Category: The Nation Israel

One (God)Man Fulfilled What?!?!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is the first reference to the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, Scripture says He will be a man, a descendant of Adam and Eve. The Old Testament goes on to make hundreds of prophecies regarding Israel’s Messiah. In fact, Jesus Christ fulfilled 332 of those prophecies during His First Advent.

Here are some rather incredible prophecies fulfilled in Christ’s life (notice how specific they are):

  • Son of Abraham (Genesis 12:3 cf. Matthew 1:1).
  • Son of Isaac (Genesis 17:19 cf. Luke 3:34).
  • Son of Jacob (Numbers 24:17 cf. Matthew 1:2).
  • Son of Judah (Genesis 49:10 cf. Luke 3:33).
  • Son of King David (2 Samuel 7:12-16 cf. Luke 1:32).
  • Born in Bethlehem-Judaea (there were two Bethlehem’s) (Micah 5:2 cf. Matthew 2:1).
  • Mother was a virgin (Isaiah 7:14 cf. Luke 1:26-35).
  • Betrayed by a friend who ate bread with Him (Psalm 41:9 cf. John 13:18-27).
  • Rejected by His own people (Psalm 118:22 cf. Acts 4:10,11)
  • Sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12 cf. Matthew 26:15).
  • Smote on the head/face with a reed (Micah 5:1 cf. Matthew 27:30).
  • Given vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21 cf. Mark 15:36).
  • None of His bones were broken (Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12 cf. John 19:36).
  • He would die by crucifixion, predicted centuries before crucifixion was invented! (Psalm 22:16,17 cf. John 19:37).
  • Buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9 cf. Matthew 27:57-60).

One author calculated the mathematical probability of all 332 prophecies being fulfilled in one man’s life. His answer was astronomically high:

___________________________1___________________________

840,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,

000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,

000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

In other words, 1 in 8.4 x 10^(98)! Wow! Can you imagine a number with 97 zeroes?! When Jesus Christ came to Israel, they should have recognized Him. Him fulfilling all those Old Testament prophecies should have caught their attention. Unfortunately, they could not care less.

One Man fulfilled all those prophecies… one (God)-Man!

Forgiven Now and Forever

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;” (Colossians 2:13 KJV).

Religion’s “short account system” of confessing sins is a misunderstanding of 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This verse has nothing to do with us for three reasons.

Primarily, we do not practice 1 John 1:9 because John is Israel’s apostle (Galatians 2:9). Paul is our apostle, not John (Romans 11:13). The doctrine found in 1 John belongs in Israel’s prophetic program, not our mystery program (the Dispensation of Grace). Confession of sins was Israel’s doctrine under the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 16:21; Leviticus 26:40; Numbers 5:6,7; Ezra 10:1; Daniel 9:20; et al.). Furthermore, in Matthew 3:6 and Mark 1:5 John the Baptist water baptized Jews who confessed their sins.

Secondly, 1 John 1:9 is not written to saved people; it is directed to lost Jews. We read in 1 John 2:12, “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.” Apparently, there are two groups of people in 1 John: some saved (forgiven), and some lost (not forgiven). In 1 John 1:9 John urges lost Jews to confess their sins in order to be saved.

Lastly, our salvation and fellowship with God are independent of our performance. We are forgiven, apart from anything we have done. In today’s Scripture, our Apostle Paul tells us that we are “forgiven of all trespasses [in Christ].” Ephesians 4:32 says, “God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” We are forgiven (past tense), not because we confess our sins, but because of Christ’s finished cross work on Calvary. In Christ, we have unbroken fellowship with God forever and ever. How many times can we be forgiven of “all unrighteousness?” Only once. In Christ, now and forever, we are forgiven of all sins—past, present, and future!

Sit Thou at My Right Hand

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1 KJV).

Where is Jesus Christ today?

