Focus

Temple Journey

Questions


Question # 240….(01-24-05) I was wondering if you had read any of the Left Behind books, and what you might think of the Left Behind end times series by Tim Lehaye. Thank you

Answer……I get asked this question a lot when I speak in churches and conferences. It seems that about everyone in Church has read the Left Behind series, and the series seem to have had quite an impact on spurring an interest in prophecy. However, I have never read any of the Left Behind books. Since I am such an avid student and follower of Bible Prophecy, people are often surprised that I have not read any of books in this series. For me personally, fictional accounts about Bible prophecy seem irrelevant, and like a waste of time. I believe that with such a tremendous amount of prophetic information in the Bible, (1/3) that when one takes the time to analyze it with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and then compares the Biblical data to the present geo-political world and the news events of our times, that it makes fictional prophetic novels seem superficial. And too, being a spiritually called person into the field of eschatology, I have always taken the greatest concern to be very careful to protect/defend God’s Holy prophetic word from disrepute, and from the appearance of sensationalism and commercialism. As you may be well aware of, Bible prophecy has been badly abused by prognosticators, speculators, and misguided theorists in the past. That abuse has led many people in the public arena and even leaders in the churches to ostracize and devalue the spreading of this valuable portion of the Holy Bible. But, that is not meant to be critical of the Left Behind series. If these fictional accounts help some people to be drawn into actually studying “real” Bible prophecy, then that is good.


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Question #239 . . (01-20-05) Regarding your discussion on your web-site, I would only ask, just as Jesus asked; and David says in the book of Psalms (Psalms 110: "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies your footstool.") David thus called Christ, Lord. Then how is Christ David's son? And then how is Israel for the eternal reign of any son of David? Respectfully

Answer……You may notice that the scripture reference in Psalms 110 shows the word LORD in capitalized letters in the 1st usage while it only appears in lower case letters in the second. The first LORD referred to herein is the one and only eternal God, Yehovah. The second usage of the word, Lord, is from the Hebrew term, “adown,” and is a reference to a master, or owner, and the rightful sovereign, and refers to Adoni, or Adonai. The term “Lord” can refer to the most high rulers, or to servants of rulers working as Lords on behalf of the highest Lord. In one respect, King David was actually an under-lord to the rightful King of Jerusalem, although the rightful Lord and King had not yet been born into the world. Verses two through six of Psalms 110 gives clarity to the identities of the two Lords mentioned in verse one. (Psalms 110:2-5 The LORD (Yahweh or Yehovah) shall send the rod (branch of David-son of David) of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD (Yehovah) hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest (Jesus Christ) forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Jesus Christ) The Lord (Jesus) at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.)

The rightful sovereign Lord of Israel, and the world, is God’s own son, Jesus Christ. The Lord was manifested (supernaturally infused) (John 1:1, 14) into the seed-lineage of King David as evidenced by the record of the Lord Jesus Christ’s ancestral family tree that is recorded in Matthew chapter one, and was foreordained by Jehovah in Genesis 3:15. The prophecies of Isaiah 4:2-4 and Isaiah 11:1-10 speak of the spirit of the LORD being upon the branch of Jesse (Father of David) and David, and that He will be the anointed one (Christ) that shall bring the Kingdom of the LORD to Israel, and that his kingdom would never end. The Lord shared this prophecy with Isaiah. (Isaiah 9:6-8 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD (Yehovah) of hosts will perform this. The Lord (pre-incarnate Word, or God’s Son) sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.) The LORD further described the kingdom of Israel again through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 23:5-6 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.)

King David is a historical symbol of the promised-coming King of Israel. That King & Lord came first as a lamb. He will return as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Although David lived nearly 1000 years before Jesus Christ (Lord) was born into this world, the Lord was before David, and always has been. The Lord (sovereign master) is coming back to this world, coming to Israel, and he will come as the KING of Kings, and the LORD of Lords. All knees shall bow before him! All of history has been moving towards the coming of the Lord. His first coming established his right to reign, as recorded by the writer of Hebrews. (Hebrews 10:12-13 But this man, (Jesus Christ) after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.) The Lord’s victory at Calvary has forever stamped an incurable bruise upon the head of the serpent, and now He sits at the right hand of his Father’s (Yehovah) throne, patiently awaiting the day when he shall assume the earthly throne of his earthly Father, David.


