Category Archives: ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) / PROPHECY

Does Hebrews 10:25 really teach we must attend church?, Does Hebrews 10:25 really teach we must attend church?, ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) / PROPHECY

Does Hebrews 10:25 really teach we must attend church?

DOES HEBREWS 10:25 REALLY TEACH WE MUST ATTEND CHURCH?

by Shawn Brasseaux

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” It is a most quoted verse, a most confused verse, and a most abused verse. Preachers want people to do something to advance some church tradition, so they quote a verse whenever possible to motivate people to “follow Jesus” (?). If there ever was such a verse, Hebrews 10:25 is unquestionably it! My dear friends, if left in context, this verse will be abundantly clear and be absolutely amazing. We need not handle God’s Word deceitfully, for that will profit us nothing in eternity. Let us first set aside our denominational biases, then let us search the Scriptures, and finally, let us agree, “Let God be true, but every man a liar.”

Hebrews 10:25 is one of the most mistreated verses in the book of Hebrews—maybe in all the Bible. We are urged to attend church services because it says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Preachers love to quote this over and over, but they do not continue reading the passage. Here are verses 26 and 27, the verses often omitted: “[26] For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, [27] But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” We need no theology degree or Greek lesson to see that verses 26 and 27 promise wrath, divine judgment, on those who fail to “assemble together.” In fact, they talk about loss of salvation. Now we see why preachers quote only verse 25, leaving off the next two verses!

One fundamental rule of sound, responsible Bible hermeneutics (interpretation) is to recognize a verse’s context. It is always important to remember that we should not grab a verse in Hebrews and make it fit us. While there are marvelous Bible truths shared between the nation Israel and us the Church the Body of Christ, Hebrews 10:25 is not one of them. The plain and simple truth is that we find no such verse as Hebrews 10:25 in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon. There is no indication that Paul wrote Hebrews, and certainly, “Hebrews” is not a book directed to the Body of Christ. Beloved, Hebrews is Israel’s Bible book! (For more information, see our study linked at the end of this article, “Who wrote the book of Hebrews?”)

Hebrews 10:25 did not just “pop up out of nowhere.” Firstly, there were several chapters of Hebrews prior to chapter 10. Secondly, there were several books written in the Bible before Hebrews. We must use other Bible books and other chapters in Hebrews to explain Hebrews 10:25. Dear friends, let us do that now to learn some spectacular Bible truths!

THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS

The context of the book of Hebrews is found in its two opening verses. We read in the first chapter: “[1] God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, [2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” Hebrews builds on the doctrine first spoken by the Old Testament prophets, teachings further expanded upon by our Lord Jesus Christ in the books of Matthew through John. The book of Hebrews is a book of prophecy, and in no way belongs in our mystery program, our Dispensation of Grace.

Now, to Hebrews chapter 2: “[3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; [4] God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? [5] For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.”

Preachers love to partially quote verse 3 during evangelistic opportunities, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation….” What “salvation” is this? It is not our salvation in the Dispensation of Grace. It is talking about the “salvation” “which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord.” This is a reference to the “salvation” connected to Christ’s earthly ministry (Matthew through John). Hebrews chapter 2, verses 3-4 say, “and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; [4] God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost….” This is Acts chapter 2 onward, when the Holy Ghost worked miraculous demonstrations in and through Israel’s little flock and her 12 apostles. Hebrews focuses on the early part of the book of Acts, and early Acts is unrelated to us, the Church the Body of Christ. There is no Body of Christ here. There is no Dispensation of Grace here. There is no mystery program here.

The book of Hebrews focuses on “the world to come” (Hebrews 2:5). That is not the present-day. That is a future time, the time of the seven-year Tribulation and onward. Again, there is no Dispensation of Grace, no Body of Christ, and no mystery program. Hebrews is prophecy. The own testimony of the writer of the book of Hebrews is clear that he was not writing to us. To better understand Hebrews (and especially chapter 10, verse 25), let us now focus on John the Baptist’s ministry, Christ’s earthly ministry, and the seven-year Tribulation.

ISRAEL’S LITTLE FLOCK DURING JOHN THE BAPTIST’S MINISTRY

The Holy Spirit begins Matthew chapter 3 with: “[1] In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, [2] And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Why was John the Baptist “preaching in the wilderness?” Why was he not at the Temple in Jerusalem?

Remember, God only gave one religion in all of human history. Given at Mount Sinai through Moses for him to teach it to Israel, Judaism was a system of 613 laws (listed throughout Exodus through Deuteronomy). The Mosaic Law was a very severe system. God gave it to thoroughly demonstrate that Israel could never become His people in her own strength and through her own efforts. He would have to work to make them His people. Alas, Israel never got the message that she was a sinful nation that needed God’s salvation. She still believed she could do everything God commanded. (Just like today’s legalists!) Eventually, through the centuries, Israel’s religious leaders added more and more laws. When we come to Jesus’ earthly ministry, Judaism was no longer pure. Paul even called it the “Jews’ religion” (Galatians 1:14). It was not God’s religion anymore because sinful Israel had corrupted it.

The Lord Jesus remarked about Israel’s spiritual condition in His day: “[6] Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. [7] Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. [8] For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. [9] And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:6-9).

Does this rebuke’s focus sound familiar? Sure it does! “Tradition” is still readily accepted instead of Scripture. Patristic (church fathers) writings, denominational creeds, papal encyclicals, church council decrees, and myriads of other volumes mean everything in Christendom, but the Holy Scriptures mean almost nothing (unless a verse can bolster the denomination, and then it is ripped out of context and quoted—such as Hebrews 10:25!).

John the Baptist’s ministry in the “wilderness” was God’s method to ensure doctrinal purity. John’s father Zacharias was a Levitical priest (Luke 1:5ff.), so John should have followed his father in serving in Israel’s Temple twice a year. Yet, the Bible never says John ever served as a Temple priest. Instead, Scripture says of young John, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel” (Luke 1:80). In fact, Matthew 3:1-2, what we just read, says that John the Baptist, now about age 30, began his ministry in the wilderness. In order to understand John’s peculiar ministry, we need to be mindful of the spiritual condition of the Temple.

The Tabernacle—from King Solomon onward, the Temple—was the hub of Israel’s religious system: there, her priests served JEHOVAH, the Ark of the Covenant rested, and her male Jews visited three times a year. That building was highly important because it was the place where JEHOVAH manifested Himself to Israel: hence, it was called “the house of the LORD” (Exodus 23:19 et. al) and “the house of God” (Ezra 3:8 et al.). Jesus Christ called it “my house” (Matthew 21:13) and “my Father’s house” (John 2:16).

However, Israel’s religious leadership defiled JEHOVAH’S pure Temple, and thus His nation, in various ways. According to Malachi 1:8, her priests offered in it sick and lame animals (which God forbade in Deuteronomy 15:21)—a main theme of Malachi’s message is Israel’s corrupt priesthood. Micah 3:11 spoke about Israel’s priests who taught for “hire.” Isaiah 29:13 (which Jesus quoted to describe the apostasy in His own day; Mark 7:6-7) mentioned how the Jews “have removed their heart far from [JEHOVAH], and their fear toward [Him] is taught by the precept of men.” Religious tradition was venerated, and God’s Word (the Old Testament scrolls) was largely ignored. Sound familiar?

So, God the Father had sent John into the wilderness to call Israel away from the apostate Temple, away from the false religious system that Satan has used to mislead Israel. Over 700 years before Christ, the Prophet Isaiah wrote of John the Baptist: “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3; cf. Matthew 3:1-11; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18). The Prophet Hosea elaborates regarding Israel’s restoration to God: “[JEHOVAH speaking] Therefore, behold I will allure her [Israel], and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her…. And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi [“My Husband”]; and shalt call me no more Baali [“My Master”]. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever… Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God” (Hosea 2:14,16,19,23).

John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness to fulfill prophecy, but why did prophecy have him preaching in the wilderness? John’s purpose is described in Luke 1:16-17: “[16] And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. [17] And he shall go before him [the Messiah, Jesus] in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Through John, God the Father (John 1:6) was calling Israel away from the apostate, satanic religious system that had so gripped and entrapped her, the system that her religious leaders—those “vipers” (Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7), those spiritual children of Satan (John 8:44)—had placed upon her and with which they led her away from JEHOVAH’S truth (Matthew 15:1-14).

In order to become JEHOVAH’S wife (Hosea’s prophecy above), Israel had to forsake her idols and vain religion (the center of which was the Temple). The Gospel of the Kingdom that John preached in Matthew 3:2 was Israel’s chance to escape Satan’s bondage and become God’s chief nation in the earth. His message to Israel was simple, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Israel was to “repent”—change her mind about JEHOVAH, to remember God’s covenant with her, to acknowledge her failure to keep that covenant, to quit thinking like the Gentiles and to stop serving Satan and his evil world system. Israel’s confession of sins in the following verses was to acknowledge her breaking the Old Covenant, the Mosaic Law (see Leviticus 26:40-46). John’s water baptism was the means whereby Israel was cleansed of her idolatry, equipping her to become JEHOVAH’S kingdom of priests (Ezekiel 36:25; cf. Exodus 19:5-6). Israel’s conversion was urgent: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand [near]” (Matthew 3:2). In the near future, Jesus Christ would be baptized of John, thus manifesting Himself as Israel’s Messiah-King (John 1:31). Israel’s long-promised kingdom (foretold through the Old Testament prophets) was soon to be established.

Most of Israel’s priests were entangled in spiritual error, so John’s ministry was out in the wilderness, far from the Temple, far-removed from Satan’s religious system. This arrangement ensured John’s converts would be pure, untainted by the evil world system that had deceived Israel previously. God’s people would hear God the Father’s message about His coming Son and Israel’s Messiah, Jesus, from John the Baptist (see John 1:6-34). It was a message unadulterated by Israel’s satanically-inspired priesthood.

ISRAEL’S LITTLE FLOCK DURING THE EARLY ACTS PERIOD

We will now move into the early Acts period, that is pre-Acts-chapter 9. Jesus Christ’s three years of earthly ministry have ended. He has already been crucified, buried, and resurrected, and has just ascended into heaven (chapter 1). The Apostle Peter concluded his famous Pentecost sermon with Acts 2:40: “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward [wicked, rebellious] generation.” In other words, Peter echoed the words of John the Baptist: “Fellow Jews, come out of your apostate, wicked, rebellious nation! Leave that vain religious system and trust Jesus as your Lord and Christ! Quit trying to please God with your works and come to Him by faith! This evil generation will be consumed in God’s wrath when Jesus comes back! Get right with JEHOVAH God now!” (Peter was encouraging them to make the right decision, just as Hebrews 10:25 teaches, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”)

We read in Hebrews 13:10-15: “[10] We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. [11] For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. [12] Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. [13] Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. [14] For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. [15] By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” The believing Israeli, in accordance with Peter’s words, is again urged to separate himself from the nation Israel. Israel is apostate, and just as they rejected Jesus Christ, a believing Jew is to be ready to “bear his reproach.” As they hated Jesus Christ for believing and teaching God’s Word, so they will hate the believing Israelis for believing and teaching God’s Word.

Hebrews 11:9-10, 13-16: “[9] By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: [10] For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God….[13] These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. [14] For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. [15] And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. [16] But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”

As their faithful patriarchs of old did, Israel’s believing remnant is not to be fixated on this world. This wicked world is passing away. They themselves will not be here forever. This evil world system is not their home. The Lord Jesus Christ will be returning soon to abolish the wicked system and bring to them a literal, physical, visible kingdom beyond their wildest dreams! Thus we find the exhortation to believing Israel in 1 John 2:15-17: “[15] Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [17] And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Psalm 22:22 says, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise him.” Written by King David, this is really the Messiah Jesus talking, some 1,000 years beforehand. Psalm 22:1-21 describes Christ’s crucifixion and death but Psalm 22:22-31 describes His resurrection and reign as King. Hebrews 2:11-13 provides commentary: “[11] For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, [12] Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. [13] And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.” This believing congregation, this “assembling of [themselves] together” (Hebrews 10:25), this believing remnant (Romans 11:5), this little flock (Luke 12:32), this Messianic Church (Matthew 16:18), is in stark contrast to the unbelieving part of Israel. As Psalm 26:5 says, “I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.”

Psalm 1 sheds additional light on Hebrews 10:25: “[1] Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. [2] But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. [3] And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. [4] The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. [5] Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. [6] For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

ISRAEL’S LITTLE FLOCK DURING DANIEL’S 70TH WEEK

Israel’s believing remnant during the (future) seven-year Tribulation is to behave like John the Baptist’s converts and those Jewish kingdom believers in early Acts some 2,000 years ago; they are to separate themselves from the national apostate religious system and be ready for Jesus Christ to return for them. Just as a false religious system engrossed Israel back then, another false religious system, the Antichrist’s regime, will pollute Israel yet future from our day. This Antichrist (political leader) and his False Prophet (religious leader) will arise after our Dispensation of Grace is over. Our dispensation is parenthetical—what preceded it and what follows it are one and the same program. What prophetic program God would have finished back in early Acts He has postponed until after our mystery program ends. So, the verses from the previous sections—John the Baptist’s ministry and the early Acts period—carry over into the end-times portion of Israel’s prophetic program. The books of Hebrews through Revelation will be useful to Israel’s little flock during this time. We now begin to better understand Hebrews 10:25.

The Lord Jesus in His earthly ministry talked about how He would send angels at His Second Coming to gather His believing Jews. This is the ultimate “assembling” of Hebrews 10:25. As John preached years earlier in Matthew 3:11-12, believing Jews will be gathered into the garner (kingdom), and the unbelieving Jews will be gathered and thrown into fire (eternal hellfire). Jesus commenting in Matthew 24:30-31: “[30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Now we see why failing to gather with believers results in hell in Hebrews 10:25-27. It is not a common gathering at a local church building. It is not a member of the Body of Christ losing eternal life. It is rather a Jewish kingdom believer abandoning lost Israel, trusting Jesus as Messiah, thereby preparing to enter Christ’s Millennial Reign! It is a Jewish unbeliever being cast into hell for refusing to break away from wicked, apostate Israel!

