Christ The Revelator And His Soon Coming Kingdom!
Jesus Christ and the Father's great design for His Children, and prophecy play a major role in our belief system, from Genesis to Revelation, His creation can be seen as a great tapestry and a gigantic puzzle that each one of us play a major role. Discovering what our role is in His Marketing Plan is indeed a fun and exciting venture in His success. The Old Testament was a foreshadow of the New Covenant of the Blood of Christ for the generation of this age. The link of this generation is in the blood of Jesus. We will cover the Faith of our fathers and the gospel and wisdom of the scriptures in prophecy to show the on-going plan of God for the legacy of our generations. The transformation we wait on is soon coming and the expectations of our change fromthis present life to a new creation in Jesus can at times overwhelm our senses. Praise the Lord! Israel and Prophecy in History and our critical role....
The Disperstion of the Jews in 1948 was predicted by Ezekiel 4:4-6The Balfour Declaration of 1917, gave Israel the right to immigrate to the British Mandate of Palestine. Five million square miles of the Otoman Empire got 99.8 percent of this land. The United Nations split this land up, and war broke out. Israel became a Jewish State in 1948. 1. Jesus foretold His death and resurrection in Matthew 20:17-19 During the first century and was fulfilled in about 32 AD. One of the unique qualities about Jesus Christ as a religious figure is that He prophesied His own death and resurrection. One example is found in Matthew 20:17-19. Each of the four Gospels of the New Testament, which were written by His followers and contemporaries, testify that Jesus was resurrected. 2. Jesus told Peter that the church would survive and thrive in Matthew 16:17-18 during the first century AD, and was fulfilledThroughout history. Jesus told the Apostle Peter (Simon) that He would be the rock or foundation on which Jesus will build His church, and that the church would not be conquered or wiped out by non-believers (as expressed in the phrase "gates of hell" or "gates of Hades"). Within a few decades after the crucifixion of Jesus, Peter was able to see firsthand that the early Christians would endure tremendous persecution. The church endured intense persecution for about three centuries by the Roman Empire. But, the church survived and thrived during that time, even though the Roman Empire itself disintegrated. Although the majority of the world's religions have died out, Christianity flourished to become the first religion to have spread worldwide. 3. The line of kings from David would endure forever 2 Samuel 7:16Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever. Samuel lived about 3,000 years ago and About 32 AD with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, this was fulfilled. This passage, and a few others as well, allude to King David's descendants having an eternal hold on the throne of Israel. King David lived and reigned about 3,000 years ago. His descendants continued to reign over all or part of the land of Israel until the time of the Babylonian conquest, which was about 2,600 years ago. But, aside from Jesus, there has been no king of Davidic descent since the time of the Babylonian conquest. Jesus is fully human and fully God. As a human, he is a descendant of King David. As God, he is eternal. Therefore, he is in a unique position to fulfill the prophecy in which David's throne is to be eternal. 4. The Great Commission, and its fulfillment Matthew 28:16-20This was written during the first century AD and fulfilled Throughout history. During the first century of this era, there were evangelists who claimed to be eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus. These people, including Paul and the Apostles, were willing to risk their lives and travel throughout the Roman world, by land and by sea, to evangelize a religion that wasn't legally recognized by the Roman government. Their work allowed Christianity to eventually be taught to people throughout the world. 5. God's salvation would reach the ends of the earth Isaiah 49:6Written between 701-681 BC and fulfilled about 32 AD. The prophet speaks of a servant of God who would be a light to Gentiles (non-Jews) so that God's salvation could reach the ends of the earth. Christians believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise. The followers of Jesus helped spread Christianity about 2000 years ago. Christianity is unique in that it is among the first evangelical religions in history, and the first to be taken to people all over the world. Christians believe that salvation, forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven are available to anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their savior: "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." - Romans 10:9-10 6. Jesus said His words would never be forgotten Luke 21:33Written During the first century AD and is being fulfilled at this very moment as we speak. Jesus said that regardless of what happens to the world, His words will never be forgotten. Here we are 2000 years later and the words of Jesus are all around us: Christianity has spread to people around the world and the Bible is the world's most circulated book. Of all the people who have ever lived, can you think of a single person who could have made this claim more effectively than Jesus - that his words would never be forgotten? Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" CHRIST the REVELATOR Millions are aware of the redemptive role of Christ. They know that Jesus died to reconcile man to God. But how many realize that their very Savior predicted today's chaotic world conditions in advance and foretold the outcome of it all? Jesus Christ The Great Revelator The first verse of the book of Revelation states: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. . . ." Jesus Christ was a prophet; Jesus Christ was a newscaster of future world events; Jesus Christ forecast the overall, general sequence of events that would characterize the world from His time to now and on into the future; Jesus Christ was an up-to-date futurist in the true sense of the term. He talked not only of the mind bending, fast-moving, sometimes horrifying events to presage His second coming, but also of a wonderful world to come.Blessings to come. Go to the Gospel accounts. In their contents, Jesus spoke directly of an altogether different kind of society that would envelop the earth in future ages. The religious set of Jesus' day thought they had Him cornered with a trick question about marriage and the resurrection. But He deftly answered their questions by informing them of the never-before-heard-of conditions of tomorrow's world. He forecast: "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world [Greek: age], and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more. . ." (Luke 20:35-36).Have you ever before heard of a world in which part of the inhabitants-the compassionate ruling class as other scriptures make clear-can no longer die? Visionary futurists of our day contemplate a fantastic world with a vastly lengthened human life-span made possible by super-replacement parts for worn out body organs. But how many envision the ultimate: "... neither can they die anymore"?Matthew's Gospel account sheds still more light on conditions in this incredible civilization yet to come. This particular scripture about tomorrow's world does have a definite negative connotation. However, it also has an unspoken positive side as we will show. Those that were hostile to (and attributed intentional indignity to) the Work that Jesus Christ was doing through the power of the Holy Spirit in proclaiming that future world would be on the outside looking in. Notice Matthew's description:". . . But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come" (Matt.12:32). But on the positive side, the benevolent rulers will be composed of those who execute justice and judgment in their personal lives. David said: "He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God" (II Sam.23:3). Some specific positions in this future world have been preassigned by Jesus.To His apostles, Jesus promised: "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Luke 22:29-30). The epistles written by Peter and John are a microcosm of the overall good character of the apostles. Dedication, loyalty and love earmark those remarkable letters.The Gospels are not the only biblical books whose contents reveal specific prognostications of Jesus Christ in His role as a prophet. As was pointed out, the book of Revelation is unveiled by Jesus Christ Himself. ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Ambassador College on:Jesus Christ 1 Would you say that you know Jesus Christ? Or that you know about him? Or that you know nothing of him? What do you think of when you hear his name? How would you answer the question: “Who is Jesus?” In this class we’ll try to make Jesus a little less of a stranger, because to understand Christianity we must get to know Jesus Christ. It is from Him that the Christian faith takes its name. Rightly so, because He is the foundation of Christian faith, teaching and practice. WHO WAS JESUS? “The essence of Christianity is neither beliefs nor behavior patterns. It is the reality of communion here and now with Christianity’s living founder, the Mediator, Jesus Christ.” (Packer,J.I., (1995), Knowing Christianity, pp. 60-61, Harold Shaw Publishers). So who was - and is - He? Here’s how Jesus described Himself… 2 John’s Gospel records Jesus making a series of “I am” statements: “I am ... - the bread of life - the light of the world - the door - the good shepherd - the resurrection and the life - the way and the truth and the life - the true vine” (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:7; 10:11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1). His followers - those who either lived with Him or immediately after Him and who wrote about Him - were clear about the fact that He was not just a man: - “My Lord and my God!” exclaimed His disciple, Thomas (known as “doubting Thomas”) (John 20:28). - “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” said Simon Peter (Matthew 16:16). When Jesus walked the roads of Judea and Galilee, the Jewish people were looking for a messiah. The prophets had said that One sent from God would come to save them. They had been disappointed on many occasions. From his prison cell, an uncertain John the Baptist sent his followers to question Jesus directly: “Are you the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” This was Jesus’ reply: “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor” (Matthew 11:2-5). 