7 posts tagged “bible”

ISRAEL IN PROPHECY

It is amazing that anyone that actually studies Last Days Prophesies and events of that age could not understand Israel’s unique place in Biblical Prophecy.  Below are some of the major prophesies concerning Israel.

#01 - The nation Israel would be born in one day. (Isaiah 66:8)  On May 14, 1948 Israel became a nation again.

#02 - The Jews would begin to re-gather in Israel. (Jeremiah 31:7-10; Ezekiel 37:21-22; 38:8)  Over five million and counting!

#03 - The Jews would regain control of biblical Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:6 ; Luke 21:24) This happened in 1967!

#04 - The Eastern Gate would remain closed until the Messiah returns.  At Christ's Second Coming, he will enter Jerusalem through the now sealed Eastern Gate. (Ezekiel 44:1-3)  Today, as predicted, the Eastern Gate remains sealed.

#05 - The nation of Israel which had been divided into two kingdoms since the time of Solomon (950 B.C.)- Israel in the north and Judah in the south- would be one united nation in the last days. (Ezekiel 37:15-22)  At present, as predicted Israel is one nation.

#06 - The returning Jews would have no king until Jesus returns. (Hosea 3:4-5)  Amazingly, not only is Israel no longer a theocracy, but today the Jewish state is governed by a democracy comprised of some 30 political parties.

#07 - During the Diaspora (the dispersion of the Jews to the four corners of the globe), Israel would become a wasteland. (Deuteronomy 29:23-28; Ezekiel 36:8-11; Ezekiel 36:33-36) During the past 1900 years Israel became a nearly uninhibited desolate wasteland.

#08 - Israel, once a desolate desert, would blossom in the last days and export produce to the world. (Isaiah 27:6; 35:1-2; Ezekiel 36:34-36)  Israel's increased rainfall and world renowned irrigation technology have caused the land to blossom.  Incredibly, as predicted, they currently export 800 million dollars worth of fresh produce each year.

#09 - Israel would once again plant vineyards on the mountains of Israel. (Joel 3:17-18; Amos 9:13)  Today, sweet wine flow from the Golan Heights and many other vineyards on the mountains of Israel.

#10 - The last days Jews would plant forests of trees.  The Bible even specifies the variety of trees - cedar, acacia, myrtle, oil, cypress, pine, and box. (Isaiah 41: 18-20)  This has happened in our day.

#11 - Though Israel would be the focus of many fulfilled prophecies, most Jews would remain blind to the fact that Jesus is their Messiah until the very end. (Luke 19:41-42; Luke 13:34-35; Romans 11:25-26)

#12 - The Hebrew language would be restored. (Zechariah 3:9)  Remarkable, but today Hebrew is once again the official language of Israel.  Ultimately, when Christ returns to set up his kingdom, all people will share one speech.  Not only will one language be restored, as it was before Babel, (Genesis 11:1), but all people will call on the Lord with one accord.

#13 - The Ethiopian Jews would return to Israel. (Zephaniah 3:10)  At least 60.000 Ethiopian Jews have returned during the past 20 years.

#14 - The returning Jews would once again use the ancient shekel for commerce. (Ezekiel 45:12; Amos 8:5)  Amazingly, the shekel is now Israel's official currency.

#15 - Plans to rebuild the temple in Israel anticipated. (Revelation 11:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4; Matthew 24:15)  Preparations by the Temple Institute are nearly complete.

#16 - A red heifer without blemish must be born and sacrificed to purify the temple in Israel. (Numbers 19:2, 3, 5, 9)  A kosher red heifer was born in 2002 and remains without blemish!

#17 - The temple sacrifices would be reinstituted in Israel in the last days. (Daniel 9:27; Daniel 12:11) Daniel foresaw the Antichrist ending the daily sacrifices.  Therefore, the Jewish sacrificial system must have first been restored in the last days. Currently, the Temple Institute has created all the temple furniture and vessels.  There are also several hundred young Jewish men in training for the Levitical priesthood.

#18 - In the last days, Israel would be surrounded by enemy nations. (Psalm 83:4-8)

#19 - Israel would remain invincible except during the Great Tribulation. (Zechariah 12:6-9)  Even during those last three and one half years, when it looks like Israel will be destroyed, the Lord shall deliver Israel from the hands of her enemies. (Jeremiah 30:3-7; Zechariah 14; Mark 13:14-20) Since 1948, Israel has been attacked in three major wars and six lesser wars, yet despite being vastly outnumbered, they have destroyed all attacking foes.