GOD’S FIERY WRATH AT CHRIST’S SECOND COMING

Returning briefly to the wrath of Hebrews 10:26-29: “[26] For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, [27] But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. [28] He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: [29] Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” Now, verses 30 and 31: “[30] For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth to me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. [31] It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Those who fail to “assemble” with Jewish believers in verse 25, will be consumed by God’s righteous indignation, His vengeance (cf. Isaiah 61:2), when Jesus Christ returns to end the seven-year Tribulation. Remember, God’s impending judgment is connected to the Old Testament prophecies of Israel’s coming Messiah (Deuteronomy 32:22-43; Psalm 2:4-5; Psalm 68:1-8; Isaiah 34:1-15; Jeremiah 25:29-33; Joel 1:1–2:32; Nahum 1:1-8; Zechariah 14:12; et al.). Hence, John the Baptist, just before Messiah (Christ) Jesus began His earthly ministry, warned his audience of that “wrath to come,” when Jesus would baptize Israel “with fire,” “to burn up the chaff [lost Jews] with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:7-12). Jesus Himself forewarned of this future “burning,” this “fire,” when angels would gather unbelieving sinners and “cast [them] into a furnace of fire,” a place with “wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:30,40-42,49,50). At that Second Coming of Christ, the Jesus-rejecters (Matthew 24:37-41) and the Jewish-haters would be consumed and tossed into the lake of fire (Matthew 25:30,41-46). Jesus Christ will come back in “flaming fire” to take vengeance on rebels, those who want nothing to do with Him (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

As we commented earlier, the Apostle Peter concluded his famous Pentecost sermon with Acts 2:40: “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” Once again, the message in Hebrews 10:25 to Jews is clear: “Come out of that apostate, wicked, rebellious nation! Leave that vain religious system and trust Jesus as your Lord and Christ! Quit trying to please God with your works and come to Him by faith! This evil generation will be consumed in God’s wrath when Jesus comes back! Get right with Him now!” That Day of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming is that “day approaching” that Hebrews 10:25 refers to, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”) See how much sense this all is than a shallow explanation, “Come to church because Hebrews 10:25 says so!”? Revel in the richness of God’s Word rightly divided, dear friends! Oh, the clarity! Oh, the wisdom!

CONCLUSION

Hebrews 10:25 is not talking about going to “worship” in a church building in this the Dispensation of the Grace of God. Rather, it is God’s instructions to Israel in regards to staying doctrinally pure and being spiritually ready for the Messiah (the Lord Jesus) to come back and establish His earthly kingdom! They are to remain separate from Satan’s policy of evil, from the apostate system that has strangled Israel’s spiritual life. Those Jews who fail to assemble with believing Israel will be cast into hellfire when Jesus Christ returns (Hebrews 10:25-31).

The lesson we can take from this is simple. Satan has perfected his operations. What was advantageous to Satan’s program then is still successful right now. Never forget that the same pagan religious system that gripped Israel still pervades Christendom. (For more information, see our study linked at the end of this article, “Did Paul quote verses out of context in 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1?”) Hence, we do not appeal to clergymen, denominational teaching-bodies, preachers, catechisms, creeds, seminarians, papal bulls and encyclicals, et cetera. We should go to the Apostle Paul (Romans through Philemon) to learn what God has to say to us Gentiles, just as the nation Israel was to go to John the Baptist to learn what God had to say to them. Thus, we will be a pure agency for the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 11:1-33).

Also see:
» Why did Jesus forbid others from preaching that He was Christ?
» Who wrote the book of Hebrews?
» Did Paul quote verses out of context in 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1?

DISPENSATIONAL BIBLE STUDY, ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) / PROPHECY, Is prophecy being fulfilled in the Dispensation of Grace?, Is prophecy being fulfilled in the Dispensation of Grace?

Is prophecy being fulfilled in the Dispensation of Grace?

IS BIBLE PROPHECY BEING FULFILLED TODAY IN THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Prophecy is definitely not being fulfilled today in this the Dispensation of the Grace of God. Think about what events prophecy involves and then you will see why that is the case. Consider these three simple points:

ISSUE #1: PROPHECY’S CHIEF NATION IS FALLEN TODAY

Prophecy involves the formation of the nation Israel. Israel’s formation is not occurring today. There is no Israel of God today. Israel is currently “fallen,” cut off from God, “cast away,” “spiritually blinded,” and “enemies [of God]” (Romans 11:11-12, 15, 25, 28). Today, God is forming the Church the Body of Christ of (individual) believing Jews and believing Gentiles (see Ephesians 3:1-11). This Body of Christ is separate and distinct from the nation Israel. Today, salvation is going to the Gentiles through the fall of Israel. If the agency at the heart of the prophetic program (Israel) does not exist before God today, then the prophetic program itself cannot (and does not) operate right now.

ISSUE #2: PROPHECY’S GOAL IS NOT BEING ACCOMPLISHED TODAY.

Prophecy involves God reclaiming the Earth’s governments. That is not occurring today. Look around at the world’s governments today. Are they of the God of the Bible, or of Satan, “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4)? Rather than reclaiming real estate on Earth, God is influencing the government of heaven today (Ephesians 3:9-11). One day, when we Christians leave planet Earth, God will purge the offices of government in heaven and then place us the Church the Body of Christ into the roles of the fallen angels (Ephesians 1:20-23). In His own time, Jesus Christ will return to Earth and restore God’s authority in the Earth through redeemed Israel (see Revelation 11:15; Revelation 1:6; Revelation 20:4; et cetera). God is not fighting Israel’s battles today; hence, Israel Palestinian and Arab enemies are still browbeating them in the Middle East. Hence, today, Paul calls it this “present evil world” (Galatians 1:4). This planet will abound with evil until prophecy is brought to fruition. If the goal of the prophetic program (Earth’s restoration to God) is not being accomplished today, then the prophetic program itself cannot (and does not) operate right now.

ISSUE #3. PROPHECY’S NEXT STAGE—GOD’S WRATH—IS STILL DELAYED.

Prophecy involves God’s wrath being poured out on rebellious mankind (see Matthew 3:7-12; Acts 2: 32-36; Acts 3:22-26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 6:16-17; et al.). That is not occurring today. The Bible says that God is not imputing the world’s trespasses unto it (2 Corinthians 5:19). Today, as Paul declares in his epistles, God’s attitude toward the world is grace and peace (see Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 1 Timothy 1:12-16; et cetera). Through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, all nations can approach the God of the Bible (Ephesians 2:11-22). If the next stage of the prophetic program (God’s wrath) is not being exhibited today, then the prophetic program itself cannot (and does not) operate right now.

“RIGHT DIVISION” ENSURES WE UNDERSTAND THAT PROPHECY AND MYSTERY OPERATE APART FROM EACH OTHER

We read in Romans chapter 11: “[25] For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. [26] And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: [27] For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”

Prophecy and mystery cannot operate simultaneously. That is the purpose of the rapture—to ensure that prophecy remains unfulfilled until the mystery is completed (note Romans 11:25-29 above, especially how verse 25 [the mystery] transitions into verse 26, “as it is written” [prophecy resumes after mystery is finished]). The Church the Body of Christ—”the fulness of the Gentiles”—must be removed from Earth before God continues to deal with Israel again. The mystery program must be stopped on Earth in order for God to resume the prophetic program on Earth.

WHAT THE MAJORITY TEACHES ON THE SUBJECT OF MODERN-DAY BIBLE PROPHECY

Many people in the religious crowd talk about Bible prophecy being fulfilled today. Most commonly, they point to Israel’s founding as a modern state in 1948 and declare it a fulfillment of Deuteronomy, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah. (What they do not seem to realize is that Israel is still lost and Christ-rejecting. The Israel today is of man’s creation. It is not the work of God and not the Israel of God. When God brings Israel back into power as a nation, and He will do so one day, Israel will be saved and brought into the land not lost Israelites being brought into the land!)

People often use the Old Testament passages and talk about how God is judging America today for its sins (2 Chronicles 7:14 is commonly seen as the solution). Some use passages in the book of the Revelation to set dates as to when Jesus Christ will return in wrath. They talk about current political, religious, and economic events as though they are the signs of the Antichrist’s coming and the other signs of the times. They go to Matthew chapter 24 and put all these events into our Dispensation of Grace. We are urged to look at the wars, famines, diseases, pestilences, earthquakes, et cetera today and recognize them as fulfillment of Jesus’ Second Sermon on the Mount. They want to say that a part (or sometimes all) of these prophecies were fulfilled in A. D. 70 when Rome overran Jerusalem and destroyed her Temple.

The above people mean well (hopefully). Many of them may be saved individuals, Holy-Spirit-sealed people, genuine members of the Body of Christ, who have simply been misled by church tradition. Honestly, I think they are usually trying to prove the Bible to the skeptics. It is exciting to place ourselves on the prophetic timeline and declare, “What Jesus predicted is happening today! Look at this, look at that… the budding of the fig tree [referring to Israel in 1948], the Jews returning to the land of Palestine in airplanes chartered by Christians, the wars and rumors of wars, famines, diseases, and earthquakes, the moon turning to blood, the sun being darkened, et cetera… look at these signs that Jesus’ return is right upon us!” (For a more fuller treatment of a current example of this, see our study, “Should I be concerned about the four ‘blood’ moons?,” linked at the end of this study.)

WHY IT MATTERS – TEACHINGS ABOUT PROPHECY BEING FULFILLED IN THE MYSTERY PROGRAM ARE “PROFANE AND VAIN BABBLINGS”

So, why should we reject the notion that Bible prophecy is occurring in the mystery program? Does it even matter? After all, so many people believe prophecy is being fulfilled today. Why not just “go with the flow?” The prophecy preachers and “scholars” overwhelmingly agree that prophecy is being fulfilled today. (It may be that they are trying to prove the Bible, but I believe it is largely done to hype up people and sell books and television programming.) For example, someone may say to me, “It really does not matter if some Bible prophecy is being fulfilled today. What is the harm in saying prophecy is currently being fulfilled? Are we not proving the Bible?” Great question!

Remember, those in 2 Timothy 2:18—Hymanaeus and Philetus—erred. How did they blunder? The Bible says they mixed prophecy and mystery! They did not “rightly divide the word of truth” as verse 15 instructed. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:15-18: “[15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [16] But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. [17] And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; [18] Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.”

Hymanaeus and Philetus claimed that the resurrection of Christians (the rapture) had already happened. Note that they did not deny resurrection, they just misplaced it only the Bible timeline. By teaching that, they had already overthrown the faith of some. They made Christians believe they were now living in the seven-year Tribulation period, making those Christians doubt they had even been saved from that wrath in the first place. A similar false teaching had begun to trouble and corrupt the Thessalonians—see 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. If we say that prophecy is being fulfilled today, that would automatically place us into the prophetic program. That has dangerous doctrinal implications.

If prophecy were occurring today, that would mean that the rapture already happened, and since we are still on Earth and not in heaven, that would mean that we were never saved. When we say prophecy is being fulfilled today, the natural conclusion is the belief that we are now living in the seven-year Tribulation. Do you see how a major doctrinal problem has now arisen just by making the innocent-looking statement, “The Bible is true because we can see it being fulfilled all around us?” By “proving the Bible to be true,” we have caused much fear and doubt in the minds of Christians.

We will let 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 correct our thinking: “[6] And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. [7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” The Antichrist is being withheld today; he has not been revealed yet. The chief person of prophecy has not yet made his appearance in the world. Why? There is something hindering the prophetic program from operating! Our Dispensation of Grace and the Church the Body of Christ are the means whereby the Holy Spirit prevents prophecy from resuming! “[13] But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: [14] Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” From the beginning of our dispensation, we—the Church the Body of Christ—have been saved from the time of Jacob’s trouble, Daniel’s 70th week, God’s wrath during the seven-year Tribulation (the resuming of prophecy)!

By saying prophetic is being fulfilled today, we would thus miss the importance of keeping prophecy and mystery separate. We would begin to doubt our salvation, we would move away from Paul’s epistles, we would drift from our identity in Christ, we would cast doubt on many critical Bible passages, and so on. In other words, it would cause mass confusion in the minds of so many Christians (as if they are not confused enough!).

CONCLUSION

In their “zeal” to prove the Bible with so-called “modern-day Scriptural prophecies,” sensationalistic people challenge and destroy its dispensational layout and clarity. They are not handling the Bible dispensationally. Such denominational hype sells books and television programming but it is not sound Bible teaching. In short, it is not handling God’s Word properly. It is simply making the Scriptures confusing to an already-confused public. Preachers may do it, but never does Paul tell us to be looking for signs of the Antichrist. In fact, never does the Holy Spirit through Paul tell us to look for “signs of the end times” as the Lord Jesus did with Israel in Matthew chapter 24. The Bible says “the Jews require a sign” (1 Corinthians 1:22a). What are we Gentiles doing looking for signs? Do we not have the completed Bible to confirm God’s Word to us? Is the Body of Christ to be looking for “signs?” Of course not! We are the first people in the history of God’s dealings with man, to have a complete Bible, a written and finalized canon of 66 divinely-inspired books, so why do we need yet another revelation from God? (Those who say, “Look for God’s revelation in the heavens!” probably have not even read and believed all of the revelations of God He has given in the written Holy Bible!)