Recall that His physical body ascended into heaven to return to His heavenly Father (Acts 1:9-11). Currently, Jesus Christ is sitting at His Father’s right hand in glory. Today’s Scripture, written by King David 1000 years beforehand, is a prophecy of the ascension of Jesus Christ. In today’s Scripture, God the Father tells His Son Jesus Christ to sit at His right hand. Nevertheless, this is not permanent because God the Father says, “until….”

When Jesus Christ came to earth and presented Himself to His people, the nation Israel, they “received him not” (John 1:11). The climax of Israel’s rejection of their Messiah-King Jesus occurred when they demanded that Pilate crucify Him (John 19:14,15).

In the early Acts period, Israel was given a renewed opportunity of repentance. Yes, they killed their Messiah Jesus, but God raised Him from the dead. Israel could have repented and been water baptized, and ultimately received Him as their King. This was the Apostle Peter’s message to Israel in Acts 2:22-40 and Acts 3:12-26.

In Acts 7, a year after Acts 2, we learn that the nation Israel is still unrepentant and rebellious. Israel’s prophet Stephen warns them, saying: “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). Israel knew judgment was coming: they remembered Psalm 110:1. Christ would sit at His Father’s right hand only until God’s wrath would be poured out on His enemies… them! In anger the Jews stoned Stephen. Even at this point, God was gracious.

God, in His loving-kindness, poured out His grace, not His wrath, in Acts 9, by saving Saul of Tarsus. The Lord made him Paul the Apostle and interrupted Israel’s program with our Dispensation of Grace. God’s wrath—the seven-year Tribulation—is currently postponed. Jesus Christ is still sitting at His Father’s right hand… for now, anyway….

We Have Now Received the Atonement

Friday, June 17, 2011

“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:11 KJV).

This is the only time the word “atonement” appears in the King James’ New Testament. The Greek word translated “atonement” here is usually translated “reconciliation, reconciling, reconciled” elsewhere (Romans 5:10; 1 Corinthians 7:11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

In the Old Testament, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, Israel’s high priest would sprinkle animals’ blood on the mercy seat, the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, to first cover his sins and then the sins of the nation Israel (Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 16:3-34; Hebrews 9:7). But “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). For that reason, “in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year” (Hebrews 10:3).

The book of Hebrews describes how Jesus Christ shedding His own (sinless) blood has done away with the animal sacrifices. “And every priest standeth daily ministering and oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man [Christ Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;” (Hebrews 10:11,12).

That word “atonement”—wrongly translated “reconciliation” in modern Bibles—is needed in Romans 5:11 because it links us with the Old Testament practice of the Day of Atonement. Animals’ blood could never take away sins, the Bible says, but that blood did serve as a temporary forgiveness. When the blood of Jesus Christ was shed, the shedding of animals’ blood became null. What God accomplished for Israel at the cross of Calvary, He also accomplished for us (the Church the Body of Christ).

Notice “we have NOW received the atonement” (Romans 5:11). As Christians we have our sins blotted out today (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:13). Israel will not receive her national forgiveness until the Second Coming of Christ (Acts 3:19,20; Romans 11:26,27).

Rejoice, saints, “we have NOW received the atonement!” Praise ye the Lord!

No Ordinary Fishing Trip

Thursday, June 16, 2011

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19 KJV).

In Matthew 4:18, the Lord Jesus found two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, fishermen casting their net into the Sea of Galilee. Today’s Scripture documents what Jesus told them. Verse 20 says “they straightway [immediately] left their nets, and followed him.” In the succeeding verses, Jesus calls two other fishermen, James and his brother John.

For the next three years, these four men would not be fishing ordinarily. They would be fishing with Jesus Christ. For what would they be fishing? The souls of lost Jews. Surely, it was going to be no ordinary fishing trip! Notice verses 23 and following:

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.”

These fishermen—now “fishers of men”—were serving with their Messiah Jesus of Nazareth. They saw Him perform amazing miracles as He demonstrated the powers of the world to come (Israel’s kingdom; Hebrews 2:3-5). For three years, these “fishers of men” would hear the words of eternal life from the lips of God Himself. Furthermore, they had the privilege of preaching “the gospel of the kingdom” to their fellow Jews.

