I'm talking about the prosperity gospel which teaches that having money is the primary sign of spirituality. If this were true, Donald Trump, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet would all be apostles.
Consequently, this has led many Christian believers to chase after every kind of money-making, get rich quick scheme imaginable. From the off-shore arbitrages that never pay off, to leveraged options trading in the currency markets, to promises of huge transfers of wealth that are continuously delayed, the prosperity church has abandoned the commandments of God for the sake of gaining a buck.
However, when these prosperity schemes fail, debt always seems to be their fallback position. That's because debt gives them the image of prosperity without them actually having to be prosperous. Moreover, the OPM (Other People's Money) syndrome, which promotes borrowing your way to prosperity, has driven the body of Messiah into the debt pit along with the most of the world. In other words, they look wealthy, but in the end they are really nothing more than debtors who are the slaves (property) of their lenders (Pr. 22:7; Rev, 18:13).
Rich Man Poor Man
In every financial crisis since the 1987 stock market crash, I have met with numerous rich men who have become poor men over night. One wealthy industrialist from Indonesia said that, before Asia's financial crisis hit in 1997, he had the wealth of seven generations, but after the crisis hit, all he had was a mountain of debt that ten generations could not pay back.
In other words, before 1997, he considered himself to be rich and wealthy and in need of nothing, but when the debt bubble collapsed, it revealed that most of his wealth was only an image build on debt that could not be paid back. Consequently, overnight he and many other believers in Asia discovered that they were rich men, who were actually poor men of the church of Laodicea.
Unfortunately, the current global financial crisis has revealed that many believers around the world, who thought they were prosperous, are actually broke. Material possessions purchased with credit, that once made them look wealthy, have been repossessed by their true owners - i.e., the lenders. As a result, they are coming to realize that they too are part of the "Rich Man" who is really a "Poor Man" church of Laodicea.
Great End Time Shaking
I believe that all the financial calamities since 1987 have been part of the great end time shaking that God is using to expose the unrighteousness of the world financial system. Consequently, today's global economic crisis is one of the great prophetic sign that we are moving rapidly toward the end of the age and the return of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.
The financial losses are a form of discipline that is designed to wake us up and call us to repent and return to the ways of God. Therefore, Yeshua's (Jesus') message to end time church of Laodicea is the same as that of the Apostle John's day:
"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:19-21)
In His love and mercy, God is giving those who have found themselves to part this lukewarm church another opportunity to return to His ways in the area of finance and investments. May we all hear His cry and repent.
7 Signs of the End Times
Thursday, August 26, 2010
By Britt Gillette
End Times Bible Prophecy
What are the signs of the end times?
It's important to know so we can explain to others why Christians believe what we believe.
As Peter says:
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)
Unfortunately, too many Christians are unable to explain why they believe we're in the last days when the opportunity presents itself.
One argument in particular seems to catch today's Christians off guard.
Peter forewarned us of this argument:
"Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, 'What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.'" 2 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT)
The particular version I hear most often is, "Sure, you think Jesus is coming, but so have previous generations."
The implication is that our generation will pass without the Second Coming just as those previous generations passed without His Coming.
Aside from being illogical, this assertion flies in the face of plain observation as well as mountains of irrefutable evidence.
A Sign of the End?
Is the prevalence of Peter's end time skeptic argument in-and-of itself a sign of the end times?
No.
But let's take a second look at what he said:
"They will say, 'What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.'" 2 Peter 3:4 (NLT)
Sound familiar?
How many times have you heard someone say, "It's the same now as it's always been" or at least something along those lines?
Probably a lot.
But is it?
Is it really the same?
When non-believers tell you there are no signs of the end times which are unique to our time, you need to be prepared to set the record straight.
Below are at least seven signs of the end times.
Commit them to memory, and as Peter says, "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."
Clear Signs of the End Times
Below is a list of seven clear signs of the end times, which highlight the nearness of Christ's return. In fact, He's so close He's knocking on the door:
1) The Holocaust and the Re-Emergence of Israel
One of the preeminent signs of the end times is the Jewish survival of the Holocaust and the re-emergence of the nation of Israel as a Jewish state.
Over 2,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel foretold these events:
"Then he said to me, 'Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, 'We have become old, dry bones - all hope is gone.' Now give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 37:11-13 (NLT)
As God says, the bones in Ezekiel 37 represent the people of Israel - otherwise known as the Jews.
Following the first century Roman conquest of the Holy Land, the Jews were banished from the land of Israel. The Romans renamed the area Palestine, and exiled its people to the farthest corners of the Roman Empire.
Yet, in Ezekiel 37, God promised to bring the Jews out of exile. He promised to bring them back into the land of Israel.
Not only did He promise to restore their nation, but God promised to do so by opening their "graves" at a time when the Jews feel that "all hope is gone."
The aftermath of Hitler's Holocaust of the Jewish people created these very conditions, nearly destroying an entire race of people and draining the hope of countless survivors.
But out of the Holocaust, God brought the Jewish people back into the land of Israel, just as He had promised.
On May 14, 1948, the nation of Israel reappeared in fulfillment of not just Ezekiel 37:11-13, but countless Old Testament prophecies.
Of all the signs of the end times, the re-establishment of Israel as an independent nation is the clearest and most unmistakable sign that we are in the last of the last days.
2) Jerusalem Is a Burden to the World
Another visible sign of the end times is the world diplomatic struggle over Jerusalem.
The prophet Zechariah foresaw this event centuries ago:
"I will make Jerusalem and Judah like an intoxicating drink to all the nearby nations that send their armies to besiege Jerusalem. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone, a burden for the world. None of the nations who try to lift it will escape unscathed." Zechariah 12:2-3 (NLT)
Since 1967 when the Israelis retook Jerusalem in the Six Day War, the division of Jerusalem and ownership of the Temple Mount in particular, have been a source of countless U.N. resolutions, diplomatic crises, and calls for war.
The struggle over the "Peace Process" in the Middle East is the stated number one priority of world diplomats, and Jerusalem resides at the center of discussions about "land for peace."
With the threat of World War III casting a shadow over every decision to rebuild Jewish settlements or expand Israeli society, the City of Jerusalem is no doubt "a burden for the world."
Is this "the way it's always been?"
No.
Until this generation, Jerusalem was not "a burden for the world." In fact, prior to 1948, world diplomatic leaders rarely mentioned it.
3) The Dramatic Increase in Travel and Knowledge
One of the signs of the end times that anyone can easily recognize is the recent explosive increase in travel and knowledge.
In a vision, God revealed to Daniel that in "the time of the end," travel and knowledge will increase:
"But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase." Daniel 12:4 (NLT)
According to the book of Daniel, two things will increase in "the time of the end" - travel and knowledge.
Is this the case now?
Yes.
At the time the Book of Daniel was written, horses were the world's the fastest mode of transportation.
In fact, horses remained the world's fastest mode of transportation for over 2,000 years until the Industrial Revolution spawned such innovations as the steam boat, the locomotive, and the horseless carriage.
Prior to the 20th Century, most people rarely traveled more than 30 miles from where they were born. Today, people routinely travel from one continent to another within the same day.
Today's world is definitely not "the way it's always been."
Frequency and speed of travel have markedly increased!
What about knowledge?
In Daniel's time, few people received a formal education. In fact, basic literacy was a foreign concept to all but an elite minority of the world until the past 100 to 150 years.
Yet, in the past century alone, human knowledge of science, biology, technology, and countless fields of endeavor has exploded. And the advent of the Internet has created a worldwide archive of human knowledge that far exceeds even the wildest dreams of the great ancient civilizations.
Is humanity's knowledge base today "the same as previous generations?"
Absolutely not. Human knowledge has also markedly increased.
Given that all this can be ascertained from mere observation, how can anyone say with a straight face that "things today are the same as they've always been?"
4) Exponential Growth Marks the Times
If a marked increase in travel and knowledge constitute one of the most clearly observable signs of the end times, then the two are merely components of a much larger sign of the end times - exponential growth.
Jesus pointed to exponential growth as a sign of His Coming:
"Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and asked, 'When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world?' Jesus told them, 'Don't let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Messiah.' They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.'" Matthew 24:3-8 (NLT)
This translation fails to communicate an important revelation from Jesus - that the end times will be analogous to the birthing process.
According to Strong's Concordance, the word "horrors" as translated above comes from the word "odin" which is best translated as "the pain of childbirth" or "birth pangs."
This means that, much like birth pangs, signs of the end times will appear with greater frequency and intensity as Christ's return draws near. This is why Jesus mentioned this sign first when answering his disciples' questions "When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world?"
According to Jesus, three things in particular will increase in frequency and intensity as the world draws closer to His return:
1.Wars
2.Famines
3.Earthquakes
Have we seen these three things increase in frequency and intensity in the recent past?
Yes.
Let's take a brief look at wars, famines, and earthquakes over the past 500 years.
Wars - A Sign of the End Times
According to a Wikipedia list of wars, the past 500 years have witnessed an increase in the frequency of wars:
•15th Century - 29 wars
•16th Century - 59 wars
•17th Century - 75 wars
•18th Century - 69 wars
•19th Century - 294 wars
•20th Century - 278 wars
The first decade of the 21st Century has already witnessed 55 wars, putting humanity on course for 550 wars over the next one hundred year period.
Have these wars increased in intensity?
Yes.
For most of human history, wars were fought through individual hand-to-hand combat. But the past few hundred years have witnessed the ascension of more accurate guns, machine guns, and aerial bombing. Today, a single weapon of mass destruction can kill hundreds of thousands of people.
Famines - A Sign of the End Times
According to a Wikipedia list of famines, the past 500 years have also witnessed an increase in the frequency of famines:
•15th Century - 6 famines
•16th Century - 10 famines
•17th Century - 24 famines
•18th Century - 28 famines
•19th Century - 30 famines
•20th Century - 44 famines
The first decade of the 21st Century alone has already witnessed 12 famines, putting humanity on course for 120 famines over the next one hundred year period.
Have these famines increased in intensity and severity?
Yes.
As the population of the world has grown, famines have caused more and more death and destruction in their wake.
