The Gentiles in the Kingdom
When the average Christian studies the millennial reign of Christ, it is usually from the perspective of the literal person of the Messiah ruling over the earth from Jerusalem for one thousand years.
PROPHECY
The Two Phases and Implications of the Future Day of the Lord
The Bible teaches that the future Day of the Lord has two phases. First, there is the broad phase, which refers to an extended period of time involving divine interventions in the 70th week…
Approaches to Jerusalem Part One
Regardless of your point of origin in Israel, with rare exception, if you are headed for Jerusalem, you are going up. Its elevation is nearly 3,000 feet above sea level.
My Son! My Son!
In the last article in this series, we saw that Abraham desperately wanted the heir God had promised to him. He realized that Eliezer of Damascus was not the one (Gen. 15:2).
Shavuot: The Feast of Weeks
All of the festivals of Israel give great insight into the New Testament. Shavuot, or Pentecost, as most Christians know it, is no exception. Understanding the background and practice of this festival gives rich insight…
The Biblical Concept of the Day of the Lord
In the Scriptures, the expression the Day of the Lord (together with other synonymous expressions, such as that day and the day of God) is strongly related to God’s rule of the earth and therefore…
A Land Flowing With Milk and Honey
Leviticus 25:8–17 provides for one of the more interesting statutes in Israel’s history. Beyond the rest that the land and the people were to receive every seven years, when the seventh seven came along…
In Search of Hearing Ears
No portion of the Word of God speaks to contemporary churches with more clarity than the messages Jesus Christ gave to the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3. Comfort, advice, exhortation, warning and threatening…
A Mentor’s Model for Ministry 1 Thessalonians 2
Paul had presented the gospel on three consecutive Sabbaths in the synagogue at Thessalonica. The Spirit of God had convicted the congregants, resulting in many Jews and a great multitude of Gentiles coming to faith…
Yom Kippur
It is the most awesome day of the Jewish year. Yom Kippur is the Hebrew phrase for the Day of Atonement. For more than 3,000 years, Jewish people have observed this annual day of solemn…
The Feast of Tabernacles
The Temple of God had been completed. More than 150,000 men had labored for seven years in the building of what became known as Solomon’s Temple. The finest wood, the purest gold and silver…
Simchat Torah: Celebrating the Bible
One of the happiest of all Jewish holidays is Simchat Torah (Rejoicing over the Law). Second only to Purim in hilarity, this delightful holiday has but one word to describe it—joy.
Abraham: “Blessings on You, My Friend!”
Blessing—what does the word mean? We use it so freely: “Bless you, my brother,” “Bless you, my sister,” and, when someone sneezes, “God bless you!” It is not uncommon to use phrases…
Further Evaluation of Christian Reconstructionism
The previous article in this series focused on several problems related to the Reconstructionist view of history and eschatology. The present article examines problems related to other areas of Reconstructionism.
Judgment on Jerusalem Zephaniah 3:1–8
Perhaps no city on earth is more loved than Jerusalem. The psalmist has well written, “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion … the city of the great King”…
Communism’s One Good Thing
There’s something compelling about seeing those big wrecking balls swinging from cranes, bashing the walls of obsolete buildings into of rubbish. Even more fascinating is the countdown for the triggering of explosives set against supporting…
Judgment Ahead Zephaniah 1:1–16
The 1990s will be a decade of unprecedented changes worldwide. Eastern Europe is swiftly evolving into a Western-style society. Western Europe will be sporting a new look known as the European Economic Community by 1992.
Temple Fervor
Interest in rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem rose to a fever pitch last October when a group calling themselves the “Temple Mount Faithful” attempted to lay a cornerstone for the “Third Temple” at the Western…
Where Was Herod’s Temple?
Many Bible students are aware of the Old Testament Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary of the Lord described in graphic detail in Exodus 25-40. Fewer students however, have paid close attention to the Temple, the permanent…
In Quest of the Holy Cow
It was the only sacrifice for which the animal had to be a special color. It was the only sacrifice that had to be performed outside the camp instead of on the altar.
