Category: earthly kingdom / Millennial Reign of Christ

Knowing Dispensational Bible Study

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Yea, “But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness” (verse 16).

When you look at the professing church, so-called Christianity, do you wonder why there are so many varying ideas? Why the major and starkly different views about salvation from sins, water baptism, confession of sins, end-times, tithing, spiritual gifts, prayer, Sabbath-day keeping, and living as a believer on a daily basis? Amazingly, the Bible teaches assorted views about all of these topics!

In heaven, there will be no such confusion, denominationalism, lost people pretending to be Christians, and false teachers. In heaven, how will God settle all the confusion? Simply put, He will use today’s Scripture, applying it to every issue and belief. He will thus rid the Body of Christ of “profane and vain babblings,” its doctrinal ungodliness!

Throughout human history, God has spoken different things to different people: these various sets of divine instructions are “dispensations.” The doctrine that God wants us to believe and follow today is “the Dispensation of the Grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2). Our dispensation was given to the Apostle Paul, God’s spokesman to us (Romans 11:13). We must “rightly divide the word of truth,” taking special care to separate Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, from the rest of the Bible. In Paul’s 13 books alone, we find our doctrine, identity, duty, walk, and destiny as members of the Church the Body of Christ. Via the mystery program (Romans 16:25,26), God will use us in the heavenly places for His glory (Ephesians 1:20-23). The remaining 63 Bible books are the prophetic program (Acts 3:21), God’s plans to form and use Israel for His glory on the Earth (Exodus 19:5,6). We study all of the Bible, but we do not confuse ourselves with Israel. We do not grab her verses and force them into our dispensation.

God will end the confusion one day, but His Word rightly divided allows us to end the confusion right here and right now! Will we be brave enough to toss out our denominationalism, fickle opinions, and traditions of men, and embrace God’s pure Word?

For more information about dispensational Bible study, you may see: https://333wordsofgrace.wordpress.com/whats-dispensational-bible-study/.

Knowing Your Purpose

Saturday, July 11, 2015

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11 KJV).

Yea, “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).

Usually, the origin of life is reduced to a naturalistic, rationalistic “random mutations resulting in molecules to man,” or “primordial soup to highly-evolved apes.” However, when we come to the Bible, there is absolutely no room for mindless evolutionary theory and universal unpredictability. The heavens and the earth did not suddenly appear without cause or design. Unless we have a mind game to play in order to ease our guilty conscience, we will simply believe today’s Scripture. All things were created by and for Jesus Christ.

The word “things” here in the context are positions of government. It was in God’s grand design to make offices of government to control the heavens and the earth. Angels were created to function in heaven and humans were to function on earth. That entire unit was to operate to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator (Ephesians 1:9-11). However, Lucifer led an angelic rebellion to corrupt heaven with sin and he influenced Adam to corrupt earth with sin.

In the Bible, God formed (and will form) the nation Israel to restore His authority in the earth (Exodus 19:5,6). Today, however, God is forming the Church the Body of Christ, which He will use to reconcile the heavens to Himself (Ephesians 1:20-23). Our purpose today, until heaven, is to glorify Jesus Christ on earth.

Nevertheless, our sin problem must be dealt with first. We need to be redeemed from Satan’s control and his policy of evil. Dear friend, you can spend your earthly lifetime looking for meaning, value, and security in fame, fortune, drugs and alcohol, education, sex, to no avail. You have a hole in your heart, a void that only Jesus Christ can fill. Search no further than your Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ!

* NOTE: Tonight, July 11th, at 7PM Central U.S. Time, the 2015 Summer Family Bible Conference will begin in St. Charles, Illinois. This grace Bible conference will continue until Thursday, July 16th. It will be streamed live online, so you are highly encouraged to join us for two-dozen wonderful studies in the King James Bible rightly divided! For times, topics, speakers, and the video feed, visit http://understandgrace.com/conference/summer-family-bible-conference/.

When the LORD Turns Israel’s Captivity #12

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, Moses prophesies Israel’s glorious future restoration!

The Mosaic Law declared that if Israel broke God’s laws, He would punish her with five accumulative and successive courses of judgment. That last round of chastisement was banishment from the Promised Land. Because of her national sins, Israel became increasingly open to Satan’s influence. Contractual agreement forced God to curse His beloved people!

As the Gentile armies led the Jews away captive, Israel mourned. They died in those foreign lands. As long as Israel was scattered globally, she could not be in the land that God had promised her. Furthermore, she could not accomplish His will in His land. That will all change when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back and establishes His earthly kingdom. Israel will rejoice with the establishment of the New Covenant!

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 126:1-6: “[1] When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. [2] Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. [3] The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. [4] Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. [5] They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. [6] He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

As Romans chapter 11 makes so plain, God still has a plan and purpose for Israel. In due time, He will fulfill it. For now, however, He is operating our mystery program. He will take care of Israel and her enemies in due course. For now, however, He is graciously offering salvation from sins, to all who simply believe on His Son.

“Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad” (Psalm 53:6). 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What part of us is justified at salvation?”

When the LORD Turns Israel’s Captivity #11

Monday, April 27, 2015

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, Moses prophesies Israel’s glorious future restoration!

Earlier in these studies, we looked at Exodus 19:5,6, God’s Word to Israel just out of Egyptian bondage. We will look at these verses once more: “[5] Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: [6] And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”

Israel failed to be God’s people. They had religion, but not righteousness. Israel had just escaped Egyptian slavery, and now they set themselves up for more captivity. By agreeing to do everything the LORD commanded them, and entering into the Covenant of Law, they ended up breaking that covenant and not becoming His people! Like all us sinners, they failed miserably. They never came close to God’s righteousness (Romans 2:17–3:20).

We read of Israel’s sin dilemma in Isaiah chapter 49: “[24] Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? [25] But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. [26] And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”

Israel, even to this day, is not only scattered amongst the Gentiles, but she is also in Satan’s captivity. The Messiah is coming to not only redeem Israel from the nations, but from the very depths of sin and hell (Romans 11:26-29)!

We can now summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why does the Bible say Jesus was hanged on a ‘tree?’”

When the LORD Turns Israel’s Captivity #10

Sunday, April 26, 2015

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, Moses prophesies Israel’s glorious future restoration!

Yes, God was quite angry at Israel for her many centuries of spiritual adultery, her serving and worshipping silly idols. It was righteous indignation, and He was fair in carrying out Israel’s deportation. But, He promised Israel that He would not utterly destroy her that she pass off the scene forever. He would punish her (as per the Law Covenant that she agreed to!), but He, in His grace and mercy, would also forgive, cleanse, and restore her.

We read such a marvelous promise God made to Israel in Jeremiah 30:3,10,11: “[3] For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. [10] Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. [11] For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.”

As the Prophet Jeremiah pointed out above, God will also judge the Gentile nations He used to punish Israel (since those nations treated Israel excessively harsh… and they still mistreat the Jews today). He will utterly consume all the Gentiles nations who have united against Israel, He will greatly punish Israel (Daniel’s future 70th week), but He will not leave Israel completely hopeless. He is coming back for her, to turn back her captivity….

When the LORD Turns Israel’s Captivity #9

Saturday, April 25, 2015

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, Moses prophesies Israel’s glorious future restoration!

Jeremiah 32:37-44 is one greatest summaries of the reversal of Israel’s captivity: “[37] Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: [38] And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: [39] And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: [40] And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. [41] Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. [42] For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. [44]… for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.” A thrilling passage!

Not only will God bring Israel (that is, believing Israel) back into their land to dwell forever and ever with Him (Jesus Christ Himself dwelling with them in that literal kingdom), He will give each Jew a new heart, that they may serve Him forever in that kingdom. He will permanently cut them off from Adam, and give them a new nature in Christ (their physical circumcision was to represent this righteousness; Romans 2:28,29; Romans 4:11). This return to the Promised Land will be possible through the New Covenant, which cancels the sin debt Israel accumulated under the Old Covenant (Ezekiel 36:16-38; Ezekiel 37:15-28; Romans 11:26-29; Hebrews 8:8-13; Hebrews 10:15-17). Israel has a most marvelous future….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Is ‘Jerusalem’ my hometown?”

When the LORD Turns Israel’s Captivity #8

Friday, April 24, 2015

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, Moses prophesies Israel’s glorious future restoration!

The Lord Jesus Christ summarized Israel’s glorious re-gathering and restoration in Mark 13:26,27: “[26] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. [27] And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven” (cf. Matthew 24:30,31).

At His Second Coming, the Lord Jesus will send His angels to gather Israel’s believing remnant scattered around the world. They have physically survived the horrors of the seven-year Tribulation. While they have endured the Antichrist’s tyrannical reign, he has killed many believing Jews (Revelation 7:9; Revelation 20:4). As Revelation 19:11–20:7 teaches, Jesus Christ slays the Antichrist, whisks his soul off to the Lake of Fire, and slaughters the anti-Israeli troops poised throughout the Middle East. Satan is bound in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. Israel’s believing remnant will be physically brought to the Promised Land; the Jewish saints of old, and those the Antichrist executed, will be bodily resurrected, entering that 1000-Year Reign of Christ.

As God sees it, there is no Israel today; Israel is fallen (Romans chapter 11). The “Israel” today is not the Israel of God. Men created it. Israel is in unbelief today. God is not forming Israel today; God is making the Church the Body of Christ. When we see the disarray and conflict in the Middle East today, we know that God is not involved there. If He were, there would not be a single enemy of Israel in the Middle East! There would be no such war, no such hostility against Israel. In His own time, God will move in, and take care of the Middle East, but not until He has finished our dispensation!

