HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIES

THE VERY BASICS OF END TIME PROPHECY – PART 5

November 26, 2019 HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIESLeave a comment

BASIC PROPHECY

THE BEMA SEAT JUDGEMENT & THE JUDGEMENTS TO FOLLOW

After the Rapture, the next major event for the church will be the Judgment Seat of Christ in heaven. All believers from the church age—the time between the Day of Pentecost and the Rapture—will appear individually before God to receive rewards or loss of reward, based on their life, service, and ministry for the Lord. The purpose of the Judgment Seat of Christ is not to determine whether people will enter heaven or hell or to punish sin. The issue at the Judgment Seat is not salvation but rewards. Salvation is based wholly on grace through Christ’s work for us (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rewards are based on our works for Christ after we received Him as our Saviour. It is the fruit we bear as a result of our salvation.

Corinthians 5:10 says every believer must face judgment “according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

The New Testament focuses on five specific rewards, sometimes called crowns, that the faithful will receive at the judgment seat. These crowns represent the kinds of conduct and service that the Lord will reward.

THE INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN (1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27)

This is the reward for those who consistently practice self-discipline and self-control. It is the crown that will not fade away.

THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (2 TIMOTHY 4:8)

The crown of righteousness is the reward for those who eagerly look for the Lord’s coming and live a righteous life in view of this fact.

THE CROWN OF LIFE (JAMES 1:12; REVELATION 2:10)

The sufferer’s crown is given to those who faithfully endure and persevere under the trials and tests of life.

THE CROWN OF REJOICING (1 THESSALONIANS 2:19)

The soul winner’s crown is given to those who win people for Christ.

THE CROWN OF GLORY (1 PETER 5:1-4)

The shepherd’s crown will be given to those pastors, elders, and church leaders who lovingly, graciously and faithfully shepherd and oversee God’s people.

The redeemed will fall down and worship the Lord, “and they [will] lay their crowns before the throne and say, ‘You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased’” (Revelation 4:10-11).

In addition to these crowns, there appear to be two other main rewards the faithful will receive. The first one is greater responsibility and authority in the coming Kingdom. Believers will occupy various positions of authority in God’s Kingdom based on how well we lived our lives here on earth (Luke 19:13-26). The second reward may be an increased capacity and ability to reflect the Lord’s glory. Daniel 12:3 says, “Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.”

THERE WILL BE SEVEN JUDGEMENTS IN FUTURE:

The Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Church-age believers will appear before the judgment Seat of Christ in heaven for reward. This will happen soon after the rapture of the church.

Old Testament Believers (Daniel 12:1-3)

All Old Testament believers will be resurrected and rewarded after the Second Coming.

Martyred Tribulation Saints (Revelation 20:4-6)

Those who trust Christ during the Tribulation and are martyred will be resurrected and rewarded at the end of the Tribulation.

Jews Living at the Second Coming (Ezekiel 20:34-38)

All Jews who survive the Tribulation will be judged right after the Second Coming. The saved will enter the millennial kingdom, and the lost will be purged.

Gentiles Living at the Second Coming (Matthew 25:31-46)

All Gentiles who survive the Tribulation will be judged immediately after the Second Coming when Christ sits on His glorious throne. This is often referred to as the judgment of the “sheep and the goats.” The righteous will enter the millennial kingdom, and the unrighteous will be cast into hell. This will however not be their final judgement.

Satan and Fallen Angels (Revelation 20:10)

The final judgment of Satan and fallen angels (demons) will take place after the millennial kingdom (Matthew 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6).

The Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15)

The final judgment of all unrighteous people will occur at the end of the Millennium. They will be judged according to their works and cast into the lake of fire.

THE VERY BASICS OF END TIME PROPHECY – PART 4

November 24, 2019 HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIESLeave a comment

BASIC PROPHECY

THE RAPTURE

FIRST PHASE

The Rapture of the church is the first phase of Christ’s coming and entails two events: the resurrection and transformation of the believers who died in Christ, and the transformation of living believers. In the twinkle of an eye, they will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and He will escort them to heaven to live with Him forever. This transformation is the “mystery” of the Rapture.

The Rapture includes only believers who lived between the Day of Pentecost and the day of the Rapture. These people are called church-age believers. The last trumpet of the Rapture is the final trumpet of this church age, and it will summon God’s people to the great reunion in the sky.

The signs of the times are indications that the Second Coming of Christ is near. However, no sign is specifically given with regards to the rapture of the church. The Rapture is an imminent, sign-less event. It’s an event that could occur at any moment without warning.

Isaiah 26:16-19 and Daniel 12:1-3 in the Old Testament place the resurrection of Old Testament believers at the end of the Tribulation period.

THE TERM RAPTURE

The term Rapture is derived from the words “caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The phrase “caught up” is in Greek harpazo, which means “to snatch, to seize, or to take suddenly and vehemently.” Harpazo appears thirteen times in the New Testament. In those passages, harpazo is variously translated as “take by force,” “snatch,” or “caught up” (NASB). In Revelation 12:5, harpazo refers back to the Ascension of Jesus to heaven (Acts 1:9-11).

Our English word Rapture is derived from Latin. The Greek word harpazo was translated into the Latin word raeptius. The Latin word rapio means “to seize, snatch, or seize away.” This word was eventually brought into English as Rapture.

THREE MAIN RAPTURE PASSAGES

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

“What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:50-57)

“Dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

FOUR VIEWS OF THE TIMING OF THE RAPTURE

The timing of the rapture in relation to the tribulation is one of the most controversial issues in the church today. First, it is important to understand the purpose of the tribulation. According to Daniel 9:27, there is a seventieth “seven” (seven years) that is still yet to come. Daniel’s entire prophecy of the seventy sevens (Daniel 9:20-27) is speaking of the nation of Israel. It is a time period in which God focuses His attention especially on Israel. Although this does not necessarily indicate that the church could not also be present, it does bring into question why the church would need to be on the earth during that time. There are four main views.

Pre-Tribulation

They believe that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation. Raptured believers will escape the wrath of God poured out during the Tribulation. There are clear statements that He is coming to deliver His people from the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; Revelation 3:10). More will be discussed about the pre-tribulation rapture later in our study.

Mid-Tribulation

This view teaches that believers will be caught up to heaven at the midpoint of the Tribulation. Some place it at Revelation 6:12-17, others at Revelation 11:15-17, and still others at Revelation 14:1-4. This inconsistency is a major weakness for this view.

One of the arguments for a mid-tribulation rapture is the belief that the trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the same trumpet mentioned in Revelation 11:15. But the trumpet in Revelation 11 is a trumpet of judgment, declaring doom on the wicked. The trumpet in 1 Corinthians is a call to those elected by God through His Grace. In addition, even though Revelation 11:15 identifies the trumpet as the seventh and final trumpet in that series, chronologically it is not the “last” trumpet. That trumpet is found in Matthew 24:31 when it sounds to commence God’s kingdom.

According to Mid-tribulationists the wrath of God only refers to the second half of the seven-year tribulation period. For the wrath to only refer to the second half would limit the wrath to the bowl judgments, completely ignoring the judgments that took place in the seal and trumpet judgments which, include famine, poisoned waterways, bloodshed, torment, earthquakes, untold numbers being killed and a darkened moon.

This argument falls when one looks at Revelation 6:17 which reads, “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?” (NLT) Some argue that the wrath prior to Revelation 11 is Satan’s wrath and not God’s. But they completely forget who is directing all the events. Any wrath is clearly coming from God who allows Satan to do his worst evil deeds.

Post-Tribulation

There are many believers who hold this belief, including Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox and many Protestant denominations. This view holds that the Rapture will occur at the end of the Tribulation in conjunction with the second coming of Christ to earth. Revelation 19 constitutes a major problem for post-tribulationists. Revelation 19:11-21 is the most comprehensive and detailed account of the second coming of Christ found anywhere in the Bible. Yet it contains no mention of a resurrection or rapture. If the Rapture were post-tribulational, why would this key feature be totally missing?

They confuse the “saints” being in the tribulation, as mentioned in Revelation 13:7 and 20:9, with the church. They also argue that the reference to the “first resurrection” in Revelation 20:5 provides proof that the rapture cannot occur before after the tribulation. They blindly ignore the fact that those who are in Christ are not under condemnation and will never experience the wrath of God (Romans 8:1.)

Pre-Wrath

The pre-wrath view holds that the Rapture will occur 5½ years into the Tribulation. The calamities up to that point, in this view, result from the wrath of man and the wrath of Satan, not the wrath of God. As with the mid-tribulationists, they forget that it is God who allows Satan to do his evil deeds. The seal judgments in Revelation 6 are opened by the Lamb (Jesus Christ) at the very beginning of the tribulation (Revelation 6:1-2). He is therefore the source of these judgments.

SEVEN REASONS FOR THE PRETRIB RAPTURE

Place of the Church in Revelation

If the church will experience any or all of the Tribulation, then one would expect that Revelation 6–18 would include an account of the church’s role on earth during that time period. But remarkably, Revelation 6–18 is silent about the church. Revelation 1–3 specifically mentions the church nineteen times. In Revelation 4:1 the apostle John is lifted up to heaven and transported into the future, where he sees visions of the end of days.

The church doesn’t appear again until chapter 19, where she is pictured as a bride returning to earth with her glorious Bridegroom. Revelation 22:16 refers to the church again for the final time.

The “twenty-four elders” represent the church in heaven throughout Revelation 4–19, enthroned and crowned, dressed in white, and worshiping the Lamb (Revelation 4:4, 10; 5:5-6, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13;11:16; 14:3; 19:4). The elders appear twelve times in these chapters.

Rapture versus Return

The New Testament describes two phases of Christ’s second coming: (1) He will come for His church to take her to His Father’s house (John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16), and (2) He will come with His saints when He descends from heaven to judge His enemies and establish His one-thousand-year Kingdom on earth (Zechariah 14:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 3:13). Between these two stages, the Tribulation happens.

The Rapture is imminent and signless and could occur at any moment (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The Second Coming, on the other hand, will be preceded by all kinds of signs (Matthew 24:1-29).

RAPTURE VS SECOND COMING

Exemption from Divine Wrath

Jesus Himself told His disciples, “In the world you have tribulation” (John 16:33, NASB). The apostle Paul said, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22, NASB). But the wrath during the seven-year Tribulation is wrath in a specific sense.

Part of what salvation in Christ means is that God saves us from the wrath we deserve (Ephesians 2:3-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). This has been God’s pattern—not to judge the righteous with the wicked. Lot and his family were rescued from Sodom when God poured out His wrath on the cities of the plain (Genesis 18–19). Also, Enoch’s rapture to heaven before the Flood illustrates this biblical principle as well (Genesis 5:23-24). God saves His people from His wrath upon principle as well (Genesis 5:23-24).

The Bible promises that church-age believers will be exempt from the coming wrath of God during the tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 5:9; Revelation 3:10). The entire tribulation is made up of consistent judgment from God Himself against a rebellious world.

Evidence for Exemption in 1 Thessalonians

The chronology of 1 Thessalonians 4–5 supports the pre-tribulation position. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 addresses the rapture while 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 relates to the Day of the Lord (Tribulation). There’s a clear shift from “you” and “we” (the believers) to “they” and “them” (the unbelievers). One group will be raptured and escape the wrath, and the other will remain on earth and face its full force.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 clearly says, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (NASB).”

Evidence for Exemption in Revelation 3:10-11

“Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly.” (Revelation 3:10-11)

Time Gap between the Rapture and the Second Coming

Revelation 19:7-10 pictures the church as a bride who has been made ready for marriage to her groom. When Christ returns in his second coming, the bride is dressed and ready to accompany Christ back to the earth (Revelation 19:11-18).

If all saints were caught up in a post-tribulation rapture prior to the Millennium, there would be no people in natural bodies to enter the one-thousand-year reign of Christ. Isaiah 65:20-25 suggests that, during the Millennium, people will carry on ordinary occupations such as farming, planting vineyards, and building houses, and they will bear children, populating the messianic kingdom.

If the Rapture and the Second Coming occur together, as post-tribulationists believe, and all living believers are caught up to meet Jesus and escort Him back to earth, then there won’t be any sheep left on earth when Jesus arrives. All that would be left are goats.

Removal of the Restrainer

2 Thessalonians 2:1, 3-8 describes the revelation of “the man of lawlessness.” The Holy Spirit is omnipresent and cannot be removed from the earth. The Holy Spirit uses the church and its proclamation and portrayal of the gospel as the primary instrument in this age to restrain evil. The rapture will change everything.