#20 - Israel would be partitioned by other nations. (Joel 3:2; Daniel 11:39) this has been a top priority for the United Nations since Israel's statehood.  Currently, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Gaza, have been divided up into Jewish and Palestinian settlements.

#21 - The possession of Jerusalem would be at the center of international turmoil. (Zechariah 12:3) Almost daily the world news reports on the conflict over Jerusalem.

#22 - The ancient city of Petra (Sela- the rock city) in Jordan would exist and become the refuge for the fleeing Jews during the Tribulation (Isaiah 16:1-4; Matthew 24:16; Revelation 12:6, 14)  In 1994, Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty making Petra a potentional refuge for fleeing Jews.

#23 - Russia (Magog) would rise a military power and lead a surprise attack on Israel just prior to the final seven years of this age. (Ezekiel 38)  Today, most of the southern states of the former Soviet Union are both military powerhouses and Muslim.

#24 - Turkey (Meshech) would also turn on Israel in the same surprise attack. (Ezekiel 38) In November 2002, Turkey elected a pro-Islamic party to govern the country.

#25 - Iran (Persia, Sudan (Cush), and Libya (Put) would also partake in the surprise attack on Israel. (Ezekiel 38)  Anti-Semitism in the Muslim world is rampant.  According to the Koran and Hadith, all Muslims are commanded to kill Jews, Christians, and non-believers in Jihad (holy war) unless they convert to Islam (Surahs 9:5 and 47:4; Volume 1, book 2, numbers 24 and 35)

#26 - Ironically Egypt and Jordan would not participate in this surprise attack. (Ezekiel 38)  Astoundingly, they are the only two Arab nations that have signed a peace treaty with Israel.  Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.

#27 - Birds of prey would eat the dead flesh of the enemy armies that fall in battle against Israel (Ezekiel 39:4, 17; Revelation 19:17-21)  It is a little known fact that Israel is the bird migration capital of the world.  In fact, 500 million to 1.5 billion birds fly over Israel each spring.  During the fall migration an estimated 1 to 4 billion birds traverse Israel.  Many of these migratory birds are raptors- carrion (dead flesh) eating birds of prey.  In fact, 34 species raptors migrate over Israel.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

I have always been surprised at how some Christians interpret the scriptures to fit their doctrine, instead of the scriptures being their doctrine.  As an example, I was once told by a Christian brother, who was very knowledgeable of the Bible, that the wine in the Bible that Jesus drank was non-alcoholic.  This is a perfect example of someone looking at the Bible with a preconceived belief and then interpreting the scriptures to fit that belief.

I explained that the people of that time did not have refrigerators, ice boxes, BHA preservative or Welches grape juice.  The only method of preservation they had was place the juice of the grape in a wine sac and add sugar and a little yeast.  The fermentation process preserved the wine.  The problem is not the alcohol in the wine but its abuse.  “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the spirit.” (Eph 5:18)  You can’t be drunk on Welches.  He had been taught that if you got 10 feet from a wet wine cork you were in sin, so he had to interpret the wine that Jesus drank as non-alcoholic.  You can see the problem with this faulty exegesis.

In the same fashion are those that claim the “Spiritual Gifts” passed away with the death of the last apostle.  Where did they get that?  It’s not in the Bible.  Most will try to use 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 to give an excuse for their lack of faith or their particular church doctrine,  explaining that when the New Testament canon was established the gifts were no longer needed, and passed away.  As you read the text, you can see how it is far beyond any stretch in exegesis to come to that conclusion.  “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” (1 Corinthians 13:10), does not refer to the Bible but the second coming of Christ.  Whi is “perfect”, Christ himself.  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;  (Hebrews 5:9)  The next verse in   1 Corinthians 13:12, speaks about seeing Jesus face to face.  “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

First, let’s look at the “Gifts”.  The greek word for gifts is “Charisma”, whose root word is “Charis”…the word for grace.  This is why many call them “gifts of grace”.  There are three different categories of these gifts are found in the epistles of: 1^st Corinthians, Romans and Ephesians.  These categories are: “Manifestation or Charismatic Gifts”, “Motivational or Operative gifts” and “Ministerial or Administrative gifts”. 

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

It is important to remember than the instruction that the Bible gives regarding the function and use of the “spiritual gifts” is given by Paul to the members of the body of Christ…the church.  There purpose is also spelled out in the scriptures.

Ephesians 4:12-13

“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

In other words, the “spiritual gifts” were given to the members of the body of Christ to equip them in their mission to reach a world with His message of forgiveness, love and grace.  To bring His light to a world in darkness.

