THE END DAYS! - FOOTSTEPS OF THE MESSIAH!

[nChrist]

The End Times According To Isaiah, Part 7.2
by Jack Kelley

Isaiah 27. The Deliverance of Israel

In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea. (Isaiah 27:1)

It doesn't make sense that Isaiah would be speaking of a literal sea monster here. I believe this verse makes reference to Satan's destruction. If so it confirms the earlier prophecy of Satan's doom in Isaiah 14.

In that day- "Sing about a fruitful vineyard:

I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it. I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire. Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me." (Isaiah 27: 2-5)

Isaiah compares God's protection of Israel to that of a farmer watching over his vineyard. As a demonstration of His mercy the enemy, represented by briers and thorns, has the choice of being consumed in the fire or making peace with Him.

In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit. (Isaiah 27:6)

Since its rebirth in 1948 Israel has become a major exporter of fruit, vegetables, and fresh flowers, until recently supplying much of Europe's needs. Lately, political differences have caused some European and Middle Eastern countries to boycott Israeli exports. But this verse has a spiritual fulfillment as well. Because of Israel the Gospel will bear fruit in all the world.

Has the LORD struck her as he struck down those who struck her? Has she been killed as those were killed who killed her? By warfare and exile you contend with her- with his fierce blast he drives her out, as on a day the east wind blows. By this, then, will Jacob's guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones to be like chalk stones crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing. (Isaiah 27:7-9)

As if anticipating the false teaching of replacement theologians who question Israel's right to exist, the prophet asks if the judgments that destroy the world will destroy Israel as well. We see the Lord's response In Jeremiah 30:11.

I am with you and will save you,' declares the LORD. ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.'

Having so far refused the Messiah's offer of pardon, Israel has chosen to remain accountable under the Old Covenant and must endure the punishment of a people out of fellowship. But God will not abandon them. The discipline of End Times judgments will awaken them, and they will seek the Lord. Hear the words of Isaiah's contemporary, the Prophet Hosea.

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence." (Hosea 6:1-2)

After 2 millennia they've been revived. As the 3rd begins, they'll be restored and He'll come to live with them again. The most precious fruit of all will be the the removal of Israel's sins.

The fortified city stands desolate, an abandoned settlement, forsaken like the desert; there the calves graze, there they lie down; they strip its branches bare.

When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor. (Isaiah 27:10-11)

It's a different story for Babylon,whose people,after all these centuries, remain without understanding and are beyond compassion.

In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one.

And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 27:12-13)

The Lord will go through the Promised Land and gather up His people, not missing any. Isaiah also made it clear in that in the Kingdom Age Egypt and Assyria will again be prominent nations on Earth, along with Israel.

There will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border. It will be a sign and witness to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. So the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and keep them. The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them. (Isaiah 19:19-22)

Zechariah 14:18-19 explains that Egypt's affliction will be caused by a refusal to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in the Millennium.

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance." (Isaiah 19:23-25)

Today a gigantic monument sits at the only spot on Earth that is both in the heart of Egypt and on its border. (The Biblical name for Egypt is Mizraim and literally means 2 Egypts since it's the dual form of its root, Matzor.) It's in a place called Giza, which is an Arabic word that means border. Giza is located on the border between Upper and Lower Egypt (the 2 Egypts) and is at the point of an arc that circumscribes the Nile Delta region.  So it's on the border, but also in the heart of Egypt. The monument is called the Great Pyramid, and it's the most remarkable edifice on the face of the Earth. The unique characteristics of the Great Pyramid's location, its construction, and its dimensions would challenge the limits of human capability even today, and yet it was built 4,000 years ago. Who built it, and for what purpose? Is this the monument of which Isaiah spoke? Many who've studied the Great Pyramid are convinced that the answer is yes. (Read more about The Great Pyramid of Giza)

As promised, in this 4 chapter glimpse of the End of the Age, we've seen the Earth judged, Babylon destroyed, the Messiah revealed, the Church Raptured, Satan judged, Israel restored, and have even gotten a glimpse of Eternity. And believe me, we've just begun. The most detailed and descriptive pictures of Earth in the Kingdom Age are in Isaiah, and they'll take your breath away. More next time. 02-21-09

[nChrist]

The End Times According To Isaiah, Part 8.1
By Jack Kelley

In this installment we'll see the awful fate of the nations as foretold in chapter 34, followed by the glorious restoration of Israel in chapter 35. The contrast couldn't be greater.

