Two things before moving on in Genesis…
First: A note to my Jewish readers. As many of you know, I am unapologetically and unashamedly, a Christian, a follower of the way lived and taught by the most wonderful and influential Jew ever to walk this earth. I am deeply ashamed of a great deal of what has been done in the name of Christianity, especially the evil of antisemitism that saturates so much of Church history. Despite this often wide-spread departure from - and betrayal of - what Christ lived and taught, I know that He is the Messiah. And it is directly out of this belief that my love for Israel flows. Zionism is an integral and inseparable part of my Christianity; one would not operate without, and can never be severed from, the other.
I write, therefore, as a Christian. And in this “The Bible on Israel” series I am writing primarily with those in mind for whom the Hebrew Scriptures as well as the New Testament represent the indivisible, inspired Word of God. My aim is to contribute to our understanding of God’s eternal commitment to, and purposes for, Israel. My desire is to help deepen Christian commitment to and support for this unique nation. Christians need to stand with Israel because it’s what God wants us to do - in fact instructs us to do - and not out of mere feelings or sentiments which can be altered by arguments and events. We learn that this is what God commands of us by what He says in the Bible.
Second: To my Christian readers: I think it is important that I state at this early stage - but hopefully without offending or losing any of you - that I do not subscribe to so-called Dispensationalism (also called Premillenial Dispensationalism). For me the Bible does not support that point of view and in fact - for reasons I’d rather not go into just now - it seems to me this teaching creates some serious misunderstandings and misconceptions, certainly concerning Israel, but inextricably also thereby concerning the Church in history and in prophecy.
Having said that (and hopefully this does not seem contradictory), it is clear as I study the Bible and, in its light, look back to the dawning of this age, that world history can be separated into different “stages” or “eras” in terms of God’s involvement and interaction with mankind.
It helps clarify my thinking if I have both a basic grasp of biblical chronology and a sweeping overview of the Bible’s wider historical perspective, so I want to lay out the following - in some ways simplistic though I find it helpfully straightforward - synopsis of the Book of books before we continue our journey:
The Bible encompasses and thus speaks to the whole of this age, from the Creation recorded in the first two chapters of Genesis to the New Creation as foretold in the last two chapters of The Revelation.
Looking “down” on this age - as it were from a God’s-eye point of view - I see that it unfolds from creation and the establishment of fellowship between God and man, through the fall of man and the resulting breach of that fellowship, through the consequences of that fall on all of creation, to God’s provision of a way for mankind to be saved out of those consequences and the working out of that plan of salvation.
All this, as we are able to say from where we stand in the early part of the 21st Century - has been played out over a period of approximately 6000 years.
What awaits its fulfillment in the time still before us is the culmination of this redemption plan that will see the ultimate restoration of man in fellowship with God to the way it was in Eden.
According to the Bible - which for me is the rock and source of all truth that cannot be altered or in any way shaken by advances in human understanding and discovery - the six millennia (give or take a few decades) that have passed since Adam celebrated his first birthday can be separated into three eras, each one approximately 2000 years in length.
From Creation to the calling out of Abram (Abraham) we have the first 2000 years, which I will here call The First Period.
From the calling out of Abraham to the coming of Jesus are the second 2000 years - The Second Period.
From the time of Jesus’ life on earth to the present day - that is, what Jews call the “Common Era” and what Gentiles refer to as the era AD (anno Domini) - we have the third 2000 years - The Third Period.
The First Period - from the fall of man to the calling out of Abram - is covered in just a few pages of the Bible, immediately after Creation, in Genesis chapters three to 11.
During these first two millennia we read about God’s interaction with individuals (Adam, Cain, Enoch, Noah) rather than with nations, which were only just beginning to take shape. (We can read about the formation of some of those nations in those chapters, specifically in Chapter Four verses 16 to 24, and in chapters 10 and 11.)
The Second Period is covered by the lion’s share of the rest of the Bible, beginning in Genesis 12:1 and running all the way through to the end of the Hebrew Scriptures (Malachi or Chronicles) and into the Gospels, through the Acts of the Apostles and into the epistles.
During these two millennia, God - as it were - confines His attention to one family, the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. And God focuses on one small part of the planet: the Land of Israel. Other nations and lands do feature in the scriptures covering this period, but only insofar as they relate to Israel. Thus we have the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, the Greeks and the Romans, all of whose existence, biblically-speaking, is juxtaposed opposite Israel’s. The nation of Israel is the “hero” of the piece, if you like. Their land is the stage on and around which this Second Period of history revolves.
In human terms, then, God appears to be all caught up - almost obsessed, we might say - with Israel. His purpose is clear: He has set this nation apart - sanctified her - and is working to mold and make her into His “Chosen People.” Israel is His “special treasure” destined to play an exclusive and vitally important national role in the returning of errant mankind to Himself.
During those 2000 years - the Second Period - it seems as if God has little if any interest in the wellbeing of the other nations that exist at that time except, that is, when individuals from among them take leave of their own people and cling to the House of Israel.
I stress again: The bulk of the Bible deals with Israel: the nation and land upon which God “spends an inordinate amount of time” as He forms out of and in her the people through which, and the geographical location to which, His Messiah will come.
The Third Period is mostly post-biblical. We read about the transition into this Common Era (AD) in the Acts of the Apostles and the letters to the first followers of Christ, who are all Jewish to start with. But the Bible then goes quiet on the ensuing 2000 years.
These last almost 20 centuries of history are a time when God, as He warned through Moses and many of the prophets that He would do, turned His face away from Israel and their land, permitting the Jews to be dispersed to the four corners of the earth - in fact, Himself driving them out into the Diaspora, where they suffered under the yoke of the Gentiles while their land was left desolate and uncared for.Â
Gentile civilization, meanwhile, basked in the blessings of the Almighty as it discovered and settled more and more lands, taking the good news of God’s salvation plan for mankind to the four corners of the globe.
But just as, during the Second Period, the people of Israel repeatedly forsook the Lord and played the harlot with false gods, growing increasingly unfaithful until God had no choice but to lift His hand of blessing and allow them to experience the curses resulting from their disobedience, so too did the Christian world, from very early on in the Third Period, forsake the teachings and example of Jesus, and become increasingly syncretised with the Greek-based humanistic world view until the practice of Christianity was so far removed from its origins as to be almost unrecognizable from the life Jesus lived.
The worst of all the rotten fruits spawned by this perversion was Christian antisemitism, which took root barely a century after Jesus’ ascension and manifested in increasingly vicious ways down through the centuries until it exploded to consume one third of the Jewish people in the Holocaust.
Nonetheless (and this is essential to understand), just as Israel’s unfaithfulness - tragic and terrible as it was - did not render null and void Israel’s calling and purpose, so neither has the unfaithfulness of Church leaders and their followers - tragic and terrible as it has been - rendered null and void the calling and purpose of the true Church. Their God-ordained destiny, which will ultimately be their common destiny, lies before them both.
One area of biblical coverage I did not isolate is that which speaks to “the Last Days.” These prophetic passages pepper the Scriptures from Genesis 3:15 (as we have seen) through the Books of Moses, the Psalms, the major and minor prophets, the Gospels, the Epistles and, of course, The Revelation. We can call this the Fourth or Final Period.
What I am growing to understand, and what I hope we will see together as we make our way through the “Bible on Israel,” is that periods One, Two and Three of human history are in the process of being pulled together in these last days; in the very coming to pass of the multitude of prophecies that foretell and anticipate our redemption.