Israel: A Dying Dynasty Amos 8
In winter it is trendy to give friends a large basket of fresh fruit wrapped in cellophane and tied at the top with a red bow. The fruit is beautiful to behold…
The Decade of Destiny
Once every ten years a new decade rolls around. Each seems to have a way of developing distinguishing features that mark it for history. The 60s were a decade of pot, left-wing politics, and promiscuity—liberation…
Europe and 1992
Over 2,500 years ago God gave the Prophet Daniel a significant prophetic dream or vision. It is recorded in Daniel 7. In this prophecy God revealed the future course of Gentile world dominion from Daniel’s…
God’s Present Work in Israel in the Light of the Book of Esther
Over four thousand years ago God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, promising to be a God to them forever (Gen. 17:7). But now, in the present Church age, Abraham’s descendants have been…
The Fatal Vision Amos 7:1–17
Welcome to the decade of the 90s! Countdown to the year 2000 has already begun. The futurist is busy forecasting sweeping global changes, precipitated by perestroika and glasnost, which he believes will bring worldwide peace…
A Word to the Wealthy
Amos 6:1–14: John Wesley’s statement concerning the use of wealth was sensible: “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can!”* Wesley was calling the Christian to a scriptural balance in the use of his finances.
The Restoration of Israel Part One
Every Gentile Christian should have a keen interest in the future of the Jewish people. Without a firm conviction in a future plan for Israel, Gentiles can open themselves up to pride and arrogance toward the Jew.
The Purpose of Israel’s Stumble
When Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, asked his chaplain to give him the strongest evidence for the Christian faith, his chaplain’s reply was, “Israel!” Long after other great civilizations have expired…
Israel, You Only Have I Known Amos 3:1-15
Israel has a special relationship with God. Like a father to his son, God heaped upon Israel every provision for a life of purity and prosperity. Sadly, Israel turned out to be a prodigal son…
The Glory of God
The glory of God has been manifested in many ways throughout the course of history. The Hebrew word for glory means heavy or weighty and is most often used to express honor or impressiveness.
Amos: An Introduction
Amos (meaning to bear or burden-bearer) was reared in Tekoa, a small town in the hill country of Judah, six miles south of Bethlehem and 18 miles from the Dead Sea.
God’s Judgment: Inevitable, Irrevocable Amos 1:1-2:16
Buzz words concerning political and social justice fill the air. The Soviets are talking about “glasnost” (openness) and “perestroika” (reconstruction) in hope of producing greater understanding and defusing tensions with the west.
A Theology for Losers
There is a new #1 national best-seller at your newsstand. It’s called Trump: the Art of the Deal. It’s the story of Donald Trump, a self-made billionaire and the entrepreneur’s entrepreneur.
The Song of Songs
“In the entire world there is nothing to equal the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel. All the Writings are holy, but the Song of Songs is the holy of holies.”
A Christmas Postscript
Most likely you heard or received many messages, devotionals, Christmas cards, and other means of communication this past Christmas season containing the text of Luke 2, Isaiah 9, or Matthew 1.
Obadiah: The Penalty of Prejudice
In 1897 Wilhelm Marr coined the term “anti-Semitism” to explain the European prejudice and persecution against the Jew. Such bigotry was not new; it has stalked the Jew from the brickyards of Egypt to the death camps of Europe.
Moses: Going Home
His messages must have burned hot on his heart as he faced this new generation of Israelites. Racing through his mind and burdening his soul was the question of how they would fare in the land.
The Antichrist Is Coming
One day soon, a man is going to gallop onto the stage of human history. He will be a political leader. In the beginning, he will expand his empire through diplomatic ventures and subtle “peace” diplomacy.
Obadiah
History is replete with small nations who strut across the world stage, proudly flex their political muscles, then vanish into obscurity. Edom was such a nation. Her story is graphically detailed by Obadiah in the short book that bears his name.
A Time To Encourage Haggai 2:1-9
Haggai’s message had stirred Judah from idleness. The sound of workmen removing sixty years of rubble, refacing stones and beginning to build on the foundation laid sixteen years earlier filled Jerusalem.