Isaiah 34, Judgment Against the Nations

Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it! The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood. (Isaiah 34:1-3)

There's no doubt about it. This passage directed toward the people on Earth at the End of the Age. Remember, the Lord had Jeremiah write that one of His objectives in the Great Tribulation was to completely destroy the nations. (Jeremiah 30:11) Depending on whose interpretation you favor, up to half the world's post rapture population will perish during the 7 years of Daniel's 70th week. The worst case scenario calls for an average of over 1 million deaths each day for 7 years as the most devastating time in Earth's history takes its grizzly toll. To say that chapter 34 is an intense passage would be to make one of the great understatements of all time. Even the Revelation will be hard pressed to surpass it.

All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree. (Isaiah 34:4)

There's both an astronomical and a spiritual component to this verse. True, the stars will disappear from the night sky, but the angels who rebelled with Satan will finally be defeated as well. Speaking of the time right after the Great Tribulation, our Lord said,

"Immediately after the distress of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' " (Matthew 24:29)

In the KJV the phrase translated "the heavenly bodies" above is rendered "the powers of the heavens" which is closer to the original Greek. Paul described them as "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12) Satan's warriors will be rounded up, and he himself will be bound in chains to begin his 1000 year prison term. (Revelation 20:2-3)

My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed. The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat- the blood of lambs and goats, fat from the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in Edom. And the wild oxen will fall with them, the bull calves and the great bulls. Their land will be drenched with blood, and the dust will be soaked with fat. (Isaiah 34:5-7)

Revelation 12:7-17 tells of the war in Heaven, when Satan and his forces will be expelled and driven to Earth. Now the Lord comes charging after them to finish the job. The Kingdom of God is invading Earth to dethrone the usurper and take possession of that which was redeemed on the cross. It wasn't just for sinners that the Lord gave His life, but for the Creation as well. (Romans 8:19-21)

When the Lord speaks of Edom as the people He has completely destroyed, it means He's talking about the land they once occupied before Nebuchadnezzar forever ended their national identity. Bozrah is the region in the land of Edom where Petra is located, just south and East from the south end of the Dead Sea. This will be the home of the Jewish remnant who will have followed the Lord's warning of Matthew 24:15 and escaped from the anti-Christ at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. The slaughter Isaiah refers to here is the utter defeat of the enemy forces that will come after the remnant with the intent of wiping them out. Instead they them selves will cease to exist. We'll see this event described again in Isaiah 63:1-6.

For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion's cause. Edom's streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch! It will not be quenched night and day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass through it again.

The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will nest there. God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of desolation. Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom, all her princes will vanish away. Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls. (Isaiah 34:8-13)

The land East of the Dead Sea will become an area of total devastation, consisting only of burning tar and sulfur. In the past, pitch seeped up through cracks in the mantle of the earth to cover the surface of the nearby Dead Sea where the cold water caused it to solidify. When lightning struck, the pitch would ignite, giving the ancient world a graphic model of the Lake of Fire. And in the ash that is all that remains of Sodom and Gomorrah the distinctive smell of sulfur still permeates the air. According to experts, it too was gathered beneath the surface and then shot into the air as balls of liquid fire that rained down on those cities, completely destroying them. Both these actions will be repeated, and this time it will be permanent.

[nChrist]

The End Times According To Isaiah, Part 8.2
By Jack Kelley

This area will be an uninhabitable ruin that will blaze forever. So how do wild animals dwell there? As it was in Isaiah 13:21-22 the Hebrew words here originally referred to demons. Translators substituted animal names to accommodate a society that no longer believes in demonic beings. A good study Bible will carry a footnote saying that the true meaning of the Hebrew words is uncertain, but some have been rendered as howling one, dragon, daughter of screaming, satyr, specter, female demon, arrow snake, or vulture in ancient writings.

The Hebrew words translated chaos and desolation in this passage are also found in Genesis 1:2 where they're translated formless and void. These two Hebrew words are only used in the Bible to describe the after effects of a judgment, lending credence to the view that Earth was made desolate between the first two verses of Genesis as the result of Satan's rebellion, and may have lain in darkness for eons before God said "Let there be light", and it was so.

Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also repose and find for themselves places of rest. The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate.

Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together. He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation. (Isaiah 34:14-17)

The demonic horde will dwell here through out the generations, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

Isaiah 35. The Joy of the Redeemed

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. (Isaiah 35:1-2)

Each of my trips to Israel has been different, and in the process I've seen nearly all of the country. I've also seen dramatic evidence of how this prophecy will be fulfilled. On my first trip, we arrived just after the worst snow storm in 100 years. Except for the high places on Mt. Hermon, Israel doesn't usually get any snow. Jerusalem had been brought to a standstill because they don't have any snow removal equipment. But within a couple of days it warmed up and the snow melted. When we arrived at the Dead Sea a few days later even our experienced guides were speechless. Almost overnight, the normally barren area had blossomed into the most elaborate confusion of grasses and wildflowers any of us had ever seen. It was an absolutely miraculous transformation that was never repeated on my subsequent trips. But when the Lord returns, it will be like that all the time.