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Question # 238….(12-10-04) Hi Darrell; I am just curious. Why do the majority of Ministers or Prophecy Teachers that speak out, truly feel that President Bush is a true Christian, when he is steadily trying to divide the Land of Israel, when the bible speaks against dividing his land? I am a true Christian, and I feel President Bush's second term is going to show the world his true colors. When I read the bible and study Prophecy, which I have for about 4 years, I see Mr. Bush as a false prophet. He has all the qualities to me. He maybe not be the False Prophet of the Bible, but I think he is definitely a false prophet. I am really wondering how the world will have changed at the end of Bush’s second term. How do you think the world will be at the end of Bush's next four years? Will it be better or worse for the US and Israel?

Answer…..Well of course, for a question like this, I can only respond for myself as to why I think that President Bush is a good and decent Christian man. President Bush is noted to be a man of prayer and indulges in daily Bible study. He also believes in charity and faith based social outreach. But, beyond those things, the President says that Jesus Christ is the most important figure in his life, and says that his personal faith in Christ changed his life. That’s what being a Christian is. (placing ones faith in Christ for his salvation)

On the world stage, the President readily says that Israel is America’s friend, and in these perilous days, (when the whole world is against Israel) that is a strong statement. It is a position that has proven to be dangerous for America, and has caused hatred and isolation for America. Yet, Mr. Bush affirms that America will not abandon Israel, and staunchly supports Israel’s right to defend herself from terrorist attacks, and abandoning the false media cliché of referring to the Israel-Palestinian Conflict as a “cycle of violence.” President Bush refused to even meet with Yasser Arafat, (a proven terrorist leader) unlike his predecessors, and most of the other leaders in the world. President Bush saw the vanity of pushing Israel down the one-way, shove-it-down your throat giveaway program of the Oslo Accords, and forced the Palestinians to take up the mantle of democracy. The President has also proven himself to be a strong supporter of Israel against the evil designs of the United Nations.

Yet, in spite off all these positive positions that George W. Bush has taken in regard to Israel, he has also given political support to the “two-state solution” within the broad and complex issue of the Israeli-Arab conflict. On June 24, 2002, President Bush expressed his support of two states living side by side in Palestine, provided the Palestinian sector developed democratic reforms and corralled the terrorist infrastructure in their midst. The president truly believes that real democracy can bring peace, not just to Palestine, but to the entire region. (this is a side-parallel to the Bush strategy in Iraq) But as you indicated in your question, this strategy is doomed to backfire, and indeed does goes against God’s admonition regarding the burdensome dilemma that is the Jerusalem problem.

The President has stated on several occasions that, “America is not the grantor of liberty, but rather that the Almighty grants it.” The President has apparently picked up this social doctrine from former Russian dissident Alexander Solzsheneitsen, and has fit it into his understanding of Christian ideals. The president’s pragmatic conception of Christian witness is that America’s best interest is served if we help enable people to live in freedom, and help people to be out from under the tyranny of dictatorships. The president’s vision for creating a better environment for Palestinians is a noble ideal, but it has a fatal flaw built-in because it compromises the Promised Land. There has never in history been a Palestinian State, and the proposed division of land to settle this ages-old conflict carries a curse for all that attempt to implement it.

But the Bush Doctrine, relative to the two-state solution, and the implementation of the Quartet’s Peace Roadmap is nothing more than a ticking time-bomb. Also, the failure to promote Christianity (witness to Arabs ad Muslims) in the newly developed democratic societies of the Middle East is a formula for failure. The Arabs don’t simply need a better form of government, they need the good news of Jesus Christ, and then and only then can they live in peace with Israel. Presently, the Islamic world rejects Israel’s right to exist, and that is the real poison in this region, and indeed for most of the world.

President Bush, although a Christian probably doesn’t have a sufficient understanding of end-times Bible prophecy and the geo-political ramifications of assuming the political stance of the (UN) world in its drive to partition the promised land. It should not surprise fellow Christians that the president would lack knowledge in this subject-matter, because most of the Church fails to properly grasp it as well. Ask any Christian about Revelation or the Signs of the Times, and they too will prove to be very ignorant of its current application in our world.