Jesus later promised them that He would give them the power to teach and do what He did. God would utilize these “fishers of men” to reel in thousands of Jews’ souls to repentance (see Acts 2:41 and Acts 4:4). Surely, for all eternity, they will remember… that was no ordinary fishing trip!

Beware of the Money-Hungry Preachers!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife…Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;…” (1 Timothy 3:2,3 KJV).

Today’s Scripture lists a few qualifications of the bishop, the overseer of the local church. One of the qualities of a bishop (sometimes called “pastor”) was that he be “not greedy of filthy lucre” (cf. Titus 1:7). The deacons were to also be “not greedy of filthy lucre” (1 Timothy 3:8). What is “filthy lucre?” Extorted money. Considering those qualifications, many preachers and deacons would be out of a job!

The Apostle Peter instructed leaders of the Jews, “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof… not for filthy lucre” (1 Peter 5:2). Titus 1:11 speaks of many Jewish religious leaders who were “unruly and vain talkers and deceivers… who subvert [overthrow] whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.”

Religion is the world’s most profitable business, and for good reason. As long as someone occasionally reads from the Bible and mentions the name of Christ, no one would ever suspect the person would be guilty of extortion. Unfortunately, this very thing took place during Christ’s earthly ministry. Israel’s religious leaders “devoured” whole houses—all for the sake of money! Jesus called Israel’s Temple a “den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12,13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45,46; John 2:14-17).

Notice Jesus’ rebuke: “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” (Matthew 23:14; cf. Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47). The Pharisees and scribes had a good outward appearance, but they ministered under false pretenses—all for money. Just like today, if you pay enough, churches will pray for you.

Grace is not against giving, but it is against covetous preachers who extort money. Never let someone force you to give, such as binding you with Israel’s tithe. Beloved, beware of the money-hungry preachers!

Casting All Your Care Upon Him

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7 KJV).

The Apostle Peter uses today’s Scripture to encourage the little flock to endure the extreme hardship and persecution of Israel’s seven-year Tribulation. We too should “cast all our care upon [God].” Notice other verses that utilize that Greek word translated “care.”

Paul expressed his “care” (concern) for the churches (2 Corinthians 11:28). The Bible speaks of “caring” for the Christian brethren (1 Corinthians 12:25). Philippians 2:20 affirms Timothy “cared” for the Philippians’ wellbeing.

In Luke 10, Jesus visited the home of Martha and her sister Mary. While Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him speak, Martha was “cumbered [distracted] about much serving” (verse 40). Martha besought Jesus to command Mary to help her serve. Notice Jesus’ reply: “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (verses 41,42). “Martha, relax!”

Being “careful” means worried, distracted, and troubled in mind. Two of the best verses in regards to Pauline prayer are Philippians 4:6,7: “Be careful for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

God does not want us worrying (“careful,” full of care). He wants us to talk to Him in prayer about the details of our lives in light of His Word. If we want peace in our Christian life, we need to daily practice Philippians 4:6,7. This is easier said than done, I know.

Grace teaches us not to worry because, regardless of our circumstances, we have “the peace of God which passeth all understanding.” God will “keep [guard] our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Saints, relax, ye have the peace of God!

May we learn “to cast all our care [worry] upon him!”

Obey God or Men?

Saturday, June 11, 2011

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29 KJV).

What would you do if your government threatened to imprison or execute you for your refusal to deny the Lord Jesus Christ? Notice what the saints of old did when faced with such a predicament.

Israel’s religious leaders commanded the Apostles Peter and John to stop preaching in the name of Jesus Christ, yet the apostles continued preaching (Acts 4:18-19)! Peter and John were eventually arrested and imprisoned, but God miraculously released them from the jail (Acts 5:17-19).

Now, in the context of today’s Scripture, Peter and John have been recaptured. The high priest asked (Acts 5:28): “Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?” The apostles’ response is today’s Scripture: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” After the apostles were beaten, they were released, yet they went right back to teaching and preaching Jesus Christ again (verses 40-42)!

