PROPHECY - SIGNS - NICE BIBLE STUDY!

[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Joseph - A Type Of Christ
by A. Edwin Wilson

JOSEPH - A TYPE OF CHRIST

Not only is First Corinthians ten verse eleven Scripture for studying Joseph as a type of Christ, but in Psalms 81:5 we read that Joseph was ordained by God as a testimony, or type, in all his Egyptian experiences, and I want to call your attention to about twenty-seven analogous and typical relations between Joseph and Christ.

1. Joseph was the son of his father's old age (Genesis 37:3). Jesus was the Son of God the Father's old age, that is, He was God's Son of eternity - from eternity to eternity - no beginning and no ending (John 1:1).

2. Joseph was greatly beloved of his father, more so than all of the other children (Genesis 37:3). Jesus was the beloved Son of His Father (Matthew 3:17).

3. Joseph received from his father a coat of many colors (Genesis 37:3). This coat typified three things: First, that Joseph was the son and heir of his father (Jesus was the Son and Heir of God the Father - Hebrews 1:2). Second, the coat of many colors revealed the exalted dignity bestowed upon Joseph by Israel his father. (Jesus was highly exalted by God the Father - Philippians 2:9-11). Third, the many colors depicted many offices which Joseph would hold (Jesus was the holder of many offices as signified by His many crowns,' and He had many different names showing further the different aspects of His person and work - Revelation 19:12).

4. Joseph had two dreams prophesying his sovereignty over his brethren (Genesis 37:5-11). Jesus had a prophecy concerning His sovereignty over His brethren (Luke 1:33).

5. Joseph willingly accepted the commission to go unto his brethren and see about their welfare (Genesis 37:13). Jesus willingly obeyed the Father by laying aside His glory and coming to earth to see about His brethren and their welfare (Hebrews 10:7).

6. Joseph sought only his brethren (Genesis 37:13). Jesus came only to His brethren, the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24).

7. Joseph's first contact with his brethren was while they were shepherds (Genesis 37:13, 16). Jesus' first announcement was by the angels to the shepherds in the fields (Luke 2:15).

8. Joseph wandered around in the field when he sought his brethren (Genesis 37:15). Jesus was a wanderer in the field (the field is the world) while seeking His brethren, and He had no place to call His home (Luke 9:58; Matthew 13:38 ).

9. Joseph found his brethren in Dothan. Dothan means "bound by custom" or "under the law" (Genesis 37:17). Jesus found His brethren slaves to the traditions or customs of the Jews and the ritualism and formalism of the Judaistic worship.

10. Joseph's brethren refused to receive him (Genesis 37:18, 19). Jesus came unto His own and His own received Him not (John 1:11).
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Joseph - A Type Of Christ
by A. Edwin Wilson

11. Joseph's brethren conspired to slay him (Genesis 37:18, 20). Jesus' brethren took counsel against Him to put Him to death (Matthew 27:1).

12. Joseph's brethren mocked and ridiculed him (Genesis 37:18, 19). Jesus was mocked and ridiculed by the chief priests and scribes, and Herod's men (Luke 23:10, 11).

13. Joseph was sold by his brethren as a slave (Genesis 37:27). Jesus was sold by one of His brethren for the price of a slave (Matthew 26:14, 15).

14. Joseph was cast into the pit by his brethren (Genesis 37:24). Jesus was to descend into the pit also for three days and nights (Matthew 12:40).

15. Joseph was stripped of his coat (Genesis 37:23). Jesus was stripped of His coat (Matthew 27:35).
 
16. Joseph was taken out of the pit alive (Genesis 37:28 ). Jesus came out of the pit alive (Matthew 28:6).

17. Joseph was thought by one of his brethren, Reuben, to be dead because he did not find him in the pit and he did not know what had happened to him (Genesis 37:29). Jesus' brethren, the Jews, think He is dead today, not knowing what has happened to Him.

18. Joseph's coat, dipped in blood, was presented to his father - a goat's kid dying in Joseph's place (Genesis 37:31, 32). Jesus' blood was presented to the Father as an atonement for the sins of others (Hebrews 9:12).

19. Joseph, rejected by his brethren, became the saviour of the world while he was in Egypt. Jesus, rejected by the Jews, became the Saviour of the whole world (Romans 11:15).

20. Joseph, rejected by his brethren, sat on the right hand of the throne of power in Egypt (Genesis 41:39-44). Jesus, rejected by the Jews, is seated on the right hand of the Throne of Power (Hebrews 8:1).

21. Joseph, in his rejection, took unto himself a Gentile bride (Genesis 41:45). Jesus, in His rejection, is taking unto Himself a Gentile bride (Acts 15:14).

22. Joseph's brethren, because of great tribulation, were forced to go to Joseph for help (Genesis 42:1-3). Jesus' brethren, amid great tribulation, shall call upon Him who is the Lord (Deuteronomy 30:1, 2).

23. Joseph's brethren did not know him, but Joseph knew them (Genesis 42:8 ). Jesus knows His brethren but they do not know Him (Hosea 5:3).