The United States, under President Bush is doing about as well as can be expected in this particular era. The dynamics of international intrigue, coupled with the push for global governance, and the worlds hatred for Israel are all working themselves out on the world stage according to God’s prophecy, and it is very difficult for any president to fend off those geo-political world trends. I think God is simply allowing the US a little span of time to get its own House in order (national repentance) before him, before he permits judgement to overtake our nation. You ask if things are going to get better or worse; unless America repents (abortion, homosexuality, 10 Commandments, one-God, and many other cultural war issues) and abandons other gods, and calls upon Jehovah, (see II Chronicles 14:7) then things are going to get much worse, regardless of who is President. The fore-winds of Armageddon are already stirring, as evidenced by the motions of the nations, yet God is still in charge, and He will only permit the release of that awful fury in his timing. It is time for all Christians to look up, in prayer for God’s will to be done, and also in preparation to leave, because that time is near.


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Question #237….(11-30-04) What part of Jesus Christ's church will have part in the first resurrection? When is the first resurrection? The scriptures say the dead in Christ shall rise first. Thank you in advance to your reply.

Answer……. The entire Church will take part in the resurrection, with each and every single member participating in his own order. (Revelation 20:4-6 indicates that all Christians have a part in the first resurrection) The First resurrection is actually ongoing, (in part, in stages) and it will continue right on through the progression of time. Jesus Christ himself was the “firstfruits” of the general resurrection, and all those who have accepted Christ as their Savior follow him literally in that resurrection in their own individual order. Therefore, the entire body of the Church (not a portion) follows Jesus in the resurrection. Only those members of the Church that remain alive at his Second Coming need not experience the resurrection, and that is simply because they will never taste of death. In the last days, as Jesus returns, they will be gathered up at the sounding of the trump of God to join up with all those that have already been made alive in the resurrection.

There are two general resurrections. One is a resurrection unto life (eternal) and the second resurrection is a resurrection unto judgment and death. (John 5:24-29 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.) The second resurrection occurs after the 1000 year long Millennium Kingdom, and will be a resurrection for the purpose for an appearance before God at the Great White Throne judgement. Those involved in this resurrection are those who remain under condemnation, (the penalty of John 3:17) and are slated for the second death.

Paul, is his writings to the Corinthian Christians says: (II Corinthians 5:1-5 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.)

God is a god of the living, not a god of the dead. For a believer, to be absent from this corrupted earthly body is to acquire a heavenly body, a body not manufactured by the flesh of man and woman, but a clothing (spiritual body) provided by God. Jesus remarked to the women gathered at his tomb 2000 years ago; “why seek ye the living among the dead?” His point was simply this; He is the resurrection!

It is true that the dead (asleep) shall rise first. Paul asserts in his message to the Thessalonians that the deceased Christians have already experienced their sequence in the order of the first resurrection and are presently with the Lord awaiting the great trumpet gathering. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Clearly Paul confirms that the Lord will bring all Church Age saints with him when he comes to catch away his “remaining-on-the-earth” Bride. (Most of Christ’s bride is already in Heaven) The term “prevent” used in this text is from the Hebrew word “phthano,” which means preempt or to hinder an action beforehand, and simply refers to the fact that living Christians on the earth at the time of Christ’s coming, are not obstructing or causing the restraining of the order of resurrection of the Christians that have already passed away during the Church Age. Needless to say, if we which remain alive at his coming do not prevent the resurrection of past saints, neither will we prevent the resurrection order of future saints.

This is a concise answer to your questions pertaining to the resurrection of Church Age saints. There are differing ideas on the resurrection of the Old Testament Saints, and the Millennial Saints. But rest assured that God has provided a proper order for all of his saints, because HE will bring all of them, all from the Church Age and all from the Pre-Church Age with him when He comes to establish the Kingdom of the Lord.

Psalms 50:4-5 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

I Thessalonians 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.


