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The Prodigal Heirs
Israel and the Church
Has God
abandoned Israel? Has the
Church “replaced” Israel?
What does the Bible say?
In this
updated briefing package,
Chuck Missler explores the
Biblical origins, roles, and
destinies of Israel and the
Church. As we watch the
world events, it is clear
that Israel is following her
prophetic scenario, and a
new chapter is about to be
written—and there may be a
big surprise on our near
horizon!
The Prodigal Heirs
Session 1: “My People
Israel”
Introduction:
Origin, History, Destiny
History
– BC: Pattern
of failures – AD: Betrayals
of the Chosen
• The Coming
Kingdom
• Modern
Myths
1)
Replacement
Theology
2)
2) Primary
Source of the Problems in
the Middle East [The
1400-Year War?]
Divisions of
Theology
Bibliology
The Bible
Theology
Proper Attributes of God
Christology
Lord Jesus Christ
Pneumatology
Holy Spirit
Angelology
Angels, fallen and unfallen
Anthropology
Man
Soteriology
Salvation
Ecclesiology
The Church
Eschatology
End-Times; Last Things
[Notice
what’s missing? 5/6th of the
Bible!]
Israelology
Israel as God’s Instrument
Israel and
the Church: The Prodigal
Heirs
•
Distinctions: Different
Origins, Missions,
Destinies.
• The “70
Weeks” deal specifically
with
Israel.
• Paul’s
trichotomy: Jews, Gentiles,
Church.
• Paul’s
definitive statement of
Christian doctrine:
Israel’s: Past, Present,
Future (Rom 9, 10, 11).
• Purpose,
Tragedy, and Triumph of all
history (Mt 23:37-39). From
Augustine to Auschwitz!
BC History: A
Pattern of Failures
• Stephen’s
Summary of History (Acts 7):
– Their
unresponsive history—yet
God’s persistent
purpose;
–
Characterized by rejection
the first time, then
acceptance
the second time.
• Abraham:
– A 25-year
lapse in responding to God’s
call!
– He didn’t
leave until his father died…
• Joseph:
– Joseph was
hated by his brothers.
– It was on a
2nd visit that he was
recognized (Acts 7:13).
– “The Stone
which the builders rejected
has
become the
head stone of the corner.”
• Moses
– Was
rejected the 1st time (Acts
7:25-28).
– Was
accepted the 2nd time (Acts
7:35,36).
Which of the
prophets have not your
fathers persecuted? and they
have slain them which shewed
before of the coming of the
Just One; of whom ye have
been now the betrayers and
murderers:
Acts 7:52
Israel’s
national trait: Deadly
hostility to the messengers
of God. Stephen’s
presentation was interrupted
and ended in martyrdom…He
apparently was leading to
the same pattern:
They would
accept their Messiah on the
2nd
time…
• Jesus’ Own
Summary:
– The
Vineyard Owner (Isa 5, Mk
12; Lk 20).
– The
husbandmen beat and killed
the servants sent—they
even killed the Son and
heir.
–
“The stone
which the builders rejected
is become the head of the
corner” (Mk 12:10; Lk
20:17).
Jesus’
Summary (Matthew 23:37-39)
1) The
Purpose of all history
2) The
Tragedy of all history
3) The
Triumph of all history
The Purpose
of All History
O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest
the prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto
thee, how often would I have
gathered thy children
together, even as a hen
gathereth her chickens under
her wings…
Matthew 23:37
The Tragedy
of All History
...and ye
would not! Behold, your
house is left unto you
desolate.
Matthew
23:37b, 38
The Triumph
of All History
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 23:39
I will go and
return to my place, till
they acknowledge their
offence, and seek my face:
in their affliction they
will seek me earnestly.
Hosea 5:15
AD History:
Betrayals of the Chosen
• The Fall of
Jerusalem (and the Temple)
70 a.d.:
– The Council
of Yamnia (redefinition of
Judaism)
• Astonishing
Anti-Semitism of the Early
Church:
–
“Replacement Theology”
Heresy
– Augustine
to Auschwitz: saga of
defamation
• Nationhood:
–
– Saga of
libels and global
misrepresentations
–
Daniel’s 70
Weeks (Daniel 9:24-27)
9:24 Scope
9:25 69 Weeks
9:26
[Interval: The Church]
9:27 70th
week
The Scope
Seventy weeks
are determined upon thy
people and upon thy holy
city, to finish the
transgression, to make an
end of sins, to make
reconciliation for iniquity,
to bring in everlasting
righteousness, to seal up
the vision and prophecy, and
to anoint the most Holy
Place.