On another trip we went to an observatory atop Mt. Carmel where Elijah had taunted the priests of Baal. Looking eastward we saw a seemingly endless forest, and were told that every single tree had been planted since 1948.

Later we continued into the far north to the national forest of Dan, next to Syria and Lebanon. We hiked for hours through the serene forest in one of the most peaceful days of all my trips there. I reflect on these experiences often as I read passages like this and am thankful that the Lord provided these glimpses of the way His land will be in the Kingdom Age.

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you."

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. (Isaiah 35:3-7)

In that day God's people won't just have little glimpses of His Glory. Once the curse is gone, they'll be immersed in it. The land will spring forth in glorious array, finally freed from the bondage of decay. And so will His people spring forth in the restoration of their health and happiness.

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isaiah 35:8-10)

The endless line of Israel's redeemed from ages past, glorious in their resurrection bodies, will be home at last. And the Lord will be there and will dwell with them forever.

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed." (Isaiah 55:12-13)

Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 02-28-09

[nChrist]

Confirming The Sequence Of End Times Events
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

He replied, "When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." (Matthew 16:2-3)

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand -  then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:15-16)

For then there will be great distress (Great Tribulation), unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again. (Matthew 24:21)

When it comes to developing any kind of time line concerning the End Times, the watershed event has to be the Abomination that Causes Desolation. Why? Because from that time forward, the Bible gives a very clear sequence of events.

First, the Abomination is the event that kicks off the Great Tribulation, a period of judgments 3 1/2 years long. (Matthew 24:15,21)  After the Great Tribulation, the Lord returns and following His return the Millennium begins. After the Millennium comes Eternity. Any one on Earth during this time will be able to predict these events with reasonable accuracy.

Second, we who study prophecy can also count backward from the Abomination that Causes Desolation and predict the sequence of events leading up to it by applying our knowledge of Scripture.

How Does That Work?

Well, we know that the Abomination involves the anti-Christ standing in the Temple in Israel, proclaiming himself to be God. (Daniel 9:27 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4)

But that can't happen until some other things take place first.  Obviously the anti-Christ has to be revealed. And the Jews have to build their Temple.  This is something that can't happen until they experience a change in attitude causing them to demand a Temple regardless of the consequences. Today less than 1 in 4 citizens of Israel want a Temple built, but even if every one of them did just the hint that they were going to build one would send the rest of the world into a tizzy. It simply wouldn't be permitted.

Some major event has to take place to convince the Jewish people that building a Temple in Israel is the right thing to do in spite of all the trouble it could cause, and some world leader has to have enough clout to convince the rest of the world, especially the Moslem Middle East, to let them do it.

Daniel 9:27 also reveals that as the End of the Age approaches, a leader from among the people who destroyed the Temple in 67 AD will confirm (enforce) a 7 year covenant with Israel that includes permission to build a new Temple, and that in the middle of this period he will commit the Abomination that Causes Desolation. That explains the persuasive world leader. He's the anti-Christ, and he wants the Temple built for reasons that have nothing to do with Israel. The unanswered question in Daniel's prophecy is why the Jews would desire a Temple at that particular time.

Our knowledge of the Old Testament tells us that a Temple was necessary to fulfill the requirements of the Levitical worship system. So then, because of the uproar it would create, it seems logical to assume that the Jews would only want a Temple if they felt it was absolutely necessary for the Nation of Israel to re-instate their Old Covenant worship of God.

How Does That Happen?

Toward the end of his two-chapter prophecy that speaks of a great end times battle between Israel and its neighbors (Ezekiel 38-39), Ezekiel noted that God is going to use this battle to reveal Himself to Israel and the world once again. The way He'll do this is to give Israel a decisive victory in the face of such overwhelming odds that everyone on Earth will realize that only God could have done it. Ezekiel wrote that following the battle God would gather all His people alive at the time to Israel, not leaving any behind. (Ezekiel 39:28 )

So this battle is the event that compels a national return to God in Israel. And when all the living Jews in the world are suddenly drawn to Israel because God has called them there, they'll demand a Temple so they can resume their Old Covenant relationship with Him. If He was calling them through the Messiah into a New Covenant relationship they wouldn't need a Temple, so it has to be a resumption of the Old Covenant. Their New Covenant call, prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31, happens later during the time of the Two Witnesses (Rev 11) and they'll respond to it toward the end of the Great Tribulation, according to Zechariah 12:10.

Also on the heels of Ezekiel's battle, the anti-Christ will emerge with a plan to restore peace to the Middle East. He first appears as a peacemaker as foretold in Daniel 8:25. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. I prefer the King James translation of the second sentence, which begins, "By means of peace he will destroy many …". So the battle of Ezekiel 38-39 creates the circumstances for both the anti-Christ and the Temple to appear on the scene, setting the stage for the Abomination that Causes Desolation.