24. Joseph punished his brethren before he revealed himself to them (Genesis 42:7). Jesus will punish His brethren before He reveals Himself to them (Matthew 24:21, 30).

25. Joseph revealed himself to his brethren on the third day (Genesis 42:18 ). Jesus will reveal Himself to His brethren on the third day (Hosea 6:1, 2).

26. Joseph's brethren carried the proclamation that Joseph was alive and the ruler over all the land (Genesis 45:26). Jesus' brethren will carry the proclamation to all the land that He is alive and their Messiah (John 4:22; Revelation 7; Matthew 24:14).

27. Joseph was in the place of God, not only for his brethren's sake, but for the sake of the whole world (Genesis 50:19, 20). Jesus, as God, shall rule over all the earth (Isaiah 9:6, 7). This brief study of Joseph as a type of Christ should be a revelation to one in his study of the Person and office work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
A Prophet Like Unto Moses
by A. Edwin Wilson

A PROPHET LIKE UNTO MOSES

"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me,. him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among you" (Acts 3:22, 23).

This Scripture is a prophecy given by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 and 19. The Apostle Peter in quoting this in his second sermon makes it very clear that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Prophet to Whom Moses referred; therefore the subject of this article may be called "Christ, a Prophet like unto Moses."

The Word of God is our authority for saying that Moses is a type of Christ. There are analogies between the lives and ministries of these two which are enlightening to the extent that Christ is far better understood and appreciated after a study like this one. We propose to set down some of the corresponding features between the two.

1. Moses was recognized by his parents as a goodly child and was greatly beloved of his parents.Jesus grew in favor with God and man and was greatly beloved of His Father.

2. At the time of Moses' birth all the male children of Israel were being put to death by the head of the government, Pharaoh. Soon after the birth of Jesus, the male children of Bethlehem were put to death by the head of the government, Herod.

3. Moses was miraculously preserved by the power of God. Jesus was miraculously preserved by the power of God.

4. Moses found a haven of refuge in Egypt. Jesus found a haven of refuge in Egypt. (This came to pass that the prophecy - "out of Egypt have I called My Son" - might be fulfilled in Israel and the Lord Jesus Christ, both of whom are called God's first-born Son.)

5. Moses grew into manhood in comparative silence. Jesus grew into manhood in comparative silence.
 
6. When Moses reached his majority he had to choose between his own will and that of doing the will of God for the people of God. Jesus, having obtained full manhood at the age of thirty, had to choose whether He would serve self or the Lord, and He chose to serve the Lord.

7. Moses aligned himself with the people of God when he forsook the palace and went to the children of Israel, a slave people. Jesus at His baptism identified Himself with a people who were slaves of sin.
 
8. Moses was rejected by his own brethren at his first appearance unto them. Jesus was rejected by His own brethren at His first appearance.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
A Prophet Like Unto Moses
by A. Edwin Wilson

9. Moses' life was jeopardized and he had to flee into a far country. Christ's life was jeopardized and surrendered, but He arose from the dead and went into a far country (His ascension into Heaven).

10. Moses, while in the far country, married a Gentile bride. Christ, while in Heaven, is taking out of the Gentiles a people for His name.

11. Moses' appearance to the people of Israel and their rejection of him intensified and aggravated their suffering as slaves. Jesus' appearance unto His own and their rejection of Him intensified and aggravated their sinful condition.

12. The plight of the children of Israel became so severe during Moses' absence that they cried out to the Lord. The plight of the Jews during Christ's absence will become so severe (the Great Tribulation) that they will call upon the Lord.

13. The Lord heard the cry of Israel in Egypt and prepared to send Moses back to deliver them. The Lord will hear the cry of the Jews in the time of Jacob's trouble and will prepare to send Jesus back.

NOTE: In this connection I want to call attention to a blessed and sublime truth. Moses' wife Zipporah and Joseph's wife Asenath, both of whom are types of the bride of Christ, do not have any part in the suffering of the children of Israel. This reveals to us that the church, the bride of Christ, will have no part in the suffering of the children of Israel, which is the Great Tribulation.

14. When Moses returned to the children of Israel the second time they accepted him as their deliverer. When Christ returns the second time, Israel as a nation will accept Him as her Deliverer.

15. When Moses delivered the children of Israel by blood and power, Pharaoh and his hosts were destroyed by the power of God. When Christ shall deliver the children of Israel by blood and power, the anti-Christ and his forces will be destroyed by the power of God.

16. The children of Israel were made a peculiar people of the Lord upon their deliverance by Moses. The children of Israel shall occupy a peculiar relationship to God upon their deliverance by the Lord Jesus Christ.

This brief but pertinent analogy reveals many things pertaining to our Lord, chief of which is the fact that He shall deliver His people Israel, and after that, the Lord Jesus and His bride will occupy a blessed relationship to Israel redeemed as a nation.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Jonah - A Type Of Israel
by A. Edwin Wilson

JONAH - A TYPE OF ISRAEL

"And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign,. and there shall be no sign given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation" (Luke 11:29, 30).