As we get closer to the end times, can you think of any other time when we would need those gifts more than now?  I am glad the Lord is “the same yesterday, today and forever”. (Hebrews 13:12)  As a matter of fact God says he won’t take away the “spiritual gifts”.

Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.”

Let’s look at these “spiritual gifts”.  A manifestation gift is a temporary supernatural physical capability (there is an exception to this), given at a specific time ….and for a specific purpose.

The nine manifestation gifts are:  the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophesy (that is a forth-telling, not necessarily a fore-telling), discerning of spirits, tongues (speaking in a language unknown to the speaker…may or may not be an human language), and interpretation of tongues (if tongues is spoken in the congregation, it  should be done only with interpretation …otherwise will not people think you are “mad”).   1 Corinthians 14:23, “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in [those that are] unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

I know, what do I mean  by a non-human language.  1 Corinthians 13:1,

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”  

 The gift of tongues is the biggest obstacle with some believers and non-believers.  Everyone of  these other manifestation gifts can be seen exhibited at some time in the Old Testament.  But God wanted to do a “new thing”. (Isaiah 43:18-19)

He would take control of the most unruly portion of man’s being.  After all, it was the power of the tongue in a lie that got us into this mess to begin with.  James expounds on this in his whole  3^rd Chapter. 

“And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.  For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:  But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”  (James 3 :6-8)

Now this “gift of tongues” is both a temporary supernatural capability which is given at a specific time…and for the purpose of edification of the body of Christ.  (1 Corinthians 14:27) “If any man speak in an [unknown] tongue, [let it be] by two, or at the most [by] three, and [that] by course; and let one interpret.”  (1 Corinthians 14:22) “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying [serveth] not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.”  So when tongues is used in the congregation it is for the purpose of prophesy (a forth-telling of the things of God) and edifies (lifts up) the Body of Christ.  That is why there must be interpretation, otherwise no one knows what was said. 

But tongues can also be a very private “prayer” language, that is just between you and God.  This gift is not temporary but is permanent.

(1 Corinthians 14:2)  “For he that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth [him]; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”

Some call this “praying in the spirit” as the Spirit makes intercession for us, as describes in Romans 8:26. 

Many have difficulties with the other manifestation gifts too, especially healing and miracles.  They seem to forget that they might be perfect gifts but in very imperfect vessels.  So, when people ask why are some people healed and some are not, they are forgetting that God does things for His purposes and His timing to His Glory.  The only time we are going to know those answers are when we leave this world and are translated into the next.

God has always desired to work through the faith of those who follow Him.  He doesn’t have too.  After all He is God.  But He does that for our benefit.  He does it to help us grow up to become more like Jesus. 

(2 Corinthians 3:18), “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

The next group of giftings are found in the letter to the Romans 12:6-8 and include:  Prophecy,  Ministry, Teaching,  Exhortation, Giving, Leading and Showing Mercy (Compassion).  These are the “Motivational or Operative Gifts” .  Again remember Prophecy does not necessarily speak about a fore-telling but usually a forth-telling of the things of God.  Unlike the Manifestation Gifts, these are permanent giftings.  Where a person can flow in the Manifestation gifts as God places you with different people and circumstances, these other two areas of gifts are blended with your natural talents and abilities.

The last group, the “Ministerial or Administrative Gifts”  is also called the five fold ministry:  Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher.

I hope some of this has been interesting, educational and answers some questions regarding this important part of the Biblical Christian experience. 

Incredible Patterns of the Bible

One of the most interesting studies in the Bible is looking at the patterns that are developed and then repeated in a variety of symbols. What I would like to do is compare five sets of sevens. The seven days of the creation…the seven pieces of furniture in the tabernacle…the seven feasts of Israel, the seven last words of Christ and the seven dispensational periods of history. Out of these five comparisons, the only ones that might be debated as to the order would be the last words of Christ on the cross. To find all of the seven last phrases that Jesus uttered from the cross on Calvary, one must read all four gospel accounts. The sayings would have been originally uttered by Jesus in His common tongue, the Aramaic, but only one of those last seven phrases is preserved in the original Aramaic, namely; “Eli, Eli, lama Sabacthani” or “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me.” This is also the only of the phrases found in more than one of the gospels (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34) Three other phrases are found in Luke and three more in John. The order that I use is the generally accepted order from all of the gospels and reflected in the writings of the early church fathers. The seven dispensational periods of history are periods of time where God has used a particular theme to show man his need for a redeemer. Each historical period is also generally linked together with one of the predominant biblical events during that period of time. Innocence…Adam and Eve in Eden. Conscience…Cain and Abel. Human Government…. The Tower of Babel. Promise…. Abraham. Law….Moses. Grace….Jesus Christ. And the Millennium…… New Jerusalem.