In fact, while the Roman Empire's entire population at the time of Jesus is estimated to have been approximately 55 million people, the first half of the 20th Century alone witnessed these famines:
•The 1921 famine in Russia (5 million+ dead)
•The 1928-1929 famine in China (3 million+ dead)
•The 1932-1933 famine in Ukraine (2.6 and 10 million+ dead)
•The 1932-1933 famine in Kazakhstan (1.2 and 1.5 million+ dead)
•The 1936 famine in China (5 million+ dead)
•The 1942-1943 famine in China (1 million+ dead)
•The 1946-1947 famine in the Soviet Union (1 million+ dead)
That's an estimated 18.8 to 26.5 million who perished from famine just from these seven famines alone!
And from 1959 to 1961, the Great Chinese Famine is estimated to have killed more than 36 million people.
Famines have dramatically increased in both frequency and intensity since Jesus first answered His disciples' questions.
Earthquakes - Another Sign of the End Times
According to a Wikipedia list of earthquakes, the past 500 years have witnessed the following number of earthquakes described as a magnitude 7.0 or greater:
•15th Century - 2 earthquakes
•16th Century - 3 earthquakes
•17th Century - 7 earthquakes
•18th Century - 13 earthquakes
•19th Century - 29 earthquakes
•20th Century - 123 earthquakes
The first decade of the 21st Century has already witnessed 144 earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 or greater, putting humanity on course for 1,440 such earthquakes over the next one hundred year period!
The dramatic increase in devastating wars, famines, and earthquakes from the time of Jesus until today is one of clearest signs of the end times.
5) Rise of the Gog/Magog Alliance
Yet another sign of the end times is the current rise of the Gog/Magog Alliance.
The details of this future military alliance against Israel are found in the Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 38 and 39:
"This is another message that came to me from the Lord: 'Son of man, prophesy against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord: Gog, I am your enemy! I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws to lead you out to your destruction. I will mobilize your troops and cavalry and make you a vast and mighty horde, all fully armed. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will join you, too, with all their weapons. Gomer and all its hordes will also join you, along with the armies of Beth-togarmah from the distant north and many others.'" Ezekiel 38:1-6 (NLT)
The nations cited in the verses above are associated with their Old Testament predecessors, but they all represent nations that exist today.
Below is a list of those nations, each followed by its modern day equivalent:
•Magog, Meshech, and Tubal = Russia
•Persia = Iran
•Cush = Ethiopia
•Put = Libya
•Gomer = Turkey
•Beth-togarmah = Turkey, Armenia, and the Turkish-speaking people of Asia Minor
According to God, Russia will mobilize a coalition that includes these nations in the last days.
Throughout human history, there's never been a cooperative military alliance between the nations of Russia and Iran - at least until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Since then, a cooperative diplomatic and military alliance between Iran and Russia has formed and slowly expanded, ultimately leading to Russia's assistance in providing Iran with the necessary support to make the Bushehr nuclear power plant operational in 2010.
So when does the Bible tell us this alliance will form?
It definitely says, "in the last days":
"Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them. A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be lying in peace after her recovery from war and after the return of her people from many lands. You and all your allies - a vast and awesome horde - will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud." Ezekiel 38:7-9 (NLT)
According to Strong's Concordance, "in the distant future" is better translated as "achariyth shaneh" which means "end years."
6) The Rise of Global Government
Another sign of the end times is the current trend toward globalization.
According to the Book of Revelation, globalization involves more than just multinational corporations and global commerce. One day, a single man will rule all the people and nations on the earth:
"And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation." Revelation 13:7 (NLT)
With each passing day more and more nations are ceding their sovereignty to larger institutions such as the European Union, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Court.
Given the current global financial crisis and the potential catastrophe of a global war, more and more diplomatic leaders and world politicians are calling for global government.
And as human technology continues to advance and mature, we're quickly reaching a point where global totalitarian rule will be possible.
7) The Good News Preached Throughout the World
Jesus revealed the following sign of the end times to His disciples in response to their questions about the end of the age and the sign of His coming:
"And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14 (NLT)
According to Christ, His Coming is preceded by the preaching of the Gospel "throughout the whole world."
This idea is reiterated in the Book of Revelation.
"And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world - to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 'Fear God,' he shouted. 'Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.'" Revelation 14:6-7 (NLT)
In the time of Jesus, the Gospel was confined to a relatively small number of people in and around Israel. And much of the earth's land mass was completely unknown to the disciples of Jesus, so the odds of the disciples preaching the Gospel of Christ "throughout the whole world" in their own time was quite remote.
Yet, 2,000 years later, the Gospel is preached in every nation, the Bible is translated in hundreds of languages, and the Gospel of Christ is delivered through thousands of ministries via radio, cable TV, satellite, and the Internet.
Is this "the way it's always been?"
Nope.
The truth is our generation is closer to preaching the Gospel "throughout the whole world" than any preceding generation.
Signs of the End Times
These are just seven signs of the end times, but they aren't the only signs.
The Bible has much to say about the last days and the time of the end, and as followers of Christ, we are warned to recognize the signs of the times.
"Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near." Matthew 24:28 (NLT)
Why?
Because if we acknowledge the signs of the end times as well as our Lord's command to stay awake and alert, we will be driven to live Godly lives. Paul emphasized this in his letter to the Romans: "Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." Romans 13:11 (NLT)
Remember, all prophecy exists to give a clear witness for Christ:
"For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus." Revelation 19:10 (NLT)
And prophecy is telling us that Christ is coming.
"In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door." Matthew 24:33 (NLT)
By Britt Gillette
End Times Bible Prophecy
What are the signs of the end times?
It's important to know so we can explain to others why Christians believe what we believe.
As Peter says:
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)
Unfortunately, too many Christians are unable to explain why they believe we're in the last days when the opportunity presents itself.
One argument in particular seems to catch today's Christians off guard.
Peter forewarned us of this argument:
"Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, 'What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.'" 2 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT)
The particular version I hear most often is, "Sure, you think Jesus is coming, but so have previous generations."
The implication is that our generation will pass without the Second Coming just as those previous generations passed without His Coming.
Aside from being illogical, this assertion flies in the face of plain observation as well as mountains of irrefutable evidence.
A Sign of the End?
Is the prevalence of Peter's end time skeptic argument in-and-of itself a sign of the end times?
No.
But let's take a second look at what he said:
"They will say, 'What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.'" 2 Peter 3:4 (NLT)
Sound familiar?
How many times have you heard someone say, "It's the same now as it's always been" or at least something along those lines?
Probably a lot.
But is it?
Is it really the same?
When non-believers tell you there are no signs of the end times which are unique to our time, you need to be prepared to set the record straight.
Below are at least seven signs of the end times.
Commit them to memory, and as Peter says, "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."
Clear Signs of the End Times
Below is a list of seven clear signs of the end times, which highlight the nearness of Christ's return. In fact, He's so close He's knocking on the door:
1) The Holocaust and the Re-Emergence of Israel
One of the preeminent signs of the end times is the Jewish survival of the Holocaust and the re-emergence of the nation of Israel as a Jewish state.
Over 2,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel foretold these events:
"Then he said to me, 'Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, 'We have become old, dry bones - all hope is gone.' Now give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 37:11-13 (NLT)
As God says, the bones in Ezekiel 37 represent the people of Israel - otherwise known as the Jews.
Following the first century Roman conquest of the Holy Land, the Jews were banished from the land of Israel. The Romans renamed the area Palestine, and exiled its people to the farthest corners of the Roman Empire.
Yet, in Ezekiel 37, God promised to bring the Jews out of exile. He promised to bring them back into the land of Israel.
Not only did He promise to restore their nation, but God promised to do so by opening their "graves" at a time when the Jews feel that "all hope is gone."
The aftermath of Hitler's Holocaust of the Jewish people created these very conditions, nearly destroying an entire race of people and draining the hope of countless survivors.
But out of the Holocaust, God brought the Jewish people back into the land of Israel, just as He had promised.
On May 14, 1948, the nation of Israel reappeared in fulfillment of not just Ezekiel 37:11-13, but countless Old Testament prophecies.
Of all the signs of the end times, the re-establishment of Israel as an independent nation is the clearest and most unmistakable sign that we are in the last of the last days.
2) Jerusalem Is a Burden to the World
Another visible sign of the end times is the world diplomatic struggle over Jerusalem.
The prophet Zechariah foresaw this event centuries ago:
"I will make Jerusalem and Judah like an intoxicating drink to all the nearby nations that send their armies to besiege Jerusalem. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone, a burden for the world. None of the nations who try to lift it will escape unscathed." Zechariah 12:2-3 (NLT)
Since 1967 when the Israelis retook Jerusalem in the Six Day War, the division of Jerusalem and ownership of the Temple Mount in particular, have been a source of countless U.N. resolutions, diplomatic crises, and calls for war.
The struggle over the "Peace Process" in the Middle East is the stated number one priority of world diplomats, and Jerusalem resides at the center of discussions about "land for peace."
With the threat of World War III casting a shadow over every decision to rebuild Jewish settlements or expand Israeli society, the City of Jerusalem is no doubt "a burden for the world."
Is this "the way it's always been?"
No.
Until this generation, Jerusalem was not "a burden for the world." In fact, prior to 1948, world diplomatic leaders rarely mentioned it.
3) The Dramatic Increase in Travel and Knowledge
One of the signs of the end times that anyone can easily recognize is the recent explosive increase in travel and knowledge.
In a vision, God revealed to Daniel that in "the time of the end," travel and knowledge will increase:
"But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase." Daniel 12:4 (NLT)
According to the book of Daniel, two things will increase in "the time of the end" - travel and knowledge.
Is this the case now?
Yes.
At the time the Book of Daniel was written, horses were the world's the fastest mode of transportation.
In fact, horses remained the world's fastest mode of transportation for over 2,000 years until the Industrial Revolution spawned such innovations as the steam boat, the locomotive, and the horseless carriage.
Prior to the 20th Century, most people rarely traveled more than 30 miles from where they were born. Today, people routinely travel from one continent to another within the same day.