Imminency

Verses such as 1 Corinthians 1:7, 1 Corinthians 16:22, Philippians 3:20, Philippians 4:5, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 9:28 and Revelation 22:17, 20 serves as examples. All these Scriptures refer to the Rapture and speak of it as though it could occur at any moment. An imminent event is one that is certain to occur, but the timing of it is uncertain.

The early church adopted a special password to identify themselves and to greet each other: Maranatha (1 Corinthians 16:22).

Blessed Hope

Titus 2:13 says, “We look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.” After describing the Rapture, Paul concludes with this gentle reminder: “Encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PRETRIB RAPTURE VIEW

One of the key objections to the pre-tribulation rapture view is that it can’t be right because it didn’t arrive on the scene until the 1830s through the ministry and teaching of an Irish preacher named John Nelson Darby.

Pseudo-Ephraem

The earliest extra-biblical evidence of the pre-tribulation rapture position surfaced in the early medieval period in a sermon titled “On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World, or Sermon on the End of the World.” This powerful sermon was written sometime between the fourth and sixth centuries. The sermon is often attributed to Ephraem the Syrian, but most scholars believe it was the product of someone known as Pseudo-Ephraem.

Brother Dolcino

In AD 1260, Gerard Sagarello founded a group known as the Apostolic Brethren in northern Italy. In 1300, Gerard was burned at the stake, and a man named Brother Dolcino took over leadership of the movement. Brother Dolcino died in 1307, and in 1316 an anonymous notary of the diocese of Vercelli in northern Italy wrote a brief treatise in Latin, called The History of Brother Dolcino, in which he addressed the pre-tribulation rapture..

Morgan Edwards

Morgan Edwards (1722–1795) was a Baptist who founded Brown University. Edwards believed in a distinct rapture 3½ years before the start of the Millennium. Edwards first wrote about his pre-tribulation beliefs in 1742 and later published them in 1788.

Others

John Asgill authored a book in 1700 “about the possibility of translation (i.e., rapture) without seeing death.” Peter Jurieu wrote the book Approaching Deliverance of the Church (1687). There were also Philip Doddridge’s commentary on the New Testament (1783) and John Gill’s commentary on the New Testament (1748). James Macknight (1763) and Thomas Scott (1792) followed.

SIX HISTORICAL RAPTURES

Rapture of Enoch (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5)

Rapture of Elijah (2 Kings 2:1, 11)

Rapture of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-3)

Rapture of Jesus (Revelation 12:5)

Rapture of Philip (Acts 8:39-40)

Rapture of Paul (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)

THE VERY BASICS OF END TIME PROPHECY – PART 3

November 23, 2019 HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIES2 Comments

BASIC PROPHECY

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

We currently live in the church age, which began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and will end suddenly and dramatically with the Rapture. We live in a time where we are witnessing events foreshadowing the end and setting the stage for the tribulations and the things to follow. These developments are often referred to as “signs of the times.” A sign indicates what’s ahead.

In Matthew 24:3, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” In Matthew 24:4-14 Jesus outlined several general and specific signs of the end of the age. He lists eight key signs that He likens to birth pains: false christs (v. 5); wars and rumours of wars (vv. 6-7); famines (v. 7); earthquakes (v. 7); persecution (vv. 9-10); false prophets (v. 11); lawlessness (v.12); and worldwide preaching of the gospel (v. 14). The comparison with birth pains indicates that as the time of Christ’s coming draws near, the judgments will increase immensely in frequency and intensity.

In Matthew 24:37-39 and Luke 17:28-30, Jesus describes it as being like it was in the days of Noah and Lot. Their lives were all about self-pleasure, indulgence, etc. and there was little to no sacrifice and consecration to God. In today’s world, even the majority of Christians hardly even notice how this world is falling apart … or should we say, prophetically in place. In Noah’s days – Genesis 6:5,11,12 …”And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in Days of Noah and Lotthe earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” In Lot’s days – Jude 1:7 …”Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” If we think about things such as the abortions, LGBT pride parades, ridiculous liberal demands, the tendency to socialism and the unbanning of Satanism it sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

2 Timothy 3:1-5 also describes the generation we live in in today. “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.”

In Matthew 24:32-35, Jesus encourages the disciples to look for the signs, like leaves on a fig tree, even though the day of His return is unknown. When spring comes and the trees put out new leaves, we know that summer is not far off. In the same way, we will know Christ’s return is near when we see the events, He mentions earlier in the chapter begin to occur.

The headlines in the news parallel the biblical end times template more and more every day. World events are unfolding exactly as the Bible predicted thousands of years ago. When considering signs of the times, we must make sure that we view current events in light of the Bible and not the other way around. We must also reject the reckless practice of date setting (see Matthew 24:33-34; Acts 1:7).

The other extreme we must avoid is scoffing at the signs of the times. Although scoffers have always been a part of this fallen world, Scripture indicates that, in the latter days, the scoffing will increase. Peter describes these scoffers as “following their own evil desires,” (2 Peter 3:3) questioning the second coming of the Lord Jesus (verse 4). Thousands of years have passed since Jesus ascended into heaven, promising to return for His faithful ones (John 14:1–4; Revelation 22:12). Scoffers point out the lapse of time and mock those who still wait and yearn for His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:7).

Jude describes the scoffers of the last days as people who follow ungodly desires and create division in the church (Jude 1:18). They even present themselves as church leaders, but they “do not have the Spirit” (verse 19). Many amillennials and preterists have part in this mocking and scoffing.

The signs we are seeing in the world today anticipate events that will occur in full force after the Rapture, in anticipation of Jesus’ return.

The signs of the times are often been referred to as “stage setting.”

Four examples of significant signs of the times:

The Regathering of the Jewish People

The Bible predicts over and over again that the Jews must be back in their homeland for the events of the end times to unfold (Jeremiah 30:1-5; Ezekiel 34:11-24; Ezekiel 37; Zechariah 10:6-10). In Isaiah 66:7-8, the prophet foreshadowed the re-birth of Israel, and, just like the Bible says, this happened “in one day,” on May 14, 1948. With the raise in anti-Semitism, thousands of Jews are “making aliyah,” which is the immigration of Jews from the diaspora to the Land of Israel.

Surging Apostasy

A second sign of the end times is surging apostasy, that is, a departure from the truth, both doctrinally and morally (1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 13; Jude 1:1-16). This apostasy foreshadows the final falling away that will break out as the end times begin to unfold (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3).

2 Timothy 4:3-4 provides an accurate view of what we see happening in most churches today. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

Middle East “Peace” and the obsession with Jerusalem

The Middle East peace process is a key sign of the times. The event that signals the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation is the signing of a peace treaty between the leader of the Western Confederacy (the Antichrist) and the nation of Israel (Daniel 9:27; see also 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2). The number of resolutions issued against Israel by the United Nations speak for itself. There is a stern warning to the nations in Zechariah 12:3 “Moreover, on that day I will make Jerusalem a massive stone for all the people. All who try to lift it will be cut to pieces. Nevertheless, all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against her”.

Reuniting of the Roman Empire and Globalism

A coalition of nations, headed by ten leaders, will emerge to protect the interests of the West. This alliance will reconstitute the Roman Empire. This “Group of Ten” is first mentioned in Daniel 2:41-44, where it is symbolized as ten toes on a great statue. In Daniel 7:7 and 7:24 this same ruling oligarchy of ten leaders is symbolized by ten horns on a beast that represents the last world empire—the Roman Empire in its final form. Many interpreters of biblical prophecy believe that the European Union will fulfill this predicted alliance of nations.

Recently a coalition of ten European militaries has been mentioned in Paris, just days after Emmanuel Macron of France called for a “real European army.”

Ever since Genesis 10–11 and the tower of Babel, when Satan ruled the world through one man named Nimrod, Satan’s goal has been to get the world together again so he can rule it all. Access to the Internet now makes it possible. In terms of economics, the Bible predicts that the world ruler will have absolute control of the economy, and no one will buy or sell without his absolute control of the economy, and no one will buy or sell without his permission (Revelation 13:17). Both the need and the technology for world control exist today. Pope Francis stance on a borderless society is also no secret and “climate change” has become a handy tool in pulling all nations together.

THE VERY BASICS OF END TIME PROPHECY – PART 2

November 21, 2019 HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIESLeave a comment

IMPORTANCE OF ISRAEL IN PROPHECY

COVENANTS

One of the critical building blocks in understanding end time prophecies, is an understanding of the four unconditional and eternal covenants God made with Abraham and his descendants. These covenants established a permanent relationship between God and His chosen people, Israel and will ultimately all be fulfilled in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. In that day, Israel will be in right relationship with God forever, just as these covenants promised.

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT (GENESIS 12:1-3; 15:18-21)

God’s promise to Abraham is first made in Genesis 12:1-3. The promise is formalized into a covenant in Genesis 15:1-21 and then amplified in Genesis 17:1-18.

God promised Abraham, “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3, NASB). Certainly, this prophecy has been partially fulfilled in the blessing that has come to the entire world through Abraham’s greatest descendant, Jesus Christ.

God also made two national promises to Abraham: (1) the promise of descendants who would become a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:16; 15:5; 17:7; 22:17-18) and (2) the promise of the land of Israel as an eternal inheritance (Genesis 12:1; 13:14-17; 15:18-21). The land God promised includes the modern-day nation of Israel and parts of modern-day Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq (Genesis 15:18-21).

The covenant should be understood as an unconditional covenant as the original promises were given to Abraham without any conditions whatsoever. Furthermore, when God reiterated the covenant to Abraham’s son Isaac and grandson Jacob, there were no human conditions (Genesis 26:2-4, 24; 28:13-15). The New Testament also expressly affirms the unchangeable nature of the covenant (Romans 11:1-2, 11, 28-29; Hebrews 6:13-18).

This unconditional promise of the land has never been completely fulfilled in history, but it will be fulfilled in the Millennium when Christ gives the Jewish people the land He promised (Isaiah 60:21; Ezekiel 34:11-16).

The three promises are descendants, land, and blessing:

THE LAND COVENANT (DEUTERONOMY 30:1-10)

There are seven main features in the program there unfolded:

(1) The nation will be plucked off the land for its unfaithfulness (Deuteronomy 28:63-68; 30:1-3);

(2) there will be a future repentance of Israel (Deuteronomy 28:63-68; 30:1-3);

(3) their Messiah will return (Deuteronomy 30:3-6);

(4) Israel will be restored to the land (Deuteronomy 30:5);

(5) Israel will be converted as a nation (Deuteronomy 30:4-8; cf. Rom. 11:26-27);

(6) Israel’s enemies will be judged (Deuteronomy 30:7);

(7) the nation will then receive her full blessing (Deuteronomy 30:9).

THE DAVIDIC COVENANT (2 SAMUEL 7:12-16)

This covenant, since it builds on the Abrahamic Covenant, is also unconditional and is specifically stated to be eternal (2 Samuel 7:13; Psalm 89:3-4, 28-29). In this covenant, God promised David that someone from his house or dynasty would sit on his throne and rule over his kingdom forever. All believers agree that Jesus fulfilled this promise, being David’s greater son (Luke 1:32-33).

The agreement was for David’s Son to sit on David’s earthly throne and rule over David’s kingdom on earth forever. This must be literally fulfilled for the covenant to be valid and for God to keep His solemn promise to David. This promise will be fulfilled only when Jesus Christ, from the line of David, sits on David’s throne in Jerusalem, ruling over Israel in the coming Millennium and on into eternity (Ezekiel 37:22-25; Amos 9:11-15; Zephaniah 3:14-17; Luke 1:30-33, 69).

THE NEW COVENANT (JEREMIAH 31:31-34)

The New Covenant is God’s promise to bring the Jewish people into the right relationship with Himself. This covenant is stated to be eternal (Isaiah 61:8-9; Ezekiel 16:62; 37:24-28). God’s promise to Israel in this covenant contains three central elements.

The forgiveness of sins—God will forgive the people of Israel for their sins.
The indwelling Spirit—God will place His Spirit in the hearts of the people to personally instruct them in His way (Ezekiel 36:24-26).
A new heart—God will give His people a new, clean heart with His law inscribed upon it.

The specific promises in Jeremiah 31:31-34 are to the “house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31, NASB) and will find their ultimate fulfillment for Israel in the millennial kingdom when they are restored to the land with Christ as their king. (Notice the context of this covenant in Jeremiah 31:35-40 is the future Kingdom.) Even though the church participates in the blessing of the New Covenant, this does not set aside God’s clear promises to Israel.

As you can see, these covenants, in many ways, determine the course of future events. God’s promises to Israel are unconditional and eternal, yet they have not been completely fulfilled.

ISRAEL’S ROLE IN PROPHECY

Almost all the key events of the end times hinge on the existence of the nation of Israel. Israel is the battleground for all the great end times conflicts. The people of Israel must be preserved and regathered to their ancient homeland to set the stage for end times biblical prophecy to be fulfilled.