[nChrist]

Confirming The Sequence Of End Times Events - Part 2 of 3
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Connecting The Dots

Using our Bible knowledge to back into the present from the Abomination that Causes Desolation, so far we find the sequence looks like this.

The Abomination can't happen till the Temple's built. But that can't happen till a 7-year covenant is confirmed permitting its construction. (By the way, this 7-year period is often called Daniel's 70th week because it's the last week of years in a prophecy consisting of 70 weeks of years given to Daniel in about 538 BC. Dan. 9:24-27)

The 7-year covenant can't happen till someone from among the descendants of the Roman people emerges with a plan for peace in the Middle East. And that can't happen till the battle described in Ezekiel 38-39 puts the Middle East in all out war.

Ezekiel's battle can't happen until God is ready to reveal Himself to Israel again, bringing Jews from all over the world to Israel clamoring for a Temple so they can re-instate their Old Covenant relationship with Him.

For all of my 25 plus years as a student of prophecy, scholars have been expecting the Battle of Ezekiel 38.  Yet the conditions that make it possible have never been met.  For one thing, the participants are not all in place, but more importantly Israel has never known a single day of peace, let alone the prolonged period necessary for them to be described as a peaceful and unsuspecting people, the way Ezekiel did (Ezekiel 38:11).  Something has to happen to make them feel like they no longer have a threatening enemy while leaving Iran, Russia, and the other nations Ezekiel identified in position to attack.

Recently, several writers, myself included, have seen two other Old Testament prophecies as likely preludes to Ezekiel 38.  In Psalms 83 it appears that all of Israel's next door neighbors will rise up in an attack intended to destroy the Jewish nation, and Isaiah 17 specifically mentions Israel's destruction of Damascus.  The defeat of Israel's neighbors fills in two more blanks in the end times sequence.  First, it explains why none of them are mentioned in Ezekiel 38, when logic dictates that they should be right in the thick of things.  Second, it reveals how the Jews can be caught with their guard down.  With Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah, Lebanon, and the others defeated, Israel will finally have some breathing room. Since Russia and Iran have traditionally used these neighbors as proxies rather than having a face-to-face confrontation, Israel may feel there's no longer any threat from them either.

But Wait, There's More!

And neither God's revelation to Israel nor the emergence of the anti-Christ can happen until the Church is gone, for two very good reasons.

1. In Acts 15:14 James clearly prophesied that after the Lord had taken the church He would return and rebuild the Temple. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: "After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it" (Acts 15:14-16).

After the Lord has taken the Church, He'll return and rebuild the Temple. Two Greek words are critical to our understanding of this passage. The one translated tent also means Tabernacle, a reference to the Temple. The one translated taking means to lay hold of, or take up in order to carry, or carry away. I believe it's a veiled reference to the Rapture of the Church preceding God's return to Israel.

If so, it's consistent with God's way. He seems to focus either on Israel or the Church, never both at once. In the greater context of the passage James was illustrating this very point from the other end of the Church Age. He told the gathered Apostles that God was setting Israel aside while He took from among the Gentiles a people for Himself. But after He had taken them, He would return to restore Israel.

Later, Paul alluded to this sequence in Romans 11:25-27. I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."

[nChrist]

Confirming The Sequence Of End Times Events - Part 3 of 3
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

As I've pointed out before, in Paul's day the phrase full number was a nautical term that stood for the number of crewmen necessary before a ship could legally set sail.  Apparently God has assigned a specific number to the church before it can be raptured.  When that number is complete, the Church will "come in" to the place prepared for us.  Come in was another nautical term meaning "to arrive at the intended destination", which Jesus described as His father's house in John 14:1-3. Then God will turn again to Israel, reversing the hardening of Israel's heart, taking the blinders from their eyes, and offering salvation once more.

2. In 2nd Thessalonians 2:6-7 Paul explained that the anti-Christ could not be revealed until the power that's restraining him is taken out of the way (literally out of the midst). To most evangelical scholars the power Paul wrote about is the Holy Spirit as resident in the Church.  Since this power is sealed within us (Ephesians 1:13) it stands to reason that if the Holy Spirit is taken we have to go too. Here's another hint of the Rapture of the Church, this time preceding the appearance of the anti-Christ.

So if the Rapture has to precede both the revelation of God to Israel and the revelation of the anti-Christ to the world, then the Rapture has to precede the battle of Ezekiel 38 as well.  Since no one knows what the full number of the Church is, no one can know in advance exactly how long before Ezekiel 38 the Rapture will take place. It could literally happen any day, and there's no day more likely than any other.  For that reason we can't locate it any more specifically in the End Times sequence than to say that it must precede Ezekiel 38.