Today's world is definitely not "the way it's always been."
Frequency and speed of travel have markedly increased!
What about knowledge?
In Daniel's time, few people received a formal education. In fact, basic literacy was a foreign concept to all but an elite minority of the world until the past 100 to 150 years.
Yet, in the past century alone, human knowledge of science, biology, technology, and countless fields of endeavor has exploded. And the advent of the Internet has created a worldwide archive of human knowledge that far exceeds even the wildest dreams of the great ancient civilizations.
Is humanity's knowledge base today "the same as previous generations?"
Absolutely not. Human knowledge has also markedly increased.
Given that all this can be ascertained from mere observation, how can anyone say with a straight face that "things today are the same as they've always been?"
4) Exponential Growth Marks the Times
If a marked increase in travel and knowledge constitute one of the most clearly observable signs of the end times, then the two are merely components of a much larger sign of the end times - exponential growth.
Jesus pointed to exponential growth as a sign of His Coming:
"Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and asked, 'When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world?' Jesus told them, 'Don't let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Messiah.' They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.'" Matthew 24:3-8 (NLT)
This translation fails to communicate an important revelation from Jesus - that the end times will be analogous to the birthing process.
According to Strong's Concordance, the word "horrors" as translated above comes from the word "odin" which is best translated as "the pain of childbirth" or "birth pangs."
This means that, much like birth pangs, signs of the end times will appear with greater frequency and intensity as Christ's return draws near. This is why Jesus mentioned this sign first when answering his disciples' questions "When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world?"
According to Jesus, three things in particular will increase in frequency and intensity as the world draws closer to His return:
1.Wars
2.Famines
3.Earthquakes
Have we seen these three things increase in frequency and intensity in the recent past?
Yes.
Let's take a brief look at wars, famines, and earthquakes over the past 500 years.
Wars - A Sign of the End Times
According to a Wikipedia list of wars, the past 500 years have witnessed an increase in the frequency of wars:
•15th Century - 29 wars
•16th Century - 59 wars
•17th Century - 75 wars
•18th Century - 69 wars
•19th Century - 294 wars
•20th Century - 278 wars
The first decade of the 21st Century has already witnessed 55 wars, putting humanity on course for 550 wars over the next one hundred year period.
Have these wars increased in intensity?
Yes.
For most of human history, wars were fought through individual hand-to-hand combat. But the past few hundred years have witnessed the ascension of more accurate guns, machine guns, and aerial bombing. Today, a single weapon of mass destruction can kill hundreds of thousands of people.
Famines - A Sign of the End Times
According to a Wikipedia list of famines, the past 500 years have also witnessed an increase in the frequency of famines:
•15th Century - 6 famines
•16th Century - 10 famines
•17th Century - 24 famines
•18th Century - 28 famines
•19th Century - 30 famines
•20th Century - 44 famines
The first decade of the 21st Century alone has already witnessed 12 famines, putting humanity on course for 120 famines over the next one hundred year period.
Have these famines increased in intensity and severity?
Yes.
As the population of the world has grown, famines have caused more and more death and destruction in their wake.
In fact, while the Roman Empire's entire population at the time of Jesus is estimated to have been approximately 55 million people, the first half of the 20th Century alone witnessed these famines:
•The 1921 famine in Russia (5 million+ dead)
•The 1928-1929 famine in China (3 million+ dead)
•The 1932-1933 famine in Ukraine (2.6 and 10 million+ dead)
•The 1932-1933 famine in Kazakhstan (1.2 and 1.5 million+ dead)
•The 1936 famine in China (5 million+ dead)
•The 1942-1943 famine in China (1 million+ dead)
•The 1946-1947 famine in the Soviet Union (1 million+ dead)
That's an estimated 18.8 to 26.5 million who perished from famine just from these seven famines alone!
And from 1959 to 1961, the Great Chinese Famine is estimated to have killed more than 36 million people.
Famines have dramatically increased in both frequency and intensity since Jesus first answered His disciples' questions.
Earthquakes - Another Sign of the End Times
According to a Wikipedia list of earthquakes, the past 500 years have witnessed the following number of earthquakes described as a magnitude 7.0 or greater:
•15th Century - 2 earthquakes
•16th Century - 3 earthquakes
•17th Century - 7 earthquakes
•18th Century - 13 earthquakes
•19th Century - 29 earthquakes
•20th Century - 123 earthquakes
The first decade of the 21st Century has already witnessed 144 earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 or greater, putting humanity on course for 1,440 such earthquakes over the next one hundred year period!
The dramatic increase in devastating wars, famines, and earthquakes from the time of Jesus until today is one of clearest signs of the end times.
5) Rise of the Gog/Magog Alliance
Yet another sign of the end times is the current rise of the Gog/Magog Alliance.
The details of this future military alliance against Israel are found in the Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 38 and 39:
"This is another message that came to me from the Lord: 'Son of man, prophesy against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord: Gog, I am your enemy! I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws to lead you out to your destruction. I will mobilize your troops and cavalry and make you a vast and mighty horde, all fully armed. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will join you, too, with all their weapons. Gomer and all its hordes will also join you, along with the armies of Beth-togarmah from the distant north and many others.'" Ezekiel 38:1-6 (NLT)
The nations cited in the verses above are associated with their Old Testament predecessors, but they all represent nations that exist today.
Below is a list of those nations, each followed by its modern day equivalent:
•Magog, Meshech, and Tubal = Russia
•Persia = Iran
•Cush = Ethiopia
•Put = Libya
•Gomer = Turkey
•Beth-togarmah = Turkey, Armenia, and the Turkish-speaking people of Asia Minor
According to God, Russia will mobilize a coalition that includes these nations in the last days.
Throughout human history, there's never been a cooperative military alliance between the nations of Russia and Iran - at least until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Since then, a cooperative diplomatic and military alliance between Iran and Russia has formed and slowly expanded, ultimately leading to Russia's assistance in providing Iran with the necessary support to make the Bushehr nuclear power plant operational in 2010.
So when does the Bible tell us this alliance will form?
It definitely says, "in the last days":
"Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them. A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be lying in peace after her recovery from war and after the return of her people from many lands. You and all your allies - a vast and awesome horde - will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud." Ezekiel 38:7-9 (NLT)
According to Strong's Concordance, "in the distant future" is better translated as "achariyth shaneh" which means "end years."
6) The Rise of Global Government
Another sign of the end times is the current trend toward globalization.
According to the Book of Revelation, globalization involves more than just multinational corporations and global commerce. One day, a single man will rule all the people and nations on the earth:
"And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation." Revelation 13:7 (NLT)
With each passing day more and more nations are ceding their sovereignty to larger institutions such as the European Union, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Court.
Given the current global financial crisis and the potential catastrophe of a global war, more and more diplomatic leaders and world politicians are calling for global government.
And as human technology continues to advance and mature, we're quickly reaching a point where global totalitarian rule will be possible.
7) The Good News Preached Throughout the World
Jesus revealed the following sign of the end times to His disciples in response to their questions about the end of the age and the sign of His coming:
"And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14 (NLT)
According to Christ, His Coming is preceded by the preaching of the Gospel "throughout the whole world."
This idea is reiterated in the Book of Revelation.
"And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world - to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 'Fear God,' he shouted. 'Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.'" Revelation 14:6-7 (NLT)
In the time of Jesus, the Gospel was confined to a relatively small number of people in and around Israel. And much of the earth's land mass was completely unknown to the disciples of Jesus, so the odds of the disciples preaching the Gospel of Christ "throughout the whole world" in their own time was quite remote.
Yet, 2,000 years later, the Gospel is preached in every nation, the Bible is translated in hundreds of languages, and the Gospel of Christ is delivered through thousands of ministries via radio, cable TV, satellite, and the Internet.
Is this "the way it's always been?"
Nope.
The truth is our generation is closer to preaching the Gospel "throughout the whole world" than any preceding generation.
Signs of the End Times
These are just seven signs of the end times, but they aren't the only signs.
The Bible has much to say about the last days and the time of the end, and as followers of Christ, we are warned to recognize the signs of the times.
"Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near." Matthew 24:28 (NLT)
Why?
Because if we acknowledge the signs of the end times as well as our Lord's command to stay awake and alert, we will be driven to live Godly lives. Paul emphasized this in his letter to the Romans: "Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." Romans 13:11 (NLT)
Remember, all prophecy exists to give a clear witness for Christ:
"For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus." Revelation 19:10 (NLT)
And prophecy is telling us that Christ is coming.
"In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door." Matthew 24:33 (NLT)
Why Jews Have Trouble Accepting Jesus
by Lance Wonders
The Real Jesus? Jewish people have been presented with a "Gentilized" version of New Testament faith.
Generally, there are seven main reasons why Jews have difficulty in accepting Jesus as their Messiah.
1. Misrepresented History
The history of early Judaism has been misrepresented to them by standard Jewish literature and/or by their rabbis.
Most rabbinic literature has mischaracterized first century Judaism as being almost totally pharisaical, rather than admitting that the religious situation was one of great flux, in which six or seven different groups were struggling for ascendancy within the Israeli Jewish community, most of which were represented on the Council (Sanhedrin) but which frequently could not come to agreement even on essential matters. That diverse representation initially included the so-called "Nazarenes" or followers of Jesus of Nazareth (e.g., Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who was an uncle or older cousin of Jesus).
However, with the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (which the Nazarenes escaped, having been prophetically forewarned to re-locate to Pella in the Decapolis area before it occurred), only the lead-Pharisee, Rabbi Jochanan ben Zacchai, was able to fake his own death, be removed alive from the city during the siege, and re-organize the Sanhedrin in Jamnia (Yavneh) on strictly pharisaical grounds. His later successor, Rabbi Gamaliel (II), circa 90 A.D., in order to drive the Nazarenes out of the synagogues (they were numbering approximately 20-25,000 by that time in the region), added the "curse against the minim" (heretics) to the Eighteen Benedictions recited at every "authorized" synagogue, and closed the canon of Scripture not only against the apocryphal books, but also against New Covenant (New Testament) Scriptures referring to Jesus as Messiah that were being accepted by the Nazarene Jews.