In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone to bow down and worship a golden image. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, Jewish believers in JEHOVAH God, refused to worship the silly idol, even after Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw them into a fiery furnace (verses 13-18). Miraculously, they were unharmed inside the furnace (verses 24-28)!

Later on, Daniel’s enemies manipulated King Darius to decree a law that no man should petition any God or man, other than petitioning Darius, for thirty days. The punishment for doing so was being cast into a lions’ den. Daniel, having full knowledge of that law, still prayed to JEHOVAH God, three times a day (Daniel 6:10). Finally, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. The Bible says, “So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God” (verse 23).

And so, we follow the ensample of the saints of old. Even when faced with the threat of imprisonment or execution, “we ought to obey God rather than men!”

The City of the Great King

Friday, June 10, 2011

“[Swear] …neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King” (Matthew 5:35bc KJV).

Although the name “Jerusalem” means “abode of peace,” this city has been anything but peaceful. Throughout its history, it has been destroyed twice, captured over three dozen times, and attacked over four dozen times. Currently, Jews and Palestinians are contending for it.

Jerusalem first appears in the Bible in Genesis 14:18. At that time it was simply known as “Salem,” meaning “peace” (Hebrews 7:2). In the Bible, Jerusalem is also called: “a city of truth” (Zechariah 8:3), “the holy city” (Matthew 4:5), “the city of David” (2 Samuel 5:6-9), and “the city of God” (Psalm 46:4). Ironically, just outside of the city walls of Jerusalem, “the city of the great King” (today’s Scripture), Israel crucified her King Jesus on Calvary’s cross (John 19:20; Hebrews 13:12).

Why is Jerusalem so important in Scripture? In the future, when Jesus Christ sets up His kingdom in the earth, Jerusalem will become the world’s capital! The prophet Isaiah (2:3) wrote concerning the establishment of Jesus Christ’s kingdom in the earth: “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain [kingdom] of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

One day, after His Second Coming, Jesus Christ will assume King David’s throne in Jerusalem (Mount Zion; see 1 Chronicles 29:26,27). From Jerusalem, Jesus Christ will rule the world forever and ever (Daniel 2:44; Luke 1:31-33). The prophet Jeremiah (33:16) describes the day when Jesus Christ establishes His earthly kingdom: “In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.”

When Christ, the Prince of Peace, comes back, Jerusalem will be “the [peaceful] city of the great King!”

Do You Rightly Divide the Word of Truth?

Sunday, June 5, 2011

“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).

This is the key to Bible study and understanding Bible “contradictions.” God designed His Word to be studied, not casually skimmed. God also wants us to study “rightly dividing the word of truth.” We seek to be “approved unto God”—we do not seek man’s approval! Christendom’s greatest error is its refusal to study God’s Word, God’s way.

God created two realms, the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1); He designed a program to govern each realm. The prophetic program is that “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). Romans 16:25,26 speaks of the mystery program, “which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest….” Every Bible verse fits into either the prophetic program or the mystery program. When we take verses from one program, and force them into the other program, Bible “contradictions” arise.

God’s people in the prophetic program are the nation Israel, His earthly people to whom He promised an earthly kingdom (Genesis 13:16; Genesis 17:8; Deuteronomy 4:38; 2 Samuel 7:23-25). God’s people in the mystery program are the Church the Body of Christ, His heavenly people to whom belongs the promise of a heavenly kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:1; Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1-3).

Today, in the Dispensation of Grace, as members of the Body of Christ, Paul is our apostle (Romans 11:13). Everything that God has to say to us today in the mystery (secret) program is found in Paul’s 13 epistles, Romans through Philemon. The remainder of the Bible is God speaking to Israel concerning her prophetic program. All of the Bible is for us, but not all the Bible is to us or about us.

May we never take Israel’s doctrine and force it on others or ourselves. May we always seek God’s approval by “rightly dividing the word of truth!”