Daniel 9:24
The 69 Weeks
Know
therefore and understand,
that from the going forth of
the commandment to restore
and to build Jerusalem unto
the Messiah the King shall
be seven weeks, and
threescore and two weeks:
the street shall be built
again, and the wall, even in
troublous times.
Daniel 9:25
The Interval
And after
threescore and two weeks
shall Messiah be cut off,
but not for himself: and the
people of the prince that
shall come shall destroy the
city and the sanctuary; and
the end thereof shall be
with a flood, and unto the
end of the war desolations
are determined.
Daniel 9:26
“...cut off”:
tr;K’ karat, to cut
off, eliminate, kill,
execute. “...not for
Himself”: nothingness:
rejection, substitution. An
interval, or gap, clearly
required by v. 26: events
described are after the 69th
and prior to the 70th week.
The 70th
Week
Israel’s
Destiny
Israel’s
Destiny
• Ezekiel 38
& 39
• Psalm 83
• The Davidic
Kingdom
Four
Prerequisites
1) The Nation
reestablished as a sovereign
state…
2) A nation
militarily secure?
3) A nation
at apparent peace in the
Middle East?
4) A nation
of restored material
fortunes?
Current
Preparatory Steps?
• The
Arab-Israeli conflict
• The Iranian
nuclear emergence
• The oil
discoveries in the region
(over $1 trillion of energy
discoveries recently!)
• …all are
but preparatory steps in
advance of the big
show.
•
But
why no mention of Israel’s
immediate neighbors?
The Missing
Nations (from Ezekiel 38 &
39)
• Lebanese? •
Syrians? • Iraq? •
Jordanians?
• Egyptians?
• Saudi Arabians? •
Palestinians?
In Israel’s
recent history, the invading
forces have been its Islamic
neighbors—Lebanon, Syria,
Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia,
Egypt and the displaced Arab
refugees referred to as the
“Palestinians.”
So I
prophesied as he commanded
me, and the breath came into
them, and they lived, and
stood up upon their feet, an
exceeding[ly] great army.
Ezekiel 37:10
Four steps in
the “Dry Bones” vision:
1) They were
scattered.
2) They came
together, with flesh and
skin (still
represented
as “dead” bodies).
3) They came
to life.
4) They
become an daom.
me`od “exceedingly”
(adverb!) great army.
A Surprise
Coming?
Is there an
overlooked event that may
precede the
ill-fated invasion attempt
featured in Ezekiel 38 and
39?
Psalm 83: The
Forthcoming Scenario?
1] <A Song or
Psalm of Asaph.> Keep not
thou silence, O God: hold
not thy peace, and be not
still, O God.
2] For, lo,
thine enemies make a tumult:
and they that hate thee have
lifted up the head.
This is the
last psalm of the Asaph
series (Ps 50, 71-83) and a
rather timely one. Whoever
these enemies are here, they
hate God and are “lifting
their head.”
3] They have
taken crafty counsel against
thy people, and consulted
against thy hidden ones.
Who are [the,
your, His] “Hidden ones”? ^yn<)Wpc.-l[;
“against His hidden
treasured ones.”
4] They have
said, Come, and let us cut
them off from being a
nation; that the name of
Israel may be no more in
remembrance.
5] For they
have consulted together with
one consent: they are
confederate against thee:
The very
commitment of Islam: “to
wipe Israel off the face of
the map!” This is the
primary basis of their
confederation.
6] The
tabernacles of Edom, and the
Ishmaelites; of Moab, and
the Hagarenes;
7] Gebal, and
Ammon, and Amalek; the
Philistines with the
inhabitants of Tyre;
8] Assur also
is joined with them: they
have holpen the children of
Lot. Selah.
“...tabernacles of Edom”:
Edomites were the
traditional enemies of
Israel. The “tents of Edom”
= Palestinian refugees.