Finally, in the 130's, Rabbi Akiva attempted to close the door altogether by:gathering all available talmudic commentary for the definition of "proper" Judaism, doing so in a way that was prejudicial against the claims of the Nazarenes;promoting a new (non-Septuagint) translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, with the elimination of key words in favorite texts that the Nazarenes used in their apologetics for Jesus as the prophesied Messiah; and altering of known Persian history, contracting it so that Akiva's own preferred candidate for Messiah-Bar Kochba-would fit within the parameters of the 483 (or 490) years prophesied by Daniel, chapter 9, verses 24-27, during which Messiah must appear (and remove the defilement of the Temple by rebuilding it, after first overthrowing Roman rule). (This alteration of Persian /Jewish history still exists today, reflected in the standard Seder Olam, that overall throws Jewish chronology off by some 150 years. No secular, Persian, or Christian scholars accept the shortened version of Persian history, and many Jewish scholars also now dispute it.)
Pharisaical (now called "talmudic" or just "rabbinic") tradition's prejudice against the Nazarene segment of the first century Jewish community was thus so strong as to deliberately and systematically attempt to disenfranchise all believers in Jesus from out of the circles of accepted Jewish faith and practice-even, apparently, to the point of being deceptive about early first century diversity within Judaism, Jewish Christianity's pervasiveness within that region initially, and the imperialistic tactics of Ben Zacchai, Gamaliel II, and Akiva to re-define Judaism in such a way as to exclude Jesus (and His Jewish followers, the Nazarenes) from their ranks without discussion. The issue, however, is, if Jesus really was the Jewish Messiah, then his Apostles became the proper successors to the previous jerusalem Sanhedrin, and all of Ben Zacchai's, Gamaliel II's, and Akiva's efforts to overthrow Nazarene Judaism (Jewish Christianity) were completely illegitimate.
The New Testament Scriptures-not the Talmud-thus becomes the proper completion of the Hebrew Scriptures, and Jesus continues to make claims upon the Jewish people as their long-prophesied Messiah. At the very least, then, thinking Jews need to examine for themselves whether or not Jesus is "their" Messiah, and not let the rabbis (successors of the pharisaic Sanhedrin after the destruction of the Temple) automatically decide things for them. The Dead Sea Scrolls prove the key contention, that other groups existed in first century Judaism, and many of them were, apparently, looking for their Messiah in that time frame. The issue is an open one once again, after all of these centuries; and the Jewish community owes it to themselves to find out for themelves the truth of the matter in this crucial area of God's ways with His people. Believers in Jesus, meanwhile, for our part, need to be aware of the facts of the matter, so as to be able to supplement what many Jews today simply are not aware of, in terms of their own history.
2. "Gentilized" New Testament Faith
Most Jews have been presented with a "Gentilized" Jesus and a "Gentilized" extrapolation of New Testament faith and life, such that the original continuity between their own roots in Old Testament history and the Hebrew Scriptures and the fruit of Messianic fulfillment and lifestyle in the world has been obscured. The Jewish community therefore needs to see living examples of so-called "Jewish Christianity" that do not follow the "Gentilized" approaches, in order to see for themselves how at least one version (Messianic Judaism) today does continue their original Jewish roots, regardless of Gentile distortions that may well have developed historically.
3. Historical Christian Anti-Semitism
Most Jews struggle with the centuries of rejection by the (basically Gentile) Christian Church of anything Jewish, and grieve over the mistreatment of Jews everywhere by such acts as the ongoing pogroms in Russia and Poland, the Crusades, Inquisition, and Spanish Expulsion of the Middle Ages, and the Holocaust during World War II in recent times. They do not understand this anti-Semitism, and, as a result, are astonished when told that the "Christian" Jesus is actually for them and is their Messiah in a way that runs prior to any inclusion of Gentile believers as well. Only if significant numbers of Gentile Christians repent of those historic sins and mistreatment can Jews even think about re-examining Jesus, not as their enemy, but as their Messiah and Redeemer after all.
4. Unawareness of Messianic Tradition
Many Jews are unaware of the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures, and so have no real context for understanding the need for, or expectation of, a divinely-sent Messiah at all. Groups that want to reach out to inquiring Jews must then offer courses in the Hebrew Scriptures, that demonstrate the growing Messianic tradition within even the Old Covenant books and history, so that the climax of the New Testament does not seem to appear out of nothing or without a clear salvation-historical context of prayer and expectation.
5. Non-Exposure to Accurate Representation of Jesus
Many Jews have never been exposed to the actual records or teachings of the New Testament Scriptures, and so have no clear idea of who Jesus was, what He did, what He taught, how He impacted the first century Jewish community, how He Himself lived out-and to some extent re-interpreted-the Judaism of His day, etc. Thus, if they reject Jesus, it often is not the real Jesus that they are rejecting, not having really encountered Him in the first place. Obviously, then, part of the task of those who would introduce Jews today to the real Jesus must make the New Testament available to them, in a translation that makes sense to Jews.
6. Secular World View
A large number of Jews are unopen to looking at Jesus, the Bible, or even the concept of a Messiah because the worldview that they have been brought up with is so secularized and naturalistic/humanistic as to make little or no room for a supernatural Creator/Redeemer God, miracles, an after-life, a final judgment, a coming resurrection Kingdom, real angels and a satan/devil, etc. Apart from experiences of divine intervention, revelation, unearned forgiveness, supernatural healing, or the like, such Jews are often intellectually incapable of the kind of paradigm-shift necessary for re-thinking life and faith-with or without Jesus-and they therefore need experience with God Himself, and not just rational or historical apologetics, in order to take a second look at Jesus. This means that groups majoring on Jewish outreach must also be groups very open to the working of the Holy Spirit, so as to provide raw material for such personal experience with God.
7. Non-Exposure to True Christians
Finally, many Jews are unopen to Jesus simply because they have never met a "real" Christian: someone who acts like Jesus, in terms of intimacy with God, love for others, refusal to partner with the powers-that-oppress, unswerving compassion for the hurt and discarded and broken of society, zeal for the truth no matter what the consequences, etc. A "real" Christian cannot prove the truthfulness of so-called "Christianity": but only real Christians can convince their Jewish audience that, indeed, there is something there worth investigating-something that could earn their respect and allegiance as Jews, if it did prove (on other grounds) to be seemingly "true" after all.
If all of the above criteria are met, there is no "guarantee" that the Jewish community will "change its mind" about Jesus; but at least there will be an opportunity. May God grant that we would make the most of it, and effectively present our Lord's claims until He comes again! Amen.
The Real Jesus? Jewish people have been presented with a "Gentilized" version of New Testament faith.
Generally, there are seven main reasons why Jews have difficulty in accepting Jesus as their Messiah.
1. Misrepresented History
The history of early Judaism has been misrepresented to them by standard Jewish literature and/or by their rabbis.
Most rabbinic literature has mischaracterized first century Judaism as being almost totally pharisaical, rather than admitting that the religious situation was one of great flux, in which six or seven different groups were struggling for ascendancy within the Israeli Jewish community, most of which were represented on the Council (Sanhedrin) but which frequently could not come to agreement even on essential matters. That diverse representation initially included the so-called "Nazarenes" or followers of Jesus of Nazareth (e.g., Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who was an uncle or older cousin of Jesus).
However, with the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (which the Nazarenes escaped, having been prophetically forewarned to re-locate to Pella in the Decapolis area before it occurred), only the lead-Pharisee, Rabbi Jochanan ben Zacchai, was able to fake his own death, be removed alive from the city during the siege, and re-organize the Sanhedrin in Jamnia (Yavneh) on strictly pharisaical grounds. His later successor, Rabbi Gamaliel (II), circa 90 A.D., in order to drive the Nazarenes out of the synagogues (they were numbering approximately 20-25,000 by that time in the region), added the "curse against the minim" (heretics) to the Eighteen Benedictions recited at every "authorized" synagogue, and closed the canon of Scripture not only against the apocryphal books, but also against New Covenant (New Testament) Scriptures referring to Jesus as Messiah that were being accepted by the Nazarene Jews.
Finally, in the 130's, Rabbi Akiva attempted to close the door altogether by:gathering all available talmudic commentary for the definition of "proper" Judaism, doing so in a way that was prejudicial against the claims of the Nazarenes;promoting a new (non-Septuagint) translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, with the elimination of key words in favorite texts that the Nazarenes used in their apologetics for Jesus as the prophesied Messiah; and altering of known Persian history, contracting it so that Akiva's own preferred candidate for Messiah-Bar Kochba-would fit within the parameters of the 483 (or 490) years prophesied by Daniel, chapter 9, verses 24-27, during which Messiah must appear (and remove the defilement of the Temple by rebuilding it, after first overthrowing Roman rule). (This alteration of Persian /Jewish history still exists today, reflected in the standard Seder Olam, that overall throws Jewish chronology off by some 150 years. No secular, Persian, or Christian scholars accept the shortened version of Persian history, and many Jewish scholars also now dispute it.)
Pharisaical (now called "talmudic" or just "rabbinic") tradition's prejudice against the Nazarene segment of the first century Jewish community was thus so strong as to deliberately and systematically attempt to disenfranchise all believers in Jesus from out of the circles of accepted Jewish faith and practice-even, apparently, to the point of being deceptive about early first century diversity within Judaism, Jewish Christianity's pervasiveness within that region initially, and the imperialistic tactics of Ben Zacchai, Gamaliel II, and Akiva to re-define Judaism in such a way as to exclude Jesus (and His Jewish followers, the Nazarenes) from their ranks without discussion. The issue, however, is, if Jesus really was the Jewish Messiah, then his Apostles became the proper successors to the previous jerusalem Sanhedrin, and all of Ben Zacchai's, Gamaliel II's, and Akiva's efforts to overthrow Nazarene Judaism (Jewish Christianity) were completely illegitimate.