In the end, I believe, we will see that Israel - the land - remains the stage on which the glorious final act of God’s redemption plan is played out. And Israel - the people - remains the nation in and through which God is working to so bring all things back into right relationship with Himself. Christians, increasingly, are having their eyes opened to these truths, with more and more responding by identifying with and - like the Moabitess Ruth - seeking to go with the people of Israel. For we have heard that God is with them.
To sum up then:
In the First Period – Genesis 1 to 11 – God interacts with individuals until He comes to Abraham and singles him out.
In the Second Period – Genesis 12 and virtually the rest of the Bible – God focuses on the descendants of Abraham known as the nation of Israel. Another way of putting this is that God “favors” Israel. The gentile nations, by comparison, are “ignored.”
In the Third Period – the 2000 years of post-biblical history – God turns His “attention” away from the nation of Israel and the Land of Israel, and “focuses” on the gentile nations in their gentile lands. He blesses, prospers or favors God-fearing gentiles and their countries, while Israel - land and people - lie in the shadow of His disfavor; experiencing His wrath.
In the Fourth Period – from about 1850, and encompassing the very days we are living in – God is turning the light of His countenance from the gentiles – whose lands are falling increasingly into darkness – and lifting His face to shine once more upon Israel, over whom a new dawn is breaking. He is regathering the scattered Jewish people to their land, restoring their land to them (against the wishes and efforts of the world), and bringing their land back to life.
God is doing this in readiness for Messiah’s return, when the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will come back to the Land of Israel restored to Jewish sovereignty, and back to Jerusalem, the city of David, from where He will rule and reign over the nations of the world. Israel, under His rule, will again be the head and no longer the tail of the international community.
All those among the Gentiles who survive the cataclysmic birthpangs that we are even now beginning to experience will then come up to Jerusalem to worship the King. Together with Israel they will celebrate the most glorious of all the Feasts of Tabernacles, as Messiah finally will have come to tabernacle among us - mankind’s relationship with Him wonderfully and eternally restored. And the name of the city in that day will be “The Lord is there.â€
Against this “backdrop” then, let’s continue to make our way through God’s Word.
God says: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Bible/Zechariah14.html
Stan says: God is doing this in readiness for Messiah’s return, when the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will come back to the Land of Israel restored to Jewish sovereignty, and back to Jerusalem, the city of David, from where He will rule and reign over the nations of the world.
I say: even so, come Lord Jesus!!!
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/israelourbeloved/Israel%20Trip%202095/?action=view¤t=isa11isa65.jpg
Oh, dear Stan, you will not lose us!! The world is FULL of man-made religion that is not what our Heavenly Father intende for us… we must seek His truth and say, again and again “Do not be deceived” because He has said it to us again and again.
Thank you fr searching the Scriptures with us that we could see the end and the beginning — I (Leslee), too, see the absolute connection between the first two chapters of B’resheet and the last two chapters of the Revelation of Yochanan.
WORSHIP GOD!! If only we could shake off all the deception and understand what it means to be “echad”, to be one, to abide.
hey stan:
I appreciate your on-going studies; most encouraging. I believe that one of the reasons why GOD ’seems obsessed with Israel,’ is because from the very beginning HE Has So Purposed.
Y’shua indicated that HE would Prepare for HIM a body - and that through an Israeli virgin. HOW could HE Have a body through which HE Would Incarnate - if there were no Israel, no Isaac, no Abraham ? How could HE Rule from Jerusalem , had David HIS ancestor, and his ROOT not existed ?
The PURPOSE of GOD is Threaded throughout HIS WORD…
on a side note:
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/630/1
I agree with everything except this section:
“To my Christian readers: I think it is important that I state at this early stage - but hopefully without offending or losing any of you - that I do not subscribe to so-called Dispensationalism (also called Premillenial Dispensationalism). For me the Bible does not support that point of view and in fact - for reasons I’d rather not go into just now - it seems to me this teaching creates some serious misunderstandings and misconceptions, certainly concerning Israel, but inextricably also thereby concerning the Church in history and in prophecy.”
Perhaps you could write on this issue sometime in the future. I believe that the scriptures do support Dispensationalism.
Hi “Bible Prophecy Today”… I happen to agree with Stan on the issue of Dispensationalistm. I have put together a small explanation of what this theology teaches, as well as collected some quotes from the “fathers of dispensationalism” - specifically what they said about Israel’s place in G-d’s plan:
http://www.bethavinu.org/forums/index.php?topic=22.0
I hope that the above will help some readers understand Dispensationalism a little better.
Another great article, Stan. I am looking forward to the next one in the series!
Shalom.
Offended? NO!
Blessed? YES!
Lost? NO!
Found? YES INDEED! That’d be a good way to describe how I feel about this study. I feel like it has ‘found’ me, and like I have ‘found’ a treasure map that has pointed me in the direction of buried treasure which I can hardly wait to unearth!
My only question is:
How far do you think we will get before Yeshua comes??? I’m not too sure we have enough time left to get from Genesis to Revelation! So….
Let’s start digging!
Jan
keep at it stan. i hope what your write does offend the dispensationalist/replacement theology/anti-semetic/anti-israel folks. i don’t want them to go away mad, i simply want them to go away. less bagage and distraction. to kevin, leslie, gary and taz: do a word study of the root for mitzvah/mitzvot. what do you think?
One thing I long to see is Israel trusting alone on their God for peace and security.
From the daily news reports of the nation Israel puts before God it should be evident to every Jew that salvation or hope does not come to Israel by way of the West or Washington.
The curse on this land America after removing God from the land and dividing His Israel is evident as we are now in meltdown with corrupt and perverted leaders at the helm of this sinking Titanic and the people running to everyone but God for solutions.
Israel ,it is time to return to Hashem and leave your Idol behind who only offers you a counterfeit peace.
There is no famine for the word of God ,the truth here,but we do see much delusion and myth flooding the earth in the devils latest war against the Israel of God.
I often wonder why so many fellow Christians can not see the love which the God of Israel has for His people and see the same seeds of destruction which grow in the sons of Ishmael. The pride of Lucifer blinds them and until they repent they are cursed.
The dispensationlism myth is just more false teaching which renders the church burdened down with more leaven and leads to apostacy wich we see with so many denominations like the Methodists and Presybetirians who have made themselves enemies of the Israel of God.
As usual great article, spot on, as far as I’m concerned. I was just wondering what you your thoughts were on deceased Christians, where do they fit into the future Kingdom - “All who survive among our gentile nations will then come up to Jerusalem to worship the King and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles as Messiah finally will have come to tabernacle among us - our relationship with Him eternally and gloriously restored. ” Would be interested in your viewpoint, or what you think God’s word has to say about that. Thanks Stan, be blessed.
I am a Christian who believes in God’s WORD that Israel is His timepiece. Ever since Israel became a nation in 1948 and controlled Jerusalem in 1967, the world is getting closer and closer to Jesus (Yeshua)’s return. However, I have an issue with your statement “The worst of all the rotten fruits spawned by this perversion was Christian antisemitism”. It is antisemitism. Period. A true Christian is one who follows the teachings of Jesus. You might as well have said Jewish antisemitism because even Jesus said that some who call themselves jews are not jews. For you to have used the adjective Christian to describe antisemitism, to me, appears biased. Either it’s discrimination or it isn’t. Or it’s antisemitism or it’s not. I do understand your frustration with those who call themselves Christians and are not. Using Christian and antisemitism is an oxymoron. A true Christian understands their jewish roots and that we are the wild olive branch that is grafted into the natural (jewish) olive tree because of the grace of God. It is a huge disservice to God that the world equates Catholics, Mormons, etc…, to be Christians. Israel and true believing Christians should be better role models to the world so that the contrast between Us and them is greater than it is. For you to say Christian antisemitism, the world will be more confused that both words are diametrically opposed. Either a person is a Christian or an antisemite.