Edomite History
Ascent into
the Land of Israel
officially began in 586 b.c.,
with the destruction of
Jerusalem by the
Babylonians. Hebron, 19 mi
S of Jerusalem, began their
new frontier. At 3400 ft.
above sea level, established
1500 years earlier, unlike
Jerusalem it was left intact
as prime real estate.
Migration
into “Idumea”
The nomadic
Nabateans migrated out of
Arabia into Edom and drove
the Edomites westward.
Directly west of Edom were
established routes of
passage. The land there was
historically more prosperous
and resourceful than the
land of Edom: infertile
deserts and jagged
mountains. The land bore a
family association: Esau
with Jacob
and was
vacated due to the Jews
being exported into
captivity.
“...and the
Ishmaelites”: An embittered
Esau spitefully marries a
daughter of Ishmael named
Mahalath, continuing the
hb’yae ~l’A[ olam ebah,
“the ancient hatred”
(Ezek 25:15; 35:5).
“...Moab”: A
descendant of Lot:
Palestinian refugees and
Central Jordan.
“...the
Hagarenes”: The descendants
of Hagar were Egyptians.
“...Gebal”:
Idumeans; Southeast of the
Dead Sea.
Gebal
Heb:
gebhal; a line or
natural boundary, as a
mountain range: two
possibilities: 1) A tract in
the land of Edom southeast
of the Dead Sea; now called
Djebal. Called Gobolitis
by Josephus (Ant., II, i,
2) or 2) A Phoenician city,
not far from the sea coast,
to the north of Beirut
called by the Greeks
Byblos. Now Jibeil (Ezek
27:9). Also mentioned in the
Amarna tablets.
The position
of Gebal between the
“Hagarenes” and “Ammon”
favors them being Idumeans.
“...and Ammon”:
Palestinian refugees and
Northern Jordanians. (The
capital of Jordan is Amman.)
“...and
Amalek”: Arabs south of
Israel. (Agag was the king
of the Amalekites; also,
Haman of Esther.)
“...the
Philistines”: Palestinian
Refugees and the Hamas of
the Gaza Strip.
“...with the
inhabitants of Tyre”:
Hezbollah and Southern
Lebanese.
“...Assur
also”: Assyria: Today, Syria
and N. Iraq.
“...holpen”:
[;Arz> zerowa “been
an arm to.”
“...the
children of Lot”: “The
children of Lot” would be
Moab and Ammon.
9] Do unto
them as unto the Midianites;
as to Sisera, as to Jabin,
at the brook of Kison:
10] Which
perished at Endor: they
became as dung for the
earth.
The Psalmist
petitions God to undertake
the destruction of their
enemies as He did in the
events of the past…
“...the
Midianites”: An Arabian
tribe descended from Midian,
4th son of Abraham by
Keturah. They inhabited
principally the desert north
of the peninsula of Arabia
(Gen 25:2 1 Chr 1:32).
“...Sisera”:
Captain of the host of Jabin,
the Canaanite king who
reigned in Hazor; routed by
the army of Barak on the
plain of Esdraelon; killed
by Jael (Judg 4 & 5).
“...Endor”:
On the northern slope of
Little Hermon, about 7 miles
from Jezreel; The place in
the territory of Issachar
near the scene of the great
victory gained by Deborah
and Barak over Sisera and
Jabin (where Saul resorted
to consult the witch on the
eve of his fatal engagement
with the Philistines).
11] Make
their nobles like Oreb, and
like Zeeb: yea, all their
princes as Zebah, and as
Zalmunna:
12] Who said,
Let us take to ourselves the
houses of God in possession.
Oreb and Zeeb
were the prince generals of
Midian; Zebah and Zalmunna
were their kings. They were
defeated by Gideon: the men
of Ephraim intercepted the
Midianites and slew with
great slaughter (Judg 7:25;
8:3).
13] O my God,
make them like a wheel; as
the stubble before the wind.
14] As the
fire burneth a wood, and as
the flame setteth the
mountains on fire;
15] So
persecute them with thy
tempest, and make them
afraid with thy storm.
16] Fill
their faces with shame; that
they may seek thy name, O
LORD.
17] Let them
be confounded and troubled
for ever; yea, let them be
put to shame, and perish:
18] That men
may know that thou, whose
name alone is JEHOVAH, art
the most high over all the
earth.