The New Testament Scriptures-not the Talmud-thus becomes the proper completion of the Hebrew Scriptures, and Jesus continues to make claims upon the Jewish people as their long-prophesied Messiah. At the very least, then, thinking Jews need to examine for themselves whether or not Jesus is "their" Messiah, and not let the rabbis (successors of the pharisaic Sanhedrin after the destruction of the Temple) automatically decide things for them. The Dead Sea Scrolls prove the key contention, that other groups existed in first century Judaism, and many of them were, apparently, looking for their Messiah in that time frame. The issue is an open one once again, after all of these centuries; and the Jewish community owes it to themselves to find out for themelves the truth of the matter in this crucial area of God's ways with His people. Believers in Jesus, meanwhile, for our part, need to be aware of the facts of the matter, so as to be able to supplement what many Jews today simply are not aware of, in terms of their own history.
2. "Gentilized" New Testament Faith
Most Jews have been presented with a "Gentilized" Jesus and a "Gentilized" extrapolation of New Testament faith and life, such that the original continuity between their own roots in Old Testament history and the Hebrew Scriptures and the fruit of Messianic fulfillment and lifestyle in the world has been obscured. The Jewish community therefore needs to see living examples of so-called "Jewish Christianity" that do not follow the "Gentilized" approaches, in order to see for themselves how at least one version (Messianic Judaism) today does continue their original Jewish roots, regardless of Gentile distortions that may well have developed historically.
3. Historical Christian Anti-Semitism
Most Jews struggle with the centuries of rejection by the (basically Gentile) Christian Church of anything Jewish, and grieve over the mistreatment of Jews everywhere by such acts as the ongoing pogroms in Russia and Poland, the Crusades, Inquisition, and Spanish Expulsion of the Middle Ages, and the Holocaust during World War II in recent times. They do not understand this anti-Semitism, and, as a result, are astonished when told that the "Christian" Jesus is actually for them and is their Messiah in a way that runs prior to any inclusion of Gentile believers as well. Only if significant numbers of Gentile Christians repent of those historic sins and mistreatment can Jews even think about re-examining Jesus, not as their enemy, but as their Messiah and Redeemer after all.
4. Unawareness of Messianic Tradition
Many Jews are unaware of the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures, and so have no real context for understanding the need for, or expectation of, a divinely-sent Messiah at all. Groups that want to reach out to inquiring Jews must then offer courses in the Hebrew Scriptures, that demonstrate the growing Messianic tradition within even the Old Covenant books and history, so that the climax of the New Testament does not seem to appear out of nothing or without a clear salvation-historical context of prayer and expectation.
5. Non-Exposure to Accurate Representation of Jesus
Many Jews have never been exposed to the actual records or teachings of the New Testament Scriptures, and so have no clear idea of who Jesus was, what He did, what He taught, how He impacted the first century Jewish community, how He Himself lived out-and to some extent re-interpreted-the Judaism of His day, etc. Thus, if they reject Jesus, it often is not the real Jesus that they are rejecting, not having really encountered Him in the first place. Obviously, then, part of the task of those who would introduce Jews today to the real Jesus must make the New Testament available to them, in a translation that makes sense to Jews.
6. Secular World View
A large number of Jews are unopen to looking at Jesus, the Bible, or even the concept of a Messiah because the worldview that they have been brought up with is so secularized and naturalistic/humanistic as to make little or no room for a supernatural Creator/Redeemer God, miracles, an after-life, a final judgment, a coming resurrection Kingdom, real angels and a satan/devil, etc. Apart from experiences of divine intervention, revelation, unearned forgiveness, supernatural healing, or the like, such Jews are often intellectually incapable of the kind of paradigm-shift necessary for re-thinking life and faith-with or without Jesus-and they therefore need experience with God Himself, and not just rational or historical apologetics, in order to take a second look at Jesus. This means that groups majoring on Jewish outreach must also be groups very open to the working of the Holy Spirit, so as to provide raw material for such personal experience with God.
7. Non-Exposure to True Christians
Finally, many Jews are unopen to Jesus simply because they have never met a "real" Christian: someone who acts like Jesus, in terms of intimacy with God, love for others, refusal to partner with the powers-that-oppress, unswerving compassion for the hurt and discarded and broken of society, zeal for the truth no matter what the consequences, etc. A "real" Christian cannot prove the truthfulness of so-called "Christianity": but only real Christians can convince their Jewish audience that, indeed, there is something there worth investigating-something that could earn their respect and allegiance as Jews, if it did prove (on other grounds) to be seemingly "true" after all.
If all of the above criteria are met, there is no "guarantee" that the Jewish community will "change its mind" about Jesus; but at least there will be an opportunity. May God grant that we would make the most of it, and effectively present our Lord's claims until He comes again! Amen.
The Miraculous Restoration of Israel
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PROPHETIC SIGN THAT CHRIST'S RETURN IS NEAR
Online Table of Contents:
Introduction
Why Christians need to change their thinking about Bible prophecy
What Gentiles need to know about the biblical restoration of Israel
How Messiah will reveal Himself to the Jews in the Holy Land
What the Gentile Church can do to assist God's plan for Israel
Conclusion
"But you, O Lord, will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come...For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory. He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. Let this be written for a future (latter day) generation that a people not yet created may praise the Lord (Ps. 102:12-18).
Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled... When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:24, 28). I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved" (Rom. 11:25, 26).
As the 20th century draws to a close, the church, spiritually speaking, is in much the same condition as were the apostles of Jesus immediately following His resurrection. We all have wondered how it was possible for them not to have anticipated His resurrection for He had told them many times that this was going to happen. The problem was: they heard the words He spoke but lacked divine revelation even as Luke records, "The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about" (Luke 18:34). However, during the forty days prior to His ascension, Jesus opened unto them all of the Old Testament Scriptures concerning Himself and suddenly it all made sense. Like the Emmaus disciples, their hearts no doubt burned within them as they saw God's master plan through the eyes of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:25-32).
This spiritual phenomenon has been called a "prophetic paradigm shift." Defined more succinctly, it is a radical change in our doctrine and practice as the Holy Spirit corrects and/or expands our faulty understanding of Scripture prophecies as they are being fulfilled in our day and time. I dare say, this took place in the 1st century with the apostles "understanding of Jesus" first coming and is occurring today regarding the church's perception of the restoration of Israel as a prophetic sign on the nearness of His second coming.
He who has ears, let him hear! May the Holy Spirit enable all believers everywhere to embrace this "prophetic paradigm shift" principle to the end so that we may not only see what God is doing in the earth today but also agree with it and get in step with it. Many Evangelicals hold "the doctrine of imminence," that is, that Jesus could return at any moment. We do not believe the Bible teaches this except as it applies to the fact that the day of our death may be imminent. Before the Lord returns two significant events must first occur: (1. the restoration of the nation of Israel in the land of promise (Luke 21:24-28) and (2. the emergence of the Antichrist (II Thess. 2:1-4). Israel has been back in its homeland since 1948 and has been in control of Jerusalem since 1967. The Antichrist is yet to appear but may soon do so in association with the European Union (the restored Roman Empire prophesied in Daniel 2:36-45).
I. Why the Gentile Church Needs a Prophetic Paradign Shift Regarding the Endtime Restoration of Israel
A. The misbelief that God's purposes for the nation of Israel ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Approximately a generation after Jesus ascended to heaven, the Romans under Titus violently quashed a Jewish rebellion. Just as Jesus had predicted in Luke 21:20-24, the temple with its sacrificial service was destroyed, tens of thousands of people were put to the sword and the rest sold as slaves and carried off to the various nations of the world. Since Jesus had come in the flesh and had fulfilled His redemptive mission as Messiah, the church from Constantine onward believed that Israel's identity as a nation had outgrown its usefulness. If Jews were to be saved through the gospel message, they could be reached in whatever countries to which they had been banished. [Let us not forget that the Jews were scattered over the earth at least three different times: (1) in 721 BC when the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, (2) in 606 BC when the Babylonians over-ran the southern kingdom of Judah, and (3) in 70 AD when the Romans subdued Judah and Jerusalem.]
However, Scripture says, "He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night..." Only if these decrees vanish from my sight, declares the Lord, will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me" (Jer. 31:35,36). Consider also this promise, "So, then, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer say, 'As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but they will say, 'As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' Then they will live in their own land" (Jer. 23:7,8). And remember Jesus Himself prophesied that the Jews would once again rule Jerusalem when the times of the Gentiles would come to an end. This was fulfilled in 1967 when Jerusalem was reunited under Israeli control during the Six Day War the first time in 2,500 years! This event was not mere happenstance but divine providence!
B. The propagation of anti-Semitism within the church both Protestant and Roman Catholic.
Bad enough that the national identity of the Jews was denied but, even worse, the Gentile church began to persecute them as "Christ killers." Many notable post-apostolic church fathers were anti-Semitic, men such as Justin Martyr, Ignatius, Tertullian, Origen and John Chrysostom. Jerome, who translated the Scriptures into Latin, claimed that the Jews were incapable of understanding the Bible and should be severely persecuted until they confessed the "true faith." What is not common knowledge to most lay persons is that Martin Luther also had strong anti-Semitic biases and wrote against the Jews. Unfortunately, Hitler used Luther's anti-Semitic teachings to justify the Holocaust while most German Lutherans watched passively in silence. One might ask: How could this be? Didn't the Gentile church leaders know from Scripture itself that while the Jews had a part in Christ's suffering and death, every human being on the planet has an equal share in the blame? The New Testament is clear: "He (Jesus) died for all...He tasted death for every man...God made Christ to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him... The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile," Rom. 1:16.
C. The development of "Replacement Theology."
A logical consequence of teaching anti-Semitism and the end of the Jewish nation is the belief, firmly held in most Gentile churches, that the church has replaced Israel in the mind and plan of God. This conviction requires an allegorical method, i.e., a symbolic representation, of interpreting and applying Old Testament Scriptures that speak of Israel. Any endtime prophecy referring to Israel must automatically mean the church. Again, this is what is being taught in seminaries. However, with a knowledge not based on denominational biases of the Scriptures, we should see that the latter day regathering of the Jews to the promised land is predicted in the Bible and that God is not finished with Israel as a nation. We should now be convinced that we have a responsibility as Gentile believers to love the Jews and help them return to the land and to find the Messiah (Rom. 11:31).