The end times Tribulation officially begins when the Antichrist makes a seven-year treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27). Obviously, for this to happen Israel must exist. The Jews must be back in their land. Ezekiel 38 and Zechariah 12 describe armed invasions of the nation of Israel. In the famous “valley of dry bones” vision of Ezekiel 37:1-14, Ezekiel’s graveyard vision symbolizes the national return, restoration, and regeneration of “the whole house of Israel.” Of course, this spiritual regeneration won’t occur until the Messiah returns.

The United Nations approved a national homeland for the Jews, and British control of the land ended on May 14, 1948.

CHRIST IS COMING TO REGATHER AND RESTORE FAITHFUL ISRAEL

The most frequently mentioned promise in the Old Testament is God’s promise that He will one day regather and restore the nation of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6; Jeremiah 30:10; 33:6-9; Ezekiel 36:24-38; 37:1-28). The promise will be fulfilled in two distinct ways—a physical regathering and a spiritual regathering. The physical regathering of Israel began in 1948 when the modern state of Israel was born, and it continues today. This regathering will continue until the midpoint of the Tribulation. It is a physical regathering of the Jewish people to their land in unbelief in preparation for the Tribulation. Especially when the Great Tribulation (second half) begins, Israel will be persecuted like never before.

This will be their spiritual regathering to the Lord in belief in preparation for the Millennium. In Matthew 24:30-31, Jesus says, “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” (NASB). The believing Jewish remnant will be regathered, and the Lord will fulfill His covenant promises to them.

THE VERY BASICS OF END TIME PROPHECY – PART 1

November 20, 2019November 20, 2019 HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIESLeave a comment

BASIC PROPHECY

We started this new series in the hope to reach more Christians who never hear about end time prophecies in their churches. For this reason we are only touching on the very basics of prophecy.

THE PURPOSE OF END TIME BIBLE PROPHECY

The Bible is very clear on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and this should bring great excitement to any true believer’s heart. He is the subject of Prophecy. It begins and ends with Him. Revelation 19:10 says, “The essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.” Jesus said: “I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I AM the Messiah” (John 13:19). He repeated the same idea in John 14:29: “I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.” Sadly though, only a few churches preach on end time events to prepare their members for this glorious day.

Many Old Testament passages refer to this great event while 23 of the 27 New Testament books also explicitly address the Second Coming of Christ. Prophecy covers 27% of all Scripture and of the 333 prophecies concerning Christ, only 109 were fulfilled during His first coming, leaving 224 yet to be fulfilled during the Second Coming. Jesus Himself often referred to His Second Coming and His followers are commanded nearly fifty times to watch out and be ready for His coming. As much of the Bible relate to prophecy, a study of the end time events gives us a much better understand of the entire Bible.

Bible prophecy is important because it tells us where we are heading to. It helps us to understand why things happen as they do and it motivates us to endure these difficult times, knowing that there is hope for the future. It also changes the way we live as we are constantly aware of His imminent return. Prophecy can also be used to awaken people to their need for Christ.

There are no unforeseen circumstances with God as He rules sovereignly over His world. He knows everything (omniscient), is present everywhere (omnipresent), and possesses all power (omnipotent). Only the true God can accurately predict the future as He not only rules the ages, but also controls the events in the life of every believer.

Many prophecies have come to pass exactly as the Bible said they would, which provides us with absolute proof that the Bible is the inspired Word of the Sovereign God. Prophecies separate the Bible from every other religious book ever written and prove the divine inspiration of the Bible. The Four Great World Empires in Succession and Israel’s independence in 1948 are two of the greatest examples thereof.

There are the three things in eschatology that all Christians believe will happen regarding the end times: 1) the literal, physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth; 2) the bodily resurrection of the dead; and 3) the judgment of all people. We will address all of these things as we go along.

My overall view of the end time prophecies is futuristic and premillennial, and based on a consistent, literal interpretation of the Bible.

BLESSINGS AND WARNINGS

THE BLESSINGS

Revelation is the only book in the Bible that contains specific, unique blessings, also called beatitudes, and there are seven of them.

Revelation 1:3 – “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” The book of Revelation is the only book of the Bible with a direct blessing promised to those who read it, hears it and take heed and obey to it.
Revelation 14:13 – “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.’” People who become believers and die during the tribulation will find rest and reward with Christ.
Revelation 16:15 – “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” Jesus warns those in the tribulation, just prior to the Battle of Armageddon, that He will soon come as a thief. Those who will remain faithful in Him will be blessed.
Revelation 19:9 – “Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God.’” The marriage supper between the Lamb and His Bride, the church, will take place in heaven, and God’s people from all ages will celebrate.
Revelation 20:6 – “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” The various resurrections mentioned in the Bible are divided into two general categories: the first resurrection is the resurrection of the justified, and the second of the unjust (Daniel 12:2; Luke 14:14; Acts 24:15). The first resurrection leads to eternal life while the second resurrection leads to the second death (Revelation 20:13–15).
Revelation 22:7 – “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” Again, Jesus promises a blessing to those who keep or obey the teachings of Revelation.
Revelation 22:14 – “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” Salvation comes from having one’s robes washed in the Lamb’s blood (Revelation 7:14)— it paints an amazing picture of the purity that comes with salvation and the price Jesus paid for our redemption (see Ephesians 1:7). Only blood-washed believers have the right to partake of the tree of life from which mankind has been barred since the Fall; only those with robes of righteousness have access to the Holy City (see Psalm 118:20; Isaiah 35:8).

THE WARNINGS

Revelation 22:18-19, however, also contains a stern warning to those who add to or take away from prophecy. “For I testify together to everyone who hears the Words of the prophecy of this Book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add on him the plagues that have been written in this Book. And if anyone takes away from the Words of the Book of this prophecy, God will take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which have been written in this Book.”

This warning is given specifically to those who distort the message of the Book of Revelation as Jesus Himself is the Author of Revelation and the giver of the vision to the apostle John (Revelation 1:1). Moses gave a similar warning in Deuteronomy 4:1-2, where he warned the Israelites to listen to and obey the commandments of God, neither adding to nor taking away from His revealed Word. Proverbs 30:5-6 also contains a similar admonition to anyone who would add to God’s words: he will be rebuked and proven to be a liar.

Allegorical or so-called “spiritual” interpretation of prophecy should always be avoided, except where it is clear that symbolism is used. Peter says in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

INTERPRETATIONS OF PROPHECY

ESCHATOLOGY

“LAST DAYS”

Eschatology refers to “the study of the last things.” We need to distinguish between the “last days” for the church, which is the age we are now living in, and the last days for Israel, which are still in the future. “End times” is a broad umbrella term, while the term, “last days” is more specific.

In the Old Testament, the term “last days” relates to Israel and includes the time of the tribulation, the coming of the Messiah as well as the establishment of His millennial kingdom on earth (Deuteronomy 4:30; Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 30:24; Ezekiel 38:8, 16; Micah 4:1). For the Old Testament prophets, the church and the church age were mysteries they had not seen (Ephesians 3:3-9).

Moving into the New Testament, the term “last days” mainly refers to the last days of the church and the church age (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1; James 5:3; 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:3). The last days for the church commenced with Christ’s First Coming and will close with the Rapture. Therefore, the entire current church age is called the “last days.” Christ could come at any time and when the Rapture takes place, the end time events will begin in full force.

End times include the Rapture, the Tribulation, the second coming of Christ, the Millennium Kingdom, and eternity.

“DAY OF THE LORD”

The Old Testament specifically refers to the “Day of the Lord” nineteen times, but in many other places it also refers to “the day” or “that day.” The New Testament mentions the Day of the Lord four times (Acts 2:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10).

The day of the Lord always relates to the times when God intervenes directly and dramatically in history, either to judge or to bless, whether in the past or as He will do again in the future. In almost all of these past, historical days, they prefigure the final, future Day of the Lord.

The future Day of the Lord is a period that will begin with wrath and judgment upon the wicked and Christ-rejecting world and is better known as the seven-year Tribulation. The Day of the Lord will continue throughout the Millennial reign of Christ and the creation of the new heavens and new earth, which is a time of unparalleled blessing. Christ will be in the midst of the believers, ruling over the earth, and will bless the nation of Israel.

We are currently still in the church age, often being referred to as the day of grace.

INTERPRETATION IN GENERAL

One of the key reasons why people are sceptical about Bible prophecy is because there are so many different views among Christians.

The key cause for these differences is linked to the method of interpreting Scripture, and even more so, prophetic Scripture. This is called “hermeneutics.” The basic principles of interpretation that one follows lead to the conclusions he or she is drawing from a specific piece of Scripture.

Bible prophecy is full of symbolism, which seems difficult to interpret. Unfortunately, most Christians therefore allegorize or “spiritualize” all prophetic passages. This leads to inconsistencies and causes a great deal of confusion.

When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, do not seek for any other sense or alternative meaning. Take every word at its ordinary, literal meaning, unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages, clearly indicate otherwise.

The most difficult part of interpreting prophecy is understanding the meaning of the symbols. Bible prophecy uses a broad spectrum of symbols—a huge statue, horns, beasts, stars, and various coloured horses to only name a few. It’s critical to remember that when symbols are used, they always refer to something that is literal.

When interpreting symbols, no interpreter has the freedom to make a symbol mean whatever he or she wants. First look at the immediate context for explanations of its meaning. Second, if a symbol has no clear interpretation in the immediate context, consider the larger context of the entire book where the symbol is found. Sometimes you may even need to consider another portion of Scripture. In many instances, the same symbol was also used in other passages or books of the Bible.

As so much of the Bible was prophetic when it was written, and since it all originates from the same divine Author, many passages throughout the Bible discuss the same persons and events, without contradicting each other.

Another important point is to carefully distinguish between what has already been fulfilled and what remains unfulfilled, to accurately interpret prophecy and put together a prophetic outline.

FOUR MAIN VIEWS CONCERNING THE TIMING OF EVENTS AND THEIR FULFILLMENT

Preterist (Past)

Preterists, like R.C. Sproul, are of the opinion that most, if not all, prophecies had been fulfilled in the first century by the events leading up to and surrounding the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Extreme preterists even believe the the Second Coming and the Resurrection of believers are past events. They view the Resurrection as a spiritual event. They go as far as telling that we are beyond the Millennium and are presently living in the new heavens and new earth.

Moderate preterists believe that the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 fulfilled most of Revelation’s visions. They believe that Jesus returned in AD 70 in a “cloud coming” to destroy Jerusalem through the Roman army and that Nero was the “beast” in Revelation 13.

Partial preterists believe that the coming in AD 70 was a judgment for the Jews but not the final judgment coming at the end of history. Moderate preterists however believe in a literal, future Second Coming, the resurrection of the dead, and a final judgment.

Preterists spiritualize and allegorize the text of most prophetic passages when events don’t fit what happened in AD 70. The main problem for preterists is that John wrote Revelation in AD 95, twenty-five years after Jerusalem was destroyed.

Historicist (Present)

Historicists interpret Revelation and many other prophecies as an overview of church history from the time of the apostles until the Second Coming. It is their desire to make Revelation relevant to readers in every generation. They frequently disagree on the meaning of symbol, which leads to a general lack of consensus among them as well as lots of speculation.

Idealist (Timeless)

Idealists do not consider Revelation as a prophetic book of future events but as a depiction of the ongoing struggle in a Christian’s life between good and evil and as an inspiration for believers to endure their setbacks and sufferings. Idealism originated as a result of the allegorical method of interpretation used by church fathers like Origen and Clement and gained traction with the amillennial view of Augustine. Sadly, the idealistic view is the main view among scholars today. It completely fails to give concrete meaning to the symbols of the book.

Futurist (Future)

Futurists interpret most prophetic texts as describing real people and events yet to appear on the world scene. Futurism was the dominant view of the early church. Among Futurists are the likes of Irenaeus, Hippolytus, John Walvoord and John MacArthur. Every generation of futurists lived with the hope that Revelation’s prophecies could be fulfilled in their time and this spirit of expectancy makes the prophecies relevant for every generation. It is the only view that consistently applies the principles of literal interpretation. Just as Genesis told us how everything began, it makes sense that the prophecies of the end times, especially Revelation, would tell us how everything would finally come out in the end.

THREE VIEWS OF THE NATURE AND TIMING OF THE MILLENNIUM

The Millennium is a period of one thousand years when Satan is bound and Christ reigns (Revelation 20:1-6). Christ’s rule will bring unprecedented peace and justice to the earth.