Spiritual Gifts – Their Duration
Sincere Christians disagree with each other concerning the issue of the duration of spiritual gifts. Some believe that God intended all the gifts possessed by the early Church to remain in the Church throughout its history.
A Time To Build Haggai 1:1-15
The country is in a building boom. Houses are springing up like mushrooms, dotting major expressways and rolling farmland, with price tags unimaginable to past generations.
The Sons of Noah
The ark had been parked. The deluge was passed, and it was now time for Noah and his family to enter into the post diluvian brave new world that awaited them.
Moses and The Messiah
There were three administrative offices given by the Lord God to Israel to rule over and guide them – the king, the priest and the prophet. The king ruled over Israel for God; the priest represented the people before God;
Men Cannot Curse What God Has Blessed
Anyone who has travelled with small children will remember the question that inevitably arises from at least one of them, “Are we almost there?” Sometimes the query is, “How much longer before we get there?”
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah
If a poll were taken to determine which of Jacob’s twelve sons were the most famous, certainly either Joseph or Judah would be the favored one. Although more space is given in the Scriptures…
“I am the light of the world”
The Jewish holiday of Chanukkah originated in the year 165 B.C. It commemorates the victorious struggle of the Jewish people against Syrian oppression for national survival and religious freedom.
The Day of The Lord Unveiled
Judah had asked, “Where is the God of justice?” With sarcastic skepticism, the nation had questioned whether God was even available to take just action against the wicked and provide justice for the righteous.
These Are the Twelve Tribes of Israel
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is that which their father spoke unto them, and blessed them; every one, according to his blessing, he blessed them. Genesis 49:28
The Shepherd of Israel: The True Shepherd John 10:1-5 – Part One
The tenth chapter of the Gospel of John is one of the most beloved and popular chapters in the Bible. It is special to God’s people because it presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the Shepherd of His flock…
David: The Man and His God
The biography of a man’s life can be written chronologically, by subject or by events that trace the course of that life. We can study his background, upbringing, marriage, family and even his death.
Rejection of Premillennialism & Development of Amillennialism
Premillennialism is strongly based upon the literal, historical-grammatical interpretation of those Old Testament passages which the prophets wrote concerning the future Kingdom of God…
Where Is The God Of Justice Malachi 2:17-3:6
When Judah returned to her land, she expected to experience prosperity and glory as in the days of Solomon. But such was not the case! In fact, the opposite was true. Their wicked enemies lived in prosperity while Judah suffered privation.
The Tribes of Israel In The End Times
Jacob’s series of deathbed blessings on his twelve sons in Genesis 49 were also prophecies of what would characterize the tribes that came from each son. All of these prophecies have been fulfilled…
The Millennial View of Early Church Leaders
The previous article began to examine the history of the different Millennial views which have been held by the organized Church during its time in the world. That article noted that numerous historians declare that Premillennialism…
The Ten Lost Tribes
In December, 1984, astounding news leaked to the World Press. For over a year the Israeli government had been secretly flying over ten thousand Ethiopian Jews out of their refugee camps in the Sudan…
The New Covenant
Another significant biblical covenant which will determine important issues related to Israel and the future Kingdom of God is the New Covenant. According to the Old Testament the parties of this covenant would be God and the nation of Israel.
Joseph Faithful and Fruitful
When the bedridden old Jacob was pronouncing a prophetic blessing on each of his sons by Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah, he must have looked forward with anticipation to what God had in store for his two youngest sons.
A Theology For The Remnant
It is never easy to swim upstream – to buck the tides and resist the currents. But, by the very nature of the case, true Christianity calls for an upstream lifestyle.
The Major Issues Related to The New Covenant
In the previous article it was noted that, although the Old Testament promised the New Covenant specifically to the literal nation of Israel, the Church also has a relationship to the New Covenant…
BENJAMIN: A Ravenous Wolf
Occasionally the Authorized Version employs a word which current in English usage. This is due to the fact that it was produced in 1611, and the language has undergone changes in over three and a half centuries.