The cumulative effect of the aforementioned negative realities in the Gentile church for the past 1600 years has been a bitter resistance to Jesus by the Jews. Since the cross has been used as a sword to kill Jews for centuries, why should we expect them to be open to the gospel? Could this be one of the reasons the Lord is going to deal uniquely with them as a nation regathered to the land God promised them forever (Gen. 13:15)? Very likely. In any case, it is long overdue for the Gentile church to repent to God and to the Jewish people for the atrocities we have committed toward them over the centuries. If the bride of Christ is going to be an elect company of Jews and Gentiles united in love, we had better get started tearing down the walls and reaching out to Abraham's seed after the flesh! (Eph. 2:11-18).
II. What the Gentile Church Needs to Understand from the Prophetic Scriptures to Get In Step with God's Endtime Restoration of Israel
God has a sovereign plan for the world and all of its inhabitants which will be fulfilled (Is. 46:9,10). Just as all the prophecies concerning Jesus' first coming were fulfilled to the letter, so all the prophecies pertaining to His second coming will also come to pass including the restoration of the nation of Israel. Thus, it is incumbent upon the church to diligently pray for divine revelation so that we might accurately discern the outworking of God's sovereign will especially in these last days (Eph. 1:17-19, John 16:12-16, Rev. 1:1-3).
A. The times of the Gentiles are quickly coming to a close.
Jesus said that Jerusalem would be restored to the Jews when the times of the Gentiles would be fulfilled (Luke 21-24). This means that since 1967 God has shifted prophetic gears. It implies that the ingathering of souls from among Gentile nations is coming to a close even as Paul states in Romans 11:25, 26, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers... Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved." For nearly 2,000 years, the Jews have experienced a hardening against the gospel (by divine design) so that the Gentile nations would hear and believe the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. But at the close of this grace period for the Gentile nations, the Lord will lift the veil from the eyes of the Jews (II Cor. 3:15,16) and bring in the elect of Israel, chiefly in the land of Israel. This is what Paul means when he says, "And so all Israel will be saved" (Rom. 11:26). The Holy Spirit is telling the Gentile church today that the full number of the elect Gentiles has nearly been harvested from among all the nations of the earth (Matt. 24:14). In short, God's mission focus has been steadily changing from the Gentiles to the Jews since 1967 when the Jews gained control of the city of Jerusalem if we have ears to hear.
B. God has a specific plan to gather in the elect of Israel.
According to the prophetic word recorded in Psalm 102:12-18, there will come a latter day generation of Jews when "the Lord will arise and favor Zion, an appointed time when He will rebuild Israel and appear in his glory." This special season of divine grace began in the late nineteenth century with the birth of the Zionist movement in Europe, which gave rise to the establishment of the nation of Israel on May 14, 1948, by a mandate of the United Nations. Sadly, many Gentile believers fifty years later still regard this unusual event as a quirk of secular history which has no biblical or spiritual significance.
Anyone with such a mindset would do well to view a compelling video entitled "Israel In Bible Prophecy" which was prepared by Dr. David Reagan from McKinney, Texas. It deals with the following aspects of the miraculous restoration of God's chosen people in their land: (1) the regathering of the Jewish people, (2) the re-establishment of the state of Israel, (3) the reclamation of the land of Israel, (4) the revival of the Hebrew language, (5) the resurgence of the Israeli military, (6) the refocusing of world politics on Israel and (7) the reoccupation of the city of Jerusalem by the Jews. This thrilling story was filmed entirely on location in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Write Lion of Judah Ministries, P.O. Box 681505, Franklin, TN 37068-1505 and enclose a check for $21.24, which includes postage and handling. Seeing this film will help you grasp what a prophetic miracle modern-day Israel's restoration is and continuous to be!
According to prophecy experts, there are at least two phases to God's plan to rebuild Zion.
The regathering stage
Over the past fifty or more years, roughly 5 million Jews have immigrated to the land God promised Abraham and his seed. Ten million Jews yet remain in Gentile nations 6 million in America alone. Still, the Lord is calling all Jews to make "Aliyah" (return to Israel). Even now the Interior Ministry in Israel is preparing for a population of 12 million Jews. This suggests that God in His providence will soon be motivating the American Jews to return to their ancestral homeland.
Here are some Old Testament prophecies that speak of this great endtime ingathering:
"The Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you" (Deut. 30:3,4).
"Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back!' Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth" (Is. 43:5,6).
See also: Is. 11:12, Jer. 24:6,7; 31:10 and Ez. 11:16-20; 37:11-14; 39:27,28.
The redeeming stage
Most of us think that before the Lord would regather the Jews, they would first be required to repent and accept Jesus as Messiah (I Kings 8:46-53). However, many Scriptures teach otherwise, that after the Jews return to the land, the Lord will then redeem them by calling them back to Himself. Consider the following texts:
"For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean...I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ez. 36:24-28).
"And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look upon Me whom they have pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son" (Zech. 12:10).
See also: Jer. 32:37-41, Ez. 39:27-29 and Rom. 11:25,26.
III. How the Lord is Going to Reveal Himself as Messiah to the Jews in the Holy Land
A. The pressure of international isolation and rejection.
Anti-Semitism is on the rise all around the world today. Why is this? The primary cause is the devil's hatred of the Jews for their role in bringing salvation to the human race through Jesus, the "Seed of Abraham" (Gal. 3:16). Indirectly, God is using this to drive the Jews back to their homeland. Even the U.S. State Department is pro-Arab as are many of the European Union nations. The day will come, and it may not be far off, when Israel will stand alone. How else will the Scriptures be fulfilled that say, "I will gather all nations to Jerusalem to fight against it... Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle" (Zech. 14:2:3).
In their desperation, the Jews will cry out to God to help them. This has already occurred in past battles with Arab League nations since Israel was birthed in 1948. Stories are told of how God fought with them in supernatural ways, which enabled them to emerge victorious time and again. It is reminiscent of Joshua's conquest of Canaan where God sent "the hornet" ahead of them) perhaps warring angels) and rained down hailstones to drive out the enemy (Josh. 10:11; 24:12). What is the bottom line? The Lord will increasingly show Himself powerful on the Jews' behalf in the days to come!
B. The love and support of Gentile Christians from around the world.
In Romans 11:30,31, Paul prophesies how the Gentile church will be called on by God to befriend the Jews at the close of the age when all nations will have turned against them: "Just as you (Gentile believers) who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their (the Jews') disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you (Gentile believers)."
This has been happening increasingly since Israel became a nation. For years the Christian Embassy has been hosting an annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem where thousands of Gentile believers from most nations of the world gather to befriend the Jews with singing, dancing, parades and intercession for Israel and its leaders. Beyond this significant display of love and good will, many Gentile Christians are actively working to assist Jews in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to come to the Promised Land. This ministry involves contacting would-be immigrants, arranging their transportation and providing funds to make "Aliyah" and to get settled in Israel. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when He said, "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me" (Matt. 25:40).
C. The effective witness of Messianic Jews in Israel to their secular Jewish brethren.
In Israel today there are more than 50 Messianic congregations, all of which are experiencing dynamic growth. This is powerful evidence that the Spirit of the Lord is lifting the veil of unbelief from the Jewish people. The story is told of how a prominent military officer was sent home to die because there was no cure for his particular affliction. As he was riding home on a bus he met a Messianic Jewish couple who told him that they had been instructed by God in a vision to pray for a sick man they would encounter on the bus. The officer eagerly allowed them to lay hands on him and pray. Nothing seemed to happen but the next morning the man woke up completely healed. He has since become a believer in Jesus! This true story was covered in the Jerusalem Post. God is reaching Jews through Jews just the way the church began 2,000 years ago!
D. Sovereign revival where God takes the initiative in a supernatural way.
For years the Lord has instructed intercessors for Israel to pray for two things: (a. the return of the Jews to their land and (b. for a mighty revival throughout Israel. Old Testament prophecy clearly teaches that this will occur. Hear these words of Ezekiel 39:7, 8, 28, 29: "I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will not longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I am the Holy One of Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day I have spoken of... I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord."
IV. What the Gentile Church Can Do to Assist the Lord as He Gathers In the Elect of the Jews in Israel
Every Gentile believer needs to develop an relational witnessing mindset for loving the Jews that is in keeping with Paul's words in I Corinthians 9:19-20: "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became as a Jew, to win the Jews." The Holy Spirit will have to reveal to each of us what this means in practical terms but here are some suggestions to seriously consider:
You can repent before God and the Jews for the unChrist-like treatment the Gentile church has given them for the past 1600 years.
You can ask the Lord to give us His heart and burden for the sons and daughters of Abraham after the flesh (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1).
You can study the Scriptures which deal with God's plans to regather and redeem Israel in the latter days, especially Romans, chapters nine, ten and eleven.
You can intercede for the Jews to be stirred to return to the land of Israel, to be given grace to receive Jesus as their Messiah and to be protected from all the devil's ploys for their destruction.
You can go to Israel in September of each year and participate in the Christian Embassy's Feast of Tabernacles celebration. For information contact Sounds of the Trumpet, 8230 Birchglen, Houston, TX 77070.
You can contact Good News for Israel to obtain books and resources on how to minister the gospel to Jews in a winsome and biblical way. Invite us into your congregation or adult Bible study for your dose of Jewish Faith Roots!
V. Conclusion
It is not our intention to be a date-setter as concerns the second coming of Jesus. Nevertheless, the Bible says we will know the season but not the day or the hour. The Lord said that a generation would come that would witness His return. They would know this by certain signs that would appear, an unmistakable one being the restoration of Israel and the control of Jerusalem by the Jews (Luke 21:24 -33). This has occurred in our generation. Depending on what length we give to a generation (40 or 50 years), Jesus' return could be less than 20 years away. Are you and your family ready?