Dearest Stan , in Isaiah 46:10 Eloiham, has declaring from the beginning the end from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying , MY COUNSEL SHALL STAND, AND I WILL DO ALL MY PLEASURE; THANK YOU FOR STANDING FIRM AND STUDYING THE SCRIPTURES, AND TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE BEST STUDYS IS FROM http://www.wisdomintorah.com . with RICO CORTES , HE IS FROM THE TRIBE JUDAH (A COHAN) AND YOU COULD DOWN LOAD HIS POWER POINTS AND AND HAVE YOUR BIBLE HANDY. BECAUSE YOU WILL SEE THINGS YOU HAVE NEVERY SEEN BEFORE, WONDERFULL TORAH TEACHER
Blessed Be Thy Glory Jesus Christ.
Stan, Your article today shows your depth of knowledge in understanding God’s covenants (Abrahamic, Noahic, Moses, David, Joseph and the New Covenant) for the Jews. Thank you for your article. I’ve copied it and plan to distribute it to people who have no idea how important it is to see that God’s eyes are focused on Israel and Jerusalem, where His name shall never be removed, nor destroyed. The wrath is upon all of us who burdens Israel to renegotiate their lands to invaders who really do not worship God at all. They are worshipping who we know it to be found in Job 38:7, found in Genesis 3:15, found in Psalm 147, more popular found in Revelation 13 thru 19. Yahweh’s plans includes protecting His followers (Zionists and Jews alike) and quite likely He will include those who worship Him secretely in Islamic temples. These people are not able to worship Him in full view of their camp due to extremism among this nation, which is why I want to copy your article and submit it to a few who love Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace. Thank you again for your diligence. Praise God.
Mitzvah; Mitzvot
Knowledge Base » Torah, The » Mitzvah; Mitzvot
Mitzvah; Mitzvot: (lit. “commandmentâ€); one of the Torah’s 613 Divine commandments; a good deed or religious precept; according to Chassidut, the word mitzvah stems from the root tzavta, attachment, the mitzvah creating a bond between G-d who commands and man who performs.
Stan, Am loving this study and do so thank you for your continued work for the Lord. I too am seeking to go with the people of Israel, Blessing upon you and yours.
Although I think those who don’t believe in the pre-trib rapture or incorrect, I do not believe they are anti-Israel or antisemitic. What I AM offended at is people who say that people who do believe in it are anti-Israel or antisemitic. Maybe there are people where the two coincide. But there are many, many more where they do not.
In my experience, including members of my own family, it’s those who don’t believe in the pre-trib rapture, who are more liberal in their theological thinking and go to methodist, presbyterian, and other such churches who are anti-Israel and antisemitic. For those of you who belong to these belief systems, but are not anti-Israel or antisemitic, thank you.
I’m so tired of being accused of something I am not. If, when we get to that designated time in the history of nations, there is no rapture, fine. But until then please stop being so hateful and stop painting with such a broad brush.
Thank you.
To you Stan and all the others:
First of all I find this is a great article! Thanks for putting this together, Stan!
Secondly, I would like to address a point here which has had a tremendous impact on my life as a believer.
Many people who trust in Yeshua call themselves Christians. I used to do that, too.
However, over the time, the LORD has led me elsewhere. I used to attend a Baptist congregation, then got in touch with Pentecostals… I found truth and error everywhere but I personally wrestled with the issue of my God given identity.
Then one day God revealed to me that my identity in Yeshua is that of a grafted in believer. Through personal faith in Yeshua I have become part of the Commonwealth of Israel. This is my only Scriptural identity.
When Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, a mixed multitude also went with them, people from various nations living in Egypt at that time. And all of them came to Mount Sinai to receive God’s commandments. All of them were Israel. So this mixed multitude prefigures us ingrafted believers. Together with those related to Abraham by bloodline we form the Israel of God.
I believe that the identity issue is of great importance because how you walk is determined by who you think you are. If you believe you are a nobody you will walk accordingly and if you grasp that in Yeshua you are part of God’s people Israel, you will come to appreciate all that God has given to Israel through Moses and the prophets and that also includes Torah, of course.
Stan -
You have done well. Indeed, an excellent start to the study.
These last almost 20 centuries of history are a time when God, as He warned through Moses and many of the prophets that He would do, turned His face away from Israel and their land, permitting the Jews to be dispersed to the four corners of the earth - in fact, Himself driving them out into the Diaspora, where they suffered under the yoke of the Gentiles while their land was left desolate and uncared for.
According to the testimony of scripture, it is the Messiah, before He took upon flesh as the Word of God, that wrote all the commandments. My brain races back to the prophecies in the Tenakh in which YHVH foretold that His people Israel would forsake His ways and be scattered throughout the nations. That except for a remnant, these people would be declared ‘not a people’ and would soon have ‘not the mercies of God’ (Hoshea 1:1-11). However, these same prophecies in Hoshea would also reveal that there would come a day known only by YHVH, that He would make a covenant with the people of these same two groups(the House of Israel and the House of Judah) that would believe on Him, that He would once again make them a people of His own and have mercy on them.
Romans chapter 9 and 10 once again reminded me that YHVH has not cast away His people, and all peoples are saved by grace through faith, and whosoever calls upon the name of YHVH will be saved. It became abundantly obvious that these chapters were not revealing a new plan of God, but rather a fulfillment of a foretold people that would bring God’s word to fruition because it is set in stone and eternally trustworthy. Romans chapters 9-11 are the foundation of committment by a God of truth. All Israel would be saved when all of Israel was complete, and all of Israel could not be complete until the mystery of Messiah was complete.
Ephesians 3:4-7
“Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Messiah which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Messiah by the gospel: whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.”
I was reminded once again in Romans 11, that the promises, gifts, and callings to the house of Israel and the house of Yehudah were without repentance. Those of us who are scattered and wild are to stand by the same faith that all of God’s true people have stood. We are all to remember WHO the root and the fatness are, and that all of this tree comes from one seed, the seed of the woman, the Word of God. Romans 11:30 reminded all of us grafted into this ancient tree that we are there because we obtained mercy from God, that same mercy our Creator promised would be given to us in the 1st and 2nd chapters of Hoshea. “Oh!, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! His mercy endureth forever!”
Shalom,
Christopher
I have begun a wonderful journey by joining you in the study of the “Book of Ages “. I am learning so much, I too am loving the information other readers are sending! I love what Jan Unger said, “How far do you think we will get before Yeshua comes???, I’m not to sure we have enough time left to get from Genesis to Revelation! So….Let’s start digging”! Amen
Stan you wrote, “According to the Bible - which for me is the rock and source of all truth that cannot be altered or in any way shaken by advances in human understanding and discovery - the six millennia (give or take a few decades) that have passed since Adam celebrated his first birthday can be separated into three eras, each one approximately 2000 years in length”, I agree with you except I believe the first 2000 years started the second Adam fell, not on his first birthday.
Dear brother Stan,
Great essay! Spot on!!
I think you can add another dimension though. I saw last week, that King David’s 3048th birthday was being celebrated in Jerusalem. So this means that the first David was born midway between Abraham and the Greater David, Yeshua Messiah!
Amazing huh? Keep up the good work brother!