The First Day of creation “Let there be Light”…and the separation of light from the darkness. This was not an ordinary light illuminated by the sun, moon or stars, which were created on the fourth day. This was God’s presence that entered into the darkness of this new universe. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:5) The first piece of furniture in the outer court of the tabernacle was the Brazen Altar. This is where it all begins. The place of sacrifice. A place of separation between evil (darkness) and good (light). The first feast is the Feast of Passover. It too has to do with sacrifice. “For Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12) The Passover candles are lit by a woman because the light of the world would come through the seed of woman not by the seed of man. The first of the last seven phrases recorded by Jesus on the cross was , “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Like the Brazen Altar of old, the altar of the cross was a place of ultimate sacrifice…… forgiveness and grace. This is the dispensation of innocence. The sacrifices on the Altar were not righteous…they were innocent. But Jesus was the perfect righteous lamb.

The Second Day of creation saw the water formed and separated above and below the firmament. The second piece of furniture in the tabernacle is the Laver. The Laver is a large round open polished brass bowl that the priests would use for ceremonial washing of there hands and feet before coming into Gods presence. It was made of mirrors so shiny it reflected the sky…and the priest as he washed.. above and below. It was a place of cleansing of sin. A separating the clean from the unclean. As Christians we see our baptism. Buried with Christ in baptism. The Feast is the second night of Passover…the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The house is searched for leaven (sin) which is swept onto a white cloth and thrown into the fire. This was the evening before 6:00 pm (before the beginning of the Sabbath) when Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathia. “Unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain”. (John 12:24) Jesus said to the thief, “Today, you shall be with me in paradise”. The repentant thief was washed with the water of the Word. This is the dispensation of conscience. Like the brass mirrors that made up the Laver, we see ourselves as sinners in need of a savior. “Purge out therefore old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;”

The Third Day of creation saw the creation of the oceans and the land. It also saw the creation of grass and all the vegetation bearing seed. Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye. The third piece of furniture is the Table of  the Shewbread. Twelve loaves of unleavened wheat bread representing the twelve tribes as well as the 12 disciples. The Table of the Shewbread represents the place where God kneads us, forms us, and makes us into useful creations. It is the place of sanctification. It is a place seen where we are changed from glory to glory. Even as we see sanctification as an instantaneous aspect of our new birth, here we see our progressive sanctification. Here we pick our cross daily and follow Jesus. The third feast is the “Festival of First Fruits.” An offering of barley (the first grain to ripen) is offered to the Lord. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. The stone had been rolled away and Jesus was not there. Like the Passover prayer, “Blessed art thou, Oh Lord, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.” Jesus, the Bread of Life, brought forth from the earth. On the cross Jesus said, “Woman, behold your son. Then He said to the disciple, Behold your mother.” Part of that sanctification is that we become responsible members of Gods family. Here Jesus takes care of the last of those earthly responsibilities as the physical son of Mary, making sure she will be cared for as He prepares to leave this world. The third dispensation is that of human government. The Table of Shewbread represents nations as well as us individually. Man felt that human government is the solution to our problems. He is wrong. As Babel was destroyed and the nations scattered….mankind still is trying to prove that his own wisdom and knowledge is enough to heal the human heart and spirit but it is only in the power of His crucifixion and resurrection that mankind will ever find peace.

On the fourth day God created “the lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth”…the sun, the moon and the stars also. The fourth piece of furniture in the tabernacle is the lampstand. The lampstand always stayed lit, except when the moved the tabernacle and then they followed the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of smoke by day. The fourth feast is that of Pentecost…the great harvest festival of Shevous. The name “Pentecost” actually means 50 and referred to the number of days from the Festival of First Fruits (Resurrection Day) and the Great Harvest Festival of Shevous (Pentecost), which was 7 Sabbaths of days (49). Jesus told the disciples, “And behold, I send the promise of the Father upon you; buy tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) On Pentecost that promise was fulfilled as the Holy Spirit descended upon those in the upper room, “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they all were filled with the Holy Spirit..” (Acts 2:3-4) As Jesus struggled in agony upon the cross He said, “My God, My God, Why hath thou forsaken me?” He said this as the sky gave up its light and it became as night. The Father turned his back on His son and gave Him up unto death as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. This phrase is also the first verse of Psalm 22, which is an incredible description of the crucifixion written over 500 years before crucifixion was even invented by the cruel Romans. The next dispensation was that of Promise. “For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off (even), as many as the Lord shall call.” (Acts 2:39)