Amillennial

A-millennials believe that there will be no future, literal, earthly, one thousand-year reign of Christ, but that the Kingdom is spiritual in nature and is presently being fulfilled as Christ reigns in heaven and in the hearts of His people on earth. The one-thousand-year time frame is understood as symbolic of a long period of time during the current age. The believe that Satan has already been bound.

Postmillennial

Post-millennials teach that Christ will return to earth after the Millennium. The Millennial Kingdom is not a literal thousand years but a golden age that the church will usher in by the preaching of the gospel during this present age. The golden age will arrive gradually as the gospel spreads throughout the earth, until the whole world is eventually Christianized. The Millennium will grow on earth as Christians exercise more and more influence over the affairs of this planet. Ultimately, the gospel will prevail, and the world will become a better place, after which time Christ will appear to usher in eternity.

Premillennial

This view holds that Christ will return to earth at His second coming and will usher in a literal one-thousand-year earthly reign. For pre-millennials, the Millennium is still to come, after the 7 year tribulation, when Christ will return.

DUAL PURPOSE

The prophets often spoke a divine message for their own day, and their message was always closely tied to a predictive element of future judgment for disobedience or future blessing for obedience.

Old Testament prophets often blended the two comings of Christ, sometimes even in one verse. Many of the events that took place were simultaneously foreshadows of what is yet to come, often in greater proportions. The long-time gaps between two events is often being referred to as “prophetic skips.” The Old Testament has several examples. Today, with further divine revelation in the New Testament, we can discern the time gap between the two advents.

THE CHURCH AGE

We are currently living in the church age, which began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and will end dramatically with the Rapture. During the church age, Jews and Gentiles who come to faith in Christ are being formed into one body with Jesus Christ as the Head.

KEY PROPHETIC PASSAGES

Although all prophetic passages make a unique contribution, there are three main sections of the Bible that contain the essential keys to understanding the future. These three sections are (1) the book of Daniel, (2) the Olivet discourse (Matthew 24-25), and (3) the book of Revelation. There are however also other important passages such as Ezekiel 38–39, Zechariah 12-14, 1 Thessalonians 4–5, 2 Thessalonians 2 and many more, spread throughout the Bible.

DANIEL

Daniel 2 provides the first and most basic prophetic outline regarding the times of the Gentiles. It uses the symbol of a huge statue to describe the four main gentile empires that ruled the world throughout history, as well as the final empire, belonging to the Antichrist.

In Daniel 7, the prophet has a night vision in which four great beasts emerge from the sea: a winged lion, a bear, a four-winged leopard, and a terrible beast with iron teeth and ten horns. Another smaller horn appears among these ten horns, replacing three of them. Comparing these beasts to the statue in Daniel 2, we see that they represent the same gentile empires, yet from a different perspective.

The times of the Gentiles began with the Babylonian Empire in 605 BC, followed by the Persian Empire, which replaced Babylon in 539 BC. The Persians in turn were overthrown by Alexander the Great in 334–331 BC, and Greece was succeeded by Rome, which lasted until AD 476.

However, the ten horns in Daniel 7 do not seem to match the historic Roman Empire. Daniel says, “Its ten horns are ten kings” (7:24), but those ten leaders have never existed. This absence indicates that the Roman Empire will be revived or reunited in the end times and will ultimately be headed by the “little horn,” which is another title for the final Antichrist. His rule, and the times of the Gentiles, will be terminated when Christ, the smiting stone, the Son of Man, comes to establish His Kingdom. “His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).

In Daniel 9 we learn about the 70 weeks (or 490 years) of Daniel.

Daniel 9:25 mentions the first sixty-nine weeks: 7 weeks + 62 weeks (483 years or 173,880 days)

Daniel 9:26 represents the time between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks (An unknown period, including the current age)

In Daniel 9:24-27 God answers to Daniel’s prayer, but He goes far beyond the restoration of the people from Babylon to Israel’s ultimate and final restoration under the Messiah. The 490 years relate to the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem, not to the church. Christ’s death on the cross made provision for sin, but Israel’s acceptance of this sacrifice will not be realized until they repent at the end of the seventy weeks, in conjunction with Christ’s second coming.

God’s prophetic clock for Israel stopped at the end of the sixty-ninth set of seven. We are living in this gap between week sixty-nine and week seventy—it is called the church age. The church age will end when Christ raptures His bride, the church. Since the church was not around for the first sixty-nine weeks from 444 BC to AD 33, it makes sense the church will not be here for the final week of years either.

Daniel 9:27 relates to the seventieth week (seven years). God’s prophetic clock for Israel will begin again after the church has been raptured, when the Antichrist comes onto the scene and ratifies a seven-year treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27).

The Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel at its midpoint (after 3½ years) and set an abominable statue or image of himself in the rebuilt Temple of God in Jerusalem (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 13:14-15). The final 3½ years will be the “great tribulation” Jesus talked about in Matthew 24:21.

At the end of the seven years, God will slay the Antichrist (see Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:20). This event will mark the end of the seventy sets of seven and the beginning of the one-thousand-year reign of Christ.

MATTHEW 24-25

The Olivet discourse was Jesus’ response to His disciples’ question about the destruction of the Temple and the end of the age. This sermon, therefore, addresses the seven-year Tribulation period that will occur just before Christ returns. In Matthew 24:15, Jesus says, “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about.” Jesus directly appeals to the prophecies of Daniel and specifically to Daniel 9:27.

In the context, “this generation” probably refers to those living during the Tribulation who will personally witness the events described in Matthew 24:4-31.

REVELATION

Chapters 1–3: The current Church Age

Chapters 4-5: The affairs in heaven

Chapters 6–19: The Tribulation

Chapter 20: The 1000 year Kingdom Age

Chapters 21–22: The Eternal Age

HEBREWS STUDY PART 12: DISCIPLINE – HOLD FAST!

November 17, 2019 HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIESLeave a comment

THE BOOK OF HEBREWS

REMEMBER … THE REWARD (10:32-39)

“But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly, by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one.” (10:32-34)

The Hebrews addressed in these verses were so closely identified with Christians (becoming sharers) that they even experienced suffering, reproaches, and tribulations because of it. It is possible even for an unbeliever to have a kind of “first love” for Christ as they are sometimes strongly be drawn to Him intellectually and emotionally. The unbelieving Jews addressed in this passage were so attracted and enlightened.

They were well on their way to believing, but they had not believed. Now they are told to complete the process by putting their full trust in Jesus Christ. They had the prospect of a better possession and an abiding one.

“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” (10:35-36)

They needed endurance and patience. Everything they did was not for nothing, but it was not enough. They had not done the will of God fully, because they had not trusted in His Son fully. And until then, they could not receive what was promised. They knew the promises, but they did not receive them.

“For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” (10:37-39)

The Lord will come back for the faithful. In the meanwhile, the way to become righteous is by faith and the way the righteous should live is by faith. Good works play an important role in the life of the believer, but only faith will bring salvation and the preserving of the soul. We are not of those who shrink back to destruction.

HOLD FAST IN HOPE (10:23)

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (10:23)

A person who genuinely trusts, cannot help being hopeful and will hold fast. Holding on does not keep us saved, any more than good works will make us saved, but both are evidence that we are saved. Holding on is the human side of eternal security. The Reformers called it “the perseverance of the saints.” God’s sovereignty does not exclude man’s responsibility. Jesus not only said, “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44), but He also said, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (John 8:31).

In the parable of the sower, Jesus illustrated four different kinds of response to the gospel. Some people are so far from wanting salvation that the devil simply takes away the seed of God’s Word before it has time to germinate at all. Others respond joyfully at hearing the Word, but their “belief” lasts only until the first temptation. Still others believe until they run into a few problems. True believers, however, “are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance” (Luke 8:15).

A true believer will be around in the end. He may become discouraged or frustrated, and occasionally fall into a sinful habit. But he will hold fast the confession of his hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

God’s answers may seem to be a long time in coming, and our waiting may be uncomfortable or even painful. But He will always do just as He has said He will do. The reason we can hold fast to our hope without wavering is that He who promised is faithful.

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE (12:1-3)

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.” (12:1-3)

Effective teaching often makes use of figures of speech. Paul was particularly fond of the figure of the race. He uses such phrases as “run in a race” (1 Cor. 9:24), “running well” (Gal. 5:7), and “run in vain” (Phil. 2:16). “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Cor. 9:24-25). Paul did not pursue comfort, money, great learning, popularity, respect, position, lust of the flesh, or anything but God’s will. This is also the figure used by the writer in Hebrews 12:1-3. In these few verses we see various aspects of the race, as they are compared to the faithful life in Christ.

In 12:1, the words “let us” may be used to refer to Jews who have made a profession of Christ but have not gone all the way to full faith. They have not yet begun the Christian race, which starts with salvation. The truths, however, apply primarily to Christians, who are already running.

A race is not a thing of passive luxury, but is demanding, sometimes gruelling and agonizing, and requires our utmost in self-discipline, determination, and perseverance. To stand still or to go backward is to forfeit the prize. Worse yet is to stay in the stands and never participate at all, for which we forfeit everything—even eternal heaven. Endurance is steady determination to keep going. There will be obstacles and there will be weariness and exhaustion, but we must endure if we are to win. God is concerned for steadfastness.

Many of the Hebrew Christians to whom the letter was written had started well. They had seen signs and wonders and were thrilled with their new lives (Heb. 2:4). But as the new began to wear off and problems began to arise, they began to lose their enthusiasm and their confidence. They started looking back at the old ways of Judaism, and around them and ahead of them at the persecution and suffering, and they began to weaken and waver.

Ours is not a race of works but a race of faith. Our competition is against Satan, his world system, and our own sinfulness, often referred to in the New Testament as the flesh. Second, our strength is not in ourselves, but in the Holy Spirit; otherwise we could never endure. We are not called on to endure in ourselves, but in Him. That is why our protection against Satan’s temptations is “the shield of faith” (Eph. 6:16). As long as we are trusting God and doing what He wants us to do, Satan and sin have no power over us.

The cloud of witnesses are all those faithful saints just mentioned in chapter 11. We are to run the race of faith like they did. They have proved by their testimony, their witness, that the life of faith is the only life to live. Nothing is more encouraging than the successful example of someone who has “done it before.”

An encumbrance is simply a bulk or mass of something that weighs us down, diverts our attention, saps our energy, dampens our enthusiasm for the things of God. It keeps us from running well and therefore from winning. For these Jews, the main encumbrance was Judaistic legalism, hanging on to the old religious ways. These Jewish believers, or would-be believers, could not possibly run the Christian race with all their excess baggage. “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?” (Gal. 4:9).

If there is one particular sin that hinders the race of faith it is unbelief, doubting God. Unbelief easily entangles the Christian’s feet so that he cannot run. When we allow sin in our lives, especially unbelief, it is quite easy for Satan to keep us from running.

JESUS, THE PERFECT EXAMPLE

Jesus was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). He knew the Father in everything He did and He obeyed. “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30). Whatever the prospect of hardship or suffering, He trusted His Father. His Father’s will was what He lived by and died by. If Jesus’ perfect faith had not led Him to the cross, our faith would be in vain, because there would then be no sacrifice for our sins, no righteousness to count to our credit.

He is also its perfecter, the One who carries it through to completion. He continued to trust His Father until He could say, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). In faith, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame. It accomplished exactly what it was meant to accomplish, because, from birth to death, His life was totally committed into His Father’s hands. There has never been a walk of faith like Jesus’.

THE END OF THE RACE

No one runs a race without some expectation of reward. If you do not have something important to look forward to at the end of this race, you will likely not start it and will certainly not finish it.

Jesus ran for two things, the joy set before Him and sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God. In His high-priestly prayer Jesus said to His Father, “I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do. And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was” (John 17:4-5). Jesus gained His reward by glorifying His Father while on earth, and He glorified God by totally exhibiting the Father’s attributes and by fully doing the Father’s will.

The prize true Christians are to running for is not heaven, as heaven is already ours. Like Jesus, we run for the joy of exaltation God promises will be ours if we glorify Him on earth as His Son did. We glorify God by allowing His attributes to shine through us and by obeying His will in everything we do. When we anticipate the heavenly reward of faithful service, joy will be ours now. What gives us joy in this life is confidence of reward in the next.

Even if we must suffer for the Lord, we should be able to say with Paul, “I rejoice and share my joy with you all” (Phil. 2:17). And though, like Paul, we are not yet perfect, we should also forget what is behind and reach forward to what lies ahead, pressing on “toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:13-14). We should be able to look forward to the day when our Lord says to us, “Well done,… enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21). “In the future,” the apostle says, “there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim.4:8). And when we get to heaven, we can join the twenty-four elders in casting our “crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power’ ” (Rev. 4:10-11). We rejoice that one day we will “live together with Him” (1 Thess. 5:10), but we should also rejoice that we can live like Him right now.