3 Despite the great and good things He did, many opposed Jesus, particularly the religious leaders, who, well-versed in the Old Testament scriptures, believed they had the words of life. This is what Jesus said to them on one occasion: “Youdiligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life”(John 5:39-40). The New Testament scriptures continued to testify about this Messiah. But now the writers call Him by name: “Jesus”. “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God - the gospel He promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:1-4). Sometimes you’ll hear someone say that they are happy to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, wise guide, good man or prophet, but nothing more. They are happy to put Him on the shelf as a respected resource to consult on occasion, along with the great philosophers, thinkers, inventors, and leaders of history. But to suggest He should be worshipped, that He might have been “God with us”, or that He was our Savior - now, that would be truly embarrassing. And yet that is exactly the issue that confronts anyone who wants to find out about Jesus Christ. The great Christian writer C.S. Lewis, in his classic book Mere Christianity, addressed this notion bluntly: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. 4 You must make your choice. Either this Man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”(Lewis, C.S., Mere Christianity). Indeed. What Jesus said about Himself, what those who knew Him personally said about Him, what those who came in theirfootsteps said about him, and what the record of his life says, demands our attention and our response. Man of miracles It’s been called “the greatest story ever told” - for good reason. He was born to a woman called Mary and her fiancée, Joseph, around 4 BC in Bethlehem. The family become refugees in Egypt following a threat to the baby’s life. He apparently grew up around his father, Joseph’s, carpentry business. At age 12, during a family visit to Jerusalem, Jesus stayed behind to talk with the priests in the temple, amazing them with His understanding. Sometime around age 30 we are presented with Jesus the carpenter from Nazareth embarking upon an extraordinary public life. His teaching is not like anything people have heard before. He teaches people to love one another, he tells stories about a kingdom, He comforts the suffering, He befriends the outcasts, He feeds the hungry. But there is more to Jesus than good words and good deeds. His first public act appears to have been a miracle in which He turned water into wine at a wedding. A miracle. Miracles are not something we are familiar with in our lives - except maybe when a losing sports team beats a highly regarded opponent and we remark that the win was “a miracle”. That’s not a bad way to begin understanding miracles. The word miracle comes from a Latin word, miraclum, which means “something that evokes wonder.” “A miracle is an observed event that triggers awareness of God’s presence and power,” says J.I. Packer, theology professor and author.(Packer, J.I.,(1993), Concise Theology, p.57, Tyndale House). 5 In a proudly rational world, miracles can be a bit embarrassing. Yet Jesus’ life confronts us with the presence of the miracle from his own birth. Theologians call Jesus’ birth the “incarnation” (incarnation literally means “in flesh”) - to describe the miracle of God the Creator making Himself a physical part of the created world. Jesus’ life on earth concluded with another miracle: the resurrection (resurrection means to rise from the dead). Thus, a life of miracles - for the purpose of triggering awareness of God’s presence and power - began and culminated in unprecedented miracles. These miracles - incarnation and resurrection - present us personally and powerfully with the presence of God. They are central to Christian belief, and the Scriptures provide us with significant record of each. “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about,” writes Matthew. “His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband [to be] was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David [an earlier King of Israel], do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins”(Matthew 1:18-21). In his Gospel, Luke records that the time of this miracle was when “Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ... So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there ... she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:1-7). 6 “Whatever else they may mean, the birth stories of Jesus emphasize that the Christian belief that ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23) is not just a beautiful idea or an abstract theological truth. It happened! [The apostle] John also tells us that it happened when he says that the ‘Word’ (God’s self-communication, the Word that was God) ‘became flesh and lived among us’(John 1:1-14). But Matthew and Luke tell us more specifically that it happened at a particular time, in a particular place, in connection with a particular mother.” (Guthrie, S.C., 1994). It also happened as a fulfillment of a centuries-old prophecy: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means, ‘God with us’”(Matthew 1:22-23). Of the many profound and challenging things the Bible says, perhaps none challenges us so profoundly as this passage from the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.... The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-3, 9-14). The remarkable claims of this passage go to the heart of the Christian gospel: That the Creator God at a point in time made Himself just like us - flesh and bone - and lived on earth among the human beings he created, and that the writer and others claim personal, real-life witness to these facts: “We have seen his glory...”. 7 The four Gospel accounts - by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John -provide four different authoritative perspectives or aspects of Jesus’ life on earth. One author puts it this way: “King - Matthew presents Jesus as King. It was written primarily for the Jew, for He is the Son of David. His royal genealogy is given in chapter 1. In chapters 5-7, in the Sermon on the Mount, we have the manifesto of the King, containing laws of His kingdom. Servant - Mark depicts Jesus as Servant, written to the Romans, there is no genealogy. Why? People are not interested in the genealogy of a servant. More miracles are found here than in any other gospel. Romans cared little for words; far more for deeds. Man - Luke sets forth Jesus as the perfect Man. It was written to the Greeks; His genealogy goes back to Adam, the first man, instead of to Abraham [as in Matthew]. As a perfect Man, He is seen much in prayer and with angels ministering to Him. God -"John portrays Jesus as the Son of God. Written to all who will believe, with the purpose of leading people to Christ (John 20:31), everything in this Gospel illustrates and demonstrates His divine relationship.” (Mears, H.C., (1998), What the Bible is All About, pp.365-366, Regal Books). King, Servant, Man, God. Each of these expressions of the Messiah were prophesied in the Old Testament: and Jesus vividly lived out each on earth. And the miracle of his life powerfully touched other lives. ”Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him” (Matthew 4:23-25). - He fed thousands of people who had come to a remote location to hear him teach, by multiplying five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9; John 6) and turned water into wine at a wedding feast (John 2). - He walked on water (Matthew 14; Mark 6; John 6) and calmed a storm (Mark 4; Matthew 8; Luke 8). 8 -He touched and healed “unclean” people: outcasts with leprosy(Matthew 8; Mark 1; Luke 5); those with paralysis (Matthew 9; Mark 2; Luke 5, 13; John 5); the blind (Matthew 9, 20; Mark 8; Luke 18; John 9); and people possessed by evil spirits (Matthew 17; Mark 1, 5, 9; Luke 4, 8, 9). In one of the healings of a demon-possessed individual, the religious leaders challenged Him, saying that His powers of exorcism were those of the devil himself. Jesus responded by saying, “If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? ... But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you”(Matthew 12:26-28). “The kingdom of God has come upon you.” In this powerful response, Jesus makes clear that his (kingly, godly) presence among us was ushering in a new order (yet in the form of a servant and a man). Nothing would ever be the same again. His birth, His teachings and His miracles were manifestations of “God with us”. As Jesus himself indicated, what other explanation could there be? Friend The powerful message of Jesus’ miracles, demonstrating the presence of God in the world, is beautifully accompanied by another message. Equally powerful in its implications, yet totally unexpected, was the message of love, care and acceptance Jesus conveyed in the way he mixed with humanity. Beyond the amazing image of the all-powerful, majestic, infinite God of heaven actually choosing to live alongside His creation, we are presented with God actually enjoying being with us! It was hard for many to make sense of: how could a Messiah, a Savior, a ruler, a King be so ... “down-to-earth”? It was unexpected, shocking and disturbing. And ultimately it was unacceptable to many who thought they knew what the Messiah “should” be like. One consistent and enduring picture of Jesus’ life on earth is His love of sharing meals with people - no matter who they were - and of expressing comfort to all. 9 “One distinctive feature of Jesus’ ministry was His practice of a radically inclusive and non-hierarchical table fellowship as a central strategy in his announcement and redefinition of the inbreaking rule of God. In so doing, Jesus challenged the inherent exclusivism and status consciousness of accepted social and religious custom.” (Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, (1992), p.796, Intervarsity Press). We see Jesus at the wedding feast (typically a week-long event!), inviting Himself to a tax collector’s home for dinner (tax collectors were hated for their corrupt practices), eating His meals without washing according to the religious customs, sharing His last meal with His disciples, cooking fish for them on the lake shore after His resurrection. In one memorable event He shocked His religious hosts by allowing a prostitute to anoint his feet with perfume while He reclined at the table (Luke 7:36-39). So customary was His habit of sharing meals that He was accused with being “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners”! Beyond mealtime fellowship, Jesus openly associated with and expressed care for social outcasts, like lepers, a woman caught in an adulterous act, a Samaritan woman (despised by the Jews). Two thousand years ago Jesus was an embarrassment. His casual, friendly, compassionate manner upset and offended many, which was apparently fine with Him. “While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s [the tax collector] house, many tax collectors and ‘sinners’ came and ate with Him and His disciples. When the Pharisees [religious leaders] saw this, they asked His disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners’” (Matthew 9:10-13). Jesus came so that we might get to know God, to know who He is and what He is really like - in a wholly unexpected way. God is not “somewhere out there”; He is close to each one of us. He knows us, He loves us and He wants us to get to know Him. That’s the good news Jesus brought, taught and lived on this earth. 