“JEHOVAH”:
hw”hoy> YHWH, In contrast to
Al-Ilah, the Moon God…
Judgment Upon
the Nations (Ezek 25-32)
Ammon, Moab,
Edom, Philistia, Tyre,
Sidon, Egypt = all are
Islamic!
The Judgment
against Edom is mentioned in
more Old Testament books
than it is against any other
foreign nation:
Isa 11:14; 34:5-17; 63:1-6;
Jer 9:25-26; 25:17-26;
49:7-22; Lam 4:21-22; Ezek
25:12-14; 35:15; Joel 3:19;
Amos 1:11-12; 9:11-12;
Obadiah 1:1-21; Mal 1:4.
The Enemies
At the
present time Israel is
surrounded by immediate
neighbors committed to
“wiping them off the map.”
It is misleading to
represent them as “Arabs”:
they are Muslims. It
would appear that a
prerequisite victory
for Israel
will set the stage for the
subsequent ill-fated attempt
of the “outer ring” nations
seeking spoils…
They have
taken crafty counsel against
thy people, and consulted
against thy hidden ones.
Psalm 83:3
Who are
[your, His] “Hidden ones”? ^yn<)Wpc.-l[;
“against His hidden
treasured ones.” (Thus, a
possible post-Harpazo
reference?)
Unconditional
Covenants
1) The
Abrahamic Covenant Gen 12
– Challenged
by the world
2) The Land
Covenant Gen 15
– Challenged
by Islam
3) The
Davidic Covenant 2 Sam 7
– Challenged
by the Church
4) The
Everlasting Covenant Jer
31:31
The
Millennium
• Promised to
David: 2 Sam 7:12-17; 23:5;
under
oath: Ps
89:34-37.
• Predicted
in the Psalms and the
Prophets: Ps 2; 45; 110; Isa
2:1-5; 4:1-6; 11:1-9;
12:1-6; 30:18-26; 35:1-10;
60, 61:3-62; 66; Jer 23:3-8;
32:37-44; Ezek 40-48; Dan
2:44-45; 7:13-14; 12:2-3;
Mic 4:1-8; Zech 12:10-14:21.
• Promised to
Mary: Luke 1:32; Micah 5:2;
Isa 9:6, 7; Dan 2:44;
• Reaffirmed
to Apostles: Luke 22:29-30.
• Lord’s
Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come”:
Mt 6:10, 13; Acts 1:6; Ps
45, 46, 47, 48.
• Rule: Psalm
2; 110. “Rod of Iron” (Rev
12:5; 19:15);
“Every knee
will bow” (Phil 2:6-11).
• Note: The
Millennial Temple only open
on Shabbat
and the New
Moons (Ezek 46:1).
The Return of
Christ to Rule
• 1,845
references in the Old
Testament
– 17 books
give prominence to the event
• 318
references in the New
Testament
– 216
chapters
– 23 of 27
books give prominence to the
event
For every
prophecy of Christ’s 1st
Coming there are 8 of His
2nd Coming!
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream:
Daniel 2
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.
Forasmuch as thou sawest
that the stone was cut out
of the mountain without
hands, and that it brake in
pieces the iron, the brass,
the clay, the silver, and
the gold; the great God hath
made known to the king what
shall come to pass
hereafter: and the dream is
certain, and the
interpretation thereof sure.
Daniel
2:44,45
Modern Myths
1)
“Replacement Theology”
Heresy
2) “Israel is
the Primary Source of Unrest
in the Middle East”
Replacement
Theology Heresy: A
non-Biblical outgrowth of
anti-Semitism in the early
church that denies Israel’s
place in God’s redemptive
program (this also be
further dealt with in our
next session).
“Israel is
the Primary Source of Unrest
in the Middle East”:
Iran/Iraq War: 8 years; over
1 million deaths; the
1400-Year War, et al.
1400-Year War
“The most
dominant threat on the near
horizon.” Nobody in the
Pentagon will talk openly
about it. Nobody in the
White House knows what to
do. As many as eight key
Islamic countries are
presently heading toward a
bloody “new” war—with
each other—that’s
been fourteen centuries
in the making! To
understand the undercurrents
within the House of Islam
one needs to understand that
these two Houses hate each
other (almost) as much as
they hate the Jews.