Here we are told that Jonah was a sign unto the Ninevites; likewise, shall the Son of man be a sign to this generation. The specific reference is Matthew 12:40; however, when we begin to make a study of the Son of God and the Son of man, we find that Israel is also called the son of God: "And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn" (Exodus 4:22, 23).

The Lord Jesus Christ was a sign to His and succeeding generations, and Israel is a sign to each generation; therefore, both our Lord and Israel are typified in Jonah.

A study of the book of Jonah will reveal many interesting angles of analogy between Jonah and the nation of Israel. Here are eleven such analogies:

1. In Jonah 1:2, God commissioned him to go to Nineveh, a great Gentile city, and cry out against it. This was most unusual in that the Lord called upon a Jewish prophet to go to the Gentiles and preach, when as yet the time of the Gentiles' salvation was not at hand (cf. Ephesians 2:11-13). In Abraham, God also called Israel to go to the Gentiles and give a witness (Genesis 12:1-3). Particularly note verse 3, where He says that ALL families of the earth are to be blessed in him. Intimation of Israel's responsibility had already been noted in Genesis 9:27, where we are informed that all spiritual blessings which the Gentiles are to receive shall come to them through Shem, the progenitor of the Jews. Also in Isaiah 43:9-12, we learn of the world-wide scope of Israel's mission.
 
In a nutshell, the first analogy between Jonah and Israel is this: Jonah, commissioned to go to the Gentiles - Israel, commissioned to go to the Gentiles.

2. Jonah chose to disobey the Lord and refused to go to the Gentile city of Nineveh. He sought to flee from the presence of the Lord and tried to get away from the Lord's will concerning his ministry.

We find also that Israel in her own conceit refused to carry the gospel to the Gentiles, choosing rather to gather her garments of complacent self-righteousness around her, calling the Gentiles "dogs."

3. Jonah's disobedience caused much trouble to overtake him. As he sought to flee from the presence of the Lord, he sought passage on board a ship going to Tarshish, which was possibly the furthermost point to which ships sailed in those days. Tarshish appears to be identified in Scripture as the ancient maritime and island nation which we today call Great Britain. The point is, he was going as far away from Nineveh as he could.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Jonah - A Type Of Israel
by A. Edwin Wilson

The Jews also attempted to put as much space between them and the Gentiles as they could, and they too have become involved in great trouble. Jonah found himself on board a ship with a mighty storm at sea endangering the ship, its cargo and crew. Note in particular that Jonah, out of the will of the Lord, brought distress upon the Gentiles aboard ship. The Jews out of the will of God have brought distress, not only upon themselves but also upon the Gentiles of the world. Read Deuteronomy 28 for a clear picture of the prophesied trouble to come upon Israel if she disobeyed the Lord.

4. There could be no relief for the ship, its cargo and crew with Jonah on board. There can be no relief for Israel out of the Lord's will, though in her land. The only alternative for the crew and Jonah was for him to be cast overboard into the sea. The only alternative for Israel was for God to cast her out of the land into the sea of Gentile nations. With the scattering of Israel and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the Jews were cast into the sea of the Gentiles.

5. When Jonah was cast overboard, peace prevailed on the sea, and the Gentile crew was saved both physically and spiritually. In Jonah 1:16, we find that salvation came to the Gentiles. We also learn that when Israel was cast out of her land, scattered among the Gentile nations and set aside, salvation came to the Gentiles. (See Romans 11:15-19.) Let us never forget that salvation to the Gentiles came through Israel's rejection by God.

6. Though Jonah was cast into the sea, he was not cast off by God; He still had His purpose to be fulfilled in Jonah and He moved swiftly to preserve and keep him until such time as he would do His will. God's preservation of Jonah was miraculous in that He prepared a great fish to swallow him. There need be no speculation concerning the identify of the fish, its dimension etc., because it was especially prepared by God for this specific purpose. How interesting it is to note that the fish did not digest, assimilate, amalgamate or integrate Jonah. He was preserved and protected by God while in the belly of the fish.

Now in regard to Israel: Has God cast her off because she has been cast out into the sea of Gentile nations? (See Romans 11:1-6.) God has a purpose for Israel, and that is to carry the gospel to all the Gentiles on the face of the earth. Since she has not yet done this, He is preserving her until such a time when she will be submissive and obedient to His will - hence, the protecting care of Israel through the centuries.
 
The Gentiles have not been able to digest, assimilate, amalgamate or integrate the Jews. No matter what they do with them they will never integrate Israel. God is keeping her safe for the fulfilment of the purpose for which He brought her into existence, and that is to be His witnesses to all the Gentiles in the world. Many and futile, though tragic, have been the attempts of the Gentiles to do away with the Jewish people. For example, Pharaoh in Egypt; Haman in the days of Mordecai and Queen Esther; Antiochus Epiphanes in the days of the Maccabees, and of more recent date, Hitler's purge in which he destroyed approximately one-third of the Jewish race.

But in and through all these experiences, God has preserved a remnant, just as He preserved Jonah while in the belly of the fish.