10 Having read about Jesus’ life and ministry and considered the material in this lesson, what are your personal reactions to: - The story? - The person? - The actions ascribed to him? Is it difficult for you to accept that Jesus was “God in the flesh”? If so, why? If not, why not? How would you describe the impact of Jesus in our world? At this point in time, how would you describe the impact of Jesus in your own life? Why Jesus is good news “This sweet little baby lying in a manger with shepherds and angels gathered around Him grew up to be a radical subversive preacher who was all the more dangerous because He claimed that what He said and did is what God says and does. Jesus was not only the friend of sinners; He dared to forgive their sins, claiming to be able to do what only God has the right to do” (Guthrie, S.C.,(1994), p.242). And so they killed him. “Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on His head, and they put a royal purple robe on Him. ‘Hail! King of the Jews!’ they mocked, and they hit Him with their fists. Pilate went outside again and said, ‘I am going to bring Him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find Him not guilty.’ Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, ‘Here is the Man!’ When they saw Him, the leading priests and the Temple guards began shouting, ‘Crucify! Crucify!’ ‘You crucify Him,’ Pilate said. ‘I find him not guilty.’ 11 The Jewish leaders replied, ‘By our laws He ought to die because He called Himself the Son of God’” (John 19:1-7 - New Living Translation (The Book), Tyndale House Publishers). Four centuries before Jesus, the philosopher Socrates had said that a truly righteous person would be so unacceptable to society that they would have to be killed. His claim proved correct. But Jesus’ death is only part of the story. This story of suffering has become a message of healing. This account of humiliation has become one of victory. The death of Jesus became an event proclaiming new life. How? The message of the cross “God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Why? Why did an evidently good man like Jesus have to suffer and be subjected to a painful and humiliating crucifixion - death on a cross? And why for sinners, of all people? What was the point? A quick look in our newspapers or at television news confirms that human beings “do not know the way of peace”, as the Bible tells us. (Isaiah 59:8-9). The biblical record is one of people struggling - and failing - to come to grips with life. There’s something wrong with us. Something is broken. Something seriously needs fixing. But it’s not something we can do ourselves. It’s called “sin”. It was because of sin - our sin - that Jesus died on the cross. To understand this, we need to be clear in our understanding of who Jesus was - and is. As our introductory quote points out, Jesus was certainly not a simple fairy-tale character who only existed as a child in a manger surrounded by adoring angels and shepherds. The record of his life and teachings establishes Him as someone utterly unique: a radical teacher, a prophet, a king, a priest. He was all of these, but he was more: he was “God with us”: Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23). 12 This is an issue of central and fundamental importance to the Christian faith. Indeed, it has been an issue over which the Church has fought epic battles with heresy over the centuries (heresy is a teaching that directly contradicts the teaching of the Bible, meaning that it resists God’s revealed truth). And a recurring heresy has been one that attempts to deny that Jesus was actually “God with us”: God in the flesh. That is the clear teaching of Scripture, as we have seen in previous issues (see John 1:1-14). Christians through the ages have echoed the words of the disciple, “Doubting” Thomas, when he exclaimed of Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). The apostle Paul explained that “God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him[Jesus] ...” (Colosians 1:19). The Apostles’ Creed says, “[We believe] ... in Jesus Christ, His [God’s] only Son, our Lord ...”. “It is no accident that the part of the creed dealing with Christ is the longest part. This one doctrine gives meaning and content to all the others. All the doctrines of the Christian faith are related to Christ as spokes to the hub of a wheel. We could not talk about who God is, how we know God, what God is like, and what God wants with us without talking about God’s self-disclosure in Christ. Nor could we talk about what it means to be human beings in the image of God and sinners who contradict their own humanity without talking about Jesus ... Everything else Christians believe stands or falls with what they believe about Jesus” (Guthrie, S.C., (1994), p.229). We believe what Jesus’ disciple John urged us to believe: “that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ...” (John 20:31). He is simply echoing what he had heard his Lord say Himself: “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned ...” (John 3:16-18). 13 God sent Jesus to “save the world” through Him. Why? Because He “so loved the world”. Matthew writes that Jesus came to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord,” writes Luke (2:11). “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). But why did Jesus have to die? “Because God cares for us too much to dismiss our sin and guilt with a flippant ‘It doesn’t matter’. Because words were not enough: action was necessary to prove that God’s love and forgiveness are genuine. Because God wanted to stand with us in the loneliness and alienation we bring on ourselves when we separate ourselves from God and other people. Because it is just when God comes to our side in our loneliness, alienation, and guilt that they are overcome. In the cross God says to us, ‘Yes, it is true. You have hurt and offended Me. But I still love you. Therefore I will make your guilt and its consequences My own. I will suffer with you - for you - to make things right between us again” (Ibid., p.260). Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross stands as an eternal reminder of two things of ultimate and profound significance to the human experience: 1. That God takes seriously - and personally - the matter of sin. “Sin” is a bit of an embarrassing concept these days. We joke about being “sinful” by having too much chocolate to eat. And even if we accept that some things are sins, most people would struggle to accept the label of “sinner”. Yet if we are to accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God - as God’s communication to us - then we have to face the issue and the charge of sin. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” says Paul in Romans 3:23. “All”. Everyone. It gets worse: “the wages of sin is death” Paul says a little later. (Romans 6:23) That’s serious. The Bible tells us that we were created “in the image” of God (Genesis 1:27), by God’s own purpose and will. It also tells us that something has happened that has violated, damaged and broken that special creation. 14 “We are the icons of God, creatures made with a unique capacity to mirror and reflect the character of God. In the fall of mankind, something ghastly happened. The image of God was severely tarnished. Our ability to mirror His holiness has been greatly affected so that now the mirror is fogged. The Fall, however, did not destroy our humanity. Though our ability to reflect God’s holiness was lost in the Fall, we are still human. We still have a mind, a heart, and a will. We still bear the mark of our Creator upon ourselves.” (Sproul, R.C.,(1992), Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, pp.131-132, Tyndale House Publishers). Sin can broadly be described as being opposed to the will of God.(Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels p.760). “Scripture diagnoses sin as a universal deformity of human nature, found at every point in every person (1 Kings 8:46; Romans 3:9-23; 7:18; 1 John 1:8-10). Both Testaments have names for it that display its ethical character as rebellion against God’s rule, missing the mark God set us to aim at, transgressing God’s law, disobeying God’s directives, offending God’s purity by defiling oneself, and incurring guilt before God the Judge. This moral deformity is dynamic: sin stands revealed as an energy of irrational, negative, and rebellious reaction to God’s call and command, a spirit of fighting God in order to play God.” (Packer, J.I.,1993, Concise Theology, p.82. Tyndale House). This is what the story of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit teaches us: that humanity from the beginning exercised the freedom to reject the will and the authority of God. This is what the term “original sin” refers to. It is not a biblical term, but it summarizes the human condition and reflects the clearly understood principle the apostle Paul wrote about: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned ...”(Romans 5:12). And the biblical record - like the rest of human history - is a sad account of how ungodly human beings are to each other, regardless of circumstance, time, or culture. In relation to sin, the Bible refers often to God’s “wrath”. Wrath is another somewhat old-fashioned word. But it’s an important word when we consider the human relationship to God. The Apostle Paul said that we are all “by nature objects of [God’s] wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). 15 “Wrath is not a fitful, petulant, childish, immoral thing in God. Wrath is the moral and judicial attribute expressed in righteous judgment. It is holiness rejecting sin.” (Packer, J.I., (1995), Knowing Christianity, p.77, Harold Shaw Publishers). “Holiness rejecting sin.” We become accustomed to our human weakness, faults and failings, to the point that the sheer depravity of the human condition fails to really impact us. It’s “just the way things are”, we tell ourselves. And yet it’s not the way a holy God would have them. He rejects it. Even if we tolerate it, He won’t. And if that were the end of the matter, then Shakespeare’s Macbeth would be morbidly correct: “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more; ‘tis a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” Fortunately, sin is not the end of the story. Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross reminds us not only of sin but of a divine response to it that is utterly unexpected. God’s love for us is beyond anything we know. “[T]he wages of sin is death,” the scripture tells us. But it goes right on to say in that same thought, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In his letter to the Ephesians Paul wrote that we are all “by nature objects of [God’s] wrath”(Ephesians 2:3). That’s about the worst news you could get! But the good news immediately follows: “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved” (vs. 4-5). The word “grace” is central to the gospel. It means the unearned favor of mercy and forgiveness God grants to sinners who turn to Him and seek it. It changes everything. It is the ultimate expression of love. Despite our defiance of His perfection, our Creator God wants to forgive us, wants to save us, wants to give us the life for which He created us. 16 And in order to do so He made Himself our Savior - our rescuer. And our personal sacrifice to satisfy the awful price of sin. And the cross of Jesus Christ - the rugged, splintered, bloodstained wooden stake to which His beaten and bruised body was nailed until He gasped His last breath - powerfully reminds us of that sacrifice. The unavoidable payment of sin - death - has been paid by God in an unprecedented expression of love. The familiar expression “to err is human, to forgive is divine”is profoundly true. And this message of the forgiveness of our sins is what the gospel is all about. It’s the “good news” (which is what “gospel” means) about what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. It’s the good news that a way has been made for us to be restored to the relationship with God for which we were created. It’s the good news that life doesn’t simply have to be “a walking shadow ... that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more ... full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. This good news is made possible not by anything we can do, but because of God’s great love for us. “God our Savior,” wrote the apostle Paul to Timothy, “wants all men to be saved”(1 Timothy 2:4). “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance,” wrote one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter the fisherman (2 Peter 3:9). “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance,” the apostle Paul wrote to the young teacher, Timothy. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:15-16). Despite the fact that we have sinned against God, he has not turned his back on us. Instead, he wants to save us, he wants to rescue sinners, he extends mercy, he has patience. Truly, this is a love beyond anything else we will ever know in our lives. And it tells us something important about God: “God is love,” the apostle John taught (1 John 4:16). 17 “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins ... And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love” (1 John 4:9-16). From death to life. That God of love came to be with us in our earth-bound experience, and his mission was to win a victory for us. And that victory is vividly demonstrated in Jesus’ resurrection. This actual, and unique event is at the heart of the Christian faith. “Christianity rests on the certainty of Jesus’ resurrection as a space-time occurrence in history,” writes J.I. Packer. (Packer, J.I., (1993), p.126). It was a personal victory for every person who believes: “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” wrote the apostle Paul to the church at Corinth. “[T]hanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 57). That victory was won in Jesus’ perfect life, His death to pay the price for our sins, and His resurrection from the dead to show His power over death for us. “I want to remindyou of the gospel I preached to you,” wrote Paul to the church at Corinth. “By this gospel you are saved ... For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures ...”(1 Corinthians 15:1-4). “The God who is worshiped in the Christian faith is not the product of that faith nor the creation of theologians or philosophers. He is not a God who has been invented or discovered by human beings. He is the God who has taken the initiative in speaking to them, in revealing Himself in a series of redemptive events reaching back to the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and beyond. God did not make Himself known through a system of teaching nor a theology nor a book, but through series of events recorded in the Bible. 18 The coming of Jesus of Nazareth was the climax of this series of redemptive events; and His resurrection is the event that validates all that came before. If Christ is not risen from the dead, the long course of God’s redemptive acts to save his people ends in a dead end street, in a tomb. If the resurrection of Christ is not reality, then we have no assurance that God is the living God, for death has the last word. Faith is futile because the object of that faith has not vindicated himself as the Lord of life.” (Ladd, G.E., (1993), A Theology of the New Testament, pp.353-354, William B. Eerdmans). And that is exactly what the resurrection tells us: that Jesus is the Lord of life; that in Him we have life; that death is no longer the last word. Paul’s restatement of the core of Christian faith to the Corinthian church concludes with Him reminding them that Jesus “appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve [disciples]. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living ...” (1 Corinthians 15:5-6). Paul isn’t even trying to “prove” the resurrection; he simply reminds his audience of readily available witness and testimony about the risen Christ. “We know who owned the tomb where He [Jesus] was buried on the Friday but from which the body was missing at first light on Sunday. Nor was He a nonentity; the tomb owner was an eminent citizen of Jerusalem, Joseph from Arimathea, a member of the Supreme Council. No problem tracking him down and getting the facts ... And we also know when, where and to whom the risen Jesus presented Himself. A mere twenty years after the event Paul states that more than five hundred saw him on one occasion, most of whom were alive at the time of writing ... The remarkable story is readily traceable at many points. This is not the stuff of urban myths” (Barnett, P., (1994), The Truth About Jesus, p.128, Aquila Press). True, two thousand years on, our belief in Jesus’ resurrection must be an act of faith. But it is a faith based upon the Bible’s reliable record and its historical basis that was readily and easily tested at the time of its writing. This message of Jesus’ resurrection (rising from the dead) is the heart of the gospel. The cross may have killed him, but the grave could not hold Him. 19 The message of Christianity is not a dead man hanging on a cross; it is a risen Lord who left us an empty tomb by which to remember His victory and power over death: a victory He won personally for each of us. “For He Has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colosians 1:13-14). “He has rescued us.” Jesus came to save us, to rescue us, to restore us, to redeem us, to give us new life. That’s why He is good news! He is our Savior. He is our Lord. -How did Jesus reply to John the Baptist’s question about whether or not He was the prophesied Messiah? (Matthew 11:2-5). - How did the apostle Paul describe Jesus? (Romans 1:1-4, NIV). 20 Basic Christianity, John Stott The Lord was seen in over 10 separate appearances, one by over 500 of the brethren, and these were not hallucinations as some suggest as their faith was grounded upon hard facts and verifiable experiences as the historical documents of the Gospel prove. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations [in tomorrow's world]" (Rev. 2:26).Rulership-the reward for overcoming sin and doing Christ's Work-is promised to every Christian executing justice and judgment in his personal life.The Bible is chock-full of prophecies about this wonderful world to come. One scripture that perhaps best sums up the general conditions of the wonderful world tomorrow, and on beyond, was spoken by Jesus in Revelation 21:5. "... Behold, I make all things new." That statement is all encompassing. Our fragile, uncomprehending human minds could never fathom the depth and breadth of that prophetic promise. In keeping with Jesus' modus operandi in His message to the seven churches, we have first presented Christ as the Revelator of these good things to come. But he also is the Revelator of incredible prophecies of punishment to come on this world in the relatively near future. Punishments to Come. Jesus was both specific and general in His futuristic forecasts of various types of punishment for the world's sins. He directly foresaw the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The horrible picture was so vivid in His mind that He made great lamentation for what He knew would befall that city (Luke 23:27-31). This stark prophecy was fulfilled (at least in part) in less than four decades. The historian Josephus recorded a vivid account of the terrible famine which ravaged Jerusalem: "It was now a miserable case, and a sight that would justly bring tears into our eyes, how men stood as to their food, with the more powerful had more than enough, and the weaker were lamenting [for want of it]. But the famine was too hard for all other passions, and it is destructive to nothing so much as to modesty; for what was otherwise worthy of reverence, was in this case despised; insomuch that children pulled the very morsels that their fathers were eating out of their very mouths, and what was still more to be pitied, so did the mothers do as to their infants: and when those that were most dear were perishing under their hands, they were not ashamed to take from them the very last drops that might preserve their lives..." (Wars of the Jews, book V, chapter X, section 3). Josephus further described mass killings and deportation: ". . . So the [Roman] soldiers, out of the wrath and hatred they bore the Jews, nailed those they caught, one after one way, and another after another, to the crosses, by way of jest; when their multitude was so great, that room was wanting for the crosses, and crosses wanting for the bodies" (Wars of the Jews, book V, chapter XI, section I). "And now, since his soldiers were already quite tired with killing men, and yet there appeared to be a vast multitude still remaining alive, Cae-sar gave orders that they should kill none but those that were in arms, and oppose them, but should take the rest alive. But, together with those whom they had orders to slay, they slew the aged and the infirm. . .. Titus also sent a great number into the provinces, as a present to them, that they might be destroyed upon their theaters, by the sword and by the wild beasts; but those that were under seventeen years of age were sold for slaves. . . . "Now the number of those that were carried captive during this whole war was collected to be ninety-seven thousand; as was the number of those that perished during the whole siege, eleven hundred thousand. . ." (Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews, book VI, chapter IX, sections 2, 3). The horrible happenings of A.D.70 are an apparent type of the even more grueling events of the end time. Perhaps the whole picture of these age-ending prophecies is best described and brought into proper focus in Matthew 24. The disciples asked Jesus: "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world [Greek aion, meaning age]?" (Verse 3.) Then Jesus proceeded to enumerate a series of general events and happenings that would characterize the times from the first century to now-actually intensifying to the extreme at the very end of the age. Among the things Jesus specifically mentioned were religious apostasy, wars and rumors of wars, natural disasters here and there on the earth, and blatant religious bigotry finding its ultimate expression in countless