Yours in Messiah Yeshua
Daniel
PS, I’m a Messianic Jew, and I rejoice to see the true gentile church with a sincere love for the house of Israel, the natural branches. There are more and more of us Jewish believers everyday, a movement that began in ernest after the 6 day war that liberated Jerusalem in 1967. God said He would regather Israel back to “their land” in unbelief, the “dry bones” but soon enough there is going to be a big big change in Israel. Praise YHVH!!!
Daniel
greetings from the kona kofe pot.
i hope no one out there got anything in a permanent twist.
marcel (7-2-08)
your last paragraph is a good analogy. try a word study between matzah (the truth of g-d) and hometz (the lies of man). what’s with the butterfly?
israel for eternity (7-2-08)
christianity and anti-semitism are the same. all the orginal followers of Jesus’ “way” were israelites. the contamination started with the introduction of the gentiles almost from the get-go and has been getting worse every since. do we follow “the way” of the g-d of israel and become the israel of g-d or do we follow the greco-roman paganism of christianity?
jeri carter (7-2-08)
re: rico cortes
the israelite kings are from the tribe of judah. the kohanim are from the tribe of levi through aaron. he can’t be both. beware! check this guy out! test all spirits with “the spirit”! in 22 years i have seen alot of evil phonies and the destruction they cause.
andreia browne (7-2-08)
you of the good and brave heart. marantha! lord Jesus come soon and in our day! what is the last letter and the first letter of the torah (in that order)? what does this spell? the essence of the torah?
hapannin (7-2-08)
amen and amen. fun stuph, huh? praise the g-d that creates the loving bond (chesed?) that allows us to abide with ever increasing
“pressing in”.
joanna (7-2-08)
i’m sorry i offended you. i spoke harshly. forgive me? do a study of what your name means. it will encourage you to leave the “stuff” behind. remember where to fix the eyes of your heart.
iron sharpens iron. you all keep the pot bubbling.
love ya.
konakofe
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
As Stan said God turned His attention to the Gentiles after the birth of the church Not completely but in part as it says in Rpmans 11;25
Just like in the parable of the net being cast into the sea and pulling in a great catch and then seperating the good from the Bad, God cast His net in to Isreal and caught some good and bad even caught some good gentiles who got mixed in. Then He cast His net into the whole world and caught some good and Bad even caught some good Jews in the process. He has and always will keep a remnant for Himself. But as it describes in the parable of the 2 roads wide is the road that leads to destruction and many take it. Narrow is the road that leads to life and few find it! Not every one who calls me lord shall enter my kingdom! The unbelievers don’t call Him Lord! Those who think they are believers in Jesus but who’s commitment is shallow! As it says in Jude once more will He shake Heaven and earth so that everything that can be shaken off will fall off! Just as God gave the Jews aproximatley 2000Yrs. to reach the world with the truth He has given the church about the same amount of time and we have lost our saltiness! Our ability to restain the corruption that is permiating the world like Bacteria. We have become so full of the leven of the world and Pharisees that we are impotent which has become obvious by the decline in church membership and the ungodly philosy promoted thorugh many denominations!
Most important churches have become so structured as to suppress any attemp by individuals God may try to send to bring correction! There simply isn’t time set aside for it as there was even in the synagogs in Jesus’s day which is why He and the Apositles where able to go into other peolpes churches and start a debate! Try that in any mainstream church today!!!!
The fact is it is no longer the church of Jesus Christ but men’s churchs designed for exalting there own selves and promoting their own pet doctrines! It is Idolitry! I’m not talking about the obvious fallen denominations but all of them!!!
If God allows it to continue on and on He is only endangering the remnant trying to hang on to the truth that was once delivered to the saints! It is time for the God who never changes to do exactly what He has always done both with Isreal and the church throught out History! To send strong delusion to those who don’t love the truth so they will fall completely, Persecuition to offend those who are following God only to better the present life!, Trials and tribulations like the world has never seen and never will again to force us all to chose who we will serve! God or mamon!
Will we lose our life for the gospel or will we succom to the world to save it! He who will not take up His cross and be rediculed, treated as a criminal, and killed as a common criminal can not be His desciple! Not my words His!
The time of the Gentiles is OVER!
The stage is being set to take all hope from Israel for salvation or even survival in anything or anyone but the God of Abraham!
They have become corrupted with the secularism of the west and only desporation and an example of real faith in and love for the God they claim for their own will provoke them to examine their own hearts!
As the church is cleansed and the remnant come into view for all the world to see they will be pricked in their own hearts by the willingness to forsake all to follow the God they claim as their own and the willingness of the Remnant to give all they have even their lives for Israel on Jesus’s behalf!
Those who teach that the church is “Israel” and then teach that the church will not be purified as it has in the past or as Israel has only contridict their own doctrine!
Anyone who gives others a false sense of security by saying you need not be prepared for the calamity which is coming will be at least partially reponsible for their blood when they fall!
Will Jesus forgive those who are Nieave and promote false doctrine which lead others to fall!
I’m sure He may for those who are immature and haven’t been given much authority and responsibility in the body! But as for the leaders well I’m just glad it’s His decision and not mine!
AS for those here that feel unfairly lumped into the same barrel. It is true God has a remnant among every denomination including Catholics, Muzzlims, Mormons, and others considered to be cults. So don’t complain and then do the same thing to others! It’s Jesus’s decission who is a child of His fathers not ours and He will use His on standard to make that decision and I don’t think He will be asking our opinion do You!
Just as He has a remnant amoung the church who as a whole has become a cult full of Idolitry a great Whore! Espoused to Jesus but has gone a whoring with the kings of the earth!
He is about to reap the earth and the wheat and the tares will be cut down together and the tares will be gathered first to be burned, then the wheat, His bride with out spot or wrinkle will be left seperated from the world and will be brought into His barns!
Ask your self what could seperate those who will follow Jesus to the shame and death He experianced on the cross from the rest!
Why would Jesus want a bride that wasn’t as commited to Him as He was to Her would you!
Would you give any other kind of bride to your son or ask Him marry anyone halfheartedly commited to Him!
How about the mark of the Beast made neccessary by a world war sparked by terroism. The only logical solution would be a mark to keep track of everything purchased and everyones activities wouldn’t it! And those who wouldn’t help the world make sure this never happens again would become criminals and terroists!
If you can’t see the signs of the times and prophecy becoming realitiy right in front of you, your are asleep!
For those who love this world and the life you have now, this will frighten you for those who long for the end of this one and the beginning of the next this is the GOOD NEWS! It’s almost over and you will get a chance to prove your love and dedication to the lord just as did the Apositles and their families who thanked God as they were tortured to death as being counted worthy to cary their cross!
Or as the prophets of the old testiment, or the jews during captivity who pleaded with their brothers, sisters, and children not to give in to those who God allowed to try them to the death! Are they the ones who’s minds are perverted or is it ours!
God hasn’t changed neither has His method of seperating the good from the Bad amoung those He has gathered into His net from the greater multitude Still in the Sea!!!
God’s Speed Stan and keep on following God’s dirrection and I hope He will allow me to join you there some day!
How and what did you derive 1850 as the start of the 4th period? If 3 periods of 2000 years equal 6000 yeas and we’ve finished the 3rd 2000 year period; where does a 4th period of 2000 years starting in 1851 have to do with this calculation(s)?