7. Affliction brought repentance. Jonah inside the whale's belly died and went to hell or sheol (the Hebrew word for the place of departed spirits, irrespective of their condition, whether saved or lost). Jonah's dying and resurrection was an integral part of his being a type of Christ. It might be well here for the reader to make a little study of hell, sheol, and hades. Read Luke 16:19-31 where we have both Lazarus and the rich man in hell (or shool or hades), the same place to which Jonah went.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Jonah - A Type Of Israel
by A. Edwin Wilson

It was because of Jonah's affliction and realization of wasted opportunities that he turned to the Lord and called upon Him.
There is a day coming called the "day of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:5-7).

In the day of her affliction, Israel will call upon God. This is set forth in type in Exodus 3:7-12. After Moses had appeared unto the children of Israel the first time as their deliverer and they had refused to receive him, he went away into a distant country where he married a Gentile bride and became a shepherd.

Just so, our Lord came the first time, was rejected by Israel, and has gone away into a far country. He is now taking out of the Gentiles a people for His name. While Moses was in the desert the affliction of the children of Israel in Egypt was so intensified that they called out to God for help. The Lord heard their cry and sent Moses back the second time to deliver them, and they received Him.

When the day of Jacob's trouble (also called the great tribulation) breaks upon Israel, they will call on the Lord (Matthew 23:39), and the Lord will return to deliver them, and they will receive Him.

As Jonah's affliction caused him to call upon the Lord, so shall Israel's coming affliction cause her to do the same.

8. Looking toward the temple: In Jonah 2:4, he affirms his conviction that he will yet look toward the holy temple, that is, he will be restored to his homeland and his place of worship in the temple. Israel in her dispersion continues to dream of the day when she too will again look to the holy temple. That is the day when Israel will be restored, the city and the temple be rebuilt, and Israel will once again be serving the Lord from His holy temple.

9. Resurrection and restoration: When Jonah called upon the Lord at the time of his affliction, God heard him and commanded the fish to put him on the dry land (Jonah 2:10). When Israel shall again cry out to the Lord, He will hear their cry and put them back in the land (Jeremiah 30:10,11).

10. Resurrection on the third day: In Jonah 1:17, we are told that he was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Matthew 12:40 tells us that Jesus was to be in the heart of the earth three days and nights.

Now as Jonah was raised on the third day and as Christ was raised on the third day, even so shall Israel be raised on the third day: "1 will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us,. he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight" (Hosea 5:15-6:2). In Hosea 6:2, we read that it is on the third day that He will raise Israel up. II Peter 3:8 informs us that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day; so, Israel's resurrection is to take place after 2,000 years, and during or in the third thousand-year period. How startling when we realize that Israel has been cast off for nearly 2,000 years and that the time of her resurrection is fast drawing nigh!

11. Jonah, placed on the land, was told the second time to go to Nineveh and preach. He hastened to obey the Lord; and the result .was that the whole city, from the king down to the lowest slave, as well as the animals, put on sackcloth and ashes in repentance in turning to the Lord.

When Israel is restored, the Lord will command her the second time to go to the ends of the earth and preach the gospel of the kingdom to every Gentile (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 7:1-8 ).

God preserved Jonah that he might preach to Nineveh as He had originally commanded him.

God is preserving Israel that she may yet preach the gospel to all the Gentiles.

When Jonah preached, unparalleled and supernatural results followed. When Israel carries the gospel of the Kingdom to the Gentiles of the world, unparalleled and supernatural results will follow. (See Revelation 7:9-17.) Thus we see God's original purpose in Jonah fulfilled; and soon we shall see God's original purpose in Israel fulfilled. Herein is Jonah a type of the nation of Israel.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Cain - A Type Of Israel
by A. Edwin Wilson

CAIN - A TYPE OF ISRAEL

In the following paragraphs I want to draw an analogy between Cain, the slayer of his brother, and Israel, the slayer of her brother. Both Israel and Jesus are called the first-born of God, making Israel's slaying of Christ fratricide, the same crime of which Cain was guilty.

1. Cain means "acquisition," showing that much was expected of him; and Isaiah 5:1-7 shows how much was expected of Israel. Both Cain and Israel miserably failed.

2. Cain was the first-born with all the rights of primogeniture. Israel was also the first-born with the same rights (Exodus 4:22).
 
3. Cain worshipped in self-will rather than according to the will of God. Israel likewise refused to conform to God's will in regard to worship and "every man did that which was right in his own eyes." (See Judges 2:20-22; 4:1; 6:1.)

4. Cain refused the sacrifice of God's substitutionary Lamb, which Abel offered. Likewise, Israel refused the substitutionary Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, choosing rather to offer her own good deeds in self-will.

5. Cain in a fit of anger slew his brother who was innocent of any crime toward Cain. Likewise, Israel slew her brother, Jesus, Who was guilty of no sin.

6. Cain was cursed because of his sin and made a vagabond and a fugitive upon the face of the earth. Israel was also cursed because of her great sin against Jesus and made a vagabond and a wanderer upon the face of the whole earth. (See Deuteronomy 28:25.)

7. God put a mark upon Cain to distinguish him from all others and forbade anyone to kill him, under threat of vengeance (Genesis 4:15). God also put distinguishing marks on Israel (facial characteristics, etc.) so that they would be recognized no matter where they went. See Isaiah 61:9 where the word "acknowledge" means "to recognize." God also forbade anyone to attempt to exterminate them, under threat of dire punishment. (See Genesis 12:3.)