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Question # 236…….(11-24-04) Hi Darrell, I am curious. In your opinion what effect will Arafat's death have on the end time scenario concerning Israel and the Palestinians? Thanks

Answer……. I have always maintained that Yasser Arafat was an impediment to the successful implementation of the “false peace and security” arrangement that the eventual Antichrist will enact between Israel and the Palestinians. As long as Arafat remained on the scene in the West Bank, it was virtually impossible for a humanistic, pragmatic peace partner with Israel to emerge in the Palestinian sector. And make no mistake about it, a pretense of a peace-partner in the Palestinian sector is something the forces of the Antichrist will need to coerce Israel into accepting His covenant. Arafat was never anything but a terrorist, and his deep seeded hatred for Israel was his life’s modus operandi. (His diatribe before the UN General Assembly in 1974 in effect revealed his scheme of terror: “I come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighters gun; Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand, Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand”) His statement at the UN was a blatant threat. It shows his scheme of resorting to terrorism anytime he didn’t get what he wanted. He only held out olive branches (sign of peace) as a means to exact spoils from his intended targets. His only motivation for signing on as a Middle East peace partner with Israel was to vent that hatred in the form of terrorism and geo-political blackmail. In effect, Arafat acted as a geo-political double agent in the Middle East Peace Process. He was a hired accomplice of the Arab League-Muslim Brotherhood as well as a willing accomplice of the UN and the globalist ideologues of the EU. He used both power bases to emaciate Israel, and keep it from outright possession of the Promised Land and from exercising sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem. To this end, he served the political logistics of the coming Antichrist well.

The passing of Arafat will infuse a new sense of diplomatic impetus around the world for jump starting the Quartet sponsored peace Roadmap. The US is perceived to be the only nation in the world that can bring enough pressure upon the parties to effectuate a negotiated settlement that will result in the already-mandated (UN) solution. Therefore, the world’s leaders will be pressing President Bush to invigorate the peace process. The powers of the European Union are already using British Prime Minister Tony Blair to coerce America into reinserting itself into the Mid-east peace initiative. If the President Bush decides to engage America into this worldly process, (as President Clinton did) and work toward the creation of a so-called “democratic” Palestinian State (as he has pledged, 06-24-02) the prophetic consequences of compromising the Promised Land will reverberate back against America. It is dangerous for a Christian nation to coerce Israel into compromises relative to “its” land. (Zechariah 12:2-3 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.) Therefore, if the US persists in compelling Israel to engage in a land-for-peace formula, (with a terrorist entity) America can expect its own war-on-terror to become all the more catastrophic. (One of the possible reasons that America may not be easily identifiable in end-time prophetic scripture is because it will have suffered at the hands of the terrorists, and subsequently become amalgamated into the sphere of the Antichrist’s Tribulation era empire.)

One thing is clear, the eventual Antichrist will succeed in “dividing the Promised Land.” The world power-brokers are searching for that magic formula and awaiting the individual with the magic political wand already. (Daniel 11:39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.) The death of Arafat has created a power vacuum in the Palestinian sector, and while the multi-pronged terrorist organizations of the Middle East (backed by their state-sponsors) will undoubtedly vie for influence and control in Palestine, one thing is certain, the Globalist minded powerbrokers within the international geo-political arena, (the ten kings that will exalt the Antichrist in the post-rapture era) believe that peace in Palestine is the vital key to the world superstructure, and the only negation to the threat of terrorism.


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Question # 235…..(11-22-04) Why are the Jews God’s chosen people?

Answer……. The Jews, by being the descendants of Abraham through Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph became the forefathers of the tribal vehicle through which God chose to send his own son, Jesus Christ into the world. (We should thank God he chose somebody, otherwise we would all be without hope!) God utilized his Divine foreknowledge to observe that Abraham was the perfect choice to become the father of the blessing. Abraham submitted himself to obeying God, and to go wherever God led him. The Bible does not indicate whether or not Abraham was the first choice God made in choosing someone of the human race to forge his covenant with or not, but one thing is certain, Abraham became the father of the Chosen people because of obedience. (Genesis 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.)

Abraham was not perfect, as evidenced by his cooperative behavior in the conspiring scheme of Sarah to produce an offspring for Abraham. And neither are the Jewish people perfect for they, like all of mankind have unfortunately demonstrated unfaithfulness to God. (let him-nation that is without sin cast the first stone) Even so, God has pledged to preserve the children of Israel, and to make their nation a blessing to the world. That blessing has come about through the inspiration and preservation of his Holy Word. God’s blessing was further manifested in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and it will be fully realized on earth by all nations when Christ returns from Heaven to establish his kingdom! John 4:22 says that salvation is of the Jews. It is of the Jews because it came by way of the King of the Jews---Jesus Christ, the son of the living God.