Quoting from "Famous Hebrew Christians," by Jacob Gartenhaus, regarding Benjamin Disraeli , the British Statesman, Author, Diplomat, and Prime Minister, (1804-1881):
"In all church discussions we are apt to forget the second Testament is avowedly only a supplement. Jesus came to complete the "law and the prophets." Christianity is completed Judaism, or it is nothing. Christianity is incomprehensible without Judaism, as Judaism is incomplete without Christianity.
The pupil of Moses may ask himself, whether all the princes of the house of David have done so much for the Jews as that prince who was crucified on Calvary. Had it not been for Him, the Jews would have been comparatively unknown or only as a high Oriental caste, which had lost its country. Has not He made their history the most famous in the world? Has not He hung up their laws in every temple? Has He not vindicated all their wrongs? Has not He avenged the victory of Titus and conquered the Caesars? What successes did they anticipate from their Messiah? The wildest dreams of their rabbis have been far exceeded... Christians may continue to persecute Jews (and by so doing misrepresent their Master) and Jews may persist in disbelieving Christians, but who can deny that Jesus of Nazareth, the Incarnate Son of God, is the eternal glory of the Jewish race?"
Disraeli anticipated the final conversion of the Jews and expresses the hope that "they will accept the whole of their religion instead on only the half of it, as they gradually grow more familiar with the true history and character of the New Testament."
Now a final quote from Reuven Doron's January 1999 newsletter:
"The nation of Israel had to be back in her land, having her national life built around God's altar and temple, in order to prepare for the first coming of the Savior. In the same way, Israel today is being called back to the land, and the House of the Lord is being built (with living stones this time)... By God's own wisdom and mercy He determined that Israel be carried toward her inevitable encounter with her Messiah leaning on Gentile hands, so that the ancient debt of love will be paid back at the close of this age. As we have said before, Israel gave birth to the church in the first century, and the church will now give birth to Israel in the last. Let God be glorified." Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Shalom,
Chris Heeb, Director
Good News for Israel.
Good News for Israel is a ministry of proclamation, education and reconciliation between the Jewish and Christian communities, founded in 1878 as the Zion Society for Israel, making us the oldest, continuous ministry of its kind in the country. For further information please call us at (952) 926-7369.
We would like to give special thanks to Brother Rodney Lensch for his 40 years of service to the Lord. His love for the Church and for the restoration of the Jewish people to their Messiah made it possible for this ministry to adapt his original article for its use and for the glory of God.
© 2005-2009 Good News For Israel
Ph: 952.926.7369 / Email Us
Online Table of Contents:
Introduction
Why Christians need to change their thinking about Bible prophecy
What Gentiles need to know about the biblical restoration of Israel
How Messiah will reveal Himself to the Jews in the Holy Land
What the Gentile Church can do to assist God's plan for Israel
Conclusion
"But you, O Lord, will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come...For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory. He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. Let this be written for a future (latter day) generation that a people not yet created may praise the Lord (Ps. 102:12-18).
Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled... When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:24, 28). I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved" (Rom. 11:25, 26).
As the 20th century draws to a close, the church, spiritually speaking, is in much the same condition as were the apostles of Jesus immediately following His resurrection. We all have wondered how it was possible for them not to have anticipated His resurrection for He had told them many times that this was going to happen. The problem was: they heard the words He spoke but lacked divine revelation even as Luke records, "The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about" (Luke 18:34). However, during the forty days prior to His ascension, Jesus opened unto them all of the Old Testament Scriptures concerning Himself and suddenly it all made sense. Like the Emmaus disciples, their hearts no doubt burned within them as they saw God's master plan through the eyes of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:25-32).
This spiritual phenomenon has been called a "prophetic paradigm shift." Defined more succinctly, it is a radical change in our doctrine and practice as the Holy Spirit corrects and/or expands our faulty understanding of Scripture prophecies as they are being fulfilled in our day and time. I dare say, this took place in the 1st century with the apostles "understanding of Jesus" first coming and is occurring today regarding the church's perception of the restoration of Israel as a prophetic sign on the nearness of His second coming.
He who has ears, let him hear! May the Holy Spirit enable all believers everywhere to embrace this "prophetic paradigm shift" principle to the end so that we may not only see what God is doing in the earth today but also agree with it and get in step with it. Many Evangelicals hold "the doctrine of imminence," that is, that Jesus could return at any moment. We do not believe the Bible teaches this except as it applies to the fact that the day of our death may be imminent. Before the Lord returns two significant events must first occur: (1. the restoration of the nation of Israel in the land of promise (Luke 21:24-28) and (2. the emergence of the Antichrist (II Thess. 2:1-4). Israel has been back in its homeland since 1948 and has been in control of Jerusalem since 1967. The Antichrist is yet to appear but may soon do so in association with the European Union (the restored Roman Empire prophesied in Daniel 2:36-45).
I. Why the Gentile Church Needs a Prophetic Paradign Shift Regarding the Endtime Restoration of Israel
A. The misbelief that God's purposes for the nation of Israel ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Approximately a generation after Jesus ascended to heaven, the Romans under Titus violently quashed a Jewish rebellion. Just as Jesus had predicted in Luke 21:20-24, the temple with its sacrificial service was destroyed, tens of thousands of people were put to the sword and the rest sold as slaves and carried off to the various nations of the world. Since Jesus had come in the flesh and had fulfilled His redemptive mission as Messiah, the church from Constantine onward believed that Israel's identity as a nation had outgrown its usefulness. If Jews were to be saved through the gospel message, they could be reached in whatever countries to which they had been banished. [Let us not forget that the Jews were scattered over the earth at least three different times: (1) in 721 BC when the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, (2) in 606 BC when the Babylonians over-ran the southern kingdom of Judah, and (3) in 70 AD when the Romans subdued Judah and Jerusalem.]
However, Scripture says, "He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night..." Only if these decrees vanish from my sight, declares the Lord, will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me" (Jer. 31:35,36). Consider also this promise, "So, then, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer say, 'As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but they will say, 'As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' Then they will live in their own land" (Jer. 23:7,8). And remember Jesus Himself prophesied that the Jews would once again rule Jerusalem when the times of the Gentiles would come to an end. This was fulfilled in 1967 when Jerusalem was reunited under Israeli control during the Six Day War the first time in 2,500 years! This event was not mere happenstance but divine providence!
B. The propagation of anti-Semitism within the church both Protestant and Roman Catholic.
Bad enough that the national identity of the Jews was denied but, even worse, the Gentile church began to persecute them as "Christ killers." Many notable post-apostolic church fathers were anti-Semitic, men such as Justin Martyr, Ignatius, Tertullian, Origen and John Chrysostom. Jerome, who translated the Scriptures into Latin, claimed that the Jews were incapable of understanding the Bible and should be severely persecuted until they confessed the "true faith." What is not common knowledge to most lay persons is that Martin Luther also had strong anti-Semitic biases and wrote against the Jews. Unfortunately, Hitler used Luther's anti-Semitic teachings to justify the Holocaust while most German Lutherans watched passively in silence. One might ask: How could this be? Didn't the Gentile church leaders know from Scripture itself that while the Jews had a part in Christ's suffering and death, every human being on the planet has an equal share in the blame? The New Testament is clear: "He (Jesus) died for all...He tasted death for every man...God made Christ to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him... The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile," Rom. 1:16.
C. The development of "Replacement Theology."
A logical consequence of teaching anti-Semitism and the end of the Jewish nation is the belief, firmly held in most Gentile churches, that the church has replaced Israel in the mind and plan of God. This conviction requires an allegorical method, i.e., a symbolic representation, of interpreting and applying Old Testament Scriptures that speak of Israel. Any endtime prophecy referring to Israel must automatically mean the church. Again, this is what is being taught in seminaries. However, with a knowledge not based on denominational biases of the Scriptures, we should see that the latter day regathering of the Jews to the promised land is predicted in the Bible and that God is not finished with Israel as a nation. We should now be convinced that we have a responsibility as Gentile believers to love the Jews and help them return to the land and to find the Messiah (Rom. 11:31).
The cumulative effect of the aforementioned negative realities in the Gentile church for the past 1600 years has been a bitter resistance to Jesus by the Jews. Since the cross has been used as a sword to kill Jews for centuries, why should we expect them to be open to the gospel? Could this be one of the reasons the Lord is going to deal uniquely with them as a nation regathered to the land God promised them forever (Gen. 13:15)? Very likely. In any case, it is long overdue for the Gentile church to repent to God and to the Jewish people for the atrocities we have committed toward them over the centuries. If the bride of Christ is going to be an elect company of Jews and Gentiles united in love, we had better get started tearing down the walls and reaching out to Abraham's seed after the flesh! (Eph. 2:11-18).
II. What the Gentile Church Needs to Understand from the Prophetic Scriptures to Get In Step with God's Endtime Restoration of Israel
God has a sovereign plan for the world and all of its inhabitants which will be fulfilled (Is. 46:9,10). Just as all the prophecies concerning Jesus' first coming were fulfilled to the letter, so all the prophecies pertaining to His second coming will also come to pass including the restoration of the nation of Israel. Thus, it is incumbent upon the church to diligently pray for divine revelation so that we might accurately discern the outworking of God's sovereign will especially in these last days (Eph. 1:17-19, John 16:12-16, Rev. 1:1-3).
A. The times of the Gentiles are quickly coming to a close.
Jesus said that Jerusalem would be restored to the Jews when the times of the Gentiles would be fulfilled (Luke 21-24). This means that since 1967 God has shifted prophetic gears. It implies that the ingathering of souls from among Gentile nations is coming to a close even as Paul states in Romans 11:25, 26, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers... Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved." For nearly 2,000 years, the Jews have experienced a hardening against the gospel (by divine design) so that the Gentile nations would hear and believe the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. But at the close of this grace period for the Gentile nations, the Lord will lift the veil from the eyes of the Jews (II Cor. 3:15,16) and bring in the elect of Israel, chiefly in the land of Israel. This is what Paul means when he says, "And so all Israel will be saved" (Rom. 11:26). The Holy Spirit is telling the Gentile church today that the full number of the elect Gentiles has nearly been harvested from among all the nations of the earth (Matt. 24:14). In short, God's mission focus has been steadily changing from the Gentiles to the Jews since 1967 when the Jews gained control of the city of Jerusalem if we have ears to hear.