But apart from that, the sequence of events will go like this. The Battle of Psalms 83/Isaiah 17, the Battle of Ezekiel 38, anti-Christ's appearance as a peace maker, the 70th week of Daniel begins, the Abomination that Causes Desolation takes place, then the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming, the Millennium, and Eternity. The first of these could be very close. So close that you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.  11-05-08

[nChrist]

Animal Sacrifice In The Millennium
by Jack Kelley
5-23-2009

Every time I answer a question on animal sacrifices in the Millennium, I get more questions about them. If Jesus died once for all time, the righteous for the unrighteous, they ask, then are we sure that animal sacrifices will again be a part of the daily routine, as they were in the Old Testament? And if so, why?
Let's find out.

We'll take the easy one first. The most prominent feature of Millennial Israel will be its Temple, so in our search for an answer, let's begin there. The Temple will have an outer court and an inner court. Each has gates facing East, North and South. Inside each inner gate is a room for preparing animal sacrifices (Ezekiel 40:38-39), which will clearly be the order of the day during the Kingdom Age. There will be sacrifices for the year, the month, the week, and the day, in addition to those for the three remaining Levitical Feasts, Passover (bulls and goats but no lamb), Unleavened Bread, and Tabernacles. These are all discussed in detail in Ezekiel 45:13 - 46:15.

So now we know that animals will be sacrificed regularly through out the Millennium. They'll be called sin offerings, guilt offerings and burnt offerings, just like in Leviticus. What Ezekiel didn't discuss is why they'll still be necessary. For that we have to look other places.

It's The Law

First, a little review. The Old Testament sacrifices, though required, were only of benefit to those who understood their symbolic purpose. In Psalm 51:16-17 David wrote,

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Unless they were presented with the proper attitude, animal sacrifices were not pleasing to God. Men who offered sacrifices had to admit their fallen nature and believe that the animals they were offering symbolized a coming Redeemer who would one day restore them.

But over time the motive was forgotten and just the motions remained. In Isaiah 29:13 God said,

"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."

And in Isaiah 66:2-3 He explained just how repulsive the sacrifices are without contrition and faith, the only proper motives.

"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a man, and whoever offers a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig's blood, and whoever burns memorial incense, like one who worships an idol."

From these examples, it's clear that Old Testament believers were required to offer sacrifices both as an admission of their sinfulness and of their belief that a Redeemer was coming to save them. While the Law of the Lord is perfect (Psalm 19:7) natural man cannot keep it. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by keeping the Law. Rather, through the Law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:20) The Law was given to teach us that we can't meet its requirements and need a Savior to redeem us from its penalty. We can't do it ourselves.

Then Comes Grace

The Age of Grace began at Pentecost and will end at the Rapture. This makes sense when you consider that in Ephesians 2:7 Paul said that through the Church God wants to demonstrate the incomparable riches of His grace in the ages yet to come. To accomplish this, He made our relationship with Him different than anyone else's before or after. In Ephesians 3:8-10 Paul said that he was chosen by God to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. This was a mystery in the past, but God's intent was that now, through the church, His manifold wisdom would be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm. That means angels, both faithful and fallen, learn something of God's wisdom by studying the Church.

So both the angels in Heaven and future generations of men on Earth will see in the Church the perfection of God's love. In Ephesians 2:10 Paul called the Church God's workmanship. The Greek word means to make something from something else. It's used only twice in the New Testament and both times it describes the work of God as our Creator.

In our case, He took something worthless and made it into something priceless. He forgave all of our sins in advance, (Colossians 2:13-15) making His pardon free for the asking (Matthew 7:7-8 ). When we ask, He begins from that moment on to see us as if we're as righteous as He is, (2 Corinthians 5:17,21) and guarantees our inheritance. (Ephesians 1:13-14)  At the Rapture He'll transform us to become in fact that which we already are is His sight. (1 Cor. 15:51-53) Then He'll reward us with a portion of His inheritance (Gal. 4:7), and a seat with His Son in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come (Ephesians 1:20-21 & 2:6).

In the coming age, men on Earth will look up into the sky and see the New Jerusalem, home of the Church, in orbit nearby. It will be their source of light and though they'll never be able to visit it, descriptions of its beauty and majesty will stagger their imaginations. All of creation will stand in awe of this display of the incomparable riches of God's grace.

This is why the Church is God's workmanship, not ours, and why the Bible is so clear on the fact that we can do nothing to earn or keep our salvation. In order to be the ultimate example of His grace, our salvation has to be 100% dependent on Him. Anything we do in an effort to help ourselves diminishes His workmanship. No other group in the history of man has deserved so little and been given so much, and that's just the way He intended it.