8. We have no record whatever of Cain's death or end upon the earth. Neither do we have nor will we have any record of Israel's extermination or extinction.

9. Cain's portion was to be an entirely earthly portion. Likewise, the nation of Israel in the Millennium and in eternity will have only an earthly portion. The heavenly portion of God belongs to God's heavenly people, namely, the Church, which is entirely separate and distinct from Jew and Gentile.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Paul's Conversion - A Type Of Israel's Future National Conversion
by A. Edwin Wilson

PAUL'S CONVERSION - A TYPE OF ISRAEL'S FUTURE NATIONAL CONVERSION

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting" (I Timothy 1:15, 16)

As Paul is discussing the purpose of Christ's first advent into the world "to save sinners," we call attention to the fact that his conversion was for a different purpose entirely; that is, he was not saved just to obtain mercy but that in his salvation Christ should outline the salvation of a group who would hereafter believe. The word pattern means an outline, type, or preview. Since there are just two groups to be reached with the gospel - the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and the Gentiles - we must first ascertain to which group Paul refers as being the antitype.

The primary force in Paul's conversion was the personal, physical, visible, and literal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ who appeared to him on the road to Damascus. We know from other Scriptures, as well as by experience and observation, that Gentiles are not to be saved as a nation but as individuals through faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the other hand, such passages of Scripture as the following ones reveal the fact that there is a day coming when the nation of Israel (those who will be alive at that particular time) shall be saved, and a nation shall be born in a day: 'Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children" (Isaiah 66:8 ); "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. 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" (Zechariah 13:8, 9); "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Romans 11:26).

So the evidence here is conclusive that the group of whom Paul speaks in I Timothy 1:16 is Israel. Of course, we always keep in mind the fact that individual Jews are being saved today, even as Gentiles, through a personal response to the gospel invitation; but God has never dealt with Gentiles as a nation - only with Israel has He so dealt. And what Paul is really saying in this sixteenth verse is that he was saved in order that his conversion and subsequent experiences would serve as a type for the conversion of the nation of Israel. In I Corinthians 15:8, Paul speaks of himself as one born out of due time. The literal translation in the Greek and English of the words "born out of due time" is "abortion." Paul being an Israelite thinks of himself as being born from above before the time for the conversion of national Israel.

Let us note some outstanding experiences in Paul's conversion and life, and see the analogy between them and Israel's coming conversion:

1. Saul was most zealous in his persecution of Christians. The Scriptures and history record the fact that apostate Israel is and will be most zealous in its persecution of Christians. We have not seen too much of that in recent years in this country because of the small minority of the Jews, but the names Christ and Christian have been words of hatred and enmity to the Jews, and they have never hesitated to make known their feelings in every way possible against those who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. During the great tribulation, Jewish hatred and persecution of Christians will reach its height, comparable to that of Saul of Tarsus as he hastened toward Damascus.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Paul's Conversion - A Type Of Israel's Future National Conversion
by A. Edwin Wilson

2. It was while Saul was on this mission of hate that the Lord Jesus Christ personally appeared to him, and when He asked, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Saul asked the question, "Who art thou, Lord?" It was then that Jesus revealed to him that He was the lowly Nazarene whom he hated, and he recognized Him then as the Christ.
 
When Christ appears in person to the nation of Israel at the close of the great tribulation, the Jews in astonishment will ask, "What are these wounds in thine hands?" and He will reveal to them that He is Jesus of Nazareth and also the Christ, their Messiah, when He answers, "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends " (Zechariah 13:6). Then shall be fulfilled Revelation 1:7, "Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."

We note in Paul's conversion that all with him saw the glory of the Lord, but only he heard Him speak. Evidently all shall see the Lord when He returns with clouds, but only Israel will hear Him speak.

3. Immediately upon Paul's conversion he asked, "Lord what wilt thou have me to do?" Jesus said for him to go into the city and it would be told him what to do. Following his baptism Paul went away into the desert where he was instructed personally by the Lord Jesus Christ. How often he called attention to the fact that the gospel which he preached was not learned from man nor by man, but from the personal revelation of Christ to him. After Israel's conversion she, too, will be taught by the Lord Himself the gospel which she is to teach and preach (some eminent scholars notwithstanding; Isaiah 11:1-9).

4. Up until the time of Paul's conversion, the spread of Christianity had been practically nil. After his conversion and under his preaching, it spread to the four points of the compass, and all the world heard (Romans 10:18; Colossians 1:23). Today, after nearly two thousand years of Christian missions, over two-thirds of the earth's population has not yet heard of Christ. It will continue to be practically the same until Israel is converted and then her experience will parallel that of Paul. Israel will again become Jehovah's witnesses and will carry the gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 43:9-12; Romans 11:15; John 4:22; Matthew 24:14).