Remember, we turn to Paul’s epistles to learn what God is doing today. Paul discusses prophecy—such as in Romans chapters 9-11 and 2 Thessalonians chapter 2—but he never tells us to look for prophetic events. He gave these prophetic passages in order to show us we are not a part of them—they all deal with Israel, Israel, Israel, and Israel’s program, Israel’s program, Israel’s program. We are not to be looking for or trying to identify the Antichrist. We are not to be concerned about accepting his mark or embracing his false religion. We should not be looking for God’s wrath or Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. We should not be looking for redeemed Israel. Why? The prophetic program is on hold. It is not suspended forever, but it is suspended now. We know this because the next event on the prophetic timeline was wrath, and that divine judgment was stayed (delayed) in order to save Saul of Tarsus and make him the Apostle Paul (see our study linked at the end, “Why did Jesus Christ stand in Acts 7:55-56?”). Instead, we are to be looking for Christ’s coming for His Church, us, commonly called the rapture (Titus 2:13). Once the rapture occurs, then Israel’s prophetic program will resume and God will bring it to fruition. We can be sure of that!

Also see:
» Why was Saul of Tarsus’ name changed to Paul?
» Should I be concerned about the four “blood” moons?
» Why did Jesus Christ stand in Acts 7:55-56?

BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS / CONFUSING VERSES SIMPLIFIED, ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) / PROPHECY, THE NATION ISRAEL, What does “a land flowing with milk and honey” mean?, What does “a land flowing with milk and honey” mean?, What does “a land flowing with milk and honey” mean?

What does “a land flowing with milk and honey” mean?

WHAT DOES “A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY” MEAN?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Anyone who has grown up in church has undoubtedly heard the Promised Land being referred to as “a land flowing with milk and honey.” It is a most curious expression, is it not? Have you ever wondered what it means? As always, whenever we have a Bible question, we need to search the Bible to gain insight. “For what saith the Scriptures?”

The phrase “a land flowing [or ‘that floweth’] with milk and honey” appears 20 times in our King James Bible—Exodus 3:8, Exodus 3:17, Exodus 13:5, Exodus 33:3, Leviticus 20:24, Numbers 13:27, Numbers 14:8, Numbers 16:13, Numbers 16:14, Deuteronomy 6:3, Deuteronomy 11:9, Deuteronomy 26:9, Deuteronomy 26:15, Deuteronomy 27:3, Deuteronomy 31:20, Joshua 5:6, Jeremiah 11:5, Jeremiah 32:22, Ezekiel 20:6, and Ezekiel 20:15. While you are encouraged to look at all of these references on your own, we will look at a few of them here.

As just mentioned, the expression first appears in the Bible is Exodus 3:8, when the LORD appeared to Moses in the burning bush. The LORD said to Moses: “And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.” God said He would deliver the nation Israel from Egyptian slavery and bring them into the Promised Land, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Later, as He promised, He rescued them from Egypt, and He brought them to the edge of the Promised Land.

By the time of Numbers chapter 13, Israel had been free from Egypt for just over a year. The Jews had sent 12 spies to explore the land of Palestine. Moses instructed these spies: “And [see] what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes” (verse 20).

In verse 23, the spies arrived at the brook of Eshcol, and cut down a grape cluster (“Eshcol” is Hebrew for “grape cluster;” verse 24). This one cluster of grapes was so enormous that two men had to carry it on a pole! The spies also collected figs and pomegranates. After 40 days of scouting, the spies returned to Moses and Israel’s camp and showed them Canaan’s fruit: “And they told him [Moses], and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it” (verse 27). Numbers 14:7-8 continues: “[7] And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. [8] If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.” Deuteronomy 11:10-12 and Deuteronomy 31:20 also confirm that “flowing with milk and honey” indicated Canaan was a land of high agricultural productivity (pollination, green grass, flowering trees, water resources, abundant food, et cetera). Just think… rebellious Israel refused to go in!

God had been faithful in delivering Israel from centuries of Egyptian slavery. Now, He would be faithful to bring her into an “exceeding good land.” But, Israel doubted God, and wanted to send 12 spies to explore that land. After 40 days of exploring Canaan, the spies returned to Israel’s camp. Canaan, the Promised Land, was abounding with food and water, high agricultural productivity (“a land flowing with milk and honey”). The presence of milk-producing animals implied grasses and other vegetation. Honey indicated pollinating creatures such as bees. The spies showed Israel the large grape cluster, the pomegranates, and the figs they had collected in Canaan (Numbers 13:21-27). The 12 spies confirmed that God had indeed given them a very great land, but 10 spies feared military defeat by the Gentiles dwelling therein, so Israel refused to enter (Numbers 13:28–14:11). Thus, God, in His righteous anger, punished them via the 40-year wilderness wandering (Deuteronomy 1:21-ff.).

Today, the Promised Land does not exhibit the beauty it had in Moses’ day. It is desolate and barren. But, that will change at Christ’s Second Coming and the following earthly kingdom. The Promised Land will be restored, and the curse of sin will be broken (Isaiah 51:3; Joel 3:17-21, Micah 4:1-3; et al.).

In fact, according to Amos 9:11-15, the LORD promised: “[11] In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: [12] That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. [13] Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. [14] And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. [15] And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.”

One day, Israel will eternally dwell in her land, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” The best is yet to come for the little nation of Israel!

Also see:
» Is God finished with the nation Israel?
» Who is “the Bride of Christ?”
» When will the Old Testament saints be resurrected?

ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) / PROPHECY, Who will have children in the Millennium?

Who will have children in the Millennium?

WHO WILL HAVE CHILDREN IN THE MILLENNIUM?

by Shawn Brasseaux

Before answering your question using the Bible, for the benefit of our readers unfamiliar with the passage to which you are referring, we will read the Bible passage first.

The Holy Spirit moved the Prophet Isaiah to write in chapter 11 of his massive book: “[1] And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: [2] And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; [3] And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: [4] But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. [5] And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. [6] The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. [7] And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. [8] And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den. [9] They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

Above is a brief description of the Millennial (1000-Year) Reign of Jesus Christ, when the God of creation will come back to this planet and utterly destroy its evil world system. He will remove the sinners and place them into hell, He will redeem the nation Israel from her sins, He will restructure the governments of Earth, and He will reverse the ecology of this planet. There will be no predation in the animal kingdom; all animals will eat vegetation as in the beginning, before sin entered (Genesis 1:29-30). There will be no more evil spirits loose on Earth and no idolatry in Israel (Zechariah 13:1-2); Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit for that entire 1,000-year period (see Revelation 20:1-7). There will be righteousness and justice as Jesus Christ personally, literally, physically, visibly rules over Israel and all nations; His kingdom will be headquartered in Jerusalem. Yes, it is literal, despite that some teach it is “spiritual,” claiming that it does not mean what it says. The Bible says exactly what it means, and it means exactly what it says.

In Isaiah’s prophecy above, we see “a little child” (verse 6) leading the wolf, the lamb, the leopard, the kid (baby goat), the calf, the young lion, and the fatling (a young animal such as a calf or lamb). “The sucking [nursing] child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den” (verse 8). These human children are playing by the hole of the asp (a venomous snake) and by the den of the cockatrice (another type of venomous snake), and yet they are unharmed because the curse on creation has been lifted! From where did these human children come?

The greatest number of children born during the Millennium will evidently come from believing Gentiles who blessed believing Israel during the seven-year Tribulation. These Gentiles are described in Matthew 25:31-40 (which read in your Bible). Furthermore, there are a number of believing Jews who will not die during the seven-year Tribulation. In that group of Jewish believers, a large number of Jews will be hiding out in the wilderness, free from the wrath of the Antichrist, God taking care of them until the seven years end (Revelation 12:5-6,13-17). Believing Jews (we do not know the exact number) will be physically alive to see Jesus Christ literally come back to Earth at His Second Coming (Zechariah 13:8-9; cf. Zechariah 12:10; Matthew 24:30-31; Mark 13:26-27; Luke 21:27-28). Evidently, these Jews, having never died, will also enter the 1,000-Year Reign of Jesus Christ with the ability to reproduce.

When the Sadducees asked Jesus a captious question, an inquiry to try to trip Him up in His words, He provided some insight into the matter we are currently discussing. We will just break into the context to see what He had to say in Matthew chapter 22: “[23] The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, [24] Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. [25] Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: [26] Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. [27] And last of all the woman died also. [28] Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. [29] Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. [30] For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”

Notice how Jesus said that those who are resurrected do not marry and are not given in marriage. Evidently, any believer resurrected to go into the Millennium will not be able to reproduce. In other words, the Old Testament saints, the believers from Christ’s earthly ministry and early Acts, and those Tribulation saints who died, they will be resurrected to enter Jesus Christ’s earthly kingdom. Because they will be resurrected, they will no longer be able to marry and thus not be able to reproduce.

CONCLUSION

Considering what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 22:30, and what Isaiah wrote in chapter 11, the children born during the Millennium will be the children of believing Jew and believing Gentile parents who survived Daniel’s 70th week, those who never died, those who did not receive resurrected bodies.

Also see:
» When will the Old Testament saints be resurrected?
» Why is the Millennium necessary? (LINK TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE)
» Who will reign with the Lord during the 1000 years? (LINK TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE)

DENOMINATIONS, CULTS, & FALSE TEACHING, ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) / PROPHECY, Should I be concerned about the four “blood moons?”, Should I be concerned about the four “blood moons?”

Should I be concerned about the four “blood moons?”

SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FOUR “BLOOD MOONS?”

by Shawn Brasseaux

Since 2008, but especially during the last year, there has been much discussion in “Christian” (?) circles about “blood-moon prophecy.” The four total lunar eclipses of 2014 and 2015, and their connection to Jewish feast days, has led some to speculate that these “signs in the heavens” are a message from God. It is hypothesized that, in light of these events, something highly significant will occur in relation to the nation Israel. Some have gone so far as to say that these astronomical phenomena may indicate that Jesus Christ is returning soon.

Is there any merit to these claims? What should we believe? Dear friends, it is always important to remember that we need to believe the Scriptures instead of best-selling “Christian” paperbacks. It is always important to remember that we should not believe and parrot idle speculation that really has nothing to do with the Bible. We must read the Scriptures if we are to be Bible believers, so let us let us see what the Scriptures say about the 2014–2015 tetrad of blood moons, if anything at all.

WHAT IS A “BLOOD MOON?”

A lunar eclipse, occurring only during a full moon, happens when part of Earth’s shadow is cast onto the Moon. The lunar surface is thus darkened. During a total lunar eclipse, all of Earth’s shadow covers the Moon. As sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, it is reflected onto the Moon’s surface, and that causes the Moon to appear copper or deep red in color. This lunar appearance is aptly called a “blood moon.” It is a most beautiful sight (you can search for “blood moon” images on the internet).

HOW DID THIS “BLOOD-MOON PROPHECY” START?

Two books published within the last year have promoted the idea that God may be speaking to us via the 2014–2015 four total lunar eclipses. Well-known pastor John Hagee from Texas wrote “Four Blood Moons” and lesser-known pastor Mark Blitz in Washington State authored “Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs.” Scripture passages that are used to support this “blood-moon prophecy” include Genesis 1:14, Joel 2:31, Matthew 24:29-30, Luke 21:25-28, and Acts 2:19-20. These verses have been used to urge people to be aware of “signs of things to come” with regards to the total lunar eclipses of 2014–2015. Some have gone so far as to say that Jesus Christ could possibly return in conjunction with these events.

Observe the following advertisement for Hagee’s work:

“It’s rare that Scripture, science and history align with each other, yet the last three series of Four Blood Moons have done exactly that. Are these the ‘signs’ that God refers to in His Word? If they are, what do they mean? What is their prophetic significance? In this riveting audio book, Pastor John Hagee explores the supernatural connection of certain celestial events to biblical prophecy—and to the future of God’s chosen people and to the nations of the world. Just as in biblical times, God is controlling the sun, the moon and the stars to send our generation a signal that something big is about to happen. The question is: are we watching and listening to His message?”

Dear friends, should we look for “signs in the heavens” in 2014 and 2015 as indications of God’s impending wrath? Are these “signs” of Israel’s soon-victory over her enemies? Are these lunar events a sign of Jesus Christ’s soon return? We will better analyze these claims.

THE BLOOD MOONS OF 1949–1950, 1967–1968, AND 2014–2015

When Israel became a nation in modern times on May 14, 1948, it is said that Ezekiel 36:24 was fulfilled (while we will address it more fully later, this is an incorrect conclusion according to the rightly divided Word of God, since we are living in the mystery program, not the prophetic program). Four total lunar eclipses (a tetrad of blood moons) were associated with May 14, 1948—April 13, 1949 (Passover); October 7, 1949 (Feast of Tabernacles); April 2, 1950 (Passover); and September 26, 1950 (Feast of Tabernacles).

Around the Six-Day War of June 5-10, 1967; there were four blood moons associated with this time—April 24, 1967 (Passover); October 18, 1967 (Feast of Tabernacles); April 13, 1968 (Passover); and October 6, 1968 (Feast of Tabernacles). The Six-Day War resulted in Israel capturing the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.

I gathered quotes of John Hagee and Mark Blitz from various online news sources, in order to critically analyze some of their claims in this brief study. Let us look at some of these quotes now.

“Does God use the sun, moon and starts to communicate with us? Does He use the heavens as His own personal, high-definition billboard to announce things to come? According to John Hagee, pastor of Cornerstone Church, a New York Times bestselling author, founder of John Hagee Ministries and Christians United for Israel, the answer is yes. In an astonishing new non-fiction book, ‘Four Blood Moons,’ Hagee draws on scripture, NASA science and recorded history to explore the significance of astronomical events and to caution believers of a momentous, upcoming series of lunar events that may directly impact not only the nation of Israel but possibly all of mankind.”

According to Hagee, tetrads of blood-moons have occurred on the Hebrew feast days of Passover and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) only three times in the last 500 years. In addition to the 1949–1950 and 1967–1968 blood moons, Hagee points out that four blood moons in 1492–1493 on Passover and Feast of Tabernacles: “This signified the beginning of the fall of Spain following the expulsion of the Jews a year earlier and was God’s announcement to the world that ‘the mantle of prosperity had thusly been placed on the shoulders of the infant nation that would become the United States’ since it became a refuge for the Jewish people.”