We do not live in our own power but in His, just as on earth He did not live in His own power but in the Father’s. We can say with Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20).

FALLING SHORT OF GOD’S GRACE (12:12-17)

Nothing in Scripture is more important than doctrine. Apart from doctrine there could be no basis for obedience, faith in God or love of God, since we would know nothing about Him. But Scripture contains much more than doctrine, as it also contains exhortation for living out the truths we learn. Knowing and believing are one side of the coin; living and obeying are the other.

The basic thrust of Hebrews 12:12-17 is clearly exhortation. Strengthen, make straight, pursue, and see to it are all terms of exhortation. Its purpose is to encourage living up to the truth. Teaching sound doctrine that is not applied is worthless, and exhortation that is not based on sound doctrine is misleading.

Verses 12-17 give three exhortations: for continuance, for diligence, and for vigilance. They are addressed first of all to believers, although they apply to unbelievers as well.

CONTINUANCE

“Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.” (12:12-13)

These verses resume the race metaphor. The primary reference here is to professing Christians, those who have identified themselves with the church but who are not saved. They have the appearance of being in the race of faith but are not.

The first thing that happens to a runner when he starts to tire is that the arms begin to droop and then the knees begin to wobble. But if you concentrate on the drooping or the wobbling, you are finished. The only way you can hope to continue is by focusing on the goal. When we experience spiritual hands that are weak and knees that are feeble, our only hope is in “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (12:2). One of the surest ways to encourage ourselves is to give encouragement to someone else.

And make straight paths for your feet refers to staying in your lane in the race, not losing concentration on the goal. “Let your eyes look directly ahead, and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.” (Proverbs 4:25-27)

When we run, we leave a track behind us, which will also either lead or mislead others. Lame could apply to weak, limping Christians, who are easily tripped up or misled. It is certainly true that our weaker brothers will be among the first to be hurt by our poor example (see Rom. 14). The writer of Hebrews was warning believers about the danger of misleading lame, uncommitted unbelievers and of causing them to apostatize back into Judaism.

A poor testimony can cause an already limping unbeliever to be put out of joint, completely dislocated spiritually. Directly and indirectly, our testimony should glorify God and therefore be the best possible influence on those around us. God wants unbelievers healed, to be saved.

DILIGENCE

“Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” (12:14)

A person who is not saved cannot pursue either peace or sanctification. Only the Christian has the ability, through the Holy Spirit, to live in peace and in holiness. “‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’” (Isa. 57:21) Because we are at peace with God, we should be peacemakers. Because we are counted righteous, we should live righteously. Our practice should match our position.

If we love men, we will be at peace with them. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Rom. 12:18). We have an obligation to live peaceably, whether or not those around us treat us peaceably.

Sanctification has to do with our love for God. It speaks of the pure, obedient, holy life we live set apart for God’s glory, because of that love. When we love Him, we will want to be like Him, and when we are like Him, others will see Him in us and be attracted to Him. Love toward men and love toward God are inseparable.

When unbelievers see a Christian’s peacefulness and holiness, they may become attracted to the Lord. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Our love for each other is a testimony to the Father and to the Son. It is a means of drawing people to Christ, apart from whom no one will see the Lord.

VIGILANCE

“See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.” (12:15)

We are also to look out for, oversee, those in our midst, especially within the church, who may not be believers. The first purpose of our oversight should be to win the unsaved to Christ. We are actually exhorted and commanded, to make every effort to see to it that no one comes short of the grace of God.

The second purpose for vigilance is to prevent bitterness. The root of bitterness refers to a person who is superficially identified with God’s people, and who falls back into paganism. But he is no ordinary apostate. He is arrogant and defiant concerning the things of God. We should be on guard against such apostates, lest they cause trouble, and by it many be defiled. A person in the root of bitterness, however, is a corruptive influence, a serious contamination in the Body.

PREVENT SHALLOW SELFISHNESS

“That there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” (12:16-17)

Perhaps the saddest and most godless person in Scripture outside of Judas is Esau as the Bible strongly condemns them. Wilfully they turned their backs on God and the things of God. Esau was not only immoral, but he was also godless. Christians are to be vigilant that no persons such as Esau contaminate Christ’s Body. See to it… that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau.

When Esau finally woke up to some extent and realized what he had forsaken, he made a half-hearted attempt to retrieve it. Just because he sought for it with tears does not indicate sincerity or true remorse. He found no place for repentance. He bitterly regretted, but he did not repent. He selfishly wanted God’s blessings, but he did not want God. He went on sinning wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth.

ENCOURAGE IN LOVE (10:24-25)

“And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” (10:24-25)

A further positive response to the gospel is fellowship in love. One of the best ways to hold fast to the things of God is to be in the fellowship of His people, where they could love and be loved, serve and be served. The day drawing near is referring to the coming of the Lord.

THE DISCIPLINE OF GOD (12:4-11)

“You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.” (12:4)

All the Jews to whom the book of Hebrews was written were undergoing persecution because of their break with Judaism. Those who had made mere professions of faith were, under this pressure, in danger of reverting to Judaism, of apostatizing. The true believers were in danger of having their faith seriously weakened by adopting again the rituals and ceremonies of the Old Covenant. One of the reasons Jesus “endured such hostility by sinners against Himself,” was that His followers might “not grow weary and lose heart” (12:3).

Some of their suffering was deserved and was intended for their spiritual discipline and growth. The emphasis of this passage is on the heavenly Father’s use of discipline in the lives of His children.

God uses hardship and affliction as a means of discipline. We must realize that there is a great difference between God’s discipline and His judgmental punishment. Though we deserve God’s wrathful punishment because of our sin, we will never have to face it, because Jesus endured it for us.

We experience some of God’s discipline as the direct result of our sin, but the punishment is corrective, not judgmental and not the sort that unbelievers receive. Through the prophet Nathan, God told David that because of his sin, “Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife” (2 Sam. 12:10). Yet David was a better man because of God’s discipline. God had a purpose in the discipline—to draw His servant closer to Himself, to convince him not to sin again, and to help him grow and mature.

It is often hard for us to see the good in God’s chastening us. But we know that, because He is our loving heavenly Father, He will not do anything to harm us, although it may hurt. It does however do us good as it restrains us from repeating the sin.

Sometimes God disciplines in order to prevent sin. He puts “fences” around His children to protect them. What seems to us a terrible inconvenience or hardship may be God’s loving hand of protection. Our sickness, lack of business success, or other problems may be God’s way of keeping us from something much worse. If God’s children accepted His preventive discipline more willingly and gratefully, He would have much less need for administering His corrective discipline.

Besides punishing and preventing, God’s discipline also educates us for better service and better living. Sometimes God can get our attention better through affliction than through blessing. Discipline can also teach sympathy for others.

By God’s own declaration, Job was “blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil” (Job 1:1). Yet God allowed him to suffer pain, loss, grief, sickness, and ridicule that make Paul’s thorn in the flesh, whatever it was, seem insignificant by comparison. Just as Paul’s thorn, Job’s afflictions were messengers of Satan and came upon him with God’s approval (1:12; 2:6). Job went through his horrible sufferings and “did not sin with his lips” (2:10).

FORGETTING GOD’S WORD

“And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the LORD, nor faint when you are reproved by Him.” (12:5)

When God’s Word is neglected it is forgotten. Sometimes the answer or the help we need is in a truth we learned a long time ago but have let slip away. Here the Jews were reminded that they had also forgotten the teaching from Proverbs 3:11-12 about God’s discipline. They had forgotten more than simply divine truths, they had forgotten the exhortation of their heavenly Father.

The first thing that can keep God from accomplishing what He wants in our lives is to regard lightly His discipline. Our reactions cannot be right if our view of what is happening is not right. Our focus is more than often so much on the experience itself, rather than on our heavenly Father and on what He wants to do for us through the experience.

We can also become callous to God and His Word and not recognize God’s hand in our experience or treat God’s discipline lightly by complaining. When we are calloused, God’s discipline will harden us instead of softens us. We can prevent God from accomplishing His desired result through discipline by questioning. Our questioning God implies that He is not justified in doing what He is doing to us.

Perhaps the greatest danger in regarding God’s discipline lightly is carelessness. When we do not care about what purpose God has in the discipline or about how we can profit from it, His discipline cannot be effective. Some people become so overcome by their problems that they give up; they become despondent, depressed, faint. They become spiritually inert, unresponsive to what God is doing or why. The cure for hopelessness is hope in God. The child of God has no need to faint because of God’s discipline. God gives it to strengthen us, not to weaken us, to encourage us, not to discourage us, to build us up, not to tear us down.

PROOFS IN DISCIPLINE

“For those whom the LORD loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” (12:6-8)

PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE

The first thing we should think of when we are suffering is our Father’s love, for those whom the LORD loves He disciplines. God loves His children and is bound by His own nature and His own covenant to do them only good. Therefore, whatever we receive from God’s hand, including discipline, is from God’s love. We benefit in all these ways, and many more, when we accept His discipline. “For the Lord will not reject forever, for if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness. For He does not afflict willingly, or grieve the sons of men” (Lam. 3:31-33). He will not discipline us beyond what we need or can bear, any more than He will allow us to be tempted beyond what we can endure (1 Cor. 10:13).

PROOF OF OUR SONSHIP

All men are subject to God’s punishment, but only His children receive His discipline. We can know we are God’s children by His leading us (Rom. 8:14) and by the witness of His Spirit to our spirits (8:15-16). We know from the fact that we have trusted in Jesus Christ that we are God’s children. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). We also know from our discipline that we are His children, because He scourges every son whom He receives. Not a single one of His children will miss out on His loving discipline. Whom He receives is exclusive. Only those He receives through their faith in His Son are His children.

Scourges means that God’s discipline can sometimes be severe, especially when our disobedience is great. To us as parents, the Bible teaches, ““He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently” (Prov. 13:24; cf. 23:13-14). We can be certain that because God will always love us, He will also always discipline us, as His children, while we are in this life. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

When we look at how well many unbelievers are doing and then at how much trouble we are having, we should take this as evidence that we belong to God and they do not. If they are without discipline, they are illegitimate children and not sons.

PRODUCTS OF DISCIPLINE

“Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (12:9-11)

You do not know what victory is until you have fought a battle. God’s discipline produces life and holiness. Since we respected our earthly fathers even while they were disciplining us, shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? A Christian’s persistent rebellion against God’s discipline can cost him his life because of his stubbornness.

“Those who love Thy law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Ps. 119:165). No one lives so well as the believer who loves God’s law and will, who receives everything from his Father’s hand willingly and joyously.

God’s primary desire for us is that we be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:16), that we may share in His holiness. The Lord never makes such mistakes with His children. His discipline is always proper, always at the right time, of the right sort, and in the right degree. It is always perfectly for our good, that we may share His holiness. The only way we can be separated from sin, and thereby partake of His holiness and be filled up with His fullness, is “to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29)—which requires that we accept His discipline as a son. Positionally we already are holy, because we are justified. But practically our holiness is just beginning, which is the work of sanctification—making us holy.

If discipline was pleasant, it would have little corrective power. “Afterwards . . . yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” It builds our character and our faith, our love and our righteousness.

(MAIN SOURCE: MACARTHUR NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY – JOHN MACARTHUR)

HEBREWS STUDY PART 11: CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR

November 10, 2019 HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIESLeave a comment

THE BOOK OF HEBREWS

CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR: IN RELATION TO GOD (13:10-21)

SEPARATION

Hebrews 13:10-14 are among the most difficult in the book of Hebrews. They are subject to many interpretations and applications, and we therefore cannot be dogmatic in the views presented.

“We have an altar, from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.” (13:10-12)

This hardly can describe Christian worship. There is also no eating or sacrificing of animals at the heavenly altar. Others believe the altar is a figure of Christ, whose body we are to eat and whose blood we are to drink (John 6:53-58). But still the questions remain about who is not allowed to eat and about the sacrificial animals.

We most probably refers to the writer’s fellow Jews. The priests serve at this altar in the Tabernacle, or the Temple. On the Day of Atonement, they are not allowed to eat the sin offering. The bodies of the animals used for this sacrifice are taken outside the camp and burned.

In this view, an analogy is given for Christians. As the priest of old could not have a part in the sins of the people, so the believer should be outside the camp of the world, no longer a part of its system, standards, and practices. It is simply a picture of Christians, following their Lord, separating themselves from the things of sin. As our Lord was crucified outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem, so we are to be spiritually outside the walls of sinning people.

“Hence, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” (13:13)

As Christians, we must be willing to go out from the system, to bear the reproach and the shame that both the sin offering and Christ Himself bore, and to be rejected by men.