On the fifth day God said, “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that hath life and fowl (that) fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven”…..whales…fish and every winged fowl after its kind.” The fifth piece of furniture is the Golden Altar of Incense. This Altar was directly before the last veil that entered in the Holy of Holies. The Golden Altar, the Table of the Shewbread and the Lampstand were all in the Holy Place, the second of the three courts of the Tabernacle, which represents the Holy Spirit. The Holy of Holies, a 15 foot cubical room, separated from the Holy Place (15’ x 30’), by a 8” thick curtain, contained the Ark of the Covenant. It was here that God would meet with the High Priest once a year on the Day of Atonement. It was here that God met with Moses in the wilderness. But to get in there they had to offer prayers, petitions and offerings of incense at the Golden Altar. This is where every aspect of the law had to be finished exactly for the High Priest to enter into Gods presence. Like the fowls above the firmament, the prayers and smell of incense went up before God. The fifth feast was the “Feast of Trumpets” or Yom Tervah. Later it would also be called Rosh Hashanah.. the Jewish civil New Year. The Shofars (Rams horn’s) are blown and as we see in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, this is our announcement into heaven. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall ever be with the Lord.” Jesus fifth statement at the cross was “I thirst”. Truly, He must have been thirsty, but not just for physical water, but for this final fulfillment of Gods plan. Thirsty for man to come back into the presence of God again. Thirst for that paradise that was lost to be regained. The fifth dispensation is that of the law. It was here at the Golden Altar where the law was seen insufficient in truly bringing man into a relationship with God as sons and daughters. Only through the altar of the cross was this possible. Not by the law but by grace is man justified.

On the sixth day God created everything other living creature on the earth…including man and woman. The sixth piece of furniture in the Tabernacle is beyond the veil….beyond the thick curtain into the Holy of Holies. It was the Mercy Seat which sits upon the Ark of the Covenant. The Mercy Seat was a solid gold lid with two cherubim’s on top. God told Moses that He would appear between the Cherubim’s to commune with him. There was no light in the Holy of Holies, except that illumination that radiated from Gods presence. The “Shekinah”. The High Priest each year would take the blood of a sacrificed ram, without spot or blemish, into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood upon the Mercy Seat. This was done on the sixth feast of Yom Kippur…..the Day of Atonement. All this was done for man. Not for the angels or any other creature. God loved man so much that prepared a way that man could come back home. Paradise lost could be regained. Jesus would enter into the presence of His father with His own blood, shed on the altar of the cross, and like the High Priest would sprinkle His blood upon the Mercy Seat of heaven. “Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.” Jesus on the cross said, “It is finished”. His sacrifice was enough. His mission was completed. The sixth dispensation of course….is grace. “For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Roman 6:14)

“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.” The last piece of furniture in the Tabernacle is the Ark of the Covenant. It represents the abode of the Father. The veil had been ripped in twain from top to bottom and access was now open to God by man. The feast is the Feast of Tabernacles..or “Succoth”. Sometimes referred to as “booths”, Jewish families would build canopies “Succas” outside and cover them with grapes and fruit. They would celebrate as families together under Gods blessings. It was a place of joy, rest and peace.

The holy of Holies was an exact cube 15 feet by 15 feet, just like New Jerusalem as seen in Revelations 21:16. Jesus last words on the cross were, “Father, into thy hands, I commend my Spirit.” God had left His throne and entered humanity as Jesus, God the Son, in the little town of Bethlehem. Now it was time for Him to take back His mantle of majesty and prepare our new homes in heaven. The last of the dispensations is the Millennium. This is the last 1000 years of human history after the tribulation. It will be a time of peace until the very end when Satan will be allowed to once again temp mankind. God will squeeze the last bit of sin and rebellion from our race…and the rest of eternity we will “Tabernacle” with God. We will enter into His rest. “And God shall wipe away every tear from our eyes.”

What is this about Hell?

Hell is probably one of the most confused doctrines of in modern Christianity.  In the Old Testament Hebrew, Hell (an Old English rendition) was called "Sheol" and in the Greek ,"Hades", meaning the place of departing spirits.  It did not at that time have any negative implications except that when you died that is where your spirit went to.  The English word "hell" comes directly from Old English, where the meaning was a black fiery place of eternal torment for the damned.  But because the Vikings were converted to Christianity centuries after the Anglo-Saxons, the Old Norse hel , from the same place as the Old English hel, retained its earlier pagan senses as both a place of the abode of oath breakers, other evil persons and those unlucky enough not to have died in battle.  If you died in battle you got to go to Valhalla.