But it’s only
now that this pressure has
found its ultimate
release—with Iran driving a
new Shia uprising right in
the middle of the most
dangerous place on Earth—the
oil-soaked Middle East.
But no matter
how it starts, Saudi Arabia
will be a key focus: Not
only is Saudi Arabia home to
Mecca, Islam’s holiest
place... but it’s also home
to the corrupt and
U.S.-allied Royal House of
Saud, considered an insult
to all Islam. Iran is
getting ready to assert its
place in the world. (Think
Japan or Germany in the
1930s.) The threat is there,
it’s large, and it’s not
going away…
Your
Challenge
“We are being
plunged into a period of
time about which the Bible
says more than it does about
any other period of time in
history . . . including the
time that Jesus walked the
shores of Galilee or climbed
the mountains of Judea.”
Two Basic
Challenges
1) Find out
what the Bible says: Not to
be delegated to others (Mt
5:17). Take advantage of our
unique environment of
Today (Advanced
Information Appliances,
Internet Resources, role of
small groups, etc.).
2) Find out
what is really going on:
“What is truth?” The Age of
Deceit…
The Prodigal
Heirs
Session 2:
“My Body, The Church”
When Jesus
came into the coasts of
Caesarea Philippi, he asked
his disciples, saying, Whom
do men say that I the Son of
man am? And they said, Some
say that thou art John the
Baptist: some, Elias; and
others, Jeremias, or one of
the prophets. He saith unto
them, But whom say ye that I
am? And Simon Peter answered
and said, Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the
living God. And Jesus
answered and said unto him,
Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona: for flesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto
thee, but my Father which is
in heaven. And I say also
unto thee, That thou art
Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it.
Matthew
16:13-18
“...Peter...the rock”: “Petros”:
Part of a rock, that which
is hewn out of a rock, a
stone. “Petra”: the rock out
of which a stone is hewn (Mt
7:24, 25).Who is the Rock?
(1 Cor 3:11; Eph 2:20; 1 Cor
10:4; 1 Pet 2:4-7).
The first use
of the word “church” occurs
in Mt 16:18: “I will build
my church.”
“...I” =
Christ alone.
“...will”:
Prophetic aspect. It did not
exist before, or when Christ
was speaking. (It is not
expressly included in the
scope of the Seventy Weeks
of Daniel, et al.)
“...build”: A
process. “Being built” is
the literal translation of
Eph 2:20; Heb 3:6.
“...My”: The
blessed reality, “purchased
with his own blood” (Acts
20:28; cf. Eph 5:25).
“...church”:
Establishing a distinction
which exists between this
heavenly company and every
other classification of
human beings. Loved to an
infinite degree (Jn 13:1;
Eph 2:7; 5:25).
Promises to
Israel
Fivefold
covenants with Israel are
everlasting in every
respect:
1) a national
entity Jer 31:36
2) a land in
perpetuity Gen 13:15
3) a throne 2
Sam 7:16; Ps 89:36
4) a King Jer
33:21
5) a kingdom
2 Sam 7:14
Aspects in
Common
1) co-sharers
in the purpose of His
incarnation;
2) as the
subjects of His ministry;
3) as the
objects of His death and
resurrections;
4) as the
beneficiaries of His second
advent;
5) as related
to Him in His Kingdom reign.
Distinctions
1) Extent of
revelation: 4/5 vs. 1/5.
2) Divine
purpose: every covenant,
promise, and provi-
sion of
Israel is earthly; every
promise for the Church is
for a heavenly reality.
3) Seed of
Abraham: two figures—the
dust of the earth
(Gen 13:16)
and the stars (Gen 15:5; cf.
Heb 11:12).
A vital
distinction is drawn between
Israel after the flesh and
that portion of Israel
within Israel who are saved.
These are styled “the Israel
of God” (Gal 6:16)
and the same
distinction appears in the
statement that “they are not
all Israel which are of
Israel” (Rom 9:6).
Origin of the
Church
• Feast of
Shavuot (Pentecost) in
Acts 2
– Peter’s use
of Joel 2
• Uniqueness
– John the
Baptist closes the OT (Mt
11:13; Lk 16:16)
–
The sealing
role of the Holy Spirit (Eph
1:13; 4:30)
–
Cracks in the
Foundation?