5. Paul was the last apostle chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ, and his mission in the main was to be an apostle to the Gentiles. The nation of Israel will be the last group to be commissioned to preach the gospel, and their mission will be mostly to the Gentiles. One of the primary reasons our Lord has urged upon us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, to be zealous in calling out of the Gentiles a people for His name, and to pray for our Lord's return is that His purposes concerning Israel shall be fulfilled and she, as a nation, shall be saved and then carry the gospel to all of the Gentile nations, during which time an innumerable host shall be saved.

So now we see that the salvation of the Gentiles under the preaching of the nation of Israel will be far greater than it ever has been or ever could be under the preaching of the church (Acts 15:13-18 ).

By way of conclusion, may we call attention to the fact that the Jew is the key to God's plans and purposes as revealed in His Word. Apart from a knowledge of Israel's place in these eternal plans and purposes of God, no one can understand the Scriptures as a whole. So important is the Jew and so dear is he to the heart of God the Father that He has promised special blessings upon those who minister to them, and He has also promised a curse upon those who refuse to do so (Genesis 12:3; Psalms 122:6; Isaiah 54:17; Zechariah 2:8, 9).
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Is God Displeased With You?
by A. Edwin Wilson

IS GOD DISPLEASED WITH YOU?

A truth often mentioned in the Word of God but overlooked by many Christians is that God is displeased when His children are disobedient. Many fundamental Christians seem to think that, after they have received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, it is immaterial to God how they live. The following passage of Scripture sets forth in no uncertain terms God's displeasure with His own people:

"Moreover, brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,' and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea,' and did all eat of the same spiritual meat,' and did all drink of the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them,' and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness" (I Corinthians 10:1-5).

In directing your prayerful attention to this particular passage of Scripture we want to help you understand the eleventh verse of this same chapter: "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. " Here we are told explicitly that all these things which happened to the children of Israel happened as types and that they have been recorded for our edification and admonition. The fifth verse of this same chapter states that God was not well pleased with the children of Israel in the wilderness wanderings. Some commentators and teachers slip over this passage of Scripture with a misstatement that all who were overthrown in the wilderness were lost and consequently this has no particular meaning for us who name the name of Christ. The unfortunate chapter divisions between nine and ten separate the content of the closing verse of nine from the opening verses of ten, and this very pertinent truth of responsibility to the Lord is overlooked.

In 9:27 the Apostle Paul says he disciplines his body and keeps it in subjection lest that after he has preached to others he himself should be rejected or disapproved. Paul was not worried about being lost as a Christian, for he states very conclusively in Romans 8:38, 39 that absolutely nothing past, present or future can cause him to lose his salvation. His concern is whether or not he shall have a place in our Lord's coming Millennial reign. It is a fact of Scripture that Christians, though saved forever, may forfeit their right to rule and reign with Christ. To prove the possibility of a Christian being rejected or disapproved, Paul calls attention to the fact that the children of Israel in the wilderness were all children of God. Note the word ALL as it occurs five times in swift succession: ALL our fathers were under the cloud; ALL passed through the sea; ALL were baptized unto Moses; ALL ate of the Manna (which was Christ); ALL drank of the Rock (which was Christ). Now notice this in connection with these Israelites. Every single one of them was under the blood when the Passover was established the night of the exodus. The Lord God Almighty Himself led them personally in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. It is interesting to note in this connection that after their disobedience and after their being sent back into the desert to wander aimlessly for forty years, God personally abode with them and directed their daily lives. Their clothes did not wear out and their shoes did not give 'way. Every manifestation points to the fact that they were children of God. After eighteen months in the wilderness, God brought them to the border of Canaan, called Kadesh Barnea. Here they were to enter the promised land and possess fields with crops which they had not planted, vineyards and orchards which they had not tended, enter into equipped homes which they had not built, and take complete possession of the promised land. They were to slay every living human being in the land. (See Deuteronomy 7:1-5.) The land of Canaan, or the promised land, was typical of the Millennial reign of Christ. When God told the children of Israel to enter into the land and possess it, their lack of faith in the promises of God manifested itself and they refused to enter. They desired spies to go into the land and see if they could do what God had told them to do. Even today, after God tells some of His children to do something, they say it cannot be done - as if God would command a child of His to do that which could not be done. The glory of Christianity is in the fact that with the commandments of the Lord also comes the power for those accomplishments. Because of the unbelief of the children of Israel, the Lord bowed to their demands and permitted them to send spies into the land. But the seeds of unbelief had already been sown and ten of the twelve spies returned saying they could not take the land. Only Joshua and Caleb, because of their faith in God, told the people they could do what the Lord required. Oh, that people today would believe the Lord and obey Him when He commands.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Is God Displeased With You?
by A. Edwin Wilson

Because of their unbelief and failure to enter the promised land, God relayed the ultimatum, through Moses, that the children of Israel should turn around and go back into the desert. Here they wandered for about thirty-eight and a half years, conscious of the fact that they could not go into the land, but would be wanderers until the last one of the unbelievers had died. Now notice that they had come under the blood, but they were unbelievers in that they refused to follow the commands of the Lord after they were under the blood. With the deliverance of the ultimatum, the people then cried out to Moses that they would enter the promised land, but God ordered them to forget it and not to attempt it. Despite His protest, they sought to enter, but their attempt was thwarted by God with disastrous results (Numbers 14:40-45). The results of their disobedience, according to the commandments of God, were seen in the fact that of all that generation only two entered the land of promise: namely, Joshua and Caleb.