What does the Bible say about Hell.  Well, as I said, in the Old Testament Hell...or Sheol, was a place where everyone's spirit went when you died.  Jesus gave an incredible description in Luke 16:19-31.  Jesus told the story about this place that was divided in half by a huge gulf which could not be crossed.  One side was a place of comfort which he called Abrahams bosom.  Later at the cross He would call this place, Paradise.  But the other side was a place of torment.  This whole area...or dimension...was the "place of departing spirits."  When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, he first descended into this place (Sheol/Hades) to the side where those you had waited in faith since the time of righteous Abel. (1 Peter 3:19-20)  I can just imagine what He said.  "Hey, guys the ransom has been paid...would you all like to leave and come to my Fathers house?"  This place now is not only a place of torment, but a place for those lost souls awaiting judgment.  Those who die in Christ now go directly to be with the Lord. (Do not pass go...do not collect $200 dollars)  This waiting place in the Old Testament was where the Catholic traditions developed the doctrine of "purgatory". 

At the end of times...Hell and Death will be thrown into Gehenna (Greek), the lake of fire.

God does not send anyone to Hell.  Hell is a place where you are separated from God's presence.  I think the worse part about being there is knowing for an eternity...that you did not have to be there.  It was your choice.  No one will end up separated from God because the means wasn't taken care of for them to spend an eternity in heaven.  It is like a million dollar check that you hold in your hand.  You're actually in the same financial situation you were before.....unless you cash it in.

I am sure glad I went to the bank and made my deposit.  Now I am a Kings kid.

Question of the Sabbath

It is interesting that over 2000 years after God divided history by manifesting Himself in human flesh and changing forever not only how we understand God but how we relate to Him, we are still arguing over “legalities” and interpretation of the scriptures. 2 Colossians 2:16 says, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat (what you eat) or in drink (what you drink) or in respect of an holy day (the 7 feasts, minor holidays, yes… Christmas or even Thanksgiving) of the new moon (Heb. - Rosh Hodesh) or of the Sabbath day.” Paul writes in Romans 14:5-6, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day special, does so to the Lord.” Although the early church of Acts is seen in the scriptures to meet on the Jewish Sabbath, which on their calendar was the last day of the week, we see it was usually at the synagogues where they would share the good news of Jesus the Messiah. (Acts 13:4, 13:27, 13:42, 15:21, 17:21 and 18:4). Since the early Christians were Jewish believers, it wasn’t very long before many in the synagogues that did not believe in the “good news” openly opposed their attendance in the services. Although Sabbath was held on the seven day….the traditional practice in the synagogue was also to gather at the first day of the week to begin weekday prayer (Avoda Sheba-Lev and also later the Shemoneah Esrei). Early church fathers (Irenaeus and Polycarp), and others, indicate the gathering of the believers on the first day of the week (The Lord’s Day), in remembrance of the Lord’s resurrection. They partook of the Lord’s supper (communion) on the first day also. Acts 20:7 states, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and because he intended to leave the next day, kept talking until midnight.” This was almost 200 years before Constantine. The point is…. “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath”. It is a day of the week that is set aside to fellowship with other believers, to gather together for prayer and worship,  to support, encourage and care for each other as the Body of Christ. The Pharisees seemed to have forgotten this too when the saw Jesus do His Fathers work on that day. In actuality, we are not even sure what day it really is with the movement of the lunar calendar to the solar calendar, the Julian Calendar, the Gregorian Calendar and additional changes in the Middle Ages. And if you read Isaiah 38:8, God turned back time by almost a day as a sign for Hezekiah. “Come let us reason together” and focus on living for and in Christ…to the glory of God the Father.

The Synoptic Gospels

 A few historians have tried to infer that Mark wrote these three gospels.  But here are some things we know.

1) Mark was probably written first.  It was the shortest of the Gospels and is unlikely that if someone else was using some of this history as a source would delete items as opposed to adding some from another source (possible Q Document) as well as eyewitness accounts.

2) There is a great variety not only in content, but in style and the focus of the book.  As I said Matthew's focus is on Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, Mark in a very "legal" manner as he was a Roman and only a young child when he saw Jesus at the home of his parents where shared had the last Passover before Jesus’ arrest.  Luke was a physician who for a time was with Paul.  He is the only author of the gospels who could have very well never met Jesus.  He saw Jesus in the viewpoint of a Greek..."the perfect man".