God sends us into the physical world, the world where people live. What we are to be separate from is the world system, the way the world’s people live (cf. 1 John 2:15-17). Paul had a great deal to say about separation. “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?” (2 Cor. 6:14-15).

After the incident with the golden calf in the wilderness, and before the Tabernacle was built, Moses set a tent outside the camp, “a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And it came about, that everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp” (Ex. 33:7). Whenever Moses entered the tent, the “pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses” (v. 9). Those who wanted to approach God had to go outside the camp, because Israel for the most part, siding with the world system, had rejected God.

Whether the analogy is of the Old Testament sacrifice being taken outside the camp, of Christ’s being crucified outside the gates of Jerusalem, or of the tent of meeting being outside the camp, the basic point seems to be that of separation.

For the Jews to whom Hebrews was written, separation from the world system meant separation from Judaism.

SACRIFICE

“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (13:15-16)

Sacrifice was extremely important to the Jew. Christ offered the one and only sacrifice for sin. He demands the sacrifice of our praise and of our doing good (works) in His name. He demands sacrifice not in the form of a ritual or ceremony, but in word and in deed—in our praise of Him and in our service to others. He wants only the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. “I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High” (Ps. 7:17). The Christian’s sacrifice of praise is to be offered continually.

Praise of God in word and deed are inseparable. Lip service must be accompanied by life service. “Little

children,” John says, “let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). John warns us that “the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). In other words, if our praise of God in word is not accompanied by doing good and sharing, it is not acceptable to Him. Worship involves action that honours God.

SUBMISSION

“Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” (13:17)

The most obvious submission seen in this text is that given to church leaders. Someday God will rule all the earth through His Son, the King of kings, but in the meanwhile, He rules His church through godly men. Submission to these men, therefore, is submission to God. “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1 Thess. 5:12-13). The priority of every pastor, every elder, every church leader, is to care for the spiritual welfare of the congregation, for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. It is a sobering responsibility to be a leader in Christ’s church. To cause our leaders grief is harmful to ourselves as well as to them and to the church as a whole. It is unprofitable for you.

But God mediates his earthly rule, secular and spiritual, through various men. Even pagan rulers who have no use for God are nevertheless used by Him. “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” (Rom. 13:1).

SUPPLICATION

“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. And I urge you all the more to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.” (13:18-19)

To pray for our leaders in the church is to serve and to please God. Prayer makes things possible; it moves the hand of God. Church leaders are made of the same stuff as those they serve. They have sins, weaknesses, limitations, blind spots, and needs of all sorts, just as everyone else.

Paul did not hesitate to ask for prayer. “Pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19). How much more do God’s ordinary ministers need the prayer of their people.

The writer asks for prayer because we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. God is sovereign, but prayer makes things possible that otherwise would not be possible.

THE POWER OF GOD

“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (13:20-21)

These verses are really a benediction and could stand without comment. We not only need to know God’s will; we need to have His power. We need the God of peace to equip us in every good thing to do His will. Christian growth and obedience are by God’s power, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.

The greatest display of divine power in the history of the universe was at the resurrection of Jesus Christ, when God brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant.

All we have to do is open the channel of our wills and let God’s power work through us. “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Cor. 9:10). We can work out our salvation because God is at work in us “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). Because Christ does the work, He deserves the credit and praise, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR: IN RELATION TO OTHERS (13:1-3)

“Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.” (13:1-3)

Paul wrote: “In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us” (Titus 2:7-8). Hebrews 13 gives some of the essential practical ethics of Christian living that help portray the true gospel to the world, that encourage men to trust in Christ, and that bring glory to God.

Unfortunately, throughout the history of the church, the mean, prejudiced, and immoral lives of professed Christians have given the world an excuse not to be attracted to the claims of Christ. We who are true Christians have a serious responsibility to live spotlessly to the glory of God, so that unbelievers never have a just reason for criticizing the way we live, because how we live is a reflection on our Lord. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Jesus, of course, had in mind true good works, not hypocritical pretence. Good works that are self-conscious and hypocritical are not hard to spot. They do not impress God or unbelievers.

Ethics has to do with standards of conduct (behavior) or moral judgment. There can be no ethics without doctrine. You cannot reasonably require a certain type of living or morality from a person without underlying, under-girding, and universal moral principles that determine those standards. Otherwise you have no ethics at all, only a moral free-for-all, which is exactly what many people are advocating and exemplifying today.

Love itself needs a standard. Without a standard, one person’s idea of love often will be different from—and frequently contradictory to—someone else’s. Every moral command in the New Testament presupposes faith in Christ. You cannot possibly live up to God’s standards without God.

SUSTAINED LOVE

LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN

The primary moral standard of Christianity is love, and the particular love exhorted here is love of fellow Christians. Brotherly love is the natural outflow of the Christian life. “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Pet. 1:22-23). One of the by-products of obeying God’s truth is increased love for fellow believers.

Since we were given brotherly love when we were given spiritual life, we should exercise this love. Our primary concern should not be to look for blessings or to ask for blessings but to use our blessings (cf. Eph.l:3). Paul appeals to brothers in Christ to be diligent “to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more” (1 Thess. 4:9-10).

The basic principle of brotherly love is simple and is explained by Paul. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor” (Rom. 12:10). Put in its most basic form, brotherly love is caring for fellow Christians more than we care for ourselves.

Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). In effect, God has given the world a right to evaluate us on the basis of our love for each other.

“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death” (1 John 3:14). Loving fellow Christians also reveals our true identity and provides a sure proof of salvation is found in our own hearts. We have no better evidence that we are a child of God—because we love His other children, our brothers and sisters in Christ. “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me” (Matt. 25:40).

It is also characterized by practical commitment. “Whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17). John continuous, continues, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him” (vv. 18-19).

LOVE FOR STRANGERS

Our first responsibility is to our brothers in Christ, but our responsibility does not end there. “While we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10). “All men” includes even our enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:43-44).

A stranger, by definition, is someone we do not know personally. Consequently, it is easy to be deceived when helping a stranger. If we help in good faith, God will honour our effort. Love is often taken advantage of, but this is a cost that it does not count.

In the ancient world hospitality often included putting a guest up overnight or longer. Christians are certainly to be no less hospitable. For by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

SYMPATHY

Sympathy is closely related to sustained love. It is easier to help others when we ourselves have needed help. It is easier to appreciate hunger when we have been hungry, loneliness when we have been lonely, and persecution when we have been persecuted. The point is that we should do our best to identify with those in need, to try to put ourselves in their places. We know that if we were starving, we would want someone to feed us, and that if we were imprisoned, we would want to be visited.

Hebrews 13:3 also warns against spiritualizing the Christian life. Our true home is heaven, but we are still in the body. We still get hungry, we still get lonely, and we still hurt, physically and psychologically. Our own troubles should make us more sensitive, hospitable, and loving, not less.

CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR: IN RELATION TO OURSELVES (13:4-9)

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?” Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited.” (13:4-9)

SEXUAL PURITY

MARRIAGE IS TO BE HONOURED

Paul warns that in the last days apostate teachers will “forbid marriage” (1 Tim. 4:3). But God holds marriage not only to be permissible, but honourable, and we are to have the same high regard for it. The Holy Spirit honoured marriage by using it to picture the church in the New Testament.

Marriage is, amongst other things, provided as a means of preventing sexual sin. “Because of immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2)

Marriage can be held in honor in many ways. One is by the husband’s being the head. God is glorified in a family where the husband rules. “Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman” (1 Cor. 11:3). “The husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church” (Eph. 5:23). “You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Pet. 3:7).

God is serious about sexual purity. Part of our moral responsibility to ourselves is to be sexually pure. The world today is obsessed with sex as never before. Sexual activity apart from marriage is considered acceptable and normal by more and more people. Some of the more obvious results of such views are the heartbreaking increases in extramarital pregnancies, forcible rapes, illegitimate births, abortions and in venereal diseases of all sorts. Judgment already exists in the broken homes, the venereal disease, the psychological and physical breakdowns, and the murder and other violence that is generated when passion is uncontrolled. It is not possible to live and act against the moral grain of the universe established by God and not suffer terrible consequences.

When Christians are immoral, the immediate consequences may even be worse, because the testimony of the gospel is polluted. “But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (Eph. 5:3).

SATISFACTION WITH WHAT WE HAVE

“Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?” (13:5-6)

You do not have to acquire a lot of things to be covetous. In fact, you do not have to acquire anything at all. Covetousness is an attitude; it is wanting to acquire things, longing for them, setting our thoughts and attention on them—whether we ever possess them or not. Covetousness and greed follow a principle of increasing desire and decreasing satisfaction, a form of the law of diminishing returns. “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity” (Eccles. 5:10). The more you get the more you want. When we focus on material things, our having will never catch up with our wanting. It is one of God’s unbreakable laws.

A Christian should be free from the love of material things. Love of money is sin against God, a form of distrust. For He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” Among other things, loving money is trusting in uncertain riches rather than the living God (1 Tim. 6:17), looking for security in material things instead of in our heavenly Father. “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed,” Jesus warned, “for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Greed has kept many unbelievers out of the kingdom, and it has caused many believers to lose the joy of the kingdom, or worse.

Be content with what you have. We confidently say, “The LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?” Discontentment is one of man’s greatest sins. Contentment is one of God’s greatest blessings. If we really believe that God is good, we know He will take care of us, His children. “Your Father knows that you need these things” (Luke 12:30). We know with Paul that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). It is the worldly, including the wealthy worldly, who are poor, and it is believers, including poor ones, who are rich. Our treasure is in our homeland, in heaven, and we should set our minds “on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2).

STEADFASTNESS IN THE FAITH

“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited.” (13:7-9)

The primary appeal of this passage is for Jews who had heard and professed the gospel not to return to legalism. Just as those who led {us} who spoke the word of God, and just as Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, so we should be in our doctrine and practices. We are not to be carried away by varied and strange teachings.

One of the saddest things in the world is for a Christian to get drawn into false doctrine and be rendered ineffective, to lose his joy, reward, and testimony.

Jews were used to having religious regulations for everything, and it was hard for them to adjust to freedom in Christ. It was difficult for them to accept the truth Paul expresses in 1 Corinthians 8:8, that “food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.” All their lives they had been taught and had believed that what you ate and did not eat was extremely important to God. Even how it was prepared and eaten was important. Now they are told that those who were thus occupied were not benefited. Spirituality comes not by foods. As Christians, our hearts are only strengthened by grace.

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.” (1 Tim. 4:1-5)

(MAIN SOURCE: MACARTHUR NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY – JOHN MACARTHUR)

ISRAEL’S SALVATION ACCORDING TO ZACHARIAH 12-14 (PART 2 OF 2)

November 5, 2019 HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIESLeave a comment

Israel saved

ZACHARIAH 14

TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF CHRIST

THE PROMISED MESSIAH WILL RETURN AS THE TRIUMPHANT WARRIOR-KING TO DEFEAT ISRAEL’S ENEMIES AND USHER IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

Just as God fulfilled His detailed promises very literally regarding the first coming of the promised Messiah, the events surrounding His second coming and the Day of the Lord must also be taken at face value. Yes, there are figures of speech involved. But you cannot do justice to the text to spiritualize away the details that are revealed in this chapter or to try to substitute the church for the physical nation of Israel as the focal point of these promises. Just when things look the darkest for the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem, the Warrior-King will return in power and triumph to destroy all enemies and rescue His besieged remnant. The worship of the one true God will be exalted in the millennial kingdom with very severe judgments for those people who persist in the foolishness of rebellion.

THE LORD WILL RESCUE HIS REMNANT (14:1-3, 12-15)

The first verses of chapter 14 go back to the last two verses of chapter 13, and to the battle mentioned in 12:2-9.

“1 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.”

The earlier description did not mention that Jerusalem would be overrun before the Lord would intervene, but that is the picture here (14:2-3). The people will be overcome by their opponents and will have to watch helplessly as their own possessions are leisurely shared out by their conquerors before their very eyes. It is a picture of the seemingly hopeless situation of the people of God. But as the enemies are leisurely dividing the spoil from Jerusalem in its streets, thinking that they have defeated the Jews, then Jesus will return.

When the Romans came against Jerusalem in 70 A.D. they came with a multinational army and brought terrible destruction on the city and its people. Yet there was none of the deliverance that Zechariah will describe in the following verses, so it is difficult to say that this was fulfilled in the Roman attack upon Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

“12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. 13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour. 14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. 15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.”

The enemies of God as well as many of His own people are destroyed by plague, mutual slaughter, and by the sword of Judah (Judah also will fight at Jerusalem). The description of flesh dissolving makes some think that Zechariah is describing the effects of a neutron or nuclear bomb. But In the glorious deliverance the Messiah brings, Jerusalem will become a wealthy and influential city again.