Hagee wrote that four blood moons would be seen in 2014–2015 around the times of Passover (April 15, 2014 and April 4, 2015) and Tabernacles (October 8, 2014 and September 28, 2015). Between the first two blood moons and the last two blood moons—on March 20, 2015—there will be a solar eclipse on the Jewish holy day Rosh Hashanah. According to Hagee, is there a prophetic significance? “Over the last 500 years, these lunar events all falling on holy days were an announcement of a time of tears and tribulation that ended in tremendous national triumph for the Jewish people. There are no solar [or] lunar accidents; every heavenly body is controlled by the unseen hand of God to send signals to humanity of coming events.”

As a side-note, while doing research for this study, I learned that some “blood-moon prophecy” advocates had speculated that Israel would fulfill various Bible prophecies in 2013 or 2014 regarding her enemies. You notice that these years are now past. Do you ever remember hearing such news in 2013 or 2014 about Israel gaining any victories over her enemies? The Middle East battle rages on even today!

THE QUESTIONABLE NATURE OF THE “BLOOD-MOON PROPHECY”

As stated earlier, quotes of John Hagee and Mark Blitz were gathered from various online news sources, in order to critically analyze some of their claims in this brief study. We will look at more of these quotes now.

  • “In ‘Four Blood Moons,’ Hagee cautions that while no one knows the mind of God, the anticipation of these events does tell us that God is getting ready to change the course of human history.” (The reader will note that while “no one knows the mind of God,” the “blood-moon prophecy” proponents frequently talk as if they are speaking on God’s behalf and talking as if God were moving them. They quote Bible verses to support their claims, and yet they confess that they really do not know what God is thinking!)
  • In this group, we hear about “blood moons” and a “possible connection to an imminent return of Jesus to Earth.” (They safely state that their claims are possibly related to Jesus Christ’s return, but they never say it with any certainty. Despite all the publicity that we need to listen to their information, there is a chance that Jesus may not come when they speculate. In other words, their information may very well turn out to be worthless. If it is, will they refund all of their consumers of their hard-earned money wasted on their books, CDs, and DVDs?)
  • The aforementioned preacher, Mark Blitz, known for his book “Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs,” was quoted as saying: “All these signs, coming together at one time, are potentially the culminating signals that God is closing this chapter of human history. This could be the final curtain call before the Great Tribulation mentioned in the Bible.” (“Potentially” and “could be” are key words that they are not preaching Bible, but idle speculations meant to hype gullible Christians and get them to buy books and other media. It is such a shame that there are economic incentives in publishing “Christian” bestsellers that are not necessarily God’s truth. What did the Lord say in Matthew 23:14? “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”)
  • “People of Earth will be watching the skies in 2014 and 2015 for possible harbingers [omens, indications] of the return of Jesus.” “The pastor is now sounding the alarm about what the celestial events could mean for our immediate future here on Earth.” “Four total lunar eclipses happening the next two years herald possible war in the Middle East as well as global economic collapse.” (Again, while heralded as the “Word of God,” an “anointed message from God,” it is idle speculation. They are linking events with passages the Bible does not. We will address it more fully in just a few moments.)
  • Mark Blitz claimed that he used NASA’s website to discover that a tetrad of blood moons coincided with the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles in the 1900s. In addition, he claimed that lunar eclipses foretold and coincided with the destruction of Jerusalem’s Temple in A.D. 70. “Biltz stresses what makes the coming events so startling is the fact they’ll take place during the Feast of Passover and Feast of Tabernacles in consecutive years. An image from the ‘Blood Moons’ DVD shows the dates of lunar eclipses in 2014 and 2015 coinciding with two major biblical feasts. “This has happened only eight times over the last 2,000 years!” Biltz said. “And the last two times these occurred on the Jewish holidays there was a war in the Middle East regarding the nation of Israel. These are patterns and historical facts that cannot be disregarded. The Jewish Talmud records that total lunar eclipses are indicators or omens for the nation of Israel.” (Bold emphasis mine.)

GENESIS 1:14, RIPPED OUT OF CONTEXT

“God said in Genesis 1:14 that He created the sun and moon and stars for signals on His feast days,” said Biltz. “Now I had a key to unlocking the code.”

Blitz is sadly mistaken when it comes to Genesis 1:14. Genesis 1:14 says, “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” No Bible believer is recorded in Scripture to have ever observed a single feast day between the times of Adam and Moses. The God of the Bible sanctioned no holy feast days until Moses, some 2,500 years after creation (Leviticus chapter 23, Israel’s feasts days to hold in worship to JEHOVAH God)! Originally, the sun, the moon, and the stars were simply methods of keeping time: the word “sign” in Genesis 1:14 does not carry a miraculous-demonstration definition (that would be true once the nation Israel came on the scene beginning in chapter 12). Again, the lights in the heavens were instituted apart from any feast days.

ASTRONOMICAL SIGNS AND THE END TIMES

Someone may ask at this point, “Yeah, but the blood-moon-prophecy advocates have Scripture to prove their point. The Bible talks about ‘blood moons’ preceding and accompanying Jesus Christ’s Second Coming.” This person would be absolutely right—the Bible says astronomical events will accompany Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. It says the moon will appear blood red and also the sun will be darkened (by the way, how much do we hear about the latter part of the prophecy being fulfilled anytime soon?).

In Matthew 24:3, we read about Jesus’ famous Second Olivet Discourse: “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” And verses 29-30: “[29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: [30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Mark recorded that same sermon this way: “[24] But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, [25] And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken” (Mark 13:24-25). Luke says in chapter 21, verse 25: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;”

The Apostle John picked up on the thought in Revelation 6:12-13: “[12] And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; [13] And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.”

Centuries before Jesus spoke and John wrote these words, the Prophet Joel had written: “[30] And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. [31] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come” (Joel 2:30-31). The Holy Ghost led Peter to quote Joel in Acts 2:20: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:”

Again, these astronomical phenomena lead up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (and notice that they occur during the seven-year Tribulation—are we living in the seven-year Tribulation? NO!). Remember, we are not looking for Jesus Christ to come back in wrath (the verses quoted above). We are looking for Him to take us home to heaven with Him before He pours out His wrath on this evil, Christ-rejecting world (1 Thessalonians 5:1-10). Dispensational Bible study prevents us from confusing ourselves with the nation Israel and her prophetic program. We are the Church the Body of Christ. Never does the Apostle Paul instruct us to look for signs in the heaven as we wait for the Rapture. Please check Romans through Philemon yourself. The Holy Spirit did not lead the Apostle Paul to instruct us as members of the Church the Body of Christ, to look for signs in the heavens. Would the Holy Spirit move anyone today to tell us that we need to watch the sun and moon for signs? (With that said, are the “blood-moon prophecy” people really speaking on behalf of the God of the Bible?)

As some have pointed out, Israel’s religious calendar is based on the Moon’s movements, so there is certainly to be lunar activity connected with Israel’s feast days. Having a full moon or a total lunar eclipse on a major Jewish feast day is not so “supernatural.” As a Bible believer, I see the total lunar eclipses of the last 500 years occurring in relation to Jews, as a coincidence. I do not seek a word from God outside of the Bible; He has already spoken and I need to read and believe what He has said in the Holy Scriptures! As a member of the Body of Christ, I will not be here on Earth when the “signs in the heavens” occurred. I, along with all the other Christians, will be serving my Lord Jesus Christ in heaven!

A FRIENDLY WORD OF CAUTION

The God of the Bible does not encourage us to keep any of Israel’s feast days in our dispensation. According to Galatians 4:9-11 and Colossians 2:16-17, no Bible believer would observe any of Israel’s religious feasts in the Dispensation of Grace. The average Jew today rejects Jesus Christ as a false Messiah, most practicing Jews being too caught up in apostate religion as most Christians are caught up in pagan religion. Dear friends, there is no merit before God today regarding holy days—so why would He use them to tell us a message? We are under grace not law (Romans 6:14-15). God is certainly not using an apostate religious system (Judaism) to communicate a message to us. We have every revelation from God in the Holy Bible. Either the Bible is complete, or it is not. If we must look at the heavens to find a word from God, then that is equivalent to adding apocryphal books to the Bible and calling them “holy scripture.” Have any of these “blood-moon prophecy” advocates realized the magnitude of the heresy they are promoting?

The Bible is very clear, “the Jews require a sign” (1 Corinthians 1:22). What did the Lord Jesus Himself say? “Except ye [Jews] see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). Hence, Jews asked Jesus for “the sign of [His] coming, and of the end of the world” (Matthew 24:3; cf. Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7). Never does the Bible say that Gentiles look for signs, miraculous demonstrations, to learn something God is communicating. So, what are Gentiles doing looking for signs today? It makes no sense. The reason why it does not make sense is because they are using Israel’s verses, Israel’s doctrine, Israel’s program, Israel’s miracles, Israel’s mentality, and winding up in the snare of the Devil, totally ignorant of what God is doing today. They are not “rightly dividing the word of truth” as the Apostle Paul commanded in 2 Timothy 2:15. It only follows that if they confuse themselves with Israel, they will behave like Israel and look for signs. The “blood-moon prophecy” matter is nothing but a subtle spiritual trap and the Christian had better be on guard!

As God’s spokesman to us, Paul never tells us to look for “signs” of Jesus’ coming. We as Gentiles do not need signs: we have the completed canon of Scripture, the completed Bible. We do not need to look at extra-biblical sources of information regarding spiritual issues; the Bible is our final authority, not hunches, superstitions, church tradition, or bestselling “Christian” books. God is not trying to “get our attention” with events outside of the Bible (unless, of course, we are bold enough to say that the Bible is incomplete and we had to finish the “inspired” record ourselves!). What is called a “powerful spiritual teaching,” the “handiwork of God,” is nothing but apostasy in a subtle form. How we need to be vigilant regarding the Adversary’s working!

We can see that the prophecy preachers capitalizing on the “four blood moons” phenomena are not being led by God’s Spirit. They make it clear that they are not sure what is going to happen, if anything, regarding these occurrences. People caught up in this issue are still asking, “What do these signs mean?” and “Are these biblical harbingers [omens, indications] of things to come for the world and for God’s people?” They cannot tell us what these events mean, and if they cannot tell us the meanings, they are obviously just as clueless as the rest of us. Dear readers, even if it were a message from God, it sounds like God has great difficulty in communicating it. Dear friends, throughout the Bible, God’s prophecies are not so hazy, so doubtful, and so shaky. Even with the completed Bible, Christianity still gropes in darkness as to what God wants us to know. How sad! The prophecies of the Bible are specific, and to take these precious prophecies and try to force to match current events to prove the Bible is true, is to do nothing but bring disappointment about and more hostility toward the Bible, for the Bible said nothing about the events it is presumed to explain.

Blitz was quoted earlier as saying, “The Jewish Talmud records that total lunar eclipses are indicators or omens for the nation of Israel.” The Talmud is a book of Jewish rabbinical tradition. Like Christendom’s fixation on denominational teaching to interpret the Bible, the Talmud is a book being used here to interpret the Bible from the Jewish perspective! No wonder the “blood-moon prophecy” is dominated by speculation and uncertainty.

CONCLUSION

Truth be told, the “blood-moon prophecy” hype is nothing but that—“hype.” People want to sell books and make a profit. The Bible is the world’s best-selling book, so if you write about it, your book is sure to sell as well! While there are many sincere people advocating this viewpoint, it is dangerous because it removes us from God’s Word to us (Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon) and causes us to look at something else. What it comes down to is the issue of authority. Who will we believe? Preachers or the Bible? We are urged to look at Israel’s Scriptures and astronomical phenomena and see ourselves, and neither is the means whereby God speaks to us today in the Dispensation of Grace. People I have spoken with who are caught up in this matter are confused and fearful. They do not have God’s peace, they are worried about the end of the world. “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33), and the “blood-moon prophecy” camp is nothing but confusion. “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7), and the “blood-moon prophecy” camp is nothing but fear. Months ago, I talked with one woman who was so fearful because she was caught up in the “blood-moon prophecy” literature. Additionally, a Christian of three decades (someone else with whom I dealt) was utterly confused and clueless. Friends, Satan is hard at work confusing lost and saved alike, making God’s Word less clear.

Again, while many of these “blood-moon prophecy” people are sincere, desperately trying to defend the Bible as “scientific” and “accurate,” they are actually creating fear toward, confusion about, and scorn for the Bible. By the end of 2015, if nothing significant in Israel has occurred regarding these predictions, the Bible critics will have even more ammunition to use against God’s Word. There will be more ridicule aimed at the Holy Bible, more confusion about the Holy Bible, and more doubt about the Holy Bible.

Beloved, may we not be on the lookout for signs in heaven, but for shams on Earth!

Also see:
» Does God intervene in my life? If so, how?
» What is “the Dispensation of Grace?”
» How does Satan operate today?

ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) / PROPHECY, When was the book of the Revelation written?

When was the book of the Revelation written?

WHEN WAS THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION WRITTEN?

by Shawn Brasseaux

“You mention the canon of scripture complete @ 68ad. Many say Revelation was written in 96ad. Do you hold that Revelation was written before 68ad?” Thank you for submitting this question, and driving us to search the Bible for any clues regarding the penning of the book of the Revelation.

For a long time, I held the common view that John wrote his Gospel record, his three little epistles, and the Revelation between A.D. 90 and 100. Why did I believe that? Only because I had heard it all my life in church. Friend, I did not have a verse to support the view, so I gave up the view and kept the verses! It is a traditional idea, something that has been repeated so long and so often that no one really remembers that it lacks any Scriptural support. I will share the verses that changed my view, in just a few moments.

From what I have researched, there is no solid Biblical evidence to support the view that John wrote in A.D. 90-100. To have John writing 20 or 30 years after the deaths of Peter and Paul and some 60 or 70 years after Calvary is strange to me. Why would God have such a huge gap in New Testament chronology?