Fruits of
Anti-Semitism in the Early
Church:
•
Amillennialism: a by-product
of the allegorical teachings
of Origin and the subsequent
eschatology of Augustine.
•
“Replacement Theology”: The
view that the prom- ises,
covenants and blessings
ascribed to Israel in the
Bible have been taken away
from the Jews and given to
the Church, which has now
superseded them. This heresy
was a by-product of the
allegori- cal teachings of
Origin and the subsequent
amillen- nial eschatology of
Augustine.
Anti-Semitism
of the Early Church
• Ignatius of
Antioch (ca 50-117 a.d.):
Taught that
those who
partake of the Passover are
partakers with those who
killed Jesus.
• Justin
Martyr (100-106 a.d.):
Claimed God’s covenant with
Israel was no longer valid
and that the Gentiles had
replaced the Jews.
• Irenaeus
(ca 130-202 a.d.): Declared
the Jews were
disinherited
from the grace of God.
• Tertullian
(ca 155-230 a.d.): Blamed
the Jews for the death of
Jesus and argued they had
been re- jected by God.
• Origen
(185-254 a.d.): He was
responsible for much
anti-Semitism, all of which
was based on his asser- tion
that the Jews were
responsible for killing
Jesus.
The Council
of Elvira (305 a.d. in
Spain): Pro- hibited
Christians from sharing a
meal with a Jew,
marrying a
Jew, blessing a Jew or
observing the Sabbath.
• The Council
of Nicea (325 a.d. in
Turkey): Changed the
celebration of the
Resurrection from the Jewish
Feast of First Fruits to
“Easter” in an at-
tempt to
disassociate it from Jewish
feasts. The Council stated:
“For it is unbecoming beyond
mea- sure that on this
holiest of festivals we
should follow
the customs
of the Jews. Henceforth let
us have noth-
ing in common
with this odious people...”
• Eusebius
(ca 275-339
a.d.):
Taught that the promises of
Scripture were meant for the
Gentiles and the curses were
meant for the Jews. Asserted
that the Church was the
“true Israel.”
• Hilary of
Poitiers (a.d.
291-371): wrote:
“Jews are a
perverse people accursed by
God forever.”
• Gregory of
Nyssa (died 394
a.d.),
Bishop of Cap-
padocia:
“...the Jews are a brood of
vipers, haters of
goodness...”
• St. Jerome
(347-407
a.d.):
describes the Jews as
“...
serpents,
wearing the image of Judas,
their psalms and prayers are
the braying of donkeys.”
• St.
Augustine (354-430
a.d.):
Asserted that the Jews
deserved death but were
destined to wander the earth
to witness the victory of
the Church over the
synagogue.
Quartrodecimens (Latin for
“Fourteens”)
If a believer
attempted to observe the
Resurrection based on
Passover on the 14th of
Nisan, he was excom-unicated!
(Attempts to adopt a date
for Easter which would even
avoid the Biblical date
resulted in years of
confusion and conflict among
various denominations…)
Anti-Semitism
Continued
During the
Middle Ages, “Passion Plays”
abounded and they were used
to cultivate hatred toward
the Jewish
people. In
1478, Pope Sixtus IV granted
the monarchs of
Spain—Ferdinand and
Isabella—the right to
establish a special
inquisition in Spain to deal
with baptized Jews who were
suspected of remaining
faithful to Judaism.
Thousands were burned at the
stake by order of the
Spanish Inquisition.
In 1492, King
Ferdinand decided that all
Spanish Jews should be
banned from Spain. It was
feared that Jews were a
danger to Christianity.
Approximately 150,000 Jews
were forced to leave Spain.
The Edict of Expulsion
expired on the 9th of Av,
August 3, 1492. On August 3,
boarding before midnight,
sailing before sunrise,
Columbus and his crew set
out on their famous voyage.
(They were Jewish.)
Seven
Epistles by the Messiah
Himself
Why these
seven? Why not Jerusalem?
Antioch? Rome? Lystra?
Iconium? et al… [“He that
hath an ear…” 7X elsewhere]
Levels of application:
1) Local:
actual churches. Researched
archaeologically
by Sir Wm.