brutal martyrdom. Signs of Christ's Coming. Finally, the world would be so dominated by sin that even some Christians would begin to lose their first love and actually begin to betray, persecute, 'and cause to be put to death their own brethren. On the world scene, Jesus warned of several prophetic bench marks to precede His second coming-none of which has yet been fulfilled to the fullest extent. (I) Publishing of the Gospel: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matt. 24:14). When you see the true gospel beginning to be announced to the world's nations-when you see this prophecy in action on the world scene-you should increase your personal world watch and vigilance. (2) The Abomination of Desolation: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place. . . then let them which be in Judaea [the modern nation of Israel] flee into the mountains. . . ."For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be [again] " (verses 15-16, 21). Jesus spoke of the vital necessity of understanding this "abomination" in the parenthetical phrase, "whoso readeth, let him understand" (verse 15). It appears to involve a great religious leader who would make his world headquarters in the Holy Land. This event's great import lies in the fact that it is a sign signaling the beginning of the great tribulation. (3) The Hour of Trial: Jesus-the real Revelator of the Bible's last book-refers again to this utterly unique time in the world's history. Notice His message to the Church in Revelation 3: 1 0: "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [trial], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." This hour of trial (an hour is a relatively short time in biblical prophecy) will not be a local upset done in a corner of Asia. It will be global in range-all the inhabitants of the earth will be affected. (4)Jerusalem Surrounded With Armies: The companion prophecy in Luke 21 gives us an additional prophetic waymark to consider. "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh" (verse 20; Zech. 14:1-4; Rev. 16:16).But notice that this prophecy then parallels Matthew 24:16-20 as it describes the events just before the great tribulation: "Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto" (verse 21). Luke then describes the great tribulation in different words. "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written [in the Old Testament prophecies] may be fulfilled" (verse 22). (Jesus often used the expression "it is written" when quoting or paraphrasing a' passage from the Old Testament [Matt. 24:42; 25: 13; Mark 13:3337).As world events unfold, Christians (and especially the ministry-see Amos 3:7) should begin to match up the world scenario with the biblical prophecies. Jesus Christ-the Revelator of all prophecy and the living Word that inspired the whole Bible-enjoins the following very big responsibility on all Christians: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things [the end-time events mentioned in the preceding verses] that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21 :36). Believe it or not, God is very concerned that His elect (any person or persons who will truly obey Him and help perform His Work upon the earth) not suffer with a disobedient, God-rejecting world. But the qualifications for physical escape are spiritual. Hoarding honey, soybeans and other food staples is not the right route to take. "Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger," cried the prophet Zephaniah 2:3). A sermon-on-the-mount-type character is required. If you develop such Christlike character, the chances of your escaping the great tribulation are very good. God's anxiety for the physical welfare of His people is recorded by the prophet Isaiah: "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be over past. For, behold [here is the reason for hiding], the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity..." (Isa.26:20-21). Notice that verse 21 ties right back into the Christian's prophetic responsibility: watching significant world events individually (and warning the world as a Church) as well as praying to be worthy to escape the punishments of God on this sick and dying world. Watch! Keys To Understanding Prophetic Terminology The major events that will make tomorrow's news headlines are already prerecorded in your Bible. Yet so few seem to understand these vital prophetic passages. To millions, that third of the Bible that is prophecy is a sealed book. Yet, never has it been more necessary to understand prophecy. Here are some keys that will help you unlock prophetic meanings. To MOST professing Christians the writings of men like Daniel, Zechariah, Joel and John (in Revelation) are shrouded in mysterious symbolism and meaningless metaphor. So complete is this blindness that some "higher critics" have even dared to propose that such prophetic writings are merely the rantings of drug-driven hallucinations of antiquity! Prophetic Blindness Prophesied. God knew it would be this way! Notice how vividly and accurately He describes this spiritual blindness in Isaiah 29:10-12): "For the Lord has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets, and covered your heads, the seers. And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, Read this, he says, I cannot, for it is sealed. And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, Read this, he says, I cannot read.'" That is, many of the learned theologians will claim that prophetic books are permanently "sealed" to understanding. Others who are lay people will claim ignorance due to a lack of such "education. " God simply has not given the understanding of prophecy to everyone! But Peter said, "WE have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto YE do well that YE take heed as unto a light that shines in a dark place" (II Peter 1:19). The Holy Spirit must lead us into all truth (John 16:13). This includes that portion of God's Word that is prophecy! (John 17:17.) Those who do not yield to God and . submit to His way cannot hope to understand. Daniel wrote a great deal about future events. Yet he did not really understand just how his own prophecies would work out! "I heard this, but I did not understand it. So I asked, '0 my lord, what is to be the last phase before the end?' But he said, 'Ask no more, Daniel, for the revelation is to be kept secret and close, TILL THE CRISIS AT THE CLOSE' " (Daniel 12:89, Moffatt). He was speaking of the close of man's age-the time of the end! Then he said, ". . . the wise SHALL UNDERSTAND" (verse 10, KJV).In the opening verse of the book of Revelation we find these words: "The Revelation [not concealing-but revealing] of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, TO SHEW [not 'hide from'] HIS SERVANTS [not the whole world] things which must shortly [with speed-i.e., Matt. 24:34] come to pass." Prophetic meanings were not permanently sealed, rather they were to be revealed, but only to God's true servants-and that not until the end time! You are living in that end time now! About 90% of that prophetic third of the Bible is now well into the be-ginning stages of fulfillment! You need to understand! There are keys to assist in understanding. This article will explain some of the most important and basic ones. Prophetic Time Lapses. One of the most crucial considerations when studying prophecy must be the time factor. This has been a major stumbling block to many students of prophecy. Even learned commentators have failed to grasp the principle of prophetic time lapses. This is especially true in Isaiah, Daniel and Revelation. An excellent example of such a time lapse may be found in Isaiah 61: 1- 3. In the first three verses we find a short prophecy concerning Christ and His commission. (Actually the complete prophecy continues to the end of the chapter, but the first three verses will suffice to illustrate the point.) Jesus Himself quoted this section from Isaiah when He had occasion to read in the synagogue in Nazareth. Notice it in Luke 4:16-20: "And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up: and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias [Greek for Isaiah]. And when he had opened the book he found the place where it was written, The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor: he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. AND HE CLOSED THE BOOK. . ." Notice! Jesus did not finish quoting the rest of Isaiah 61 :2! But why not?Simply because the first part of that prophecy concerned Christ's earthly ministry from 27-31 A.D. only! But the rest of the verse did not apply to the time of His first coming. The remainder of the prophecy starting in mid-verse-applies to Christ's second coming-the time known as "the day of the Lord"-or as Isaiah expressed it "AND the DAY OF VENGEANCE of our God. . . ." In other words, we see in one verse of Bible prophecy a prophetic time lapse of almost 2000 years between the fulfillment of the first and second parts of that one verse. This principle is not uncommon in Isaiah's writing and in other prophetic books of the Bible.The longest single prophecy in the Bible (found in Daniel 11) covers a time period from the Medo-Persian Empire to the return of Christ in a mere 45 verses. In Revelation 12 we find a brief biography of Satan the devil from his initial rebellion many millennia in the past to the years and months just ahead in human events! And all in 17 short verses! Therefore, we see that it is very important when studying prophetic passages to get God's guidance in understanding the time element involved. Prophetic Symbolism. But understanding the time factor alone is not enough. We must add to this a knowledge of God's use of symbolism. To grasp prophetic meanings God often uses symbols, analogies, metaphors and allegories in describing future events. It is critical to understand when such devices are being used and when a word is to be taken literally! Many have gone astray because they have failed to grasp the symbolic meaning of a word as opposed to a literal application. Bible Self-interpreting. As a case in point, notice Revelation 1 :20: "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. THE SEVEN STARS ARE THE ANGELS of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." Here we find stars being used as a symbol for angels. In fact, the name Lucifer (the great cherub who became known as "Satan" after his rebellion) means "Shining One" or "Morning Star" (Isaiah 14:12). Thus we find a principle of prophetic understanding. When a word is obviously used as a symbol, we must look elsewhere in the Bible for the interpretation or meaning of that symbol. The symbol for an angel is often a "star. Other Common Symbols God uses many symbols when describing prophetic events. In Revelation 17 we find two mysterious symbols used in portraying events which are not too far in the future. In verse 1 we read, ". . . I will shew unto you the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters." Here we must know the meaning o( "many waters" and just who this "whore" is if we are to understand the prophecy. Verse 18 of the same chapter gives us the answer in part.