Actually, to have Revelation dated so late is, I think, partially due to a misreading of John 21:22-24. It is said that Jesus claimed John would live to be an old man, and as an old man he would see Jesus return to Earth (or at least John would see a glimpse of Jesus’ Second Coming, a supposed reference to John’s visions recorded in the book of the Revelation). If you study that passage closely in John, however, it reads so that we know there was a similar misunderstanding amongst the disciples. The Holy Spirit made sure we see that John living until Christ would come back was attached to a big “IF” (conditional, hypothetical, not 100% truth). Jesus never actually said John would live to see His Second Coming.

Then, there are the “preterists,” people who say that most or all of Bible prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Rome overran Jerusalem and burned the Temple. They say Jesus came back at His Second Coming in A.D. 70 and established the earthly kingdom (is that ridiculous or what?!). Perhaps church tradition dated John’s writings (particularly the Revelation) to be A.D. 90-100 in order to disprove the preterists’ view. If John wrote about Christ’s coming as future from A.D. 90-100, it is said to combat preterists, then Christ did not come back in A.D. 70 (John’s writing would be pointless). While assigning John’s writings to A.D. 90-100 does indeed prove the preterists wrong, I believe it causes us to disagree with verses that indicate Paul wrote the last Bible book. The preterists are wrong for many reasons (beyond the scope of this study), but we do not need to disregard verses just to date John’s writings so late.

Here are two passages that convinced me that the book of the Revelation and John’s other Bible books were written much earlier than most scholars say.

1. COLOSSIANS 1:23-27

“[23] If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; [24] Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: [25] Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; [26] Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: [27] To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

One of the tasks the God of the Bible gave the Apostle Paul was for him to “fulfil the word of God.” Paul was commissioned to finish the Bible—to bring its revelation to completion—by writing the mystery program. When Paul finished writing his last epistle (which was 2 Timothy in light of 4:6-8), the revelation from God was complete. Israel’s writers had already summed up the prophetic program, and now Paul had summed up the mystery program. All of God’s will was now disclosed. Apostles Peter and Paul are estimated to have died under Roman Emperor Nero’s reign. I have read their demises occurred anywhere from A.D. 64 to 68. Obviously, Paul could not have written past his death, so I just use the latter year for simplicity. Paul wrote 2 Timothy no later than A.D. 68. To have John come 20 or 30 years later (A.D. 90-100) writing further revelation from God would not fit with these verses.

2. II TIMOTHY 3:16-17

A second passage I use in regards to dating Revelation (or all of John’s books) is 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “[16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [17] That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Paul considered the Bible complete. By writing 2 Timothy, he was writing the last book, and in that last book, he talked about a full revelation from God. In the Apostle’s mind, Christians did not need another word from God (again, prophecy was fully disclosed and mystery was fully disclosed, as I mentioned earlier). Had John’s five books (the Gospel According to John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and the Revelation) been written in A.D. 90-100, that meant a fifth of the New Testament was absent when Paul wrote 2 Timothy. How could God consider a New Testament with 22 books—five books short of the 27 books we have today—enough for Christian living to be experienced to its fullest? Whether in our mystery program or Israel’s prophetic program, believers would still be lacking five books to from which to learn and in which to be edified. Hence, I would conclude that 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says everything that God wants us to do, was now written down, and Paul could finish his ministry (the Bible now finished).

CONCLUSION

Dear friend, I have no desire to dictate to you what you should or should not believe about this matter. You are free to believe as you like, but you should be as informed as possible before you take a stand on any doctrinal matter. Thus, what I can do is provide you with the method whereby I came to a conclusion in my own mind some time back. Ask yourself three questions: “Are there any verses that support the idea that John wrote his books at such a late date as A.D. 90-100?” (I never found any.) “Are there any verses that disprove the idea that John wrote his books at such a late date?” (I believe I have found two passages.) “Are there any verses that indicate which was the last Bible book to be written?” (Again, I believe I have found two passages.) What I do urge you to do is look at Colossians 1:23-27 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and come to your own conclusion. The Bible-believing view would be to believe the Bible and let go of everything else.

It is in light of these verses and comments that I believe all New Testament Bible books were written before A.D. 68. Paul wrote the last Bible book (2 Timothy) no later than A.D. 68, and Peter wrote his last epistle (2 Peter) just before this time. To have the Apostle John writing near the end of the first century A.D. (90-100) would seem rather odd to me, considering the general consensus that almost all of the non-Johannine books of the New Testament were written 30 or so years earlier.

To me, these verses make it clear that Paul wrote the last Bible book. I have yet to have anyone give me any verses that suggest John was almost 100 when he wrote his Bible books. Although I once believed in such a late date for the Johannine books, I did not have a single verse to support that position. One day, I relinquished the view, and took a stand on verses I did have. May you too have joy and peace in believing the precious Word of God (Romans 15:13)!

Also see:
» Must I study the Bible in its original languages to understand it?
» Which Bible version should I use?
» What is the “that which is perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10?

HOLIDAYS, Were there really three wise men?, Were there really three wise men?

Were there really three wise men?

WERE THERE REALLY THREE WISE MEN? WHAT ARE FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH?

by Shawn Brasseaux

The “wise men” are often called “the Magi,” the Greek word translated as such in our English Bible. They are very enigmatic Bible characters because they only appear in Scripture in Matthew chapter 2. In Nativity Scenes, we see the wise men portrayed as kings—three kings to be exact. While the Bible is silent about their names, church tradition refers to them as Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar. The Bible never indicates how many wise men visited the Lord Jesus either. It is assumed that, because three gifts were presented, there were three wise men. Actually, there could have a dozen wise men—it does not matter the number, what we need to guard against is saying something is in the Bible when it is not.

Furthermore, there is no definitive proof in the Bible that the wise men were royalty. Psalm 72:10, which is probably one source of this confusion, is descriptive of kings bringing gifts to King Solomon (historical) and the Lord Jesus Christ when His establishes His earthly kingdom (prophetic)—it is not a verse that applies to Christ’s First Coming but rather His Second Coming. Isaiah 60:6, another confused verse, is not descriptive of Christ’s First Coming but rather His kingdom on Earth (yet future). We will look at Isaiah 60:6 in more detail later.

From Matthew chapter 2, we learn the following eight facts about the wise men:

  1. They were from the East (Matthew 2:1)—perhaps from Babylon. The important thing to remember is that they were living east of Jerusalem when they saw the star. They were undoubtedly Gentiles (non-Jews).
  2. They saw Jesus’s star in the east—the wise men were astrologers, or what we would call today astronomers (people who study the heavens, the movements of celestial bodies). King Nebuchadnezzar had similar officials serving in his court back in Daniel’s day (Daniel 1:20; Daniel 2:2, 27; Daniel 4:7, 9; Daniel 5:11). Dr. Strong defines the word translated “wise men” (Magi) as “Oriental scientists; by implication, magicians:—sorcerers, wise men.” The Hebrew Bible uses this word in Jeremiah 39:3 and Jeremiah 39:13 when referring to the name of a Babylonian prince, “Rabmag.” The wise men were very educated for their time, men skilled in science (hence their name, “wise men”), and, in light of Daniel, probably high-ranking officials in some foreign government.
  3. They have enough knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures to recognize that the King of the Jews is to be born, for His special star has appeared (Matthew 2:2). This star accompanying the Messiah was prophesied by Balaam in Numbers 24:17. Unlike the unbelieving Jews, the wise men believed the Scriptures and were joyful to see them fulfilled.
  4. They know to go to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, where David’s throne was, where the Messiah King of Israel should be.
  5. Unlike the Jewish people who should have joyfully accepted their Messiah (but were rather troubled), the wise men were glad of the arrival of King Jesus, and, to King Herod’s disdain, they were come to worship Him instead of Herod (Matthew 2:1-3)!
  6. King Herod, claiming that he wants to worship Him with them, sends the wise men to locate the child Jesus and report back to him (Matthew 2:8-9). They wise men do not realize Herod wants to secretly kill Jesus—a dream from God later reveals that information to them, and instructs them to sneak away back to their foreign land without convening with Herod (Matthew 2:12).
  7. Contrary to what we see in Nativity Scenes, the wise men did not visit the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem but rather went to Nazareth, to the house of Joseph and Mary. There, they found Jesus was “a young child” (Matthew 2:9,11,13,14). In fact, Jesus could have been as much as two years old here (Matthew 2:16).
  8. They brought Jesus presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and they worshipped Him (Matthew 2:11). They did not present Mary Jesus’s mother with gifts, and they did not worship and pay homage to Mary. They worshipped Jesus Christ and presented gifts to Him.

WHY THE GIFTS OF GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, AND MYRRH? WHAT ARE “FRANKINCENSE” AND “MYRRH” ANYWAY?

Why did the wise men present gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus? Before we get to that, we will analyze what frankincense and myrrh actually are.

Frankincense is the dried sap of trees whose scientific name is Boswellia sacra. These trees are native to Yemen, Oman, and the Horn of Africa, including Somalia and Ethiopia. After being dried, the sap is burned as incense (this expensive product has a lemony, musky odor). Frankincense is thought to have several medicinal properties.

Myrrh is the dried resin of tree species known as Commiphora, trees found in Somalia, Yemen, and eastern Ethiopia. Like frankincense, it is expensive (once as valuable as gold), known for its medicinal properties, and burned as incense (often in religious settings). Myrrh is extracted by using a crushing technique. It has a rich, distinct scent—earthy and bitter. Myrrh was mixed with wine and given to Jesus just before His crucifixion, but, because it was an anesthetic, He refused it (Mark 15:23). Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes to anoint Jesus’ corpse (John 19:39). Interestingly, the city of “Smyrna” (Revelation 1:11; Revelation 2:8) derives it name from the Greek word translated “myrrh” in Matthew 2:11 and John 19:39. Myrrh can also be found in the context of gifts, spices, perfume, and incense in Genesis 37:25, Genesis 43:11, Exodus 30:23, Esther 2:12, Psalm 45:8, Proverbs 7:17, Song of Solomon 1:13, Song of Solomon 3:6, Song of Solomon 4:6,14, and Song of Solomon 5:1,5,13.

Interestingly, the wise men worship Jesus, not Mary and/or the angel, and they bring Him gifts of “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). Why these gifts of all things? Gold is for a King, frankincense is for a Priest, and myrrh is for a Prophet—Jesus is all three (King—Isaiah 9:6-7; Priest—Zechariah 6:13; Prophet—Deuteronomy 18:15,18). Amazingly, Isaiah 60:6, written some 700 years beforehand, even prophesied Gentiles would bring God gifts of gold and frankincense. You will notice that myrrh is absent from Isaiah 60:6. Messiah will not suffer at His Second Coming—myrrh is unnecessary here. The only gifts needed in the Kingdom, the context of Isaiah 60:6, are gold and frankincense: Christ being a King (gold; Isaiah 9:6-7) and Christ being a Priest on His throne (frankincense; Zechariah 6:13).

CONCLUSION

According to the Bible, Matthew chapter 2, an indeterminate number of wise men from the east (Gentiles) saw the star of Christ, so they traveled to Jerusalem, inquiring where to find Christ, the King of Jews (verses 1,2). King Herod and Jerusalem were troubled, and Herod summoned Israel’s religious leaders to tell him where the Messiah would be born. They told him, according to Micah 5:2, “Bethlehem of Judaea” (verses 3-6). Herod then sent the wise men to seek Jesus, hoping to find and destroy Him (lest He become king and end Herod’s reign).

The star lead the wise men to Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary lived in a “house”—not the manger scene. Also, note that Jesus was not a baby when the wise men visited, but rather a “young child” (verses 9,11). He could have been as much as two years old (verse 16). By the way, according to Numbers 24:17, that star—an angel (cf. Job 38:7)—that the wise men saw signified the Messiah-King of Israel… they were wise in that they recognized and followed it! Sadly, these Gentiles had more respect for Israel’s King than Israel. These wise men recognized fulfilled prophecy… they were wise men indeed!

Also see:
» What is the “Immaculate Conception?”
» What was the Star of Bethlehem? (LINK TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE)
» Was Jesus really born on the 25th of December?
(LINK TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE)

BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS / CONFUSING VERSES SIMPLIFIED, ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) / PROPHECY, THE NATION ISRAEL, What does “my kingdom is not of this world” mean?, What does “my kingdom is not of this world” mean?, What does “my kingdom is not of this world” mean?

What does “my kingdom is not of this world” mean?

WHAT DOES “MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD” MEAN?

by Shawn Brasseaux

It is commonly believed that Jesus Christ’s kingdom was not a literal, physical, and visible kingdom, but rather a “spiritual kingdom,” an invisible kingdom where He would “reign in the hearts of men” (a belief called “amillennialism”). John 18:36 is perhaps the main Bible verse used to teach such a doctrine, so it behooves us to study this verse and understand what it actually teaches. “We are certainly not satisfied to have denominational tradition as our guide, so we will study and believe the Scriptures and have Jesus Christ thereby glorified!”

We focus on the following passage in John chapter 18: “[33] Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? [34] Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? [35] Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? [36] Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”

Jesus Christ, just hours before His crucifixion, is standing before Judaean governor Pontius Pilate. What did Jesus mean when He said in verse 36, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence?” Was He saying that His kingdom was not literal, not physical, not earthly, and not Davidic? That, as some religionists claim today, it was just some “spiritual reign in the hearts of men?” As a general rule of thumb for Bible study, it is always important to not base a doctrine on one verse. Furthermore, we should never, ever, ever grab a verse that is strange, and use it to confuse verses that are clear. It is always helpful to look at the context of verses that are difficult, and to use verses that are clear, to explain verses that are unclear. That is what we will do here.

Earlier, we read that Pilate asked Jesus how His own nation, Israel, and its chief priests could deliver Him to the Roman government to be sentenced to death (John 18:35). Our Lord’s reply was simple: (sinful, unbelieving) Israel rejected Him as their Messiah-King because He was righteous. They did not want God ruling over them, as the psalmist David prophesied: “[1] Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? [2] The kings of the earth [Roman rulers] set themselves, and the rulers [of Israel] take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed [Messiah/Christ], saying, [3] Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:1-3; cf. Acts 4:25-28).