Ramsey...
2)
Admonitory: “..churches”:
all of them. Each message
applies to
each, to some extent.
3) Homiletic:
“He that hath an ear...”
Applies to us.
4) Prophetic.
In their particular order,
they lay out the history of
the church. [They fill the
gap implied
in Daniel
9:26, and between Rev 12:5
and 6, etc.]
Seven Design
Elements in Each Letter
1) Name of
the Church
2) Title of
Christ Chosen
3)
Commendation
4) Concern
5)
Exhortation
6) Promise to
the Overcomer
7) “He that
hath an ear, hear what the
Spirit says to the
churches.”
Unconditional
Covenants
The Abrahamic
Covenant Gen 12
– Challenged
by the world
The Land
Covenant Gen 15
– Challenged
by Islam
The Davidic
Covenant 2 Sam 7
– Challenged
by the Church
The
Everlasting Covenant Jer
31:31
The Davidic
Covenant
Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done in
earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10
Nothing in
heaven or on earth is more
certain. Every Christmas we
are reminded…Yet, a Child
born, and a Son given, are
not synonymous!
For unto us a
child is born, unto us a son
is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, The
mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his
government and peace there
shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon
his kingdom, to order it,
and to
establish it
with judgment and with
justice from henceforth even
for ever. The zeal of the
LORD of hosts will perform
this.
Isaiah 9:6,7
New Testament
Confirmations
•
Annunciation Luke 1:31-33
• Ascension
Acts 1:6-9
• Council of
Jerusalem Acts 15:15-18
• Kingdom
Parables Matthew 13
• Millennium
Revelation 20
Annunciation
(Luke 1:31-33)
And, behold,
thou shalt conceive in thy
womb, and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name
JESUS. 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:
And
he shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever; and
of his kingdom there shall
be no end.
Luke 1:31-33
Ascension
(Acts 1:6-9)
When they
therefore were come
together, they asked of him,
saying, Lord, wilt thou
at this time restore again
the kingdom to Israel?
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.
Acts 1:6,7
Council of
Jerusalem (Acts 15:15-18)
And to this
agree the words of the
prophets; as it is written,
After this I will return,
and will build again the
Tabernacle of David,
which is fallen down; and I
will build again the ruins
thereof, and I will set it
up: That the residue of men
might seek after the Lord,
and all the Gentiles,
upon whom my
name is called, saith the
Lord, who doeth all these
things. Known unto God are
all his works from the
beginning of the world.
Acts 15:15-18
Kingdom
Parables (Matthew 13)
He answered
and said unto them, Because
it is given unto you to know
the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, but
to them it is not given.
Matthew 13:11
“...mysteries
of the kingdom of heaven”:
This term in the New
Testament referred to truths
not revealed in the Old
Testament but which now were
made known to those
instructed. More accurately
translated “kingdom from
heaven.”
The
Millennium
• Promised to
David: 2 Sam 7:12-17; 23:5;
under
oath: Ps
89:34-37.
• Predicted
in the Psalms and the
Prophets: Ps 2; 45; 110; Isa
2:1-5; 4:1-6; 11:1-9;
12:1-6; 30:18-26; 35:1-10;
60, 61:3-62; 66; Jer 23:3-8;
32:37-44; Eze 40-48; Dan
2:44-45; 7:13-14; 12:2-3;
Mic 4:1-8; Zech 12:10-14:21.
• Promised to
Mary: Luke 1:32; Micah 5:2;
Isa 9:6, 7; Dan 2:44;
• Reaffirmed
to apostles: Luke 22:29-30.
• Lord’s
Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come”:
Mt 6:10, 13; Acts 1:6; Ps
45, 46, 47, 48.
• Rule: Psalm
2; 110. “Rod of Iron” (Rev
12:5; 19:15);
“Every knee
will bow” (Phil 2:6-11).
•
Note: The Millennial Temple
only open on Shabbat
and the New
Moons (Ezek 46:1).
The Return of
Christ to Rule
• 1,845
references in the Old
Testament
–
17 books give
prominence to the event
318
references in the New
Testament
– 216
chapters
– 23 of 27
books give prominence to the
event
For every
prophecy of Christ’s 1st
Coming there are 8 of His
2nd Coming! Are there
allusions to the Harpazo
(the “Rapture”) in the
Old Testament?