We find that throughout the Bible the woman often is used to signify a CHURCH. The congregation of Israel was called the "church in the wilderness" according to Acts 7:38. And in describing how God brought Israel out of Egypt and made them a great nation the Bible uses the analogy of a female baby growing up to womanhood in Ezekiel 16. Notice the phraseology. ". . . Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem [representative of the whole nation of Israel] . . . thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and played the harlot. . . and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them... thou hast taken thy sons and daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me.... How weak is thine heart... seeing that thou doest . . . the work of an imperious whorish WOMAN" (Ezek.16:3, 15, 17, 20, 30). Therefore, we see the "church in the wilderness"Israel-was represented by a woman who became an adulterous wife to God. In the New Testament the true and false churches are also represented as women. In Ephesians 5:22-32 Paul draws a parallel between the husband-wife relationship and Christ's relationship to the Church. Revelation 19 speaks of the "marriage of the Lamb" and the Church is represented as the bride of Christ. The true Church is called "Jerusalem which is above. . . which is the mother of us all" in Galatians 4:26. The principle is consistent. Bible symbolism often depicts a church as a woman. Getting back to Revelation 17, we can see, then, that the great "whore" which rules over nations and kingdoms must be a false church! It is called a "mother" in verse 5 and a "woman" in verse 6. When we understand the symbolism, then we can see that Revelation 17 is talking about a religious system, based in a great city, which exercises influence over human kingdoms and nations which speak various languages! Verse 9 of the same chapter tells us the "woman" or church being referred to sits on seven hills or mountains. This may have a literal application and it may have a symbolic one. The Symbolic "Mountain." This brings us to another symbol often used in Bible prophecy. That of the "mountain." This term is often used to represent a kingdom or government. Jeremiah 51:24-25 provides a good illustration of this principle. Notice verse 24: "And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the Lord. Behold I am against thee, 0 DESTROYING MOUNTAIN, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth." In a dream Daniel has a vision of terrible beasts arising out of the sea: These beast represent the four kingdoms of the statue that the vision Daniel describes and the "mountain" that will replace all these kingdoms and which will never end: The Kingdom of God. Praise the Lord!
Then God explains the terminology used in the preceding verses in verses 36-45.
Note especially verse 44, which explains what the "mountain" that fills the whole
earth is:
In Revelation 9 we find still more mysterious symbolism. In verse 1 we again find the star symbol used for an angel. Here the "star" is personified and performs a certain duty for God. ". . . And I saw a star fall from heaven . . . and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit." The term "bottomless pit" is not a clear translation. It should more correctly be rendered "the abyssal shaft, " or "abyss," as other translators have done. The next verses give a picture of billowing smoke emitting from the mouth of this abyss and darkening the sun. From the smoke emerge some very unusual locusts! Verses 3-10 give a full description of these bizarre creatures. They are described as having "tails like unto scorpions," a sting like a scorpion, being armor plated and having a roar like the sound of pounding battle horses! We are told that these nightmarish "locusts" are able to fly! It should be apparent that John is not describing literal locusts! Whatever he is describing seems to be controlled by men'(verse 7). Verse 11 becomes apparent that what John is seeing is modern military weaponry at its hideous worst! Today's frightening array of weaponry would give pause to the bravest man of our time, much more of John's time! And how else could the apostle describe it? There were not jet planes or rocket-launching helicopters in his days! The heart-stopping roar of hundreds of jet fighters and bombers was unknown at that time! To see men at the controls of such instruments of destruction would have been a shattering experience for any first-century fisherman!
Who in John's time could have envisioned laser beams and flame-throwing tanks? Could any have foreseen the advent of giant missiles being emitted from the bowels of a nuclear powered, under sea monster called a "submarine"? And what about the weapons John saw that we don't know of yet. Perhaps even more terrifying weapons are on the drawing boards! Even if God had inspired John to write in modern military shoptalk, who would have understood any of it before the latter part of this modern age of space travel? John had to use the language of his day. Thus, the symbolism of great flying locusts. In verse 11 we find the motivating force behind this great military power described. "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit [abyss], whose name in Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon [Destroyer!]." This angel or demon is none other than Satan the devil-the Destroyer. He is the old serpent of Revelation 12:9, who is called the "god of this world" in II Corinthians 4:4. He is the same one who gives his power to a great end-time false prophet (II Thes. 2:7-9). He will stir up certain kings or rulers to amalgamate their military forces to become the greatest war-making machine in history! .Bible prophecy is coming alive in today's news! The world's "hot spots" are spreading and this decade promises to be one of the most traumatic in man's experience! You need to watch world events as they unfold, daily fulfilling the many intricate and specific prophecies relating to this pulsating twentieth century!
EZEKIEL'S VISION OF THE "WHEELS" The prophet Ezekiel reported seeing an awesome "wheel within a wheel" that has served as an oft quoted precedent for unusual sightings in the heavens, such as UFO's. "The appearance of the wheels and their work was. . . as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up" (Ezek. 1:16-19, see also Ezek. 10). There is no need to make wild interpretations of these verses. Ezekiel 1:28 tells what it was that Ezekiel saw: "THIS WAS the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord"! What Ezekiel saw has often been described as a vision of a "portable throne" of God complete with representatives of the angelic host. There is no biblical reason to believe otherwise.
What is the end of the world?
MAKE NO mistake about it.
THIS IS THE END TIME!
But the world itself (the physical globe) is NOT going to end. Not soon-not ever! This planet has a permanent and vital place in the universe! Nor will mankind bring about his own extinction-almost, but not quite! There will be a world tomorrow! And it will be a UTOPIA of peace and plenty. Such a world is just around the corner. You can bank on it! But it will not be brought about by man's efforts1 It will be introduced in spite of him! Let's understand. What, then, Does "End of the World" Mean? The expression "end of the world" needs detailed defining. Granted the Bible does use the term. Let's examine one such instance in Matthew 24:3: "... The disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us... what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the END OF THE WORLD?" Notice the phrase "the end of the world" is related to the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. Does this mean Christ will return only to destroy this earth and blast to oblivion the planet He Himself created? Not at all! The word "world" in this verse comes from a Greek word, aion, which does not signify the physical globe we call the "world." It means "age" and has been so rendered by a number of translators. The return of Jesus Christ signifies the conclusion of this age and the commencement of another-a millennial age-upon this earth.