Had God chosen somebody other than Abraham to make his covenant with, then the descendants of that man would have fathered the chosen people, and God’s Son would have been born in their lineage. Had Jesus been born from among the stock of nation X, then the whole world have hated nation X, and nation X would have fared no better in the world and in its service to God than has Israel throughout its history.

The terminology “chosen people” should not be a cause for arrogance or jealousy on anyone’s part. Lest we forget, God has also promised the descendants of Ishmael (Arabs) that they too would become a great nation. (Genesis 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.) But for any person (nation) to become blessed of God, they must come to know God’s Son, and accept the fact that God established his covenant with Isaac. (Genesis 17:21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac,)

God chose the Jews and “placed” them in the middle of the Old World’s continents, right smack in the middle of the nations. He did so to display his Glory and honor, and his word among the whole world, center-stage so to speak! (Ezekiel 5:5 Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.)

Israel will one day serve as the center of worship of Jehovah. When Jesus returns to this world, and rescues Israel from the throes of evil, (Antichrist’s confederacy of nations) all peoples of the earth will flow to Jerusalem to worship the King of the Jews. Finally, at long last, God’s ancient covenant with Abraham will be complete.


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Question # 234…..(09-14-04) Should Christians and the Church as a whole in general, assist the Jews in rebuilding their ancient temple? Should we pray and contribute to the Zionist efforts toward that end? I constantly hear stories about how the Jews have acquired all the ritualistic instruments for Temple worship and it makes me think that the Lord is behind this movement. What are your thoughts?

Answer……Christian support for Israel should not include any tangible support for the Jews to rebuild their temple. It is true that many Christians think that by helping the Jews hold onto their land and to rebuild the temple that they are assisting in a Godly mission. Many believe they are merely cooperating with a method of hastening the coming of the Lord and helping bring about God’s designs for Israel. But truthfully, any efforts to help in the rebuilding of the temple only works to serve the exact opposite purpose. There is a great Zionist movement among Jewry to rebuild their temple, and that zeal is but one of many signs that portend that the Last Days are indeed upon us. The Temple held a very significant importance in the worship system of the Old Covenant, and the temple mount has held a very special place in the hearts of the Jewish people ever since it was destroyed 2000 years ago.

But the Jewish zeal to rebuild the ancient temple (third temple) isn’t merely and simply a dream of rebuilding a fallen building, and a historic religious landmark. It also involves reestablishing the whole system of ancient Jewish religious worship designed to reconstitute the old sacrificial shedding of the blood of bulls, goats, and sheep for the atonement of sins. The resumption of animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount would be a practice that would in effect render the finished work of Christ’s sacrifice on the Old Rugged Cross as irrelevant in the eyes of today’s Jews. I can’t think of anything that could be more obtrusive to the Jews hope of true salvation than a new temple. But a new temple is something that would be of particular interest to somebody else besides the Jews. It is something that figures to be highly instrumental in the plans of the eventual Antichrist. The Jewish temple movement will summarily work to cause Israel to accept a man (antichrist) as their Messiah in their hopes for world peace.

The Antichrist will lead Israel down a path deceptively designed for their destruction. And the third Jewish Temple figures prominently in that evil scheme. The Antichrist will utilize the rebuilt Jewish Temple to engage the whole world into worshipping him as God. (II Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.)

Jesus Christ himself will rebuild the Jewish Temple as a place of his residence when he returns, so there is really no need for Christians to be involved in any temple building. The only temples Christians need to be concerned about are the living temple bodies of each and every human being, whom the Holy Spirit needs to reside in to give them eternal life. It is easy to get caught up in the zeal for the Lord’s return as we watch events unfold in Israel, but we always need to be mindful that Israel is still in for a terrible time of trouble. So let us join the Lord in praying, not our will be done, but God’s, as we continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.