I believe without a doubt we are in the time of Restoration of all things…if we want to know how the end is…we need to go back to the beginning…I believe according to the Word of Elohim…all that is hidden is being revealed…and this is a time of refreshing the was spoken by Peter in Acts…that we if we want a time of refreshing must repent and turn to the Living Torah and His commands…all will be restored and must be restored according to the Word of our Father…most have not given much time to study the Word much less obey the Word…Our Father is full of mercy and compassion and is calling His predestined sons of Elohim to repent and be refreshed…for nearly 2000yrs we were denied our Jewish Roots…and the Bible was not encouraged by Spiritual leaders to read and obey the Word…actually much of the feasts were denied…the Jewish Roots were eliminated from those who believed in Yeshua…since 1966 a move of Ruach Ha Kodesh and return to our Jewish Roots began to manifest and we as believers in Yeshua and our Jewish Roots and the Word of Elohim are studying and redeeming the time by obeying His commands..the more we obey and believe and search the scriptures the more our eyes are opened and have a peace that surpasses all understanding. Father never changes we are the ones that need to change and believe and obey. We do have a responsibility to continue to share this Truth that you Stan are breaking down, there are people who are called for such a time as this to enter in to His Kingdom and be rescued from darkness…His Light shines in darkness…Hallelujah! May each and everyone who loves Yahweh with all their heart , mind and strength…love their neighbor as themselves and tell the Truth to them and sow the Seed of Elohim in their hearts…staying focused is our responsibility…and being a doer of His Word and not just a hearer…my question is anyone listening…let us raise our voices with relentless perserverance to wake up the dull of hearing…Thank you again Stan for all your most significant updates and teachings…blessings to you and yours…
konakofe wrote;
‘your last paragraph is a good analogy. try a word study between matzah (the truth of g-d) and hometz (the lies of man). what’s with the butterfly?’
Stan has given us freedom here to leave our blog or websites and the butterfly is a link to them.
Gayle wrote ;‘I believe without a doubt we are in the time of Restoration of all things’
Before we see the restoration of all things we will see the day of the Lord which is not a good day for the rebellious inhabitants of the earth.
Here’s a preview
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.
The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.
They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
……And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
Isaiah 13
konakofe-
Yes of course I forgive you. Thank you.
This is an ongoing issue and I get so frustrated. It’s so funny…people all my life tell me I’m obsessed with Jews and care too much about them and asked my mom if I was going to convert, etc etc. But then I hear from Jews that I don’t really love Israel and Jews because I believe that Jesus is the Messiah for all - Jew and Gentile. And I hear some Christians say that if you believe in the pre-trib rapture, etc that you don’t love Israel or Jews.
It feels like there is no winning with anybody. Thank goodness I don’t try to please people. I try to follow what I truly believe is from the Lord.
Nearly 10 years ago I purchased a daily prayer calendar - the kind that you flip to a new page every day - and for each new day it has either a Bible verse or a quote specifically on prayer. By now you’d think I’d be tired of reading the same verses/quotes year after year, but I’m not! Rather, I find that every morning I anitcipate flipping the page to see what the new day’s reading is. The Lord has used this little prayer calendar to bless and speak to me in some amazing and unexpected ways. The reading for July 2nd always takes me off-guard in a most delightful kind of way. Yesterday, as I flipped the page, my heart thrilled and my breath caught as I read these words once again:
“Lord of the cloud and fire,
my hands hold a pilgrim’s staff,
my march is Zionward,
my eyes are toward the coming of the Lord.”
-Old Puritan prayer
I love this prayer so much, and ever since yesterday morning I have wanted to share it with someone, so I thought, why not share it with all my fellow sojourners right here on Jerusalem Watchman?
What does this have to do with “The Bible on Israel”? Perhpas nothing, but then again, maybe everything…
Be Blessed!
Jan
Dear Joanna… your heart is in the right place. You shouldn’t feel so frustrated, but rather try to look at things from other people’s point of view. Jews were persecuted, killed and forced to convert to Christianity in the name of Jesus for almost 2000 years. So, when you tell them that Jesus is for them, what reaction do you expect? They feel that you’re trying to convert them to something that has been a curse to them - it’s very hard to view that as love. Don’t get frustrated, but rather pray for G-d Himself to open their eyes someday soon as He did for me and many others. My Bible says that He will.
As far as pre-tribulation rapture and Dispensationalism is concerned, please educate yourself a little better of what exactly those teachings are. Most people who teach them are NOT antisemites and certainly most who believe that stuff do not hate Jews, but that doctrine itself is not “kosher” because it robs Israel of it’s TRUE promises (that is being part of the Body of the Messiah) and elevates the Gentile part of the Body above the Jewish part and separates the two in the way that’s not Biblical (where as in reality all parts are equal and together in Messiah).
In my earlier comment to this post, I gave a link to an article and quotes I put together. Please check it out. And thank you for your love for the Jewish people and Israel. May G-d bless you richly.
Where did Cain get his wife? This is how I believe it happened:
The children born before the fall were known as, “The daughters of men”, just like the children born after the fall were known as “the sons of God”. Those born before the fall were known as “the daughters of men”, whether they were male or female ” In Romans 5:14 it says, ” Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come.” Through the disobedience of Adam sin entered into our world, but through the obedience of Jesus Christ, Gods only begotten Son, sin would be taken out of it. Those children that had not sinned, ” the daughters of men “, were not immediately involved in death, but God pronounced death upon them at a later time, in Genesis chapter 6 verse 3. God said , ” My spirit shall not always strive with man for he also is flesh, his days shall be 120 years.” God could not let His spirit abide in Adam and Eve’s children born before the fall any longer, because ” they were also flesh “. At this point in time God gave the “daughters of men “, 120 years to live in their inocent state. But because they were intermarrying with sinful man he had to bring it all to an end and it grieved him at His heart!. Then the flood came. So you see the soms of God saw the daughters of men and thought they were outstandingly beautiful, because they were!! Cain went to the land of Nod and married one of the daughters of men!
This is what the bible means when it says ‘The sons of God ” saw the “daughters of men ” and took them for their wives! Read Genesis 6:1-6 (it says alot)with this prospective and see what you think about this!
Early Sunday morning, July 4, 1976, before America awoke to her 200th year of independence, the lead Hercules flew low over Eilat, the southern most city of Israel. The crew, returning from a covert and still classified mission, was both apprehensive and amazed to see people in the streets waving and embracing and welcoming them home. Seven days earlier Air France 139, in route from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to Paris via Athens, was hijacked in air. Within minutes, Israeli Defense Force (IDF) operatives implemented pre-planned procedures and alerted army units. In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Rabin convened a congruous assortment of defense ministers as the France Airbus flew unexpectedly toward the African continent, eventually landing in Dictator Idi Amin’s Uganda. Shortly after arrival, a list of names was compiled, and as the passengers were separated according to the list “the German word Selektion was muttered around the room - a reminder of Dr. Josef Mengele at Auschwitz choosing those who would live and those who would die†(Maj. Louis Williams, Raid on Entebbe: Entebbe Diary)!