Gad Warrior Asher Provider Naphtali Communicator
The aged Jacob followed the prophecy on his son Dan (Gen. 49:16-18) with three brief but significant words about the other three sons of Bilhah and Zilpah -Gad (49:19), Asher (49:20) and Naphtali (49:21).
DAN
“Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord” (Gen. 49:16-18).
THE PROPHET’S PRAISE: Memory of God’s Justice
Memory is a wonderful gift from God, but it can be a burden or a blessing. A burden it was when Habakkuk recalled the injustice taking place in Judah and God’s seeming complacency to judge it.
ZEBULUN ISSACHAR: Merchant and Servant
The aged patriarch, Jacob, continued his series of prophetic blessings on his twelve sons with brief but significant statements about Zebulun, Leah’s sixthborn, and Issachar, her fifthborn.
THE PROPHET’S PRAYER: Meditating on Justice
While going through a trying circumstance one will often hear, “Just pray about it, for you know prayer changes things!” One is left with the impression that God will alter the circumstances for good when prayer is offered in faith.
THE PERVERSE PEOPLE: Manifestation of Justice
History is punctuated by nations who spread themselves like a green bay tree, and with imperial precision subjugate the world under their feet.
JUDAH: Tribe of King Messiah
If a poll were taken as to which of Jacob’s twelve sons is the most famous, certainly either Joseph or Judah would be the favored one. Although more space is given to the personal history of Joseph…
THE PATIENT PROPHET: Message of Justice
“Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can, seldom found in a woman and never in a man,” wrote a perceptive person. There are those who would disagree, especially that women are somewhat patient and men never are.
SIMEON – LEVI: Partners In Crime
The twelve sons of the aged patriarch had arrayed themselves about his deathbed, most probably in the order of their births. Jacob had issued to Reuben his portion, i.e., because of Reuben’s sin he would forfeit the double blessing of the firstborn (Gen. 49:34).
Reuben Unstable as Water
“Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel, your father” (Gen. 49:2). The twelve sons dutifully assembled. They arranged themselves in a semicircle around their aged father as he sat on the edge of his deathbed.
The 12 Tribes of Israel
The old man gathered his strength and sat up on the bed with his feet on the floor. He sensed that the end was near. Looking back over a life that had its ups and downs…
Profit For Today From A Prophet of Yesterday
“. . . how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! . . .” Hab. 1:2
God’s Unsurpassing Glory
To promise is one thing. To do what is promised is quite another thing. It would be wonderful if men could plan great things and accomplish them. But for most men, their word of promise exceeds their reality of accomplishment.
When God Remembers Israel Part Eight
The Prophet Zechariah had been sent to the Jewish people who had returned from the Babylonian captivity. They had experienced few blessings and had known no victory for a long time.
Deliverance at Last Part Seven
Reading chapters nine through eleven of the Book of Zechariah, one would begin to wonder. The Lord promised His King for Israel, who, when He came, she rejected. He provided for her a Shepherd, but she would not follow Him.
THE DAY OF THE LORD: Armageddon Part Seven
A number of months ago an estimated 100 million Americans watched ABCs special, “The Day After.” The nation saw Lawrence, Kansas atomized before their eyes. Young and old were impacted by the television special…
I Was Thirsty and Ye Gave Me Drink
The fortieth chapter of Isaiah is one of the towering spiritual mountain peaks in all the Word of God. In language, in theme, in pure grandeur, it is unsurpassed.
THE DAY OF THE LORD: Judgment of The Nations Part Six
The struggles and sufferings of Israel are well documented from Egyptian slavery to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. Like an echo, the Diaspora Jew would face nineteen more centuries of anguish as the shadow…
THE TRUE SHEPHERD: King Of Israel Part Six
There were two important figures that stood out in the minds of Old Testament Jewry. The first was that of a shepherd. It was a common sight to see them leading their sheep to pasture.
WHEN FASTING TURNS TO FEASTING Part Five
Things that are very special often become common after a period of time. A young couple will often appear deeply in love but after marriage find their love has lost its zing and wonder where it went.
THE DAY OF THE LORD: The Return of The Messiah Part Five
The cry of this age is peace, peace, peace! Men are looking for peace and security. They want job security, health security. and life security — a time when war will cease and universal peace will prevail forever.