“4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.”

Jesus will return in glory with all the saints, the armies of heaven, as described in Revelation 19:14. When Jesus returns, His feet will touch down on the very place from which He ascended, the Mount of Olives, it will be split in two, the surviving remnant will escape, and Jesus will rout His enemies.

The Israelites would flee for safety through this valley with mountains on either side (cf. 2 Sam. 15:16, 30; 2 Kings 25:4; Ezek. 11:22-25). The valley would reach as far as Azel (lit. “be joined to” or “be at the side of, near;” cf. Mic. 1:11), some distance east of Jerusalem. Matthew 24:16-20 provides a set of instructions for the Remnant. Christ tells them where to go: the Judean mountains. Based on Jeremiah 49:13-14 and Isaiah 63:1-3, many believe that the Jews will flee to the old Bozrah region in southwest Jordan, where the ancient fortress city of Petra is located.

In 760 B.C. Judah was hit by a gigantic earthquake, recorded in Amos 1:1. Josephus said this happened when Uzziah walked into the temple as a kingpriest. 250 years later, Zechariah referred to that stupendous earthquake.

THAT DAY OF THE LORD WILL BE UNIQUE IN MANY RESPECTS (14:6-11)

“6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.”

Joel had said, “The sun and moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining” Joel 3:15. And Isaiah, “The moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jersalem and before His ancients gloriously” Isaiah 24:23; and, “Behold the day of the Lord cometh, The stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine” Isaiah 13:9-10. All know well our Lord’s words Matthew 24:29. John, like Zechariah, unites the failure of the heavenly light “with a great earthquake, and the sun became as sackcloth of hair: and the moon become as blood; and the stars of heaven fell upon the earth” Revelation 6:12-13.

The new creation shall be ushered in, as the first was, by a day of lurid gloom and “darkness visible,” which shall not, however, deepen into night, but brighten at its close into the everlasting dawn. “At evening time there shall be light.”

“8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.”

The Israelites divided their year into two seasons instead of four: summer and winter (cf. Gen. 8:22; Ps. 74:17; Isa. 18:6). Probably the water will be literal, but it certainly has symbolic significance as well (cf. Ps. 46:4; 65:9; Isa. 8:6; Jer. 2:13; Ezek. 47:1-12; John 4:10-14; 7:38; Rev. 22:1-2).

Ezekiel 47 records a vision that may describe this scene. Ezekiel saw a river flowing from the throne of God and down to the Dead Sea, bringing life and vitality everywhere.

“9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. 10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses. 11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.”

Geba was six miles north east of Jerusalem. Though it actually lay in the traditional territory of Benjamin, it was taken as the northernmost limit of Judah (1 Kgs. 15:22; 2 Kgs. 23:8). Rimmon was 35 miles south west of Jerusalem, and was on the southern border of Judah where the hill country merged into the Negev (Josh. 15:32; 19:7). Since the mountains around Jerusalem are no longer needed as a defense, they can be flattened into a plain. This will be the first time in a long time that Jerusalem will be a safe place to live.

THE GENTILE NATIONS IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM WILL WORSHIP THE LORD IN JERUSALEM AT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES (14:16-19)

Following the Lord’s victory at that battle (cf. Rev 19:11-16), will come the full restoration of Israel as anticipated in Hos 14:4-7; Joel 3:18-21; Am 9:13-15; Mic 4:1-3; Zep 3:14-20.

“16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.”

Instead of coming to Jerusalem for battle now the nations come to honor God and to remember His faithfulness to Israel in the wilderness by keeping the Feast of Tabernacles. God won’t make people worship Him during the millennium, but the advantages of worshipping and honoring God will be more evident than ever. Egypt is probably specifically mentioned because they were a nation not especially dependant on rain, yet they too would be punished if disobedient.

CONCLUSION – TOTAL CONSECRATION TO THE LORD (20-21)

“20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness Unto The Lord; and the pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.”

This was the great inscription on the metal band around the high priest’s headpiece (Exodus 28:36). In the glory of the Messiah’s kingdom horses won’t be needed for war any longer – now even they can wear the emblems of holiness to the Lord.

These were the cooking utensils used by worshippers to cook for their own the sacrificial meat intended for them from the peace offerings. The bowls before the altar were used to gather and sprinkle sacrificial blood on the altar. These show that animal sacrifice will continue in the millennium, but not as atonement for sin – which was perfectly satisfied by the atoning work of Jesus. Sacrifice in the millennium will look back to the perfect work of Jesus.

The Canaanites throughout Israel’s history represented people who were morally and spiritually unclean, reprehensible to Yahweh, and doomed to death (cf. Gen. 9:25; Isa. 35:8; Ezek. 43:7; 44:9; Rev. 21:27). Probably that is the significance of the name here, not just the ethnic Canaanites alone. There would be no more people like the Canaanites in the land because all would acknowledge Him as God and King.

(BIBLE VERSION: KJV)

(MAIN EXTRA-BIBLICAL SOURCE 1: “THE LORD REMEMBERS AND WILL AGAIN CHOOSE JERUSALEM — COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH” by Paul G. Apple, October 2007)

(MAIN EXTRA-BIBLICAL SOURCE 2: “The Blue Letter Bible – Zachariah: StudyGuide2017-Zec/Zec-14.cfm” – David Guzik)

ISRAEL’S SALVATION ACCORDING TO ZACHARIAH 12-14 (PART 1)

November 4, 2019 HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIESLeave a comment

Israel saved

INTRODUCTION

“25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-27)

What better piece of Old Testament Scripture can be found to obtain a better understanding of Romans 11 in the New Testament, than Zachariah 12-14? What does the future hold for the nation of Israel? Many Christians believe that God is finished dealing with Israel as a nation. They would attribute some type of allegorical interpretation to passages like this – making reference to God’s dealing today with His church. But the details revealed here must be given full weight and not spiritualized away. After Israel rejects her Messiah and the Good Shepherd has been pierced through with the sword, there will be a time of blindness and hardening upon the nation. But her setting aside will not be permanent. In the end times, the fountain of the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness and cleansing will be abundantly opened for the remnant of the nation of Israel. There will be a painful process of refining in the crucible of God’s judgment. But the end result will be restoration of the nation to its loyal covenant relationship.

OVERVIEW

To properly understand the content of Zechariah 12-13 in some chronological order, I always find it easy to start with Zechariah 13:7-9 as an introduction:

“7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. 8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”

S Lewis Johnson explains, “… the prophet speaks of the pathway to national cleansing. We are inclined to forget that sometimes many years may elapse between just a couple of verses. Between verses 7 and 8 lies the age in which we live right now. The process by which God will regain His people for Himself. There will be great tribulation in the future – bringing Israel back to faith in God. Only a third will turn. It is not true to say that all of Israel shall be saved – just all Israel when Jesus Christ returns. But on the way to that great event, the majority of the Jews shall fall to the judgment of God. If the time necessary for the refining be exceeded, the silver will be damaged. The silversmith knows the completion of the process when he can see his own image reflected in the silver as he intently looks at the crucible and watches the entire process.”

Israel will be in a time of severe testing for seven years, described by Jeremiah (30:5-7) as “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” Daniel (12:1) calls it “a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time.”

The Bible however teaches there is coming a great day for the nation of Israel– a day of tremendous spiritual salvation and political victory. That has been prophesied repeatedly in the Old and New Testaments and is detailed for us in Zechariah 12-14.

THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL BRING SUPERNATURAL DESTRUCTION TO ISRAEL’S ATTACKERS AND DIVINELY INITIATED REPENTANCE TO ALL THE JEWS WHO NOW RECOGNIZE THEIR MESSIAH

The words “In that day” (occurs 17 times) are synonym to the eschatological “Day of the Lord,” which deals with the events relating to the physical return of Jesus Christ. Zechariah 12-14 addresses the fulfilment of all of God’s promises regarding the future conversion and deliverance of His Chosen people Israel.

The enemy nations (occurs 14 times) who attack Israel, and specifically Jerusalem, with such great overpowering numbers and superior military force will be shocked to find that God will turn the tables on them and make Israel the scene of their ultimate defeat. At the last minute, just before Israel is annihilated, God will supernaturally rout the enemy and deliver His people.

The highlight will be the repentance that the Holy Spirit will bring about as the remnant of regathered Israel will recognize their Messiah, “the one whom they pierced.” They mourn in repentance as they come to grips with their great sin in rejecting their Messiah at His first coming.

Duane Lindsey also provides a short, but powerful summary: The surviving remnant will have been purged and purified by the persecutions in the Tribulation, as well as by God’s judgment on living Israel at the Second Advent (cf. Ezek. 20:33-38; Matt. 25:1-30). They will call on the name of the Lord in faith (Zech. 12:10-13:1) and become a restored nation (Rom. 11:26-27). Their renewed covenant relationship with the Lord (Hosea 1-2; Jer. 32:38-41; Ezek. 37:23- 28) will be reflected in God’s words, They are My people (cf. Zech. 8:8), and the people’s response, The Lord is our (lit. ‘my’) God (cf. Hosea 2:21-23).

ZACHARIAH 12

Zachariah 12 describes the physical deliverance of Israel in verses 1-9, and the spiritual deliverance of Israel in verses 10-14.

THE SIEGE OF ISRAEL (12:1-3)

“1-3 The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 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.”

This prophecy begins by describing a great attack by the Gentile nations against Israel, and more specifically aimed at Jerusalem (Jerusalem mentioned 22 times in these chapters). It will eventually turn out to be the battle of the centuries, the greatest war in history. It is commonly referred to as the Battle of Armageddon ((Joel 3:9-16; Rev. 16:16-21; Zech. 12:1-9; 14:2-3). All the nations of the world will be involved, to destroy Israel and to prevent the Messiah’s return to establish His Kingdom. The burden is from God Himself and He sovereignly directs the course of events.

The “Cup of trembling” pictures the nations as a person who drinks too much wine and finds himself staggering. When the nations converge on Israel and besiege Jerusalem, they will find themselves as ineffective as a drunkard trying to walk a straight line. By the time the nations make their way to Jerusalem, they will become figuratively drunk with their over inflated sense of power. Their overconfidence will so disorient them, they will be unable to claim their coveted prize, becoming easy prey for divine judgment.

The second metaphor, that of “a burdensome stone” refers to a heavy stone that was used in weightlifting contests. Like a heavy weight, Jerusalem will give a hernia to any nation that tries to gain victory over it. The phrase “shall be cut in pieces” is best understood in context to mean they shall grievously injure themselves. It refers to a rupture or other internal injuries sustained from lifting something too heavy. The proud Gentile nations won’t be able to subdue Israel.

THE SHIELDING OF ISRAEL (12: 4-9)

The Panic of the Defiant (v. 4)

“4 In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.”

God is comforting His people, explaining how He will protect them in that day. Since horses were the symbol of strength in ancient times, verse 4 emphasizes God’s superior power over Israel’s enemies as He smites the horses with terror and confusion. Furthermore, He inflicts their riders with madness, putting them into a wild and helpless state of panic. When the great armies of the world converge on Jerusalem, their weapons and soldiers will be rendered helpless. Although they will think victory is at hand as they attack the seemingly vanquished Jews, they will find themselves rushing to their own destruction. The phrase “I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah” assures Israel that He will be concerned and actively involved in what’s happening to His people. God will open His eyes of love and forgiveness toward Israel as He brings about their deliverance.

The Preservation of the Defenceless (v. 5)

“5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God.”

The people in Israel who lived outside the city of Jerusalem were the most vulnerable in war in ancient times, being without the protection of fortified city walls. But knowing that God had chosen Jerusalem to be the city of His special affection will give confidence to future denizens of the surrounding countryside. They will recognize that they have been preserved because God has chosen Jerusalem. His promises to Jerusalem, which is the heart of the nation, will assure them of their divine invincibility.

The Paradox of the Defeated (v. 6)

“6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.”

The prophecy compares the Gentile armies to kindling or sheaves that the governors of Judah as firepots or torches that devour wood in flame. The relatively weak and outnumbered leaders of Israel are going to devour their enemies “round about on the right hand and on the left.” That will allow Jerusalem to “be inhabited again in her own place.” In the final battle nothing will be able to ultimately destroy the city of Jerusalem, which shall again be peacefully inhabited.

The Priority of Deliverance (v. 7)

“7 The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.”

God will first deliver the defenseless country folk. That will show those in the welldefended capital, which is delivered last, that the battle was not won by their military might or strategizing.

The Power of David (v. 8)

“8 In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.”