IDF Senior Press Officer Maj. Louis Williams documents the true mission impossible that was to follow. He describes the small but elite force of twenty-nine Israeli commandos, a gauntlet of “insurmountable†challenges, and flying into the heart of Africa and back again with the logistical precision of seconds. And in the excerpt to follow how even the forces of nature opposed the eventual return of Israel’s children “on eagles’ wings.â€
“Turning westward, the four Hercules headed into the African continent over Ethiopia. The weather was stormy, forcing the pilots to divert northwards close to the Sudanese frontier…. On the approaches to Lake Victoria, they hit storm clouds towering in a solid mass from ground level to 40,000 feet. There was no time to go around and no way to go above-so they ploughed on through. Conditions were so bad that the cockpit windows were blue with the flashes of static electricity.â€
The only assault force causality was the young commander of the Hercules squadron Lt. Colonel Jonathan Netanyahu. As his second in command exited the lead Hercules, Rabin and Peres inquired: “How was Yoni killed?†The succinct response: “He went first, he fell first.â€
joanna (7-3-08)
some rambling thoughts on your last post.
thanks for the forgiveness. the longer i stumble down this path the more forgiveness i seem to need.
this issue will never end and it only gets more frustrating the longer it goes.
consider yourself blessed for favoring the jews for so long. i was raised to hate them. i thank g-d for beating me until i broke on this heresy.
as to the gentiles that accuse you: thats all they are, they have nothing else to offer. ignore them and let them twist in the wind.
as to the jewish people: tread lightly, they are justified when they accuse. get jewish commentaries and a jps tanach. follow the synagogue parshah cylce. dont “tell” them anything. comment on what you are reading and let it go. let the lord lead, get a really good grip on something and stand by for what happens. its more fun than base jumping with one chute.
on the trib/rapture thing. i am a pan trib guy. whenever it happens it will all pan out. lame joke aside, there aint nooooo body out there qualified to be anyones judge (that includes me).
you dont have to worry about winning, he already won. hoo yah.
keep on keeping on. remember that just because you seek or wander does NOT mean you are lost.
shalom until i see you on the other side.
im out here cause im outa kofe.
The difference between Christianity or true Judaism which are really one and the same. Judaism being the Natural tree. Is God persuades us to His way of thinking by His word, others, Experience, and Chastisement if We’re hard headed! He knows full well it takes time for us to weight all these things and in good conscience except what we believe to be true! In the process we often embrace partial truths out of ignorance, Laziness to search with all of our heart, or even the fear of the implications of certain truths. Just as any child does as they grow.
This by necessity permits those who are seeking to find their way to the truth to get caught up in error as well! The issue is will we harden our hearts to His continued teaching and correction when we are confronted with scriptural evidence or will we Humble our selves to reprove or reconsider, or even rearrange our beliefs to be consistent with every scripture and truth taught in His word!
It is difficult for us to have faith in and patience with those we believe are caught in dangerous doctrines. Let us remember however He will judge us by the same standard We judge others with! As I mentioned before I don’t consider those who while struggling to live in a fast paced demanding world follow men spreading false doctrines in good faith. It is with those who have the time resources, and who have supposedly dedicated their lives to the study of the scriptures for the sake of those they lead! I was once a naive follower to selling all kind of Christianite non sense. Let others tell me what the bible said and ran with it!
All of the false doctrines will be settled in time! It is a hard heart unwilling to be taught that can’t be changed! Those who think God’s ways are foolish believe in their heart whether they realize it or not that HE is a fool! That makes it impossible for Him to mold them into His image and there for they no longer have any purpose but to fuel the fire!
As the parable says let the wheat and the tares grow up together and in the end the world as we know it the Harvesting of the earth it will become clear who is what! If God wouldn’t permit the Angels to up root the tares because they couldn’t tell the difference I don’t think He will let us do you!
SO by all means let us debate the issues, challenge each other to reconsider what we believe and why, warn and admonish each other as brothers but not as enemies! I don’t consider those who I believe to be naive as an enemy but as just that Naive! I don’t hate them or have a desire to cast them out but to spur them to take their responsibility to seek God for them selves as serious as a heart attack because it is for keeps! We only get one chance to get it right!
Even more sobering is that others may be following you!
How serious are you about their eternal destiny. Is it as important as providing for their needs in this life!
What good will it do for you to provide every advantage and blessing to your family here in this life and see them burn for all eternity!
How responsible will you be then!
May the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob keep His promises to Israel, and may the church fulfill Her obligations to Husband and lay down their lives for their Jewish brethren as He did His for Her!
To all of you, thank you for your comments and encouragement.
To “Israel for Eternity” let me say that of course I agree with you that true Christians cannot be antisemitic. “By their fruits you shall know them…” and if their fruits have been or are prejudice and hatred towards, and persecution of Jews, then they are not Christians. “They will know we are Christians by our love…”
Having said that, there is no escaping the historical truth that the most vicious manifestations of antisemitism in history have occured during the Church age and have been overwhelmingly perpetrated by people professing to be Christians and church leaders. The Crusades, the Expulsions, the Inquisition, the Pogroms, the Ghettos, the Blood Libels, the Forced Conversions and the Holocaust - Christendom is responsible for them all. Against them, pre-Christianity antisemitism, and until now, Islamic antisemitism, pales.
Certainly for the Jew - and I think it imperative that Christians understand this - what they have experienced at the hands of Jew-haters through the last 2000 years has been “Christian Antisemitism.”
In my strongly-held opinion, true Christians can and must redeem Christianity, living and relating to others, as Jesus taught us to live - lives of self-sacrificing love. After a few centuries of this kind of Christianity we might be able to say with some credibility that the antisemites who called themselves Christians were not true Christians at all.
To Patty Ann Smith: Yes, I believe we could say that the First Period acording to my breakdown began with Adam’s fall and not with Creation. No one knows how long Adam and Eve lived in Eden before they ate of the Tree of Knowledge.
To Daniel Ben Adam: You say “that the first David was born midway between Abraham and the Greater David, Yeshua Messiah.” That’s just another one of the wonderful puzzle pieces that I believe we will get to as we move on through.
To Marc Weinstein: You asked: “How and what did you derive 1850 as the start of the 4th period? If 3 periods of 2000 years equal 6000 yeas and we’ve finished the 3rd 2000 year period; where does a 4th period of 2000 years starting in 1851 have to do with this calculation(s)?”
An astute observation and very good question.
Firstly let me say that I am not really trying to calculate dates as such; I do not intend to try and “prophesy” the day or the hour when specific events we believe lie ahead of us will come to pass. My interest here is more in the way God “switched His attention” from individuals to Israel to the Gentiles, and the present day “switching of His attention” back to Israel.
But let me address this a little further. While I did break the three periods down into 2000 years apiece, I mentioned that they were that long “give or take a few decades.” I should have explained what I mean, which is that, according to my understanding, there has been a certain overlapping, or time of transitioning, from one era to the next; a kind of “fading out” of the one period and a “fading in” of the next.
Thus we see how it took some years for God’s “favoring” of Israel to fade and for His “favoring” of the Gentiles to firm up. There have been a few “times of the gentiles” - periods when gentiles have occupied the Land of Israel and held sway over its people. By far the most long-lasting of these has been the time I have here called “The Third Period.”
It began really with Rome’s occupation of the Land of Israel which, from about 61 BC (BCE), became a client state of the great empire and was called the Roman Province of Judea. Clearly God’s favor was being removed from Israel, therefore, even before the birth of Christ. However it would be more than a century after this occupation of their land began before Rome would move to erase the Jewish presence from Eretz Yisrael as a result of Jewish revolts. That ethnic cleansing took about seven decades, from before AD 70 until AD 135 to be completed.
Thus did history transition into the Third Period and likewise, with the start of Zionism which really began to manifest itself in Israel (or as it was then known, the Ottoman Province of Palestine) in around 1850, the transition began into the Fourth Period. With the rise of political Zionism in the late 1890s, followed by the waves of mass aliyah (Jewish immigration), the Arab revolts against this exodus, Great Britain’s betrayal of its internationally santioned mandate, the Holocaust and Israel’s cataclysmic rebirth as a nation state in 1948, we have been moving through this period of transition and are now almost completely out of the Third Period and completely into the Fourth. We still have a little way to go, but the sun has definitely set on the “times of the Gentiles” and has risen over Israel, for “the set time” for God to again favour Zion has come.