Beginning at His arrival, Christ will subdue all earthly kingdoms and assume the reigns of world government (Dan. 2:44; Rev. 11: 15). This will signal the opening of a thousand-year period known prophetically as the millennium. It will be a time of constantly increasing peace, prosperity and plenty. It will be a period of the rebuilding of this ravaged earth. Great ecological restorations will be enacted and after a while even some old cities of this present age will be rebult (Acts 3:20-21; Isa.61:4). Of course, this rebuilding will be done in an orderly and sensible manner. There will be no urban sprawl or slums in the cities of tomorrow. It will be God's world. And God is not the author of confusion! (I Cor. 14:33, 40.) Today's cities are disorganized, confused botches on the face of the scarred and polluted landscape. Tomorrow's cities will be orderly and free of pollution. The End of This Age, Before Christ's millennial rule begins, however, man's allotted 6000-year age will come to a tumultuous climax! Many prophecies will be fulfilled in a relatively brief period of time. In the Bible this mind-shattering climactic period is known as- "the time of the end." The Apostle Paul in describing this period said, "In the last days the time will be full of danger. . ." (II Tim. 3:I, Phillips translation). Conditions on this earth will be so dangerous that ALL LIFE, human or otherwise, will be threatened with EXTINCTION! Only the intervention of the returning Christ will prevent global catastrophe. Notice, once again, how Jesus Himself described this now soon-coming period in Matthew 24:22, "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [alive] . . . ." Christ will have to step in and save man from himself! Brink of Cosmocide In recent decades man's technological knowledge has rapidly increased at a staggering rate. But so have man's troubles. Why? Because man does not have the wisdom to rightly use the technology at his disposal. For example, every new weapon that has been invented has eventually been utilized. Now man has the hydrogen bomb stockpiled in overkill proportions! And yet newer and more bizarre weapons of mass destruction are on the drawing boards. The military potential of orbiting satellites is inconceivable. Laser beams and bacteriological agents are weapons too horrifying for the average person to consider. But the solution to war and international struggles and conflicts is not a change of weaponry to more lethal and devastating munitions. Nor is it the ever-growing stockpiling of existing weapons of mass destruction. It is a change of heart on the part of mankind in general. MAN MUST DEVELOP THE WISDOM TO AVOID WAR-NOT THE WEAPONRY TO WAGE IT
When Will Christ Return? This has been the question of the ages! Great theologians have pondered this question. Wild-eyed religionists have cried "WOW' too many times.The public is skeptical about the whole subject. God, of course, prophetically anticipated this attitude. Notice the words of Peter, "... There shall come in the last days scoffers. . . saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (II Peter 3:3-4). For centuries a wily and crafty adversary of God (Satan the devil) has sent his false prophets to delude man into expecting the imminent return of the Messiah. Always there has been a letdown. Christ did not show up when these misguided self appointed "prophets" said He would. Consequently, people have become doubtful that Christ really will ever return. This is exactly what the devil has desired! Because when God's true servants stand up to announce the immanency of Christ's return, a "once bitten, twice shy" public will not believe it! They've been "had" too many times! But whom can you believe? Before you accept the words of any alleged servant of God, ". . . believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God: because MANY FALSE PROPHETS ARE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD" (I John 4:1). God dogmatically states whenever He does a major act He will inform His servants beforehand (Amos 3:7). God's Word, the Bible, tells how to recognize the conditions that will precede Christ's second coming. When the disciples asked what the sign of Christ's coming would be, He gave them a number of such signs! They are listed in the 24th chapter of the book of Matthew. He listed an ever-skyrocketing curve of wars and rumors of wars., famines, disease epidemics, coexisting with a dramatic increase in religious fervor which would culminate in the arrival on the world scene of one great false religious leader of enormous influence and power. Read it for yourself in Matthew 24:3-15 and II Thessalonians 2:3-9. Accompanying this would be persistent rumors that Christ's return has already taken place (II Thes. 2:1-2). Notice also Matthew 24:23-24. Do not be deceived!God's Word plainly says, "Watch therefore, FOR YE KNOW NEITHER THE DAY NOR THE HOUR WHEREIN THE SON OF MAN COMETH" (Matt. 25:13). This Work has never set an exact date for the return of Christ! After all, who are we to dictate to Christ when He must arrive on this earth? Though we cannot know at this time the precise day of the return of the Messiah, we can know the approximate time in history-"THE TIME OF THE END." We can watch the news of the world fulfill the specific and meticulous end-time prophecies of God's Word. When we see these prophecies being fulfilled (which they are!), we can also recognize that they are the signs of Christ's arrival. As John the Baptist prepared the way for the first coming of Jesus, this Work is preparing the way for His second arrival! (Mal. 4:5-6.) What Prophecy Means to You! Jesus Christ commissioned His Church to preach and publish the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all the world as a WITNESS (Matt.28:18-20; Matt. 24:14; Mark 13:10). The Gospel is prophetic! It has to do with present-day world news, and the FUTURE of this whole earth! The whole meaning of the Gospel is PROPHETIC. Jesus Christ said: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass [that are prophesied-that are to happen in the FUTURE], and to stand before the Son of man"! (Luke 21 :36.) And Bible prophecy is really coming alive! The world's "hot spots" are spreading and the coming years promise to be some of the most traumatic in man's experience! You need to watch world events as they unfold, daily fulfilling the many intricate and specific prophecies relating to this pulsating twentieth century! Yes, you need to come to UNDERSTAND prophecy! Only by understanding the prophecies of the Bible can you intelligently watch-and Jesus meant watch world news. When you KNOW, in advance, what is GOING to happen-then you can be a real watchman of Almighty God! Spiritual Qualifications Necessary Too. But, realize there is also a spiritual ingredient involved in intelligently watching world news and correctly understanding biblical prophecy. Let's understand what it is. God told Daniel the words which he had received were closed and sealed-but only UNTIL a certain time. Read it! "And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed TILL the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the WISE SHALL UNDERSTAND" (Dan. 12:9-10). Who are the "wise"? God says, "The fear of the Eternal is the BEGINNING of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10). Wisdom comes from God! "For the Eternal giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Prov. 2:6). The way to get wisdom-to come to understand the Bible prophecies-is to FEAR (be in awe of) Almighty God! Today people say, "Well, I know the Bible says that-but here's the way I look at it!" People do not seem to really fear to misapply, to misinterpret, wrest, distort and twist the sacred word of God! People do not really RESPECT the divinely inspired words of Almighty God! That's why many people don't understand the Bible! You can come to understand the Bible, and biblical prophecy, ONLY when you begin to really FEAR and RESPECT what the Bible says! (Isa. 66:1-2) It is only when one has been truly converted, has come to fear God, to OBEY God, has REPENTED, and received God's Holy Spirit, that true understanding of the prophecies of God can come. SO, STUDY YOUR BIBLE, PRAY for God to give you an obedient, humble, submissive mind. Giving you more and more a deep, respectful AWE of the Word of God! You can't afford NOT to. Your very life-your FUTURE is at stake! This is the End Time! Yes. But no "Doomsday"-and no end of the world either. It will NEVER occur. This world (physical globe) and the race of man that inhabits it both have a brilliant, glowing future! But only because a loving and compassionate Creator is waiting in the wings to save man. Soon! WILL THE EARTH BE DESTROYED? II PETER 3: 10 Many wonder about II Peter 3: 10. Didn't Peter say this globe would be destroyed? Was Peter really talking about the total destruction of the earth? Notice what the context tells us: "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (II Pet. 3:7). This fire is the Judgment of ungodly men. This is the Lake of Gehenna Fire which is the second death(Rev. 20: 14), the unquenchable fire that will burn up the unrepentant (Matt. 3: 12). Peter goes on to describe the effects of this unquenchable fire: "In the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (II Pet. 3: 10). An unquenchable fire is one that cannot be put out. It merely burns until it has consumed all combustible material. Then it dies out for lack of anything else to consume. Everything will be burned up except for spirit beings who are not affected by physical fires. He used the example of Noah's Flood as a type of the future cleansing of the earth by fire. "Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" (II Pet. 3:6). Just as the earth continued to exist after the Flood, so it will continue to exist after the coming worldwide Gehenna Fire. Continuing with the context of II Peter 3 we find in verse 13 that: "We. . . look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." In Revelation the new heaven and new earth are mentioned immediately after the account of the Lake of Fire. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away [by fire]; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down fromGod out of heaven. . . the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them [on the earth]" (Rev. 21:1-3). The earth will still exist (Eccl. 1:4). The simple explanation of II Peter 3: 10 is that the surface of the earth and everything on it, including the incorrigible wicked, will be destroyed by fire. God will then remake the surface of the earth for a habitation for Himself and the rest of the God Kingdom (Rev. 21, 22). THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS. . . MEN HAVE been speculating on . the return of Jesus Christ for millennia. There were those in the latter part of Paul's day who thought the return of Christ was imminent. The apostle to the Gentiles had to warn the Church in his day not to be deceived by unfounded and unreliable information concerning the return of the Messiah. "And now, brothers, about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and his gathering of us to himself: I beg you, do not suddenly lose your heads or alarm yourselves, whether at some oracular utterance, or pronouncement, or some letter purporting to come from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way whatever" (II Thes.il-3, The New English Bible). Christ WILL Return. But there is no doubt that the Messiah will return to this earth to set up the everlasting Kingdom of God! The Bible is filled with prophecies describing the second coming of Jesus Christ. Why? Because the heart and core of the New Testament message concerns HIS RETURN to this earth to set up a ruling, governing kingdom. The very first message that ever came back from heaven - after Christ began to ascend to God's heaven-was that He was going to return to this earth. In Acts 1: 11, Christ's disciples were told: "Men of Galilee, why stand there looking up into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken away from you up to heaven, will come in the same way you have seen him go" (The New English Bible). This scripture alone is conclusive proof of Christ's second coming to this earth. But, read just one more, this time in the King James version. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9:28). So the question is not whether He will return, but WHEN! Human speculation on this has come to nothing. The truth must be revealed. Those sections of God's Word, the Bible, which reveal future events are known as prophecies. Only those who have been given special wisdom and insight by God are able to comprehend the meaning of prophecies and rightly use them. " . . . None of the wicked [those not living in God's right way of life] shall understand; but the wise shall understand" (Dan. 12: 10). Peter, referring to the Church, said, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed. . . "(II Peter 1: 19). It is through this "sure word of prophecy" that we can understand the truth about the return of Jesus Christ. And the Bible reveals that Jesus Christ is likely to return to set up His world-ruling kingdom in your lifetime and mine. (That is, barring any unforeseen termination of your life or mine.) Christ's return will likely occur in this very generation. It is entirely possible that YOU, as an individual, will live to witness this great event! Jesus Christ personally stated, "Verily I say unto you, THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS, till all these things be fulfilled" (Matt.24:34 ). Moffatt has it: "I tell you truly, the present generation will not pass away, till all this happens." Phillips translates: "Believe me, this generation will not disappear till all this has taken place." Which Generation? But how can we know Jesus is talking about OUR GENERATION TODAY? How can we be sure He wasn't talking about the generation of His day? Let's get our bearings. Matthew 24 records what is commonly called the "Olivet Prophecy." It is so named because it was on the Mount of Olives that the disciples of Christ came to Him and asked about the prophecies concerning His second coming and of the end of the world [age-verse The whole prophecy is about the time of the end. In answering the question about the end of the world, Jesus foretold a series of events that would intensify just before His return. He told about false prophets in this end time (verse 5). He talked about war and rumors of war, about world war (verse 6). He foretold famines, pestilences and earthquakes in different places (verse 7). (Most have been occurring for 2,000 years, but the intensity will increase.) Then Christ explained that this Gospel of the Kingdom would be "preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the END come" (verse 14). He foretold great tribulation and heavenly signs just before His return. Then to make it abundantly clear what He was talking about, Jesus gave a parable of the fig tree. He said, "... When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors" (verses 32-33).Christ showed that when these great earth-shaking events began to happen the time of the end of the age was at hand. Today, these events are beginning to really intensify and come to a head. We're in the time when God must intervene, or there will be no flesh saved alive. Jesus was talking about our day today. He said true Christians would know when He is about to intervene in world affairs by world conditions. And He said, "So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation [during which you see "these things" occur] shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled" (Luke 21:31-32). Other translators confirm this King James rendering. See Phillips, Moffatt, and The New English Bible. We have the SURE word of prophecy and it says all these things must come to pass first, and they haven't all come to pass yet. On the other hand, that same "sure word of prophecy" says the generation which sees "all these things" occur will not pass until Christ returns. God foretells the future . God declares the "end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done" (lsa. 46: 10). God has power over the nations . God brings the counsel of nations to nothing, but His counsel stands for ever (Ps. 33:10-11). . Why do the nations plot in vain? They counsel against God and His Messiah, saying, "Let us break their bands asunder." God laughs. He holds them in derision.(Ps. 2: 1-4). . The nations are like a drop in a bucket. God counts them as less than worthless. He brings princes to nothing and strengthens those with out might. (Isa. 40: 15-29). Principles of understanding prophecy . "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments" (Ps. 111: 10). . Daniel's prophecy was closed up till the time of the end. The wicked will not understand, but the wise will understand (Dan. 12:9-10). . God has revealed His wisdom to us through His Spirit, which searches the deep things of God. No one knows the things Of God except the Spirit of God (I Cor. 2:7-11). . "We know in part, and we prophesy in part." We see through a glass darkly (I Cor. 13:9.12). . God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32). . He gives us the spirit of a sound mind (II Tim. 1:7). God's Church is unified in prophetic understanding . We should not lean on our own understanding, nor be wise in our own eyes (Prov. 3:5, 7). . God "will do nothing, but he revealeth h.is secret unto his servants" (Amos 3:7). . "How can I [understand], except some man should guide me?" (Acts 8:31). . We should speak the same thing, have no divisions among us, be perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgment (I Cor. 1: 10). . We should remember those who rule over us, and follow the faith of those who speak the Word of God to us. We shouldn't be carried about with various and strange doctrines (Heb. 13:7,9). . "No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation" (II Pet. 1 :20). Praise the Lord!
One of the foundational doctrines of the Church Hebrews 6:1. Faith Is necessary for salvation We are justified by faith (Rom. 3:28, 5: 1, Gal. 2:16). Righteousness comes by faith (Rom. 4:20-24, Gal. 5:5, Phil. 3:9). Grace comes through faith (Rom. 5:2). The promise of the Spirit comes through faith (Gal. 3:14, 22). We are sons of God through faith (Gal. 3:26). Salvation comes through faith (Eph. 2:8, II Tim. 3:15, I Peter 1:5). Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb.11:6). Faith In what? In Jesus' authority (Matt. 8:8-10). In Christ (Acts 3: 16, 24:24, I Tim. 3: 13, II Tim. 1:13,3:15). In God and His power (I Cor. 2:5, Col. 2: 12, I Peter 1:21). Toward God (I Thess. 1:8, Heb. 6:1). Source of faith Through Christ (Acts 3: 16, Eph. 3: 12, Phil. 3:9, Heb. 12:2, Rev. 14:12). By hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10: 17). God gives faith (I Cor. 12:9). Faith alone Is not enough Faith does not abolish law (Rom. 3:31). Faith must be with love (I Cor. 13:2). Faith without works cannot save (James 2: 14 - 24). We should live by faith The just shall live by faith (Hab. 2:4, Rom. 1: 17, II Cor. 5:7, Gal. 2:20, 3: 11, Heb. 10:38). . We are commanded to have faith. (Mark 11:22, Rom. 14:23, Eph. 6:16, Phil. 1:27, I Thess. 5:8, I Tim. 6: 11-12, II Tim. 2:22, Jude 3). Examples of faithII Chron. 20:4-22, Dan. 3: 16-28, Matt. 9:20-22, 14:25-31, 15:22-28, Luke 17:12-19, Acts 11:2224,14:8-10, Rom. 1:8,4:18-21, Heb. 11. |