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Question # 233….(09-10-04) How do Jews get saved? Do they obtain entry into Heaven by virtue of their special and historic relationship to God and his law? Should Christians witness to Jews or is it considered an insult to them? I have read that the Pope says that Jews have a unique pathway to God availed to them, and that the Church needs to respect that relationship as an authentic pathway to Heaven.

Answer……There is only one way for anyone to be saved, regardless of nationality or ethnicity. Jesus stated: “John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” There is the answer to your question straight from the Lord’s own lips.

The Vatican is attempting to lead a so-called Christian based outreach of harmony to the Jewish people through the concept of a dual covenant doctrine. This concept teaches that there is at least two means of salvation, and that the Jews have been availed an alternate means of salvation than the Gentile world. This concept allows that Jews may be saved through the Old Covenant law, while Gentiles may be saved through the New Covenant only. Much of the Christian ecumenical interfaith movement is based upon dual, or even multiple pathways to heaven. Even mainline denominations have accommodated the dual covenant philosophy, and in their zeal to reach harmony with the Jews, they literally deny the truth of the Bible by according that the Jews have no need for evangelization. The dual covenant teaching reflects an attempt by the modern religious unification movement to remedy and compensate for past theological errors about God’s relationship with Israel. This movement is intended to help structure a universal acceptance of all the world’s religions as legitimate pathways to salvation.

The world church has in effect gone from one diabolical extreme to the other. The misguided church in times past fostered the theological concept of anti-Semitism (inevitably helping to produce the climate for the Holocaust) by blaming the Jews for killing Christ. But the modern teaching that Jews have no need of Jesus Christ is only serving to play into the deceptive plans of the Antichrist in his conspiratorial attempt to exalt himself into a position of universal worship, and ultimately for his sinister ploy to annihilate Israel.

I would repeat the words of Peter, whom upon speaking of Jesus to the Jews in his day, and whose words are recorded in the book of Acts to the Jews of today. (Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The failure to share the plain Gospel truth with anybody, (Jews included) is a failure to fulfill the great commission. The ecclesiastical action of distorting or compromising the plain truth about God’s gift of salvation, whether it be done for purposes of harmony and unification, or for purposes of tolerance and acceptance is the ultimate act of hypocrisy and deception.

Israel and the Jews desperately need Jesus! Christians must always utilize the tenderness of the Holy Spirit in witnessing or proselytizing. Remember, as you share the Gospel with anyone, you are acting on Christ’s behalf, and Jesus never forced himself on anyone, but was gentlemanly and exercised great patience and wisdom in knocking on the door of another person’s heart.

The heartfelt prayer of Paul should still be our prayer today for our wonderful Jewish friends. (Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.)


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Question # 232…..(09-09-04) There is a verse somewhere in the Bible about old men dreaming dreams and young men having visions. I have always wondered what that verse meant, and if it has anything to do with the Last Days. I have often wondered if it meant that people in the Last Days would be specially gifted to envision or foretell the things about that terrible time. Can you help me understand what this verse means?

Answer…….The scripture passage that you are probably referring to is mentioned twice in the Bible, once in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. The first instance occurs in the beseeching and prophetic words of Joel. (Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:) Joel’s name means “Jehovah is God.” So it is no small irony that Joel was called of God to warn ancient Israel about its disobedience and national sins. Joel’s mission was to relay a warning from the all-powerful God Jehovah about the approaching Day of Judgment. But Joel’s mission was also to assure Israel of God’s abiding presence, in spite of their unworthiness, and to convey a hope for the future that could only come to realization when Israel learned to accept and obey the Lord. Joel, being an expert in agronomy and geophysics interspersed imagery from the agriculture and natural world in his prophetic messages to Israel. In Joel’s imagery, rain was synonymous with the “raining spirit” of the Lord.

It should be recalled that the Promised Land had been a bountiful and fruitful land flowing with milk and honey when Israel came to possess it. But in Joel’s day the land had become a veritable wasteland, arid and incapable of producing much beyond dust. (ref. Joel 1:10-12, 17-21) Jeremiah also picked up on the analogy presented by Joel. (Jeremiah 3:3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.) But in chapter 2: 28, Joel alludes to a time when the seed of Israel will again experience an outpouring of God’s spirit, literal showers of blessing from Heaven upon a well-planted field primed for a late, but yet full harvest.