The lesson God would teach us in this particular experience is that many, many Christians, saved by the blood of the Lamb and eternally secure in His hand, may fail to have a place in Christ's coming kingdom because of their unbelief relative to their entrance into the kingdom and the glory to be enjoyed. Not long ago we heard an evangelist on the radio say that all the children of Israel were overthrown in the wilderness and of that entire generation only Joshua and Caleb were saved. Such is not the truth. He overlooked the fact that Moses also did not enter the promised land. One sin toward the close of his brilliant career resulted in his being forbidden to enter. God let Moses look over into the promised land but he could not go in. (See Deuteronomy 34:1-8.) Notice these passages in the New Testament which are warnings to Christians: Revelation 3:11; 16:15; Hebrews 12:14-17. These are warnings to be on the alert lest we forfeit or lose our kingdom inheritance and rewards.

Now in I Corinthians 10:6-15, our Lord lists some of the particular things which ministered to the unbelief of the children of Israel and caused them to be overthrown in the wilderness. Note in this connection also that although millions did not enter the promised land THEY DID NOT RETURN TO EGYPT, which they must needs have done had they been lost. Their experience was just the same as many Christians will have - saved, but no place to rule and reign with Christ.
 
In studying the sins of which they were guilty, we note in verse 7, the first one mentioned is idolatry. Just because Christians do not have little idols made out of gold, silver or wood, and just because they do not worship the sun, moon and stars does not mean that they are not idol worshippers. Anything that comes between us and God constitutes an idol. In Ephesians 5:5, the Word tells us that covetousness is idolatry. So often the Lord warns against love of money, stating specifically that a Christian cannot serve both God and mammon. But many a Christian has erred from the faith and brought many sorrows upon himself because of covetousness which is idolatry (I Timothy 6:10). God instituted the tithe to enable his creatures to overcome the love of money, which is covetousness. Many Christians will not rule and reign with Christ because they love money more than they love the Lord.

The second sin which led to Israel's unbelief and failure to enter the promised land was fornication. Our Lord told us that in the closing days of this dispensation it would be as it was in the days of Lot. Those were days of gross immorality. Today with many of the commercialized amusements on the stage, screen, radio and television ministering to the carnal and sensuous appetites of the flesh, with near nudeness, bestial contortions, music which originated in Africa via the New Orleans jazz parlors, and with magazine stories that are lewd and obscene, it is no wonder that this present age has been characterized by the question and answer: "What time is it?" "It is sex o'clock." And just as fornication kept many of the children of Israel from entering the promised land, sins of the flesh are going to keep many Christians from having a part in our Lord's Millennial reign.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Is God Displeased With You?
by A. Edwin Wilson

The third sin mentioned is in verse 9 where it speaks of the children of Israel tempting the Lord and many being destroyed by serpents (Numbers 21:5-9). They tempted the Lord by loathing "this light bread." That was the manna which God gave them to eat in the wilderness. Its counterpart in the Christian's experience is the Word of God. The manna in the wilderness contained everything necessary for the sustenance and upbuilding of the human body. The Word of God contains everything necessary for the sustenance and upbuilding of the spiritual life. Just as the children of Israel tired of the manna, so Christians tire of the Word. Just as the children of Israel murmured against God because of the manna, so do many Christians murmur against God because of His Word. The children of Israel tried to change the shape, looks and taste of the manna and adapt it to their desires (Numbers 11:4-9); so do Christians today try to change, alter and rephrase the Word of God to make it adaptable to this present evil age. Living in this enlightened era, one would think that the Word of God would be prominent in the church life; but the Lord, knowing that the day was coming and now is in which the Word would not be taught in Sunday schools and churches, offered a crown of glory to Christians who would be faithful in feeding the flock of God. The only thing God has provided with which to feed the flock is the Word of the Lord. (See Matthew 4:4; John 6:48-58; I Peter 5:1-4.) As we travel across the country, we find in every city and town consecrated men and women who have been relieved of their Sunday school classes because they taught the Bible instead of the denominational literature. We believe that the danger of the modern denominational movement (be it of any faith) . is that it keeps the people ignorant of the Word of God. In concluding this third sin, we note the children of Israel tempted God by loathing the manna. Christians today tempt the Lord by loathing His Word.

The fourth sin, verse 10, was murmuring against the Lord. Today Christians murmur against Him, against His Word, against teachers of His Word, against exponents of His eternal plans and purposes, against the chosen people of Israel, against the coming of the King in glory and against His righteous reign for a thousand years. In fact, they are murmuring against everything that pertains to the Kingship and kingdom of our Lord. Notice that these sins on the part of Israel did not cause them to be lost and go to hell - they just resulted in their being barred from the promised land.
 
Neither will these sins cause a Christian to be lost and go to hell, but they will result in such a one being barred from a place of honor and glory in His coming kingdom.