[nChrist]

Animal Sacrifice In The Millennium
by Jack Kelley
5-23-2009

Saved By Faith, Obedient To The Law

But that all comes to a crashing halt at the Rapture. Even during Daniel's 70th Week it's clear that life on Earth will be a lot more like it was in the Old Testament than it is in the New. For example, the Jews only need to build a Temple in order to conduct animal sacrifice. Their worship system requires it. Remember, in the middle of the 70th week the Abomination of Desolation will cause an end to the sacrifice and offering (Daniel 9:27). That means sacrifices will have begun again with the construction of the Temple, because they aren't being done now.

In an earlier study, The Nature Of Post Church Salvation, I made the case that post Church believers, whether Jew or Gentile, will not enjoy the seal of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their inheritance. Eternal Security is a blessing for the Church alone and ends with the end of the Age of Grace at the Rapture.
Two passages from Revelation illustrate this.

1. This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)

Speaking of the perilous times after the introduction of the Mark of the Beast, the Lord had John say that both obedience and faith will be required of Tribulation believers, whereas the Church is saved by grace through faith alone.

2. "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." (Revelation 16:15)

When used symbolically, clothing always stands for righteousness. Note that it's the Tribulation believer's responsibility to maintain his righteousness. It's not imputed to him solely by faith as ours is.

Immediately after the 2nd Coming, the Temple will be cleansed and on Earth animal sacrifice will begin again. The fact that there were animal sacrifices before the Church and there will be animal sacrifices after the Church shows that they were not eliminated forever when Jesus came, but only suspended during the Age of Grace. (In the New Jerusalem, home of the Church, there is no Temple. (Revelation 21:22) Having been the Lord's Temple for the last 2000 years, we'll see that He's become ours.)

Life In The Millennium

In the Millennium, the people of Earth will once again offer sacrifices in admission of their fallen state, just like in the Old Testament, but now it will also be evidence of their belief that the Redeemer has come. According to Psalm 2 their relationship with the Lord will also be like it was for Israel in the Old Testament.

I will proclaim the decree of the LORD : He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. (Psalms 2:7-12)

So much for gentle Jesus meek and mild. And remember, in our recent study of Isaiah we saw that it won't be just Israel that comes under the rule of the Lord, but the whole Earth.

In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations (Gentiles) will stream to it. (Isaiah 2:2)

The word mountain is symbolic of government. All of Earth will be a theocracy with the Lord as King.

Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:3)

The Hebrew word translated Law in verse 3 is Torah. So the Law being spoken of here is the Law of Moses, and all the world will have to comply.

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:4)

[nChrist]

Animal Sacrifice In The Millennium
by Jack Kelley
5-23-2009

This verse is often quoted in the context of peace. But it also means that there won't be any United Nations or World Court. Nor will any nation have the sovereign right to contend with another. The Word of the Lord will be the Law on Earth and there won't be any recourse. This will be the Lord's "New World Order" and He won't brook any alternatives.

Zechariah also gives us a glimpse of His Millennial rule.

Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:16-19)

But Why?

Seeing the emphasis given to the Law both before and after the Church only serves to underscore the the Lord's declaration that He didn't come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17) So, animal sacrifices have been suspended during the Church Age to demonstrate the extent of God's grace. But our study of the Millennium shows that they weren't eliminated forever. Here's why.

When the Church studies Israel we see that man came to believe He didn't need a Savior. He thought that keeping the Law and offering the sacrifices were sufficient payment for his sin, even though the Old Testament doesn't teach that. When Millennial believers study the Church they'll see that being freed from the Law and its sacrifices slowly took away our distaste for sin, allowing us to become far too comfortable in its presence, even though the New Testament doesn't teach that either.

Maybe natural man needs both. Maybe, like Israel, he needs a strict application of God's Law and the bloody, barbaric ritual that comes from his failure to keep it so he never forgets the awful consequences of sin. And maybe, like the Church, he needs to know for sure that God sent a Savior to do for him what he cannot do for himself. And that's to save him from those consequences.

In Israel God demonstrated the perfection of His Law. In the Church it's the incomparable riches of His Grace. In the Millennium, the people of Earth will experience both simultaneously. Next time we'll see if that does the trick, or if, like all of God's other attempts to dwell among His people, this one also ends in man's failure and God's judgment. Stay tuned. 05-23-09

[nChrist]

Why The Rebirth Of Israel Is An End Times Sign
by Jack Kelley
5-16-2009

"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door." (Matthew 24:32-33)

Many students of prophecy identify the Lesson of the Fig Tree in Matthew 24 as a reference to Israel. While the fig tree is often used to symbolize Israel, this is not one of those times.

The fig tree is one of the last trees to bud in the spring, so when it begins to get leaves people know that summer is right around the corner. There'll be no more false starts, no more cold snaps. Summer is now certain and soon. Jesus used this analogy to tell people who'll be on Earth at the time that when they see the things he described beginning in Matthew 24:15, they'll know that His coming is really near.