VICTORY AT LAST: King and High Priest Part Four
Israel had just been judged for her sins. For seventy long years the Jewish people had suffered in Babylon. A remnant had now returned to Jerusalem and was struggling to reestablish the city.
ZECHARIAH: A Sin-Darkened Nation Becomes God’s Shining Light Part Three
The first three visions of Zechariah the prophet relate to external blessings. God told the prophet of a day when the Jewish people would be restored to their land. He also promised that the enemies of Israel would be destroyed…
The Sign of The End of The Age
The die was cast — the decision was final — Jesus was leaving. Israel’s tragic plight was now sealed. They had brought it on themselves. During three years of public ministry Jesus had pleaded…
ZECHARIAH: Israel’s Enemies Destroyed Jerusalem Delivered Part Two
In our first study in the Book of Zechariah we learned that God gave the prophet a series of eight visions in one night. These visions cover the first six chapters of the book, In the first vision the Lord did three things.
THE DAY OF THE LORD: Invading Plague A Bible Study on The Book of Joel Part Two
Like the keen-eyed Ezekiel, Joel was a watchman over the nation of Judah, The word of warning burned within him as a Jeremiah ready to come forth in prophetic proclamation concerning God’s wrath.
The Russian Bear Casts A Bigger Shadow
The Word of God is clear. A day is coming (we believe during the first half of the Tribulation period) when Russia is going to launch an attack into the Middle East to control the world oil supply.
Joel: The Day of The Lord
The Book of Joel bears its author’s name and means “Jehovah is God.” Little is known of Joel’s background with the exception that his father was Pethuel (1:1) and Luke confirms him as a prophet (Acts 2:16).
THE DAY OF THE LORD Part One
The twentieth century man can sit comfortably in his home and watch the devastation which war leaves in its wake – via television documentaries. He watches masses of humanity slaughtered and made refugees, buildings leveled…
JERUSALEM: Infamous End or Glorious Destiny?
Discouragement was the mood of the day. Disappointment was in the heart of every Jew. They were disillusioned. If God himself had let them down, where could they turn?
The Sign of His Coming!
Jesus is coming again. Nature impatiently awaits it (Rom. 8:19-21). Justice legally demands it (Mt. 24:27-28). Christians eagerly anticipate it (Heb. 9:28). And the Bible authoritatively proclaims it (Mt. 24:32-35).
Will The Real Messiah Please Stand Up!
We nearly fell out of our cushioned synagogue seats when we heard the rabbi’s answer! I had accompanied a group of believers from a suburban Detroit church to a conservative synagogue to learn more about Jewish beliefs and customs.
The Christian’s Sacrifice
On a Jerusalem hillside a huge crowd had gathered to witness an event which would change the destiny of mankind. Darkness had filled the whole earth at noon, and it was drawing near 3:00 p.m.
Ten New Things That Ezekiel Saw As He Measured The Millennial Temple
“I have never before heard a message on Ezekiel’s Temple vision,” were the words of Dr. Paul Smith of Toronto’s famed Peoples’ Church, as I stepped up to the pulpit one Sunday evening not too long ago.
PSALM 22
Little did David know when he penned Psalm 22 that he would record more details about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus than are recorded in any other chapter of the Old Testament.
PSALM 110
Long ago a church father articulated a most important truth about biblical study: “The New Testament is in the Old concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New revealed.”
THE LAMB Personified in the Prophets…
The Supreme Court had not yet banned Bible reading in the public schools, so there was nothing unusual about a Jewish teenager telling his parents that his teacher had read from the Bible.
Armed for Armageddon or/When Will The Lamb Come For His Own?
There are a growing number of Christian “survivalists” in our country claiming that the Church of Jesus Christ must go through the Tribulation. However, it should be noted at the outset that not all post-tribulationists…
THE LAMB Identified in the Gospels… “…BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD…” John 1:29
Man’s redemption and reconciliation to God is the major theme of the Bible. The Old Testament reveals God’s provision for redemption through an animal sacrificial system given to the nation of Israel.