Thy dead men
shall live, together with my
dead body shall they arise.
Awake and sing, ye that
dwell in dust: for thy dew
is as the dew of herbs, and
the earth shall cast out the
dead...Come, my people,
enter thou into thy
chambers, and shut thy doors
about thee: hide thyself as
it were for a little moment,
until the indignation be
overpast.
Isaiah
26:19,29
For in the
time of trouble he shall
hide me in his pavilion: in
the secret of his tabernacle
shall he hide me; he shall
set me up upon a rock.
Psalm 27:5
Seek ye the
LORD, all ye meek of the
earth, which have wrought
his judgment; seek
righteousness, seek
meekness: it may be ye shall
be hid in the day of the
LORD’S anger.
Zephaniah 2:3
The Church’s
Birthday
John the
Baptist predicted the
baptism of the Spirit (Mt
3:11-12; Acts 1:5-6). Peter
clearly identifies the Day
of Pentecost as the
beginning of the Holy
Spirit’s baptizing ministry.
Is it possible that the
Feast of Pentecost is still
only partially fulfilled?
How many people were saved
from the Flood of Noah? 4 +
4 + 1 = 9.
Enoch as a
Prophetic Type?
Three groups
involved with the judgment
of the Flood:
–
1) Those who
perished in the Flood 2)
Those who
were
preserved thru the
Flood and, 3) Those who were
removed prior to the
Flood (Enoch was not
“post-flood” or “mid-flood”!
He was “pre-flood”…).
There is an
interesting Jewish belief
that Enoch was “translated”
on his birthday. The Jewish
tradition is that Enoch’s
birthday is celebrated at
the Feast of Shavuot
(Pentecost). Is possible
that there are prophetic
aspects of the Feast of
Shavuot that are yet to
be completed?
The Missing
Nations (from Ezekiel 38 &
39)
• Lebanese? •
Syrians? • Iraq? •
Jordanians?
• Egyptians?
• Saudi Arabians? •
Palestinians!
A Surprise
Coming?
Is there (an
overlooked) event that may
precede the
ill-fated invasion attempt
featured in Ezekiel 38, 39?
Psalm 83: The
Forthcoming Scenario?
1] <A Song or
Psalm of Asaph.> Keep not
thou silence, O God: hold
not thy peace, and be not
still, O God.
2] For, lo,
thine enemies make a tumult:
and they that hate thee have
lifted up the head.
This is the
last psalm of the Asaph
series (50, 71-83) and a
rather timely one. Whoever
these enemies are here, they
hate God and are “lifting
their head.”
3] They have
taken crafty counsel against
thy people, and consulted
against thy hidden ones.
Who are [the,
your, His] “Hidden ones”? ^yn<)Wpc.-l[;
“against His hidden
treasured ones.”
–
4] They have
said, Come, and let us cut
them off from being a
nation; that the name of
Israel may be no more in
remembrance.
5] For they
have consulted together with
one consent: they are
confederate against thee:
The very
commitment of Islam: “to
wipe Israel off the face of
the map!” This is the
primary basis of their
confederation.
–
As we watch
the world events, it is
clear that Israel is
following her prophetic
scenario, and a new chapter
is about to be
written...Stay tuned!
Bibliography
Chafer, Lewis
Sperry, Systematic
Theology, (8 vols),
Dallas Seminary Press,
Dallas TX, 1946.
Fruchtenbaum,
Arnold G., Israelology:
The Missing Link in
Systematic Theology,
Ariel Ministries Press,
Tustin CA, 1993.
Lewis, David
Allen, Can Israel Survive
in a Hostile World, New
Leaf Press, Green Forest AR,
1994.
Lindsey, Hal,
The Road to Holocaust,
Bantam Books, New York
NY, 1989.
Hunt, Dave,
Cup of Trembling,
Harvest House, Eugene OR,
1995.
Hunt, Dave,
A Woman Rides the Beast,
Harvest House, Eugene
OR, 1994.
–
Salus, Bill,
Isralestine, HighWay,
a division of Anomalos
Publishing House, Crane MO,
2008.
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