B. God has a specific plan to gather in the elect of Israel.
According to the prophetic word recorded in Psalm 102:12-18, there will come a latter day generation of Jews when "the Lord will arise and favor Zion, an appointed time when He will rebuild Israel and appear in his glory." This special season of divine grace began in the late nineteenth century with the birth of the Zionist movement in Europe, which gave rise to the establishment of the nation of Israel on May 14, 1948, by a mandate of the United Nations. Sadly, many Gentile believers fifty years later still regard this unusual event as a quirk of secular history which has no biblical or spiritual significance.
Anyone with such a mindset would do well to view a compelling video entitled "Israel In Bible Prophecy" which was prepared by Dr. David Reagan from McKinney, Texas. It deals with the following aspects of the miraculous restoration of God's chosen people in their land: (1) the regathering of the Jewish people, (2) the re-establishment of the state of Israel, (3) the reclamation of the land of Israel, (4) the revival of the Hebrew language, (5) the resurgence of the Israeli military, (6) the refocusing of world politics on Israel and (7) the reoccupation of the city of Jerusalem by the Jews. This thrilling story was filmed entirely on location in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Write Lion of Judah Ministries, P.O. Box 681505, Franklin, TN 37068-1505 and enclose a check for $21.24, which includes postage and handling. Seeing this film will help you grasp what a prophetic miracle modern-day Israel's restoration is and continuous to be!
According to prophecy experts, there are at least two phases to God's plan to rebuild Zion.
The regathering stage
Over the past fifty or more years, roughly 5 million Jews have immigrated to the land God promised Abraham and his seed. Ten million Jews yet remain in Gentile nations 6 million in America alone. Still, the Lord is calling all Jews to make "Aliyah" (return to Israel). Even now the Interior Ministry in Israel is preparing for a population of 12 million Jews. This suggests that God in His providence will soon be motivating the American Jews to return to their ancestral homeland.
Here are some Old Testament prophecies that speak of this great endtime ingathering:
"The Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you" (Deut. 30:3,4).
"Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back!' Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth" (Is. 43:5,6).
See also: Is. 11:12, Jer. 24:6,7; 31:10 and Ez. 11:16-20; 37:11-14; 39:27,28.
The redeeming stage
Most of us think that before the Lord would regather the Jews, they would first be required to repent and accept Jesus as Messiah (I Kings 8:46-53). However, many Scriptures teach otherwise, that after the Jews return to the land, the Lord will then redeem them by calling them back to Himself. Consider the following texts:
"For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean...I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ez. 36:24-28).
"And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look upon Me whom they have pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son" (Zech. 12:10).
See also: Jer. 32:37-41, Ez. 39:27-29 and Rom. 11:25,26.
III. How the Lord is Going to Reveal Himself as Messiah to the Jews in the Holy Land
A. The pressure of international isolation and rejection.
Anti-Semitism is on the rise all around the world today. Why is this? The primary cause is the devil's hatred of the Jews for their role in bringing salvation to the human race through Jesus, the "Seed of Abraham" (Gal. 3:16). Indirectly, God is using this to drive the Jews back to their homeland. Even the U.S. State Department is pro-Arab as are many of the European Union nations. The day will come, and it may not be far off, when Israel will stand alone. How else will the Scriptures be fulfilled that say, "I will gather all nations to Jerusalem to fight against it... Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle" (Zech. 14:2:3).
In their desperation, the Jews will cry out to God to help them. This has already occurred in past battles with Arab League nations since Israel was birthed in 1948. Stories are told of how God fought with them in supernatural ways, which enabled them to emerge victorious time and again. It is reminiscent of Joshua's conquest of Canaan where God sent "the hornet" ahead of them) perhaps warring angels) and rained down hailstones to drive out the enemy (Josh. 10:11; 24:12). What is the bottom line? The Lord will increasingly show Himself powerful on the Jews' behalf in the days to come!
B. The love and support of Gentile Christians from around the world.
In Romans 11:30,31, Paul prophesies how the Gentile church will be called on by God to befriend the Jews at the close of the age when all nations will have turned against them: "Just as you (Gentile believers) who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their (the Jews') disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you (Gentile believers)."
This has been happening increasingly since Israel became a nation. For years the Christian Embassy has been hosting an annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem where thousands of Gentile believers from most nations of the world gather to befriend the Jews with singing, dancing, parades and intercession for Israel and its leaders. Beyond this significant display of love and good will, many Gentile Christians are actively working to assist Jews in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to come to the Promised Land. This ministry involves contacting would-be immigrants, arranging their transportation and providing funds to make "Aliyah" and to get settled in Israel. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when He said, "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me" (Matt. 25:40).
C. The effective witness of Messianic Jews in Israel to their secular Jewish brethren.
In Israel today there are more than 50 Messianic congregations, all of which are experiencing dynamic growth. This is powerful evidence that the Spirit of the Lord is lifting the veil of unbelief from the Jewish people. The story is told of how a prominent military officer was sent home to die because there was no cure for his particular affliction. As he was riding home on a bus he met a Messianic Jewish couple who told him that they had been instructed by God in a vision to pray for a sick man they would encounter on the bus. The officer eagerly allowed them to lay hands on him and pray. Nothing seemed to happen but the next morning the man woke up completely healed. He has since become a believer in Jesus! This true story was covered in the Jerusalem Post. God is reaching Jews through Jews just the way the church began 2,000 years ago!
D. Sovereign revival where God takes the initiative in a supernatural way.
For years the Lord has instructed intercessors for Israel to pray for two things: (a. the return of the Jews to their land and (b. for a mighty revival throughout Israel. Old Testament prophecy clearly teaches that this will occur. Hear these words of Ezekiel 39:7, 8, 28, 29: "I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will not longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I am the Holy One of Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day I have spoken of... I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord."
IV. What the Gentile Church Can Do to Assist the Lord as He Gathers In the Elect of the Jews in Israel
Every Gentile believer needs to develop an relational witnessing mindset for loving the Jews that is in keeping with Paul's words in I Corinthians 9:19-20: "Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became as a Jew, to win the Jews." The Holy Spirit will have to reveal to each of us what this means in practical terms but here are some suggestions to seriously consider:
You can repent before God and the Jews for the unChrist-like treatment the Gentile church has given them for the past 1600 years.
You can ask the Lord to give us His heart and burden for the sons and daughters of Abraham after the flesh (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1).
You can study the Scriptures which deal with God's plans to regather and redeem Israel in the latter days, especially Romans, chapters nine, ten and eleven.
You can intercede for the Jews to be stirred to return to the land of Israel, to be given grace to receive Jesus as their Messiah and to be protected from all the devil's ploys for their destruction.
You can go to Israel in September of each year and participate in the Christian Embassy's Feast of Tabernacles celebration. For information contact Sounds of the Trumpet, 8230 Birchglen, Houston, TX 77070.
You can contact Good News for Israel to obtain books and resources on how to minister the gospel to Jews in a winsome and biblical way. Invite us into your congregation or adult Bible study for your dose of Jewish Faith Roots!
V. Conclusion
It is not our intention to be a date-setter as concerns the second coming of Jesus. Nevertheless, the Bible says we will know the season but not the day or the hour. The Lord said that a generation would come that would witness His return. They would know this by certain signs that would appear, an unmistakable one being the restoration of Israel and the control of Jerusalem by the Jews (Luke 21:24 -33). This has occurred in our generation. Depending on what length we give to a generation (40 or 50 years), Jesus' return could be less than 20 years away. Are you and your family ready?
Quoting from "Famous Hebrew Christians," by Jacob Gartenhaus, regarding Benjamin Disraeli , the British Statesman, Author, Diplomat, and Prime Minister, (1804-1881):
"In all church discussions we are apt to forget the second Testament is avowedly only a supplement. Jesus came to complete the "law and the prophets." Christianity is completed Judaism, or it is nothing. Christianity is incomprehensible without Judaism, as Judaism is incomplete without Christianity.
The pupil of Moses may ask himself, whether all the princes of the house of David have done so much for the Jews as that prince who was crucified on Calvary. Had it not been for Him, the Jews would have been comparatively unknown or only as a high Oriental caste, which had lost its country. Has not He made their history the most famous in the world? Has not He hung up their laws in every temple? Has He not vindicated all their wrongs? Has not He avenged the victory of Titus and conquered the Caesars? What successes did they anticipate from their Messiah? The wildest dreams of their rabbis have been far exceeded... Christians may continue to persecute Jews (and by so doing misrepresent their Master) and Jews may persist in disbelieving Christians, but who can deny that Jesus of Nazareth, the Incarnate Son of God, is the eternal glory of the Jewish race?"
Disraeli anticipated the final conversion of the Jews and expresses the hope that "they will accept the whole of their religion instead on only the half of it, as they gradually grow more familiar with the true history and character of the New Testament."
Now a final quote from Reuven Doron's January 1999 newsletter:
"The nation of Israel had to be back in her land, having her national life built around God's altar and temple, in order to prepare for the first coming of the Savior. In the same way, Israel today is being called back to the land, and the House of the Lord is being built (with living stones this time)... By God's own wisdom and mercy He determined that Israel be carried toward her inevitable encounter with her Messiah leaning on Gentile hands, so that the ancient debt of love will be paid back at the close of this age. As we have said before, Israel gave birth to the church in the first century, and the church will now give birth to Israel in the last. Let God be glorified." Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Shalom,
Chris Heeb, Director
Good News for Israel.
Good News for Israel is a ministry of proclamation, education and reconciliation between the Jewish and Christian communities, founded in 1878 as the Zion Society for Israel, making us the oldest, continuous ministry of its kind in the country. For further information please call us at (952) 926-7369.
We would like to give special thanks to Brother Rodney Lensch for his 40 years of service to the Lord. His love for the Church and for the restoration of the Jewish people to their Messiah made it possible for this ministry to adapt his original article for its use and for the glory of God.
© 2005-2009 Good News For Israel
Ph: 952.926.7369 / Email Us
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