Earlier in Matthew 24 He had told them that wars and rumors of war will be characteristic of the age (Matthew 24:6), and that the earthquakes and famines they'll notice will be like the beginning of birth pangs, mild and infrequent at first but more intense and more frequent as the end approaches (Matthew 24:7-8 ). Then there'll be increased anti-semitism, apostasy, false prophets and deception, in the midst of which the Gospel will be preached in all nations (Matthew 24:9-14).

But when they see the Abomination of Desolation, a man standing in the Temple telling people he's God, things will begin to get serious fast and the countdown will begin on the most terrifying period of time in the history of man. This is what He compared to the fig tree getting leaves. When they see that, they know that His return is certain and soon. That's the lesson of the Fig Tree.
Now Where Do We Go?

So then, if the fig tree isn't symbolic of Israel why are we convinced that the events of 1948 marked the beginning of the end?

First of all, you don't need the Lesson of the Fig Tree to place Israel in Matthew 24. If you read the passage carefully, you'll see that Jesus gave three crystal clear signs that there would be a generation of Old Covenant following Jews in Israel at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, and that's the generation He's speaking to.

The first clue is the Abomination of Desolation, something that hasn't happened since Jesus gave the warning. It will be seen standing in the Holy Place. (Matthew 24:15) That's the Jewish Temple, and it means there will be a Temple standing in Israel again before the Great Tribulation begins.

The second clue is that the people he's telling to flee are in Judea, the name by which the Biblical land of Israel was known during the time of the Lord's visitation. (Matthew 24:16)

And the third clue is for them to pray it won't happen on a Sabbath. Matthew 24:20) Only observant Jews would be worried about this because they can only walk 1000 paces on the Sabbath, not nearly far enough to even get out of town, let alone into the mountains.

There are lots of other places where the Bible promises that the nation Israel will exist in its Biblical lands at the End of the Age as well, but the primary one is in Ezekiel 36-37.

Beginning in chapter 36 Ezekiel shifted from his message of judgment to one of future hope. He began writing these chapters after he learned that Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians and its desolation had begun. Having earlier prophesied against the mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 6) he now began speaking promises to them. Reminding the mountains that he had pronounced judgment against the surrounding nations for trying to possess them, and for plundering and ridiculing the towns that had dwelt upon them, the Lord had Ezekiel say,

"But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. I will increase the number of men and animals upon you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD. I will cause people, my people Israel, to walk upon you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children." (Ezekiel 36:8-13)

While this was partially fulfilled after the Babylonian captivity, the people were driven off the land again in the first century AD, so the complete fulfillment had to begin sometime after that. Earlier, Isaiah had prophesied that there would be a second return, and his contemporary Amos said that after that one they would never be uprooted again. So that's the one we're looking for.

In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. (Isaiah 11:11)

I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)

According to history the second fulfillment officially began in 1948. Why did the Lord finally do this? What had they done to deserve it?

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes." (Ezekiel 36:22-23)

[nChrist]

Why The Rebirth Of Israel Is An End Times Sign
by Jack Kelley
5-16-2009

As far back as the wilderness wanderings, the Lord had foretold of Israel's diaspora (Deuteronomy 28:64-68 ) and subsequent regathering. (Deuteronomy 30:1-4) Because of their disobedience they would be driven from the land. After an extended period of time He would bring them back, not because they deserved it, but because He had given His word. Their return would be a sign to all the world. A sign that the End of the Age is upon us.

Frequently the Lord had His prophets first give a sweeping overview statement to describe a promise and then fill in the details afterward. Such is the case with Ezekiel's next declaration.

"For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel!" (Ezekiel 36:24-32)

Clearly the complete fulfillment of this promise to Israel is yet future to us. But its magnitude is striking. God promised that Israel would be brought back into its Biblical lands, something we see is already in process. Then the people will be cleansed from all their sins, given a new heart, and the Holy Spirit will come to dwell within them. (Obviously, this hasn't happened yet, because it can only happen when one is born again.) Then the Kingdom promises will begin coming true and the people will remember their former sinful ways and detest themselves. This is another indication of the indwelling Holy Spirit's work, convicting them of their sins. This is the same way things happened for you and me. In a general sense, we knew we were sinners in need of a Savior when we first went to the altar, but we didn't understand the full extent of our depravity until after we were saved and the Holy Spirit began to reveal it to us in depth.

The Valley Of Dry Bones

Now, let's look at Ezekiel 37 where the dramatic rebirth of the nation is foretold in the vision of the valley of dry bones.

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' " (Ezekiel 37:1-6)

Picture yourself standing in a large valley whose floor is strewn with bones. They're scattered around randomly, none of them connected to another, bleached and dry. It looks like they've been dumped there some time ago and left, as if who ever did it had no further use for them.