3) Matthew was probably written originally in the Aramaic.  (The common tongue of the period, spoken by most Jews)   Hebrew was usually spoken for the reading of the Torah in the local synagogue or the temple.  The Greek gospel account of Matthew has numerous anomalies that are seen in translation from Aramaic which would be similar to those translated from the Hebrew...  Some of these same anomalies are seen in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint...3rd century BC).  Many of the more famous pieces of Greek literature, such as Plato and Aristotle, have the oldest copies...not in the Greek but Latin.  The oldest manuscript of Plato was actually copied in the Latin in 895 at Constantinople.  The Bodleian ( at Oxford)also has the oldest manuscript of the Discourses of Epictetus, written in the 12th century text.  There are many Greek documents, but the oldest did not survive.  When you translate many of the Greek texts from the Latin copies back to the original Greek, they do not match the Greek copies of later date.  That is because of translation anomalies.  Anytime you go from one language to another there is a loss.  Greek and Latin have many similarities.  Hebrew  and Aramaic on the other hand are completely different from Latin or Greek.   It would be like comparing English to Japanese, so the difficulties in translation are magnified.

4) This is taken from some very good scholars that make an excellent case for early writing of the synoptic gospels:  

None of the gospels mention the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D. This is significant because Jesus had prophesied concerning the temple when He said "As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down," (Luke 21:5, see also Matt. 24:1; Mark 13:1). This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and burned the temple. The gold in the temple melted down between the stone walls and the Romans took the walls apart, stone by stone, to get the gold. Such an obvious fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy most likely would have been recorded as such by the gospel writers who were fond of mentioning fulfillment of prophecy if they had been written after 70 A.D. Also, if the gospels were fabrications of mythical events then anything to bolster the Messianic claims -- such as the destruction of the temple as Jesus said -- would surely have been included. But, it was not included suggesting that the gospels (at least Matthew, Mark, and Luke) were written before 70 A.D.
Similarly, this argument is important when we consider the dating of the book of Acts which was written after the gospel of Luke by Luke himself. Acts is a history of the Christian church right after Jesus' ascension. Acts also fails to mention the incredibly significant events of 70 A.D. which would have been extremely relevant and prophetically important and garnered inclusion into Acts had it occurred before Acts was written. Remember, Acts is a book of history concerning the Christians and the Jews. The fact that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple is not recorded is very strong evidence that Acts was written before A.D. 70. If we add to this the fact that acts does not include the accounts of "Nero's persecution of the Christians in A.D. 64 or the deaths of James (A.D. 62), Paul (A.D. 64), and Peter (A.D. 65),"1 and we have further evidence that it was written early
If we look at Acts 1:1-2 it says, "The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen." Most scholars affirm that Acts was written by Luke and that Theophilus (Grk. "lover of God") "may have been Luke’s patron who financed the writing of Luke and Acts."2 This means that the gospel of Luke was written before Acts.

"At the earliest, Acts cannot have been written prior to the latest firm chronological marker recorded in the book—Festus’s appointment as procurator (24:27), which, on the basis of independent sources, appears to have occurred between A.D. 55 and 59."3
"It is increasingly admitted that the Logia [Q] was very early, before 50 A.D., and Mark likewise if Luke wrote the Acts while Paul was still alive. Luke's Gospel comes (Acts 1:1) before the Acts. The date of Acts is still in dispute, but the early date (about A.D. 63) is gaining support constantly."4
For clarity, Q is supposedly one of the source documents used by both Matthew and Luke in writing their gospels. If Q actually existed then that would push the first writings of Christ's words and deeds back even further lessening the available time for myth to creep in and adding to the validity and accuracy of the gospel accounts. If what is said of Acts is true, this would mean that Luke was written at least before A.D. 63 and possibly before 55 - 59 since Acts is the second in the series of writings by Luke. This means that the gospel of Luke was written within 30 years of Jesus' death.