Again take note of I Corinthians 10:11 - "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples,' and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
Bound For The Promised Land
by A. Edwin Wilson

BOUND FOR THE PROMISED LAND

Israel's journeyings from Egypt to Canaan are typical of the Christian's journey from the day of his salvation to the Millennial Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In the study of typology, Egypt typifies the world and the land of Canaan typifies the Millennial reign. The intervening wilderness and desert typify a Christian's pilgrimage from the time of the new birth to death. Watch how this type develops.

The beginning of Israel's journeyings was the institution of the Passover - the slaying of the lamb, the sprinkling of the blood upon the doorposts and lintel. After having their lives spared because of the blood, the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea and entered into the wilderness. An individual begins his journey toward the promised land by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. That puts such a one under the blood. The next step is that of baptism, which typifies resurrection to walk in newness of life. The blood and the water place both Israel and the Christian on the road toward the promised land.

I must emphasize one special truth just now - while the blood and water are essential for the journey to the promised land, they alone are not sufficient. (I am not talking about salvation - that was cared for BY THE BLOOD.) The wilderness journeyings are a testing ground for Israel and Christians, to prove their ability to rule and reign with Christ. How significant that of all the responsible individuals who left Egypt, only two, Joshua and Caleb, entered the promised land. Not even Moses was allowed to enter.

The Jordan River typifies death and the promised land the Kingdom. Let me sum it up in four brief statements:
 
1. Both Israel and Christians start with equal providential and spiritual blessings.

2. Each has a title to the promise of a glorious land - God's sworn possession for His children.

3. Each group has to persevere through their pilgrimage until they reach their goal.

4. Through faith in God's promises and power to take them in, they may gain their inheritance.

All but Joshua and Caleb failed to inherit the promised land because:

1. They desired evil things.

2. They worshipped gods other than the one true God.

3. They committed sins of the flesh.

4. They provoked God by saying they wished they had never started.

5. They murmured against God's judgments and against His leadership.

Just think of the large number of born-again Christians who are going to miss many blessings of the Kingdom because of the same sins as listed above.
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[nChrist]

Prophecy - Signs
A Brand From The Burning
by A. Edwin Wilson

A BRAND FROM THE BURNING

"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, 0 Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head, So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by" (Zechariah 3:1-7).

A study of the life and experiences of Joshua, the high priest, is very timely for three reasons. First, it tells of the actual experiences of Joshua. Second, it typifies the experiences of the nation of Israel. And third, it is a very apt illustration of the experiences of a Christian from the time of his salvation until the day of his glorification.

Our interest just now is in the third point - that of an individual becoming a Christian and moving on toward the coming Kingdom of our Lord.

1. Joshua standing between God and Satan clothed in filthy garments is a picture of a poor, lost sinner clothed in his own unrighteousness. See Genesis 6:5; Mark 5:1-5; Luke 15:11-24. These are a few of many passages of Scripture which give the condition of an individual before he is saved.

2. The command in Zechariah 3:4, "Take away the filthy garments from him" portrays the Lord Jesus Christ taking away our sins (see I Corinthians 15:3; Hebrews 9:26). Just as the filthy garments were removed from Joshua so does the Lord remove our sins and transgressions from us. Man does not do that for himself; only the Lord can remove a man's sins and that through and by the power of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. In the latter part of Zechariah 3:4 the Lord says, "I will clothe thee with change of raiment." Not only does the Lord take away the filthy garments but the Lord puts the change of raiment on Joshua. How beautifully this pictures the Lord taking away our sins and clothing us with His own righteousness. This is illustrated also in Genesis 3:21 where in the word "make" we have the implication that the Lord slew and skinned the animals, dressed the skins, made coats out of them and then put these coats of skins on Adam and Eve. "But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet" (Luke 15:22).

4. Joshua, having been cleansed, robed and crowned is now ready to fulfill the purpose of God in his life, which fulfillment is conditioned by Joshua's obedience. Likewise, after an individual has been forgiven of his sins, his iniquities removed from him and the righteousness of God imputed unto him, he is then ready to live for the Lord. The crown he will wear must be won; the rewards for the Kingdom must be earned; the separation from those raised from among the dead must be attained. In Zechariah 3:7 we read that one must walk in the ways of the Lord and must keep the charge of the Lord if such a one is to have a position of authority and honor in the Kingdom. (A) Walking in the ways of the Lord refers to our personal relationship to Him. I mean by that, our personal holiness, our personal prayer and Bible study life, and our personal relationships in the home, out of the home, on the street, off the street. We are to be living examples of children of God. (B) Keeping His charge refers to our official relationship to the Lord: (1) we are to be His witnesses even to the ends of the earth - telling the story of Jesus to those who know it not; (2) we are ambassadors, being in the world but not of it; (3) we are to be teachers of the Word of the Lord; (4) we are to be living and praying for His return; (5) we are to be proclaiming the truth of His coming Kingdom.

If we walk in His ways and keep His charge then we are going to be judges in His house (that is, we shall rule and reign with Him). We will have positions of honor and glory in His court and preferred places of association with others who have qualified. It is one thing to be saved by grace and an entirely different thing to be rewarded according to works.
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