Psalm chapter 2 also provides details about that coming kingdom of Jesus Christ: “[6] Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. [7] I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. [8] Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. [9] Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” According to Psalm 2, the passage being fulfilled there in John chapter 18, what type of kingdom was Jesus purposing to establish on the earth when Israel rejected Him and demanded that Rome crucify Him? Was it a spiritual “reign in the hearts of men?” The Holy Spirit through David said it so expressly, so clearly, we would have to want to miss it to miss it: “I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion… Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession… Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” The only kingdom that would be in Zion, the only kingdom that would involve the heathen and the uttermost parts of the earth, and the only kingdom involving Jesus Christ ruling over nations would be a literal, physical, visible kingdom. (We will learn more about kingdom of Christ destroying the Gentile kingdoms in Daniel chapter 2, later.)

The Bible says in Luke 1:31-33: “[31] And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. [32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: [33] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” The only kingdom Jesus Christ came to set up was a kingdom that was modeled after King David’s; the Bible is quite plain about that. Now, did King David “reign in the hearts of men?” Did not David rule over a literal, physical, visible Israel in a literal, physical, visible land? That is the same kind of kingdom Jesus Christ would have established long ago, and will yet establish on planet Earth.

Interestingly, our Lord said in John 18:36, “but now is my kingdom not from hence.” His kingdom would be established on earth, just not “now,” not during His First Coming. This is important to notice—“now” is a word that is commonly overlooked in John 18:36. As He knew, He could not reign as King until after He had gone to Calvary’s cross and died for man’s sins (Luke 17:24-25). In addition, the institution of our 2,000-year-long Dispensation of Grace has further delayed Christ’s reign on earth.

Upon Jesus’s Second Coming, to conclude the seven-year Tribulation, Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit during the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth (Revelation 20:1-3). Satan’s evil world system, and all its governments, will be demolished when Christ establishes His earthly kingdom (see Daniel 2:31-45). “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (verse 44). Again, notice, this kingdom of Jesus Christ will demolish all other kingdoms of Earth—it is a literal, physical, visible kingdom, one that will crush those that exist today!

Jesus Christ came to earth and left 2,000 years ago as Israel’s rejected King: He never did rule Israel, for Israel declared in John 19:15: “We have no king but Caesar!” So, how can Luke 1:33 say Jesus Christ will rule Israel “for ever?” Dispensational Bible study relieves us of confusion and consternation. Luke 1:33 is to be taken literally, but it is to be believed dispensationally. Israel’s prophetic (kingdom) program, the program to which Luke 1:33 belongs, is currently suspended. God is not restoring the earth’s governments today. Instead, He is forming the Church the Body of Christ, a heavenly people whom He will use to restore the heavenly governments in the ages to come (see Colossians 1:16-20). While our Dispensation of Grace is operating, Israel’s kingdom program is delayed. Once our dispensation ends (at the rapture), then God will resume Israel’s program and Christ will return at His Second Coming to fulfill Luke 1:33 (establishing His literal, physical, visible earthly kingdom). You can read about that in Romans 11:25-36.

So, returning to Jesus Christ saying, “my kingdom is not of this world,” we now analyze this phrase. What did Jesus mean here? His kingdom is a literal, physical, visible kingdom, so how is it “not of this world?” We will study the Scriptures for the answer.

Again, John 18:36 is often misconstrued to deny a literal, physical, visible reign of Christ on earth. Because Jesus Christ is not literally, physically, and visibly ruling on earth today, it is assumed that the kingdom spoken of in the Old Testament and Four Gospels was an invisible, spiritual kingdom. This belief is without merit. The apostles inquired in Acts 1:6: “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” What type of kingdom did Israel have? A literal, physical, visible kingdom! The apostles are asking if Christ at that time would “restore again” Israel to her glorious kingdom days, especially those of Kings David and Solomon. They were obviously speaking of a literal, physical, visible kingdom.

Jesus never corrected them, or told them they were wrong in asking such a question. He merely told them in Acts 1:7-8: “[7] And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. [8] But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Jesus just told them that it was not for them to know the time-schedule of that literal, physical, visible kingdom. He did not deny its existence; He did not chide them for not paying attention to His preaching during the last 40 days. The only kingdom Jesus spoke of in Acts 1:1-5 during those 40 days was a literal, physical, visible kingdom (which was why the apostles asked in verse 6 when it would be established).

In the book of the Revelation, which is still unfulfilled, we read of voices in heaven saying: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (11:15). (Here is when Luke 1:33 will be fulfilled.) What kingdoms exist in the world? Invisible, spiritual kingdoms? No, they are literal, physical, visible kingdoms, and, at His Second Coming, Jesus Christ will reign over them all. “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one” (Zechariah 14:9). The Bible says Jesus Christ will have preeminence in all the governments of heaven and earth. That means that the same earthly government first entrusted to Adam (Genesis 1:26-28) but lost to sin and Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4; Galatians 1:4) is what Jesus Christ will reign over one day.

When Jesus Christ admitted that His kingdom was “not of this world,” He was not implying that it was spiritual and/or invisible. Actually, He meant that His kingdom is separate and distinct from the system upon which the world’s governments of Pilate’s time (and even those of today) are built. It will be a kingdom that God Himself, not some mortal man, will establish and administrate, a glorious monarchy in which God’s will shall always be accomplished on earth.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Within these two realms, God also created governments: “For by him [the Lord Jesus Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16).

God also made creatures to occupy those offices of government: He formed the angels to rule in heaven for His glory, and mankind to rule on the earth for His glory. One of God’s chief angelic-like creatures, a cherub named Lucifer, rebelled against God by wanting to rule for his glory: Lucifer proclaimed, “I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:14b). This title “most High” means “possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:19,22). Essentially, Lucifer (Satan) purposed to usurp all of God’s authority, in heaven and in earth. Satan was able to recruit a portion of God’s angels to follow him in his rebellion in heaven (Ezekiel 28:18; Matthew 25:41).

When God placed man on the earth, man was to rule earth for God’s glory (Genesis 1:26,28). Unfortunately, man (Adam) willingly chose to relinquish his God-given authority to Satan, by sinfully following Satan in his rebellion against God (Romans 5:12). Today, the governments of heaven (Ephesians 6:12) and earth (2 Corinthians 4:4) are in rebellion. Earth’s governments are corrupt because Satan is “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). In fact, Satan tempted Christ with a proposal: if Christ would worship him, Satan would give Him the world’s governments (Matthew 4:8-9; Luke 4:5-7).

In John 18:36, when Christ claimed His kingdom was “not of this world,” He meant that His kingdom would not originate from the evil world system underlying today’s governments. His reign would restore earth’s governments to God (Colossians 1:20).

“Iniquity”—a selfish, rebellious, anti-God attitude—existed first in Lucifer/Satan (Ezekiel 28:15), who is now “the god [ruler] of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Hence, the world’s governments abound with injustice and iniquity (“not equal;” that is, “not fair”). “[T]he mystery of iniquity doth already work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7), whose context describes the seven-year Tribulation, when the Antichrist will epitomize this world’s blasphemous political system by claiming to be and exalting himself as God (Daniel 8:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), just as Lucifer did in Isaiah 14:14.

Daniel 2:31-45 is King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and God’s interpretation as spoken through the prophet Daniel. Essentially, Nebuchadnezzar saw a giant image, symbolizing major Gentile world empires (most of which were future from his time). Nebuchadnezzar then saw a “stone cut out without hands” demolish this image, which stone “became a mountain [kingdom], and filled the whole earth” (verses 34-35).

This stone is “cut out without hands,” meaning it is not of human origin: it is “not of this world” (this is what Jesus meant in John 18:36). This stone is Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:6-8) at His Second Coming to set up His glorious kingdom on earth, a kingdom established by “the God of heaven” (Daniel 2:44), one not founded by “the god of this world,” Satan, nor influenced by his autonomous spirit.

Try as we might, political reform is impossible in this world. Though politicians can and are replaced, the underlying corrupt political system (described earlier) remains the same. Political reformation is only possible if the existing satanically inspired world system is replaced with God’s, and none of us mortal humans can achieve this. In God’s own time (Christ’s Second Coming), He will abolish Satan’s evil world system that has dominated earth for 6,000 years, and replace it with His righteous world system.

Indeed, Christ’s kingdom is “not of this world,” and how we cannot wait for it to come!!

CONCLUSION

We find the following written in a popular, modern-day Bible study aid book: “What was the kingdom that Jesus came to found? Not a political kingdom, but God’s reign in the hearts of people that will control and transform their lives.” Beloved, I will be completely honest with you—the above quote is heretical and actually quite stupid. No one who honestly read the Bible from cover to cover could ever arrive at such a dumb conclusion. Amillennialism is a false doctrine. Surely, we do not need people outside Christendom attacking the Bible; people within the professing church are doing quite well in sabotaging, corrupting, and “disproving” the Bible.

We read in John 18:36: “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” Did David ever rule “in the hearts of men?” If he did not, and it would be senseless to say that he did, then Jesus Christ reigning from David’s throne could only indicate that Jesus Christ will one day sit on a literal, physical, visible throne in Jerusalem, Israel—that is the only type of throne David ever had!

One day, Jesus Christ would reign as King over all Israel, yea over all the Earth, but He knew it was not going to be at His First Coming. He knew He would have to die for man’s sins first, He knew He would be rejected of Israel first, and so on. He also knew there were be a 2,000-year-long window of time between His sufferings at Calvary and His reigning as King, our Dispensation of Grace. Since Jesus Christ is not reigning on a throne in Jerusalem today, people assume that that kingdom He and the prophets spoke of was not a literal, physical, visible kingdom. What ignorance! Such nonsense is the result of a failure to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), a negligence to understand and believe the Bible dispensationally. Of course, Jesus Christ is not reigning today on Earth; that prophetic program is suspended for a time. God is doing something else today beside reclaiming Earth, beside redeeming Israel, beside restoring David’s throne, and so on. He is forming the Church the Body of Christ, of believing Jews and Gentiles who will simply trust His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His death, burial, and resurrection as the fully-satisfying payment for their sins. He is forming a heavenly people by His grace, everything He can do for them through the finished crosswork of Christ! May we read and study Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, for they describe what God is doing today; they alone contain our doctrine, duty, walk, and destiny. The Bible is ever so liberating, ever so clear, ever so enjoyable, when we simply use it God’s way!

Also see:
» When will Jesus Christ come back? (LINK TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE)
» What will the Millennium be like? (LINK TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE)
» Who will reign with Jesus Christ during the 1000 years? (LINK TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE)

ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) / PROPHECY, PRAYER, Should I recite “The Lord’s Prayer?”, Should I recite “The Lord’s Prayer?”, Should I recite “The Lord’s Prayer?”, THE NATION ISRAEL

Should I recite “The Lord’s Prayer?”

SHOULD I RECITE “THE LORD’S PRAYER?”

by Shawn Brasseaux

The so-called “Lord’s Prayer” is Christendom’s official prayer: it is uttered ad nauseum in nearly every “Christian” setting. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most uttered prayers in all of the professing Church’s history. Actually, a better title for this prayer is, “The ‘Our Father’ Prayer,” since Jesus never prayed it (John chapter 17 is the true “Lord’s Prayer”). Should we recite “The Lord’s Prayer?” If we are Bible believers, we are going to believe what the Bible says. Let us see what the Bible says about this special prayer, that we may have “joy and peace in believing.”

Despite its constant and widespread recitation, there is almost no understanding as to what the phrases and petitions in the “Our Father” Prayer actually mean. In 1 Corinthians 14:15, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also.” In Paul’s mind, prayer was an action in which one understood the words he or she was uttering. If we do not understand the meaning of the contents of the “Our Father” Prayer, how can we expect our recitation of it will glorify and honor the Lord Jesus Christ? Unfortunately, prayer in much of Christendom is often repetitious utterances mindlessly spoken because of “religious duty.” The purpose of prayer in the Bible is thus overlooked.

Due to Christendom’s persistent failure to “study… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), it has greatly erred doctrinally. Prayer in Christendom is usually worthless tradition or misapplied Scripture because dispensational Bible study has been either innocently or deliberately ignored. The dispensational changes evident in God’s Word are overlooked: verses that do not describe anything that God is doing today, are forced onto us as if they did apply to us today. Israel’s verses are taken and often applied to us, the Church the Body of Christ. No wonder people get confused regarding Scripture. No wonder people stumble over the so-called Bible “contradictions.” We will search the Scriptures to discover that the so-called “Lord’s Prayer” is a beautiful summary of Israel’s program, and that it actually has nothing to do with any Christian today. Eliminating the static due to religious tradition, we present to you “the official prayer of Christendom” in “HD,” with unparalleled clarity.

First, read the entire “Our Father” Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13): “[9] After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. [10] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

We will now dissect this prayer in order to understand its individual clauses and concepts.

“AFTER THIS MANNER THEREFORE PRAY YE: OUR FATHER….” (MATTHEW 6:9)

The “Our Father” Prayer begins, of course, with “Our Father.” Who is the “our” in “Our Father?” Why are they calling God “Father?” What is the significance of God being “in heaven?” Remember, contrary to common belief, Jesus Christ did not minister to us Gentiles in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Jesus stated, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24; cf. Romans 15:8). The “Our Father” is Israel’s model prayer—the “ye” of Matthew 6:9 is Israel’s believing remnant. Jesus is speaking to Israel, not us, in Matthew 6:9.

“Father” denotes origin. When Israel called God “Father,” they were acknowledging He gave birth to them (Deuteronomy 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 89:26). God gave birth to national Israel when He delivered them from Egyptian bondage (“Israel is my son, even my firstborn;” Exodus 4:22-23; cf. Hosea 11:1). Israel is to renounce Satan as their spiritual father (John 8:42-44), discard their pagan idols whom they foolishly called “father” (Jeremiah 2:27), and declare, “O LORD, thou art our father” (Isaiah 64:8).