Hallelujah!
Thanks to those who responded to my comments.
I have, unfortunately, read MUCH over the years about people persecuting Jews in the name of Christ. I know the history, maybe not every single occurence of persecution, but much of it. I understand why it can be and still is a stumbling block for so many. And I believe God has had/ will have plenty to say and do to those who not only treated His people so horrifically, but also in doing so caused His people to reject Jesus. Let’s face it, if I based being a Christian on how Christians act, I don’t know if I would want to be one myself.
What’s fascinating to me, though, is that it seems for a sizable portion of the Jewish community (the exact percentage I don’t know), the biggest threat is Christian missionaries and Christian friends of Israel, not the Muslim threat, not assimilation and intermarriage, not the willingness of Israel’s leaders to give half of Jerusalem or all of Judea and Samaria to her enemies.
2) I don’t believe those teachings do elevate Gentile believers above Jewish believers. For goodness’ sake, Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, He will return to defeat those coming against Israel and will take up His seat on the throne of His father David in Jerusalem for 1000 years. The Lord will have all these things come to pass in the days ahead so that they will know that He is Lord. So I guess I don’t see how Gentile believers are elevated above Jewish believers in this.
My many thanks to the folks who have contributed to this conversation.
dispensations: a period of human history looked at from Gods point of view.
What does it matter how we look at history? Any way we look if our looking
helps us to understand and remember all the contents of this timely event contained therein.
Adam to Noah could be a time period. Noah to Abraham another period of time .Abraham to Moses another period of time Moses to Christ another. If this is a memory aid .What does it matter.? If we can follow these time periods and remember is the most important . As a believer when we do wrong we name
this wrong to God the Father as David after he murdered Uriah Beershebia
“I have sined { is sin awarness} I will confess still not quite there I will name.
our version Is I John 1:9 if we confess [to name] our sins he is faithful to forgive
us of our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness .
Recall is the most important . Not the how we catagryize
Arthur… the argument against Dispensationalism has nothing to do with it being a recall aid or simple categorization of time periods - it’s the underlying theology that’s the issue. This theology separates end-time Israel from their fellow Gentile believers and says that Israel (after Church’s Rapture) will not be part of the Bride or the Body of Christ, but instead they will be the earthly people of G-d where as the Church will be the Heavenly people of G-d. This theology teaches that Christ, the Jewish Messiah, will merrily celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb with his raptured Gentile Church at the very same time His own Jewish brethren suffer on Earth being purified by G-d and buffeted by Satan from all sides. Something is very wrong with this.
See my first comment for this post for a link to quotes from fathers of Dispensationalism.
Gene
Your Eschatological perspective seems to be in line with Historic Pre-Millennialism, similar to that of George Eldon Ladd. Although I lean very heavily towards an A-millennial Prospective; and don’t subscribe to a physical 1000 Year Reign; I still believe that God has not “cast away” Physical Israel (Romans 11). St. Paul seems to allude to a ‘Revival’ of The Godly Remnant who, according to The Election of Grace will be Saved…! In That Day, The Godly Remnant will be “All of Israel” who will be saved.
My emotional and political sentiments fall hard on the side of Israel. That is undeniable! I understand, and know very well the entire history of how and why they are back in this land. There wouldn’t be any place as Israel in its’ present conditions without the hard work of the returning Jewish People. It was a land devoid of any ability to support real sustenance until The Jewish People worked hard in its’ reclamation. No one really cared about this Land before it became once again, ‘The Land of Milk and Honey’. It was nothing but ‘A Wasteland of Sand’ before these relentless Folks changed it by their hard work and efforts. There were only Bedouin, Nomadic Tribes living there. After The Jews made something out of it, then many other Folks came to live and draw from its’ bounty. Then and only then, after it was reclaimed from the dessert sands, did it become the envy of ‘all’ those around who did nothing with it for over nineteen centuries!
The name ‘Palestine’ never had been used nor existed prior to The Roman occupation! In an effort to embarrass the Jewish Nation, The Romans re-named the land ‘Palestine’ deriving from a word meaning Philistine… Israel’s long-time enemy! That area of The Middle East had never been called ‘Palestine’ before Rome occupied it! It had always been Israel… Judah, or Judea a Latin form of Judah! Today the word ‘Palestine’ is used as if it has always been a fact of history! There is much more that could be said about Palestine and The Palestinians but not in this writing.
The Arabs hate The Jewish people with a hellish passion! I believe this is distinctly and directly a satanic inspired hatred! The Palestinian’s plight is self-inflicted! The Jews are not persecuting The Palestinians! Their problems stem from their hatred of The Jews. If that issue were truly dealt with at the root, these two peoples could live and work together in harmony for the common good of both. Israelis do not educate their children in the hatred and annihilation of Palestinians or other Arabs. But on the other hand, Palestinians have an education process of pure hatred against The Jews.
Only God Himself can stop this cycle of hatred through Christ! That is the only remedy! The sad thing indeed is the plight of The Palestinian Christians. They are caught in the middle! If The Lord graciously brings peace to this embattled land, He will do it as an answer to the prayers of these suffering, innocent people caught between Israel and Islam, The Palestinian Christians! May God grant it be so!
Neither The U.S. nor The U.N. is able to solve this historical animosity. And sadly, The UN is extremely Anti-Semitic! All we can do (The U.S.) is stand with Israel against the rest of The World for Jewish survival. It seems that Anti-Semitism is on the rise once again throughout the entire world, even in Western Europe. Israel is our friend, and only Democratic Ally in the entire Middle East. It behooves us (The US) both Politically and Morally to support Israel and The Jewish People whatever it takes!
What about that Land, The Land of Israel situated in The Middle East? That Land was under the dominion of many Empires before 1948, lastly The British Empire. The U.N. voted to give this piece of ‘Sand in the Desert’ to The Jews… how beneficent of them? I do not believe this event begins ‘God’s so-called Time Clock’ of Eschatological ‘Prophecy’; nor do I believe we now should view all historical events based on The Re-Birth of Israel. This is something I reject according to The Scriptures. But with that stated, there is one thing we must accept; God Providentially returned this land to them, and He used The United Nations to do it. Yes, it is a fact of history, The U.N. made it all possible, but by who’s authority or ‘will’? Why would this ‘august body’, The Security Counsel make such a decision? Are they Jewish or even Christian? I think not. For what reason then did The United Nations give this Land to The Jewish People? They didn’t, at least not of their own accord. I believe God Himself conceived this idea in their hearts! God returned The Land to the physical children of Abraham; He accomplished it by His Sovereign Designs and by His Providence! “The heart of The King (or Kings, including “The UNâ€) is moved by The Lord.”
Why? Why does He give good gifts to any of us undeserving sinners? It is purely of His Grace alone. He doesn’t owe them anything, nor is there anything left to be accomplished among them; all is completed. St. Paul tells us, “All the promises to The Fathers are ‘Yes and Amen’ in Christ Jesus!†or, ‘All’ the promises made to The Fathers; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are completed in Jesus Christ! There is nothing left to be accomplished in them or for them! So why return The Land? Again, I believe it is just a love gift from God to His wayward People, a gift to encourage their ‘Return’, not to ‘The Land’ but to Himself! Could it be that all the frustration and chaos that has been (and is) happening there is to provoke them towards a return to ‘Ha-Shem’ in Christ?