About 700 years later, the apostle Peter used Joel’s passage to explain the exciting events of Pentecost to his hearers. Just as Joel predicted, the Holy Spirit was indeed poured out on all those early followers of Jesus who were gathered in Jerusalem seeking God's will and praying for His divine guidance. Many early religious critics thought the early Christians were lunatics or worse, but Peter clarified that the Holy Spirit had come down from Heaven and empowered the assemblage to share the Gospel on the day that marked the birth of the Church Age. In reality, the Church Age personifies the showers that constitute what the Bible refers to as the “latter rain” of God’s great salvation harvest.

But there is still a future dimension to Joel's prediction. This prophecy is relative to the day of Israel’s redemption and salvation. Salvation was passed up by the Jews of 2000 years ago when Jesus came riding upon a donkey, but the day is coming when the salvation of the Jews will come to Jerusalem riding upon a white horse. The gifts of the Holy Spirit that began to flow through the people of God back on Pentecost will be made available to all those who anxiously await the literal return of Jesus Christ and the final establishment of His kingdom in Israel in the Last Days. This is symbolized in what Joel calls the former rain, or the early rain. (Joel 2:23)

Peter picked up on Joel’s prophecy, and his assertion that the Spirit of God was upon the new Church, highlights why he repeated with a re-emphasis, a particular detail about the timing of the outpouring of God’s Spirit (rain) upon Israel.

Acts 2:16-21 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Peter’s quotation from Joel’s prophecy points to the fact that Israel itself someday will find its ultimate physical, (last days) and finally its spiritual restoration on the Day of the Lord. The Lord declares that he will show wonders in heaven, the sun will be darkened, and the moon turned into blood before the great Day of the Lord. This prophecy is an allusion to the “time of Jacob’s trouble” that the nation of Israel will endure for seven years, climaxing in the return of the Messiah to save Israel. On that day, Israel will be saved, and the seed of Israel will enjoy the showers of the Lord’s blessing, and the prophecy pertaining to its sons and daughters (dreams & visions) will come to pass.

There is much to digest from Joel’s agronomist paradigm. Joel uses the word rain as a tool of imagery in connection to the spirit of God. The word rain in Hebrew is the word geshem, which means a shower. The former rain that Joel speaks of is from the Hebrew word Mowreh, which means an early sprinkling. (early rain or early teaching) Joel also indicates that the former rain came down moderately. (tsedaqah) The description of a moderate rain symbolized the rightness and justice of Jehovah.

Later, after Pentecost, James would utilize Joel’s agronomist paradigm to convey a prophetic truth about the early and latter rains. These rains represent God’s two-fold spiritual move to reap a two-fold harvest in this world. (James 5:7-8, 10-11 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.)

The word for latter rain in Joel’s Hebrew usage is the word Malqowsh, and refers to a spring rain, or a shower of eloquence. (the eloquence is typified through God’s word, and later via the Church) The word for early rain in the Greek is the word proimos, which refers to the autumn rain. (Jewish years begin in the fall) The latter rain in the Greek is the word opsimos, which means a showering that comes in the spring, or late in the Jewish year. But the point of all of this imagery is that God is working providentially to reap a harvest first from the Gentile Church, and later upon Christ’s return to the nation of Israel. These two separate workings and outpourings of the Spirit characterize the fact that the Lord is patiently overseeing the fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, and will indeed receive a full harvest, and will restore Israel in a land of plenty. With this perspective in mind, lest move on to the dreams and visions:

The word for dream in Hebrew is the word chalam, (chalowm) which means to dream, or cause to be made to dream. The term for visions is the Hebrew word chizzayown, which means to receive a divine revelation, or to possess an earnest expectation from a dream one has been caused to dream. Dreams had a prominent place in the religious literature of ancient peoples. In ancient times, dreams, especially those of kings and priests, were thought to convey messages from God. In the Bible, dreams were sometimes prophetic in nature. Elihu stated clearly his belief that God speaks through dreams. The purpose of visions was to give guidance and direction to God's servants and to foretell the future. (Job 33:14-17 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.)