Israel’s believing remnant will say in the future: “Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting” (Isaiah 63:16). Jeremiah 3:19 speaks of Israel’s future restoration: “But I [the LORD] said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.” Malachi 2:10 asks Israel, “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?”

“WHICH ART IN HEAVEN….” (MATTHEW 6:9)

God was to dwell with Israel on earth (Job 19:25-27; Isaiah 2:1-5; Daniel 2:34-35,44; Zechariah 8:23), and yet He is in heaven. Israel is here acknowledging her fall into sin (Deuteronomy 32:15; Hosea 1:2; Acts 7:38-43,51-53), and her delaying God’s earthly kingdom (2 Chronicles 7:19-22); in the future seven-year Tribulation, believing Israel will acknowledge this. JEHOVAH said to unbelieving, apostate, rebellious Israel in Hosea’s day, “I will go and return to my place [heaven], till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5:15).

When Jesus Christ died, God’s presence left the Temple in Jerusalem, and the veil was rent from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). Jesus had said to Jerusalem, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:38,24). Israel will not say this until Jesus Christ returns at His Second Coming (Psalm 118:26).

By uttering the “Our Father Prayer,” Israel is asking JEHOVAH to come back to them, to return to planet Earth and be Emmanuel, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Zechariah 8:23; Matthew 1:23).

“HALLOWED BE THY NAME….” (MATTHEW 6:9)

Israel is recognizing JEHOVAH as separate from the pagan gods and goddesses they historically served. Unlike Moses (Deuteronomy 32:51), Israel is praising His name as holy. Isaiah 8:13 urged sinful Israel: “Sanctify [Hallow] the LORD of hosts himself; let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” Israel’s believing remnant will also honor (“sanctify”) JEHOVAH’S name in the last days (Isaiah 29:23).

Speaking of her restoration to God, the Bible says about Israel in Ezekiel 39:27-29: “[27] When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; [28] Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. [29] Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.”

Ezekiel 28:25, speaking of Israel’s future restoration, says: “Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.” Ezekiel 39:27 amplifies: “When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;…” Ezekiel 20:41 again confirms: “I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.” And Ezekiel 36:23, “And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.” Jeremiah 3:22 is an example of how Israel will sanctify or hallow JEHOVAH’S name: “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.”

“THY KINGDOM COME….” (MATTHEW 6:10)

In this first petition of the “Our Father” Prayer, Israel’s believing remnant is acknowledging that their nation’s fall into sin postponed God’s earthly kingdom, but they are now ready to receive it. The New (heavenly) Jerusalem will “come down from God out of heaven” and be established on earth (Revelation 21:1-4). This “heaven on earth” kingdom was Israel’s hope throughout the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 11:21; Psalm 45:6,7; Isaiah 9:6,7; Daniel 2:35,44; Zechariah 9:9-10; et al.) and Israel’s believing remnant during Christ’s earthly ministry anticipated it (Luke 1:67-79; Luke 2:25-38; Luke 24:21; et al.). Jesus and His disciples preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 10:7; Mark 1:15; et al.). Israel’s believing remnant, in the future, will pray for God’s earthly kingdom to come, and her Messiah Jesus will be returning (His Second Coming) to establish it (Revelation 5:10; Revelation 11:15; Revelation 20:4; et al.). Father God said of Jesus Christ: “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6,7).

“THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN….” (MATTHEW 6:10)

Satan has polluted heaven and earth with sin (Job 15:15; Isaiah 14:14; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 2:2; Ephesians 6:12). By the time Israel’s believing remnant is living during the (future) seven-year Tribulation, we the Church the Body of Christ will already be raptured into heaven, ruling and reigning for God’s glory there. Halfway through those seven years, Satan and his angels will be cast out of heaven (that is, the second heaven, outer space) and confined to earth (Revelation 12:7-9); we will occupy their vacated offices of government in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:20-23; Ephesians 2:6-7; Philippians 3:20-21).

God will restore heaven to Himself first, He will glorify His Son Jesus in heaven first, and His purpose and plan will be accomplished in heaven first. Israel’s believing remnant, knowing this, will pray the second petition that God’s will on earth—His earthly kingdom—be accomplished AS His heavenly kingdom was established. They want Jesus Christ to come and cleanse planet earth of Satan’s activity as He cleansed the heavens of Satan’s activity.

“GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.” (MATTHEW 6:11)

Although God raining down manna (bread) for Israel to eat is very well known, the prophetic aspect is seldom realized: God will feed Israel again with manna during the seven-year Tribulation. The following Scriptures have a dual application—they are history and prophecy. “Feed thy people with thy rod,… as in the days of old. According to the days of [Israel’s] coming out of the land of Egypt…” (Micah 7:14,15). The psalmist recounted God giving manna to stubborn, ungrateful Israel under Moses’s leadership (Psalm 78:19,20): “Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?” The psalmist David wrote, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies” (Psalm 23:5).

When the Jews in the area of Judaea hear the news of the Antichrist desecrating the newly-rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, God through the Scriptures will instruct them to flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:15-22; Mark 13:14-20). Their evacuation is urgent, and they are not to waste time gathering their material possessions. These Jews will escape into the wilderness, lacking food, shelter, and extra clothes. God will miraculously provide for them, just as He did for Israel in Moses’s day. Revelation 12:6 supplements: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” God will take care of this believing remnant of Israel or the last three-and-one-half years of the Tribulation (the 1,260 days referenced). This “hidden manna” of Revelation 2:17 will rain down for the last 42 months of the seven years. As Jesus Christ taught, Israel’s believing remnant will literally rely on God for their daily food; thus, their third petition is, “Give us this day, our daily bread,” reminding themselves that He will meet all their physical needs as He promised (Matthew 6:24-34; Luke 12:22-32).

We have no reason to pray the “Our Father” prayer because we do not depend on God for our daily food; our pantries are stocked with food to last for weeks. The Jews of Revelation 12:6 will be unable to work for their food, so God will honor their faith and feed them. Our Apostle Paul tells us that if we want to eat, we must work (2 Thessalonians 3:10)! Yet, according to the “Our Father” Prayer, notice that the Jews are instructed to pray for daily bread rather than work for it (cf. Luke 11:3).

“AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS” (MATTHEW 6:12)

Like the second petition of verse 10, this fourth petition also utilizes a comparison. Once Jesus Christ concludes the “Our Father” Prayer, in verses 14 and 15, He elaborates on this principle of forgiveness: “[14] For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: [15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Notice how God instructed Israel to pray in her prophetic program. They were to ask God for forgiveness so they could be forgiven. In other words, their forgiveness from God depended on whether or not they forgave others. This principle is in perfect accordance with the Law, the operating system of Israel’s program. Israel’s incentive to forgive others is so that she can get forgiveness from God. This performance-based acceptance system of Law is delineated so clearly in Deuteronomy chapter 28. If Israel was to receive God’s blessings, she had to obey all of His commandments. If Israel disobeyed, she received curses and judgments. God accepted these Jews on the basis of what they did by faith (see James 2:14-26): faith was the foremost issue for Israel, but they also needed works (physical circumcision, water baptism, confession of sins, et cetera).

Contrast this with what the Apostle Paul wrote to us in the mystery program, the Dispensation of Grace, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32) Colossians 2:13 supplements, “God… having forgiven you all trespasses.” In our Dispensation of Grace, God has already forgiven us because of Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice on Calvary, and it is on this basis of God’s grace to us in Christ that we forgive others. We are under grace, not law (Romans 6:14); we do not appeal to Israel’s legalistic doctrine, for it is not God’s will for us. Just as God for Jesus Christ’s sake has forgiven us of all our sins—past, present, and future—we are to forgive others. Unless we “rightly divide the word of truth,” approaching the Bible dispensationally (2 Timothy 2:15), Matthew 6:12,14,15 will appear to be contradictions when examined in light of Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 2:13, and Colossians 3:13.

“AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL:” (MATTHEW 6:13)

This fifth and final petition does not involve a daily temptation we all face. Remember, God does not force anyone to sin, and He does not lead anyone to sin: sin is the result of a bad thought in the mind of the one committing the sinful deed. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:13-14).

Actually, the “temptation” in this petition refers to the seven-year Tribulation, when Israel’s believing remnant will be tested, tried—persecuted and greatly pressured into following Satan’s policy of evil. Specifically, Israel’s little flock of believers will be imprisoned and executed for refusing to follow the antichrist and his satanic religion (Psalm 10:1-18; Daniel 7:19-25; Revelation 13:15; et al.); this is the “evil” (world system) from which believing Israel wants to be delivered. The way these Jews “overcome” the Antichrist and Satan is to die for Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:16-28; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 15:2; Revelation 20:4; et al.). See also Psalm 37:1-40. During the Tribulation period, these believing Jews will be tempted to follow the Antichrist and accept his mark and/or worship his image, or face death/martyrdom (Revelation 13:7-18). These believing Jews are praying for protection and that they will not accept the Antichrist.

“FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOR EVER.” (MATTHEW 6:13)

Absent from the modern English perversions and their underlying corrupt Greek manuscripts, this doxology is found in the majority of Greek New Testament manuscripts and it belongs in the Bible text just as the King James translators’ inclusion affirms. God, in His great power, will deliver Israel’s believing remnant from the Tribulation’s horrors and deception, and He will resurrect them and bring them into His earthly kingdom (which Jesus Christ will establish at His Second Coming, after those seven years), thereby glorifying God forever (Revelation 11:15-17).

Interestingly, the doxology of The “Our Father” Prayer is very similar to the doxology of King David’s prayer to JEHOVAH God: “Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all” (1 Chronicles 29:11).

“AMEN.” (MATTHEW 6:13)

Hebrew for “so be it.”

THE TWO RULES ASSOCIATED WITH THE “OUR FATHER” PRAYER

Before Jesus gave them that model prayer, the “Our Father” Prayer, He gave two rules. Matthew 6:5-8: “[5] And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. [7] But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. [8] Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”

Firstly, Jesus said they were not to pray like the hypocrites (such as the Pharisees), who prayed publicly merely to be seen of others: believing Israel was to pray privately in prayer closets: “[5] And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly” (verses 5,6).

Secondly, Jesus told them not to pray like the heathen, either: “[7] But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. [8] Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (verses 7,8). These Gentiles, Jesus said, talked much in prayer because they were trying to get their god’s attention. The pagans mindlessly repeated the same empty words, hoping “their much speaking” in prayer would result in a “divine” response (remember, they were certainly not praying to Israel’s God, the God of Scripture). According to the Lord, “vain repetitions” are what the “heathen” pray. God wants intelligent prayer with faith, not mindless repetition of words whose meanings we do not understand. (Interestingly, the New American [Catholic] Bible says, “In praying, do not babble like the pagans,….” This dishonest wording conceals Jesus’s explicit forbiddance of “repetitious” prayer, which Christendom prefers instead of God’s will anyway.) Believing Israel, surrounded by the pagan Romans, could have easily fallen into the trap of praying like those heathen, mindlessly repeating words to gain attention from any deity that would capitulate to their petitions. In Matthew 6:7-8, Jesus Christ was very careful in warning Israel not to err in that regard.

Jesus Christ comforted believing Israel. He explained to them that they did not have to waste their time in mindless, repetitious prayer to get JEHOVAH’S attention. JEHOVAH, Israel’s God, was a God of great love and faithfulness. He knew the needs of His people, and never would He fail them. They simply needed to study and meditate on His Word to them, and that would be the type of prayer that He would answer. JEHOVAH was fully aware of their needs, so “vain repetitions” were unnecessary. They simply needed to remember His Word to them.

The “Our Father” Prayer mentions three main needs of Israel: material blessings (particularly food), forgiveness, and deliverance from Satan’s world system into Christ’s kingdom. Jesus so clearly declared, “For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matthew 6:8). The “Our Father” Prayer is Israel’s way of asking JEHOVAH for things He already said He would give them anyway! (Thus, it is senseless for us Gentiles to pray it in the Dispensation of Grace.)

At this point, one may ask, “If God already knew Israel’s needs, why did Israel have to ask Him for them?” The “Our Father” Prayer is how Israel communes with (fellowships with) her God at a very intimate level. She is memorizing God’s Word to her, speaking it back to Him, and her exaltation of His Word is what honors Him. May we learn God’s Word to us (Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon), and may we continually dwell on those precious grace truths, thereby honoring Jesus Christ just as much as the “Our Father” Prayer praises Him in Israel’s program.

CONCLUSION

The reader is thus greatly cautioned, for Christendom not only misunderstands the “Our Father” Prayer, but it also misuses it. Again, before Jesus even gave Israel this model prayer, He instructed them, “use not vain repetitions” because that was the manner of pagans (lost people, those going to hell). Yet, millions in Christendom today utter the “Our Father” Prayer over and over and over and over and over, completely disregarding its context and breaking the two rules Jesus attached to it. The “Our Father” Prayer is mindlessly repeated in public in circumstances that really have nothing to do with its contents. The so-called “Lord’s Prayer”—more aptly, the “Our Father Prayer”—has nothing to do with us in this the Dispensation of Grace. Its contents do not apply to our dispensation. However, the “Our Father” Prayer is very appropriate in Israel’s kingdom program, its context.

By studying the contents of this prayer, we saw that it neither applies to us nor describes what God is doing today in this, the Dispensation of His Grace. This prayer is a summary of Israel’s prophetic program—it opens and closes with a doxology (Israel’s praise of God), and its five petitions involve God’s Word to Israel. We can and do study this prayer and we can and do rejoice in its doctrine. However, we acknowledge that it is God’s Word to Israel in her kingdom program, and we should not steal it and force it into our program. The Lord Jesus Christ provided four large model prayers in Paul’s epistles that involve and describe what God is doing today (Ephesians 1:15-23; Ephesians 3:14-21; Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:9-13). May we study these prayers and understood their contents, so we can enjoy our fellowship with God and talk to Him in light of His Word to us, just as believing Israel delighted in His Word to them and they spoke to Him about it.