The miracle of Israel

Israel wants only one thing. To live. To exist. It is surrounded by 27 Islamic countries with over 600 times the land mass. The accomplishments to the world have been more than any other country on earth, especially in such a short amount of time. A little bit more than the arch..and an abacus. Israel is called on to give up everything....and the Islamic countries around them..and the Palestinians... nothing. They continue to deny Israel even has a right to exist...even though they are the only ones to actually have a country their in the past 3500 years. At the dispersion of Judah in 135 AD, their remained a remnant there. It became a province by whoever at the time took control...the Romans..the Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Selijh Turks, the Ottoman Turks, and British Rule. After the loss of the of Germany (and their allies, the Ottomans), Palestine was partitioned..the area where Syria is to Islamic occupants.. and South of that to the Jews for Israel. The agreement was broken and a Palestinian State was created...called Trans-Jordon. Again they continued to cut it up and try to move the Jewish people into the sea..the Sinai and Gaza for Egypt, the West bank for Jordon...and the Golan for Syria. Finally it a last fight for survival, they declared their independence in 1948...and were immediately attacked from all sides. But they still won. In the end Arab countries ended up with 85% of the territory that was promised to the Jewish people. Approximately 1.5 million Jews were forced to leave the surrounding Arab countries and were absorbed by the new State of Israel. Almost 500,000 Arabs fled Palestine under the encouragement of the surrounding governments who promised them they would return with the destruction of the new Israel. Most never even saw an Israeli soldier, and most were refused a home in those countries. The wanted the refugees to be political pawns instead of giving their brethren a home. The Jewish people still struggle daily...to survive. Here are just a few of their accomplishments:

Here is a capsule of accomplishments you may not be fully aware of. I thought you might find these statistics interesting.

The Middle East has been growing date palms for centuries. The average tree is about 18-20 feet tall and yields about 38 pounds of dates a year. Israeli trees are now yielding 400 pounds/year and are short enough to be harvested from the ground or a short ladder.

Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population, can lay claim to the following:

The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis working in the Israeli branch of Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel. Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed by Microsoft-Israel.

The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel. Both the Pentium-4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel.

The Pentium microprocessor in your computer was most likely made in Israel.

Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.

Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel.

The technology for the AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis.

Israel has the fourth largest air force in the world (after the U. S, Russia and China). In addition to a large variety of other aircraft, Israel's air force has an aerial arsenal of over 250 F-16's. This is the largest fleet of F-16 aircraft outside of the U. S.

According to industry officials, Israel designed the airline industry's most impenetrable flight security. U. S. officials now look to Israel for advice on how to handle airborne security threats.

Israel's $100 billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighbors combined. Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita.

Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world.

Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation by a large margin - 109 per 10,000 people -- as well as one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed.

In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world. In absolute terms, Israel has the largest number of startup companies than any other country in the world, except the U. S. (3,500 companies mostly in hi-tech).

With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and startups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world -- apart from the Silicon Valley, U. S.

Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds right behind the U. S.

Outside the United States and Canada, Israel has the largest number of NASDAQ listed companies.

Israel has the highest average living standards in the Middle East. The per capita income in 2000 was over $17,500, exceeding that of the UK.

On a per capita basis, Israel has the largest number of biotech startups.

Twenty-four per cent of Israel's workforce holds university degrees -- ranking third in the industrialized world, after the United States and Holland - and 12 per cent hold advanced degrees. Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.

In 1984 and 1991, Israel airlifted a total of 22,000 Ethiopian Jews at risk in Ethiopia, to safety in Israel.

When Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1969, she became the world's second elected female leader in modern times.

When the U. S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya was bombed in 1998, Israeli rescue teams were on the scene within a day -- and saved three victims from the rubble.

Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship -- and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 - in the world.

Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth. Immigrants come in search of democracy, religious freedom, and economic opportunity.

Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as "conflict free."

Israel has the world's second highest per capita of new books.

Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees, made more remarkable because this was achieved in an area considered mainly desert.

Israel has more museums per capita than any other country.

Medicine... Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.

An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. Every year in U. S. hospitals 7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.

Israel's Givun Imaging developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Used to view the small intestine from the inside, the camera helps doctors diagnose cancer and digestive disorders.

Researchers in Israel developed a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, an innovation with the potential to save lives among those with heart failure. The new device is synchronized with the heart's mechanical operations through a sophisticated system of sensors.

Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U. S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 25% of its work force employed in technical professions.

Israel places first in this category as well. A new acne treatment developed in Israel, the Clear Light device, produces a high-intensity, ultraviolet-light-free, narrow-band blue light that causes acne bacteria to self-destruct -- all without damaging surrounding skin or tissue.

An Israeli company was the first to develop and install a large-scale solar-powered and fully functional electricity generating plant, in southern California's Mojave desert.

All the above while engaged in regular wars with an implacable enemy that seeks its destruction, and an economy continuously under strain by having to spend more per capita on its own protection than any other country on earth.