King David was renowned for his fighting ability, courage, and success. God promises a day when the weakest in Jerusalem will be as mighty as David. The strong, represented by the house of David, shall be like God. More specifically they’ll be like the angel of the Lord, who is Christ. They will be infused with the energy of the Messiah Himself, implying that He will be there leading His people to victory.

The Promise of Destruction (v. 9)

“9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”

God is going to wipe out those who seek to attack His people. The Hebrew term translated “will seek” speaks of the concentration of the marksman, who focuses on his target without being distracted. Revelation 16 and 19 chronicle the wrath of God and the judgment of Christ as He comes out of heaven in glory and power to conquer His foes.

Zechariah 12:1-9 prophetically describes Israel’s great deliverance and the destruction of the armies of the world gathered against her. That’s a political victory that will cause Israel and her enemies to recognize God at work. Verse 10 now makes a transition into the spiritual transformation of Israel.

THE SALVATION OF ISRAEL (12: 14)

While Israel’s spiritual eyes are focused on God and His deliverance, they will see God incarnate, their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ coming as their victor–the very One they once rejected. Once God has accomplished His work of judgment on the nations through Judah and Jerusalem and has secured His people against further danger from them, He will begin to work a work of grace among the redeemed.

“10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”

God’s pouring forth of His Spirit is the evidence of salvation because He never gives His Spirit to unbelievers (Rom. 8:9). The Holy Spirit is identified as the “Spirit of grace” (cf., Heb. 10:29) because He was given out of grace, and the Spirit “of supplication” because God’s grace toward the remnant will result in repentant prayer. Zechariah is saying that God will pour out the Spirit of grace and supplication on the repentant, needy Israel.

Joel prophesied essentially the same thing when he said, “It shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and, also, upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit” (Joel 2:28-29). That prophesy will be completely fulfilled at the Second Coming of Christ. Joel’s prophecy is similar to Ezekiel’s saying that God would replace Israel’s stony heart with a heart of flesh and would put His Spirit within them (Ezek. 36:26-27).

Israel’s repentance happens because “they shall look upon [Him] whom they have pierced.” They may have used a Roman spear and a cross (John 19:34), but it was their plotting of their religious leaders that put Him there. Yet God in His great mercy can forgive anything–even the murder of His Messiah.

Once this is granted, or simultaneous with it, they will look Christ, the one they have mortally wounded by their heartbreaking behavior, a look that produces in them a sense of great sorrow. That realization will cause national mourning among every family and individual. The only sorrow comparable is that of the loss of a first-born son in death. Such sorrow is a sign of genuine repentance.

Commentator David Baron explains the singling out of the families of David, Nathan, Levi, and Shimei: “Through these … aristocratic and privileged lines, the rulers and the priests, who, alas! in times past often set an evil example to the whole nation, will now be foremost in their self-contrition and mourning over the great national sin, their example for good will now also be followed by all the rest of the people” (The Vision & Prophecies of Zechariah [Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1972], p. 453).

ZACHARIAH 13

NATIONAL CLEANSING FOR THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL (13:1-6)

THE REJECTION OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD LEADS TO A REFINING PROCESS WHERE THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL IS EVENTUALLY CLEANSED AND RESTORED TO ITS LOYAL COVENANT RELATIONSHIP

John MacArthur explains, “The cleansing of Israel is a sovereign act of God, but it occurs in concert with the will of the people of Israel. God does not sovereignly redeem His people apart from their faith in Him. The people that were “not my people” (Heb., lo ammi) will become “my people” (Heb., ammi), according to God’s prophecy in Hosea 1:9-11. From the midst of their fiery ordeal the remnant of Israel will see Jesus Christ and they call upon Him as their Lord. Their decision will consummate their cleansing. Isaiah said, “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isa. 35:10).”

Zechariah 13:1 reiterates the promise of salvation for Israel: “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” (cf. Ezek. 47) The figure of a fountain pictures abundant cleansing that would continue indefinitely. That fountain was opened when Jesus died; but they will only experience the benefits of that fountain in the future. Israel has been blind to the facts right before their eyes; but God will remove the blindness of their eyes and the hardness of their hearts.

This will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to forgive the sins of His people Israel in the New Covenant (3:4, 9; Jer. 31:34; Ezek. 36:25; cf. Zech. 3:4, 9; Rom. 11:26). God is going to wash away the sins of the nation. When they see Jesus and cry out, “My Lord and my God,” they will realize it was the God of Israel whom they had pierced. And then God will turn on the fountain of spiritual cleansing and wash His people clean as He pours out His Spirit.

With reference to Zechariah 13:2-5, idolatry and false prophecy were the two principle ways Israel was led astray from God. God not only provides a fountain to cleanse, but He also promises to cut off the source of uncleanness – in this case, idolatry and false prophecy. . .

S Lewis Johnson has an interesting take on the false prophecy. “The false prophet is the second beast talked about in book of Revelation. These verses have their ultimate reference to the defeat of that false prophet. Prophets wore a mantle around their shoulders from animal hair. Today there are some outward signs that men put on as well to try to be identified as a prophet of the Lord. All of that anti God worship will pass out of the land.”

Zechariah 13:6 is quite interesting: “6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”

The man accused of being a false prophet insists the scars on his body are not the self-inflicted wounds often associated with false prophets, but merely the result of a brawl in his friend’s house. The unlikely, ironic explanation shows just how desperately people will avoid being identified with false prophets in this coming day Zechariah speaks of. It wasn’t unusual for false prophets to wound or mutilate themselves in the service of idols (1 Kings 18:28, Jeremiah 48:37.

Some take this as another Messianic prophecy in Zechariah, because Jesus was clearly wounded by those who should have been His friends. Nevertheless, the context and the original Hebrew argue against this referring to Jesus and His wounds. The translation from the King James Version makes it seem even more likely that this refers to Jesus: What are these wounds in thine hands? But the Hebrew is more literally between your hands, that is on the body, whether the chest or the back. “Some apply this to Christ, because Zechariah has mentioned wounds on the hands; but this is very puerile; for it is quite evident that he speaks here of false teachers, who had for a time falsely pretended God’s name.” (Calvin)

(BIBLE VERSION: KJV)

(MAIN EXTRA-BIBLICAL SOURCE: “THE LORD REMEMBERS AND WILL AGAIN CHOOSE JERUSALEM — COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH” by Paul G. Apple, October 2007)

OUR CHRISTIANS DUTIES CAN’T SAVE US

November 3, 2019 HEAVENLY REMNANT MINISTRIESLeave a comment

salvation

Christians are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and we cannot save ourselves by our works. Neither can we maintain our salvation by works, or even the duties set out in the New testament, let alone the Mosiac Law. Still, this does not mean that we can keep on sinning. As a matter of fact, the commandments are now written in our hearts and real reborn Christians bear fruit. Unfortunately, we are still unable to uphold all of the duties we have as Christians because of the sinful nature of our flesh.

Once we have a proper look at our duties toward God and one’s fellow human being, and even towards ourselves, we realize that it is impossible to save oneself or maintain one’s own salvation through works.

Hampton Keathley III compiled a list of duties toward God and one’s fellow human being.

The following is a list of “positive” duties toward God:

(1) Trust Him (Mark 11:22; John 14:1, ASV; Heb 11:6). (2) Love Him and seek to know Him better (1 John 5:2; Phil 3:10, 15; Jas 4:8). (3) Be thankful to Him; worship and praise Him (John 4:23; Col 3:15; Heb 13:15.) (4) Serve Him (Rom 12:6-8, 11; 1 Cor 15:58). (5) Pray to Him (Luke 18:1; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; Phil 4:6; Col 4:2; 1 Tim 2:2). (6) Live in accordance with His will (Rom 12:1; Heb 13:21; Jas 4:7). (7) Walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 25; Eph 5:18). (8) Hold fast to sound doctrine and contend for the faith (2 Tim 1:13; Heb 13:9; Jude 3). (9) Witness for Christ (John 15:27; Acts 1:8; 1 Pet 3:15). (10) Do everything as unto Him (1 Cor 10:31; Eph 6:7-8; Col 3:17,23-24). (11) Be diligent in devotion and study of His Word (John 5:39; Col 3:16; 2 Tim 2:15; Jas 4:8; 1 Pet 2:2).

The following is a list of “negative” duties towards God:

(1) Do not have idols (1 Cor 10:7, 14; Eph 5:3; Phil 3:19; Col 3:5; 1 Tim 6:17; Heb 13:15; 1 John 5:21). (2) Do not receive false teachers (2 John 10). (3) Do not mock or speak against God (Gal 6:7; Col 3:8).

The following is a list of “positive” duties towards one’s fellow human being:

(1) Love all, especially our brethren (John 15:17; Rom 12:10; 1 Cor 16:14; 1 Pet 1:22; 1 John 3:23; 4:7 {1 John 4:7}). (2) Be sympathetic and compassionate (Eph 4:32; Phil 2:4; Col 3:12). (3) Forgive and forbear (Rom 12:19; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13). (4) Deal honestly and fairly (Rom 12:17b; 13:7 {Rom 13:7}; 13:13 {Rom 13:13}; 1 Thess 4:12; Jas 2:1). (5) Do good to all and help all (Rom 12:13; Gal 6:2, 10; 1 Thess 5:15; Titus 3:1; Heb 13:16; Jas 4:17; 3 John 11). (6) Tell the truth (Eph 4:25). (7) Be courteous and live peaceably with all (Rom 12:18; 1 Pet 2:17; 3:8 {1 Pet 3:8}). (8) Treat others as we would like for them to treat us (Luke 6:31; Rom 12:17a). (9) Provide a good example for others (1 Cor 8:9, 13; Phil 2:15). (10) Urge other believers to good works and seek to restore backsliders (Gal 6:1; Heb 10:24).

The following is a list of “negative” duties towards one’s fellow human being:

(1) Do not lie or bear false witness (Eph 4:25; Col 3:9; Titus 2:3). (2) Do not steal (Eph 4:28; 1 Pet 4:15). (3) Do not murder (1 Pet 4:15). (4) Do not commit adultery or fornication (1 Cor 6:18; 1 Thess 4:13). (5) Do not judge others or speak evil of them (Rom 14:13; Titus 3:2; Jas 4:11; cf. John 7:24). (6) Do not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever (2 Cor 6:14). (7) Do not have fellowship with professing Christians who live in scandalous sin (1 Cor 5:11; 2 Thess 3:14). (8) Do not go to law with other believers (1 Cor 6). (9) Do not glory in men (1 Cor 3:21). (10) Avoid troublemakers and useless disputes (Rom 16:17; 2 Tim 2:23; Titus 3:12). (11) Do not have unpaid debts (Rom 13:8).

The following is a list of “positive” duties towards one self:

(1) Be holy (1 Pet 1:15; 2:11 {1 Pet 2:11}; 2 Pet 3:1). (2) Cling to the good and do good to all (Rom 12:9; 1 Thess 5:15). (3) Study the Word of God and meditate on sacred things (1 Thess 4:11; 2 Tim 2:15). (4) Grow spiritually (2 Pet 3:18). (5) Concentrate on the Word of God (Phil 4:8). (6) Think soberly of yourself (Rom 12:3). (7) Be ambitious in the right way (1 Cor 12:31; 14:1 {1 Cor 14:1}; 2 Cor 5:4). (8) Be content with what God gives you (Heb 13:5). (9) Rejoice in the Lord (Rom 12:12; Phil 3:1; 4:4 {Phil 4:4}; 1 Thess 5:16). (10) Live in light of the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor 9:24). (11) Judge yourself and confess sins to God (1 Cor 11:31; 2 Cor 13:5; 1 John 1:9). (12) Conserve time for good purposes (Eph 5:11; Col 4:5). (13) Cultivate your mind (1 Pet 1:13). (14) Do useful work (Eph 4:28; 2 Thess 3:12). (15) Keep your body clean and in good health (1 Cor 6:15; 6:19, 20 {1 Cor 6}; 10:31 {1 Cor 10:31}; Rom 12:1).

The following is a list of “negative” duties towards one self:

(1) Abhor evil (Rom 12:9; 1 Thess 5:22). (2) Avoid pride (Rom 12:3; Jas 4:10; 1 Pet 5:6). (3) Do not conform to or love the world (Rom 12:2; 1 John 2:15). (4) Do not fellowship with evil (Eph 5:11). (5) Do not sin through anger (Eph 4:26). (6) Do not worry (Phil 4:6; 1 Pet 5:7; 1 John 14:1,27). (7) Do not be lazy (Rom 12:1). (8) Do not use filthy speech (Eph 4:29; 5:4 {Eph 5:4}). (9) Do not become drunk (Eph 5:18). (10) Do not complain (1 Cor 10:10; Phil 2:14).