The immediate context of Matthew 6:7-8 is Jesus Christ instructing His believing remnant in Israel how to pray (the “Our Father” Prayer immediately follows those verses). The broader context is His famous “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew chapters 5-7), a summary of God’s earthly kingdom program for Israel. While often ignored, Matthew 6:7-8 is necessary to appreciate the overall purpose of the “Our Father” Prayer. Throughout the Bible, prayer is simply a saint (believer) speaking to God in light of God’s Word to him or her. Jesus Christ knew His disciples needed a model prayer, a way to remind themselves of that kingdom doctrine He was teaching them within the wider context.

The so-called “Lord’s Prayer,” actually the “‘Our Father’ Prayer,” is one of Christendom’s favorite prayers. Unfortunately, however, none (!) of the millions who pray it daily understand its contents. Recall what the Apostle Paul wrote, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also” (1 Corinthians 14:15). In Paul’s mind, prayer was an intelligent response to God’s Word to him; it was not mindless repetition of religious rhetoric that he memorized or read from a page. Before Jesus Christ gave the “Our Father” Prayer to believing Israel, He established two rules. Firstly, He instructed them not to pray like the hypocrites: they were to pray privately instead of publicly to be seen of people (Matthew 6:5,6). Secondly, He told them not to pray like the heathen: they were to pray intelligently rather than mindlessly utter empty, repetitious prayers (Matthew 6:7,8).

Romans 10:10 says of Israel’s salvation, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made nigh unto salvation.” Inside their hearts, believing Jews will trust in Jesus as Messiah, and in their hearts, they will confess the truths of the “Our Father” Prayer as true. Paul spoke of Israel’s future salvation in Romans 11:23, “And they [Israel] also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.” During the future seven-year Tribulation, the nation Israel will come out of her unbelief by recognizing as true the doctrine of the “Our Father” Prayer.

This concludes our study, “The ‘Our Father’ Prayer in HD.” (Please do not return to low-definition.) 🙂

Also see:
» How should I pray?
» What about hindered prayer and unanswered prayer?
» Should I pray the rosary?
(LINK TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE)

BIBLE CONTRADICTIONS / CONFUSING VERSES SIMPLIFIED, DISPENSATIONAL BIBLE STUDY, ESCHATOLOGY (END TIMES) / PROPHECY, Is John 1:29 really a reference to Calvary?, Is John 1:29 really a reference to Calvary?, Is John 1:29 really a reference to Calvary?

Is John 1:29 really a reference to Calvary?

IS JOHN 1:29 REALLY A REFERENCE TO CALVARY?

by Shawn Brasseaux

When John the Baptist preached, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), it is commonly assumed and taught that he was predicting that Jesus Christ was going to Calvary’s cross to die and pay for the world’s sins. Did Messiah’s forerunner really know of Calvary in advance? Beloved, may we have an eye to see what the Holy Spirit has said in His Word, may we have an ear to hear what the Holy Spirit has said in His Word, and may we have a heart to believe what the Holy Spirit has said in His Word. Yes, the Spirit of God will teach us through His Word in order to tell us what He wants us to believe about John 1:29.

Let us begin by reading John 1:29 in full: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” A similar expression is repeated in John 1:36: “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”

Paul’s Gospel—Christ’s finished crosswork—is usually read into these verses. While many entertain the idea that John the Baptist was telling his audience that Jesus would go and die for the sins of the world, we would have to disagree with them on the basis of how John worded his claim. The phraseology of the Scriptures is important. As opposed to John saying that Jesus would “die for (or forgive, or cleanse, or make atonement for, et cetera) the sins of the world,” which would be a reference to Calvary, John the Baptist said that Jesus would “take away the sin of the world.” The terminology indicates John is referring to Jesus Christ removing sin (the system of sin, or the nature of sin, that is prevalent in creation), sin being the overall cause of sins (the actions). We will now present three reasons from Scripture why we do not believe John 1:28 refers to Calvary.

REASON #1 FOR BELIEVING THAT JOHN 1:29 IS NOT REFERENCING CALVARY

We read the following in Matthew 16:21-23, which is near the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry: “[21] From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. [22] Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. [23] But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

If John the Baptist were telling his audience about Calvary back in John 1:29 (at the beginning of Jesus Christ’s ministry, almost three years prior to Matthew chapter 16), then why did Jesus begin to explain His death and resurrection to His disciples in the weeks just prior to them occurring? John the Baptist’s converts—such as the Apostle Andrew—had heard John the Baptist speak (John 1:40), and yet Andrew seemed to know nothing about Jesus’ death in Matthew chapter 16. Notice how in Matthew 16:22-23 that Peter actually began to deny that Jesus was going to die. The Scriptures never indicate Andrew corrected his brother. Andrew heard John’s message, but he did not know about Calvary any more than Peter.

REASON #2 FOR BELIEVING THAT JOHN 1:29 IS NOT REFERENCING CALVARY

John 1:29 could not have been a reference to Calvary, since we read in Luke 18:31-34: “[31] Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. [32] For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: [33] And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. [34] And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”

Jesus Christ is just about a week or two away from dying on Calvary, and the 12 apostles do not have a clue that it is about to happen. Even after He tells them all about His suffering, death, and resurrection, they do not understand because God hid that information from them and they did not know what was spoken! Again, how could Calvary be revealed to John the Baptist, but kept secret from Peter and the 11 (all of whom heard John preach)? It makes no sense.

REASON #3 FOR BELIEVING THAT JOHN 1:29 IS NOT REFERENCING CALVARY

According to Israel’s prophetic program, the schedule in effect when John the Baptist’s ministry was operating, Jesus Christ would not die for the whole world, but only for Israel’s sins. The Old and New Testament Scriptures make this very clear:

  • The Prophet Isaiah, a Jew, wrote in Isaiah 53:8: “…for the transgression of my people was he stricken.” Gentiles were not Isaiah’s people; who were Isaiah’s people? Isaiah was writing strictly about Messiah dying for
  • The angel said in Matthew 1:21: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Again, Jesus was a Jew; Gentiles were not “his people.” Jesus was coming to save Israel from their sins.
  • Jesus Himself said in Matthew 20:28: “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” While this is a favorite verse of Calvinists, this does not refer to Gentiles selected for heaven; in keeping with the earlier divine revelations (see two verses above), Jesus meant that He was coming to die for Israel.

Even after Calvary, Christ’s death was only beneficial for Israel:

  • The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter said to Israel in Acts 3:26: “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” There are no Gentiles in this verse.
  • The Apostle Peter and the other apostles said in Acts 5:31: “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

Clearly, John the Baptist would not have been talking about Jesus dying for the sins of the whole world. According to the prophetic program, Jesus would die only for the sins of Israel. Israel, God’s chosen people in the earth, had to be saved first, before they could reach Gentiles, the nations of the world. That was the whole goal of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3).

The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul says that Jesus Christ made Paul an apostle so that he could declare to the whole world that Jesus Christ died for all. Paul was the “due-time testifier” of Jesus Christ’s crosswork being available to everyone, Jew and Gentile. We read in 1 Timothy 2:4-7: “[4] [God] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; [6] Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. [7] Whereunto [For which purpose] I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.”

Had John the Baptist been preaching that Jesus would die for everyone’s sins, then the apostles of Israel should have done the same thing, and then there would have been no need for Paul’s apostleship. If we make John the Baptist’s message the same as Paul’s Gospel, then Paul’s apostleship and ministry lose their distinction. Whenever Paul’s ministry is attacked, the Lord Jesus Christ whom Paul served, is attacked, for the Lord Jesus Christ magnified Paul’s ministry (Romans 11:13), and Paul’s ministry exalted the Lord Jesus Christ.

WHAT JOHN THE BAPTIST MEANT BY USING THE TERM “THE LAMB OF GOD”

Whenever trying to understand a verse of Scripture, we need to look for similar verses or phraseology elsewhere in the Bible. Let us do that here.

According to The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the New Testament uses the term “lamb” 30 times to refer to Jesus Christ:

  • The first two times are John 1:29 and John 1:36, the verses we are currently explaining, and they call Jesus Christ “the Lamb of God.”
  • “Lamb” appears a third time in the New Testament in Acts 8:32, when Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch read Isaiah 53:7 to learn that Jesus “was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth.” Here, Jesus Christ is not called a lamb but is rather likened unto a lamb (simile).
  • We read of “lamb” connected to Jesus Christ a fourth time in the New Testament, in 1 Peter 1:19, “[Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold…] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and spot….”
  • There are 26 remaining instances of the word “lamb” used to apply to Jesus Christ in the New Testament, and they all appear in the book of the Revelation. It is important to note that, unlike the above four instances being examples of similes (Jesus Christ likened unto a lamb), these instances are used as a proper name. Jesus Christ is called “the Lamb” 26 times in the Revelation. (The serious Bible student will carefully read and consider Revelation 5:6, 8, 12, 13; Revelation 6:1, 16; Revelation 7:9, 10, 14, 17; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 14:1, 4 [x2], 10; Revelation 15:3; Revelation 17:14 [x2]; Revelation 19:7,9; Revelation 21:14,22,23; and Revelation 22:1,3).

In summary, the only Bible book where Jesus Christ is often called “the Lamb” is the book of the Revelation. Although Isaiah, Acts, and Peter liken Jesus to a lamb being led to the slaughter, the title of Him being “the Lamb” (the language of John the Baptist) is identified with a future time, the time well beyond John the Baptist’s day, far beyond Calvary’s day, and actually beyond our day as well. What John the Baptist was talking about was not a lamb that would die on a cross, or a lamb that was meek and lowly, but “the Lamb,” the wrathful Lamb that would take away the wickedness of the world. The main theme of the book of the Revelation is not Jesus dying at Calvary, but rather His glorious return to planet Earth in power, to rid the world of Satan and sin (evil), and to establish His everlasting kingdom of righteousness. The Apostle John wrote how Christ would punish sinners, how He would come to set up His kingdom, how He would stifle satanic activity on Earth, how He would deal with sin promptly.

In fact, we read about the “wrath of the Lamb” in Revelation 6:15-17: “[15] And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; [16] And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: [17] For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

With this now in mind, we can look again at John the Baptist’s preaching. John the Baptist’s own testimony confirms what he was preaching concerning “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” The words of the sermons that John the Baptist preached to Israel can be read in Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-8, Luke 3:1-18, and John 1:15-36. Rather than preaching that Jesus was going to die on a cross, John the Baptist said the following:

  • Matthew 3:7-12: “[7] But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? [8] Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: [9] And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. [10] And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. [11] I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: [12] Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
  • Luke 3:3,7-9,16-17: “[3] And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; …. [7] Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? [8] Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. [9] And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire…. [16] John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: [17] Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”

John the Baptist is warning Israel, not of Messiah Jesus coming to die on the cross, but that Messiah Jesus is coming to “baptize with the Holy Ghost” and “baptize with fire” (notice how Joel 2:28-32 and Acts 2:16-21 agree). Messiah is coming to pour out His Spirit, the Holy Ghost, on those who believe on Him; He is coming to pour out His wrath, the seven-year Tribulation, on those who reject Him. There is a Spirit baptism that can be accepted, which will save a Jew through that wrath, or a Jew can reject Messiah and His Spirit and be destroyed in that wrath. This is exactly what we discussed earlier regarding the events of the book of the Revelation.

John the Baptist had received revelation from Father God (John 1:6ff.), but not full divine revelation as we have in the completed Bible. As his sermons demonstrate, John was waiting for the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the baptism with fire, but they still had not come as much as two years after he began his ministry. John never thought that he would wind up in prison, but he did; he assumed that Messiah would shortly establish His earthly kingdom, where evil kings and wicked religious leaders would be destroyed. Thus, John, once in prison, now discouraged, now “offended in [Jesus],” sent his disciples to Jesus to ask Him if He was the Messiah they had been seeking (Matthew 11:1-6; Luke 7:18-23); John heard about Christ’s compassionate miracles, but was wondering when the Holy Spirit and the wrath were to be poured out.

Thankfully, however, that wrath of God has yet to come on planet Earth. It is still in abeyance—the seven-year Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ are still scheduled to occur one day, just not today. Until then, the God of the Bible is so gracious, so longsuffering. Had our Dispensation of Grace not interrupted Israel’s program, prophecy would have finished—the time of God’s wrath on the nation Israel would have transpired and concluded (again, see Joel 2:28-32 and Acts 2:16-21). John the Baptist talked about this wrath to come and so did James and Peter. Even Jesus had words to say about that wrath that Joel predicted centuries earlier. It was just when that wrath was about to be poured out (Acts chapter 7) that God brought in our program and offered grace and peace to Israel and all the Christ-rejecting world rather than His wrath and war to all the world (Romans 11:31-32). He has delayed that wrath and ushered in our Dispensation of Grace, where all can be saved from His wrath (the Second Coming of Christ and the everlasting lake of fire) by simple faith in Jesus Christ’s sinless bloodshed, His death, His burial, and His resurrection as sufficient payment for their sins. God’s righteousness is ours in Christ, and it is a gift; we cannot work for a gift. May we not procrastinate regarding eternal salvation from our sins. May we rely exclusively on Jesus Christ today, and receive a right standing before God today.

CONCLUSION

The phrase, “The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” is best understood in light of Jesus Christ pouring out His wrath on wicked Israel and wicked Gentiles; to make it a reference to Calvary is to contradict the overall testimony of Scripture. It is to diminish Paul’s special ministry and message, and it is to undermine the dispensational layout of the Holy Bible. May we rejoice in these simple truths of God’s Word rightly divided, and may we not be sidetracked by denominationalism.

Also see:
» Why did Jesus stand in Acts 7:55-56?
» Why was John the Baptist preaching out in the wilderness? (LINK TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE)
» Did Peter and Paul preach the same Gospel?