Visions are spiritually induced experiences similar to dreams through which supernatural insight or awareness is given by revelation. John But the difference between a dream and a vision is that dreams occur only during sleep, while visions can happen while a person is awake. In the Bible, people who had visions were filled with a special consciousness and calling of God in the realm of prophecy.

Thus the references in Joel and in Acts pertaining to the specific detail about, “your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: is therefore a twofold prophecy. One depicts the latter outpouring of God’s spirit in the latter rain through the embodiment of the Holy Spirit within the Church of Jesus Christ, and the second is produced through the glorious outpouring of God’s Spirit (former rain) upon the house of Israel when the Lord returns.

God has uniquely called many servants with diverse talents throughout the Church Age to spread the good news of the Gospel, but the day is coming (Millennial Age) when the sons and daughters of Israel shall foretell of the eternal Kingdom of God, the young men of Israel will be super-charged with a vision of Israel’s kingdom age, and even the aged elders (hundreds of years in age) of Israel will be inflamed with a spirit of eternal optimism that is conveyed through the glory of their eternal king. The visions of the sons and daughters, and the dreams of the old men of Israel, will stand as testimony that the Lord has fulfilled his ages old commitment made to Isaiah, that a son shall be born unto Israel, and that the government will be upon his shoulder, and that there will be no end to his government and his peace! What a wonderful thing to dream of and to have a vision for!


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Question # 231….(09-02-04) I have been reading about theses news statements coming out of Iran by some of their leaders where they have threatened to ‘wipe Israel off the globe’ if Israel were to try and attack Iran’s nuclear program. My question is, Will God ever allow Israel to be completely destroyed?

Answer…….Satan has been conspiring among the nations of this world to exterminate the seed of Israel ever since God chose that nation to be the progeny of the Christ. His sadistic schemes of extermination have not worked in the past 3000 years, and they will not succeed in the future either. John portrayed Israel as a woman clothed with the sun (moon under her feet and wearing a crown with 12 stars) in Revelation chapter 12. He further pictures Satan in world history as a great red dragon that is constantly pursuing Israel, as the power behind the devouring of her child (crucifixion of the Messiah) and actively engaged in a war against Heaven. But as Revelation 12:9-17 indicates, although Satan will plot and conspire among the nations to wage one last great war on Israel during the Great Tribulation, (time of Jacob’s Trouble) Israel will receive Divine protection over the course of the last 42 months. (1260 days/3.5 years) Israel shall not only survive that evil onslaught, but in the aftermath of that hellish atrocity, Israel will rise to become the greatest kingdom on the earth. God has promised a kingdom to Israel, and promised that a seed of David shall sit upon the throne of Zion. The Lord swore an oath to the seed of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 31:35-36 Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.) (Jeremiah 33:19-22) And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.) This solemn oath by the Lord God almighty reveals that the continued existence of the cosmos persists as God’s testament to Israel that he will preserve her forever! Although Israel has disobeyed the Lord, and the Lord has permitted Satan to sift Israel like wheat around the world, God swore to re-gather a remnant of Israel in the Last Days, (historical fact) and to use the geo-political intrigue of that event to enact out the judgement of the nations when Israel’s Messiah returns.
(Psalms 89:34-37 My covenant [land-kingdom promise]) will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.)
It is God’s very own reputation and credibility that is at stake over the survival of Israel. Satan today is seeking to destroy Israel and to make God a liar, but that is impossible. Israel’s reemergence in the 20th century has highlighted the prophetic fact that the supernatural struggle between Heaven and the Great Red Dragon is about to reach its climactic days. Listen closely to God’s own words as they were conveyed through Ezekiel;
Ezekiel 36:17-22 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
No, Israel will never be wiped off the map. Israel is back in the land of promise today to stay, never again to be uprooted or dispersed! (and the world better get used to it and accept it or else) Though all the earthly powers and forces of darkness be gathered together against her, Israel will ultimately arise victorious when her King returns! You have God’s word on it.
The Lord has sworn to defend Jerusalem, and to preserve it for his own Son, Jesus Christ, where he will reign over the kingdom of Israel forever. The logistics (prophetic signs) for that cosmic showdown are already taking shape. That is why this ministry is entitled, Focus on Jerusalem! (Isaiah 37:35For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.)

 



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