After God chastens Israel for breaking His Covenant of Law, He will bring them back into His land, forgiven, redeemed, and permanently….

*By the way, if you are interested, Grace School of the Bible will be hosting a three-day grace Bible conference this weekend in Chicago. It will be streamed live online, beginning tonight (7PM Central U.S. time) and ending Sunday evening. You can find more info at http://understandgrace.com/conference/gsb-soldiers-training-for-service/.

When the LORD Turns Israel’s Captivity #5

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, Moses prophesies Israel’s glorious future restoration!

We read in Isaiah 5:13: “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.” And 2 Chronicles 29:9: “For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.” And Ezekiel 39:23: “And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.”

The above Scriptures (and many others) were written in light of Assyria and Babylon carrying the idolatrous Jews away captive to foreign lands. Israel and Judah knew exactly why JEHOVAH was so angry. For centuries, He had warned them to reform (with no success). They would no more defile His Promised Land with their idolatry (Leviticus 18:24-30)!

Ezra 9:7, spoken after the Jews’ exile to Babylon, and the Jews’ partial return to Jerusalem, says: “Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.”

When Jesus came, He would have delivered Israel from her captivity amongst the nations. He was so willing to rescue Israel from that fifth course of judgment (God’s wrath and her exile), to save her from her sins, and deliver her from Satan’s bondage. Jesus Christ was ready to be their King and reverse their captivity (thus fulfilling today’s Scripture). But Israel refused Him: “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15). So, Israel waits even today to be released from that captivity….

Christ Liveth in Me

Sunday, April 5, 2015

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

“He is risen” is not a simple blasé cliché!

When Jesus’ disciples came to His tomb on that glorious Sunday morning nearly 2,000 years ago, they were startled to find it empty! Angels inform them that He has resurrected, but they are still in shock (Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-8). Jesus Christ Himself must later explain the Scriptures to them regarding what happened those last few days (Luke 24:44-46).

However, until Paul’s ministry, Christ’s finished crosswork is not preached as good news for salvation. Peter and Israel’s other apostles simply preach that Jesus Christ is now resurrected to “sit on [David’s] throne” (Acts 2:30)—that is bad news for much of Israel, for they still reject Him, weeks and months after His resurrection and ascension. Throughout early Acts, Israel’s apostles warn her that Jesus Christ is coming back to judge them.

When we come to the Apostle Paul’s ministry, we learn that we Gentiles can benefit from Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork. Israel’s rejected Messiah is now our way to heaven! Yes, Israel hated Him, and demanded that He experience the most awful method of execution devised, but God allowed it in order to accomplish His will. Satan attempted to hinder God’s will by having Christ killed, but all that did was provide the method whereby God could save us pagan Gentiles. Calvary’s finished crosswork frees us from Satan’s evil system and gives us a chance to be God’s people (Acts 26:17,18)!

As people who have trusted Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for our sins, that crucifixion is our death to self and sin, and that resurrection is our raising to walk in newness of life—His life (today’s Scripture; cf. Romans 6:1-11)!

Indeed, Jesus Christ is alive, and He lives in and through those who walk by faith in God’s Word to them, Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon! 🙂

HAPPY EASTER!

*Adapted from a larger Bible study by the same name. That study can be read here or watched here.

Messiah’s Joy Amidst Calvary’s Grief #2

Saturday, April 4, 2015

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV).

Do you ever wonder what our Lord Jesus Christ was thinking about while He hung there on Calvary’s cross?

Jesus knew Bible prophecy had to be fulfilled: He had to suffer in accordance with the Old Testament prophets. Even when He spoke seven times from the cross, He quoted various Old Testament verses. The Old Testament prophets also gave Him comfort: “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (today’s Scripture).

For instance, He remembered that Jonah’s prophecy had to be fulfilled: “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). On the third day, He would live again, and be reunited with His heavenly Father!

He knew that His Father would resurrect Him. His spiritual torment and physical death were only temporarily, as David quoted Jesus 1000 B.C., “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” (Psalm 16:10; cf. Acts 2:24-31).

Our Lord thought of reigning over that glorious kingdom that His Heavenly Father would give Him after His resurrection. As the psalmist wrote centuries before Calvary’s crosswork, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” (Psalm 2:6-8). “Begotten” refers to Jesus’ resurrection, not His nativity in Bethlehem (Acts 13:33,34).

Jesus Christ, during His torturous crucifixion, thought about and rejoiced in the promises in the Scriptures that applied to Him. Likewise, we, during difficult circumstances, can remember and rejoice in God’s promises to us—Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon.

We too can share Messiah’s joy amidst grief! 🙂

Please check out our archived Bible Q&As: “Should Christians celebrate Easter?” and “Is ‘Easter’ a mistranslation in the KJV?”