Although Physical Israel has been given this gift (of The Land) by God, they have not as yet been given God’s Gift of ‘Life’……… that is, Resurrection from ‘Death in Trespasses of Sin’. They are still steeped in their blind darkness of unbelief. God Himself has imparted this ‘Blindness’ for the purpose of Gentile Salvation (See Romans 11:25). This is a definite mystery. Until God Himself removes the scales from their eyes (as He did with Saul of Tarsus) they will not believe.
I do believe that St. Paul intimates (in Romans) that there will be a renewing of Physical Israel, a Revival of The Remnant, a return to their God in Messiah Jesus Christ. Whether or not this will take place en-mass on a single day, or it has been happening individually over a long period of time, I don’t know. Who really knows for sure? This is all part of that mystery. (See Ro. 11)
As a Partial Pretorist and A-Millenarian, I believe we do not have a clear view of prophecy. The true facts will delude us until we view it from the completed side of history. Although we don’t know what will happen in detail, we do know how it all ends. We do have the ‘Hope’ that God will not reject ‘Israel after the flesh’, that He will save ‘The Jewish Remnant’ and draw them to Himself. It is sure; they will be joined together with the rest of God’s Elect in Christ. (See Ro 11:11-14)
“Webster†states that the word ‘Remnant’ means a small piece of the whole remainingâ€. The Remnant is the remaining small amount of ‘Israel’ from the whole who will be saved. But that Remnant is viewed by God as “All†of Israel! Why? St. Paul says in Ro. 9:6,7; “For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham.†He also tells us in Ro 9:27; “Though the number of Israel be as the sand of the sea, ‘Only’ the ‘Remnant’ will be saved.†Here, The Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah The Prophet directly, (Isa.10: 22). The understanding is this: The ‘Only’ Physical Children of Abraham considered by God to be Israel is, ‘The Godly Remnant’ “according to The Election of Grace.†(Ro. 11:5). These are the “ALL†of Israel who will be saved… those “according to The Election of Grace.†(Ro. 11:26)
God is using The Land He Promised to Father Abraham to bring Israel to Himself in Jesus The Messiah…! And what a day that will be; when God Joins together all of His Elect in Christ…! Amen.
Gene-
I’m sorry, but I guess I don’t understand some of your comments. The Rapture does not separate Gentile believers from Jewish believers. All believers in Christ, Jew or Gentile go in the Rapture. The Rapture separates the believer from the unbeliever. Just as throughout history - Noah and his family from the rest of the world; Lot and his family; as the church we’re to be separate, in the world not of it, etc.
Joanna… I think part of the problem here is that you view Israel the nation as “the rest of the world” simply because they reject Christ at the present. In this view, the Church is to have nothing to do with the nation of Israel since Israel is “in the world” and the believers are to separate themselves from it. You should look a little deeper and read what Paul meant when he said in Romans 11:26:
“In this way, all Israel will be saved. As it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
God doesn’t view unbelieving Israel “as the world”. He has a special place in His heart SPECIFICALLY for the unbelieving, even ungodly Israel, because they are He has a special plan for that nation. Even the dispensationalists believe that. As it is written in Romans 11:28:
“From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers”.
The pre-trib Rapture says that the Church is out of here, let Israel suffer on earth by itself (and we will take the Holy Spirit too away with us). But God views Israel as his special possession and He will redeem them and make them into “believers”, like you and me.
If the Rapture of the “Church” occurs BEFORE Israel is redeemed and themselves made into “believers”, the Community of God will be separated into Heavenly “Church” and earthly “Israel”. This is what Dispensationalism teaches.
I hope that the issue is a bit more clear now.
Gene
Allow me to make it very clear to Gene and to everybody else…. I agree that God views Israel as His very special possession. And I believe He does all these things so that they will know He is the Lord.
I take absolutely NO JOY or any other related emotion in any suffering that Israel has suffered, is suffering, or will suffer. God always refines His people so that we will be more like Him. All of these things will happen only for a time.
Apparently we are speaking different languages, so I’m not sure how that bridge can be crossed. I still don’t understand what you’re trying to say, because we apparently view all these issues through such different lenses, we can’t communicate it.
Joanna… I hope that Stan briefly addresses the issue of Dispensationalism in one of his future posts - he certainly has a way with words being a journalist.
I would also strongly encourage you and others here to look a bit deeper into origins and beliefs of that particular theological view (and its view of the future of Israel and the Church), perhaps then we all can understand each other better.
Shalom.
I am sorry its a well written article but its basic premise is flawed. You approach religion from(as is natural to you) a christian perspective. focused on christian books and writings. Unfortunately for your arguments, the old testament has laws and clauses in it that clearly make any new testament false. These even go so far as to say that nothing new will be written, nothing added, and nothing taken away. Anyone attempting to do so will be a heretic, a false prophet, and a person worthy of death. Specifically found in Deuteronomy chapter 13 in the Hebrew original version of the Torah.
Avi… you give no specifics in the article before you, but just dismissed the man outright because of his “christian perspective” that you don’t agree with. Why then comment on this article in the first place? What is it in the New Testament (Brit Hadasha - New Covenant scriptures) that makes you think that G-d has added anything new that he has not spoken about before? The whole Bible is not Torah, and “New Testament” writings is not Torah either - nobody is adding anything to Torah in the New Testament, just like the prophets who wrote their books AFTER Torah was written didn’t add anything to Torah either. The prophets didn’t view their own writing as “adding to Torah”, otherwise you should accuse them also. New Testament is no different. The Tanakh speaks of a New Covenant being established with Israel, not like the Covenant of old (Jeremiah 31:31-34.):
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
You should also read Isaiah 53.
Christianity has one big problem coming from a jewish perspective, the messiahship claim and his divinity ON Earth. These issues MUST be answered by scripture and not conjecture, items lacking from the above.
Thank you for making a public stand against dispensationalism. I study the various models for prophetic interpretation as a hobby. Premil pretrib dispensationalism is the most difficult to defend. When I adhered to that belief, I always had more questions than answers. I find that premillenial historicism is the most fruitful interpretation, but there is something to be gleaned from each school of thought. Be a disciple, not a parrot.
I am a pre-mil/dispy who believes that each dispensation has its covenant(s). I am not sure concerning the time of the rapture, but do believe it will occur. I see from Gene’s comments that he has researched only part of what some dispys believe and has concluded his research speaks for the whole of dispy beliefs. They do not. The heresy of Kingdom Now/Dominionism theology has crept in to the historic dispy belief system. As far as the Jews missing out on the Marriage Supper of the Lamb- I believe this event will take place after the Millenial Reign of Christ, so how is it that Israel will miss out on it? Surely Scriptures teach of a Pre-Mil coming of Christ (the rapture is NOT the Second Coming-we go up- He does not come down) so I am wondering if you, Stan, meant to say that you are not pre-trib? You also mention the Periods of time- is this not dispensations of time? These Periods are the dispensations I believe in. It confuses me about your disbelief in dispensations then you speak of Periods, of which I have believed were dispensations. Thanks, everyone for your thought provoking comments and the links some of you have provided. As far as coming to the knowledge of truth, pray for God to open your eyes to all that you believe as truth that may be lies. I have and still do and found God to honor this prayer.
Wow! This is my first time visitiing this sight. I am intrigued by the essay and ask God to grant me knowledge of things I have yet to learn in such a way that I have read discussed with such matter of fact accuracy. I humbly ask the Father to restore His people, His throne, and make my joy complete by faith becoming sight. I am a gentile believer, by grace through faith, grafted into the vine with a love for that which my Father loves and rejection of all He rejects. I don’t know it all but where He leads I will follow. A-men.