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. (Ezekiel 37:7-8 )

In what looks like an animator's dream, the bones slowly begin to rise and join themselves together from the feet up to form skeletons, each bone in its proper place. Tendons appear and begin to snake along the bones attaching themselves to make the bones move. As each one connects you can hear the clicking sounds of the tendons conducting tests, making the bones move on command. Muscle and flesh begin to cover them and finally skin spreads out along limbs and around torsos, enclosing the muscle and flesh and giving the bodies a finished, though lifeless, form.

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet - a vast army. (Ezekiel 37:9-10)

The breath that gives them life comes from the four winds, used symbolically to represent a sovereign act of God. This tells us that though they are now living beings, they are not yet possessed of the Spirit of God. That will come later, as we'll see. The people would first be gathered together in unbelief, a secular nation. This is seen in their status today, brought back after a 2000 year absence by a sovereign act of God, but not yet a covenant people again. This is what God meant when He said it wouldn't be because they deserved it, but because He promised it.

[nChrist]

Why The Rebirth Of Israel Is An End Times Sign
by Jack Kelley
5-16-2009

Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' " (Ezekiel 37:11-14)

The complete fulfillment of the Dry Bones prophecy requires two more things only God can do. He must put His Spirit in them and He must bring the faithful of their past out of the grave to join them. His Spirit will come when they're ready to recognize Him as the Messiah they put to death so long ago. Zechariah said this would happen during their final time of trial at the end of the age.

"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zechariah 12:10)

(In the Hebrew language, this verse reveals an astonishing secret. After the phrase They will look on me … it contains two untranslated letters, an aleph and a tau. They are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. So the verse literally reads, "They will look on me, the Aleph and the Tau …"  In Genesis 1:1 the same two Hebrew letters show up after the phrase In the beginning, God … So it reads In the beginning God, the Aleph and the Tau …  In Genesis 1 the Father is in view, but in Zechariah 12 it's the Son.  Was God planting little clues that He and the Messiah are one? Well, look at Revelation 1:8;

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

The original language of the Revelation is Greek where the first and last letters of the alphabet are Alpha and Omega. Now let's read the words of Jesus in Revelation 22:13;

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Aleph and Tau, first and last in Hebrew.  Alpha and Omega, first and last in Greek.  Both languages referring to both the Father and the Son.  Someone's trying to tell us something.)

Daniel 12:1-2 says that following the Great Tribulation Daniel's people will come out of their tombs, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. This is the Bible's first mention of two resurrections, one for the faithful and one for the damned. Those who are resurrected to life will dwell in Israel during the Millennium, the final fulfillment of Ezekiel 37:13. From Revelation 20:11-15 we learn that the resurrection of the damned will happen 1000 years later at the Great White Throne judgment.

One Nation Under One King

The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, 'Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.' Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, 'Ephraim's stick, belonging to Joseph and all the house of Israel associated with him.' Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.

"When your countrymen ask you, 'Won't you tell us what you mean by this?' say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph - which is in Ephraim's hand - and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah's stick, making them a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.' (Ezekiel 37:15-19)

Then God had Ezekiel tell us of the reunion of the two kingdoms into one. The word translated stick of wood means scepter. It is a symbol of a king's authority. By joining them together Ezekiel was symbolizing the two kingdoms, Israel in the North and Judah in the South becoming one again as they had been in the beginning.

Some day a couple of clean cut young people might come to your door to tell you about the Mormon church. In the course of your discussion they may offer to show you proof that Joseph Smith, the Mormon church's founder, is named in the Bible. Turning to Ezekiel 37 they'll show you this passage and tell you that the word translated stick means scroll, or book (it doesn't). They'll say that Ephraim stands for the Mormon people and the stick of Joseph is the Book of Mormon, written by Joseph Smith. They'll say the passage means that one day the Book of Mormon will be merged with the Bible (Judah's stick) so that all the world will know that both are correct. But you'll know different, and will be able to prove it from the verses below. That will probably end the discussion.

Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 37:20-23)

[nChrist]

Why The Rebirth Of Israel Is An End Times Sign
by Jack Kelley
5-16-2009

This is the Lord's interpretation of the passage in question and makes it clear that He'll reunite the divided Kingdom and never again will there be two kingdoms on the mountains of Israel. But look at what he says next.

" 'My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.' " (Ezekiel 37:24-28 )

A descendant of King David's will be their King.  He's called a prince to distinguish him from the Messiah who will be King of the whole Earth, and to demonstrate that he's a son (descendant) of King David's, not David himself.  We know this because in the Kingdom Age he'll have to give a sin offering for himself as well as the people (Ezekiel 45:22) David will be in his resurrection body, no longer be contaminated by a sin nature.

The Lord will bring His ancient people into the everlasting covenant and He'll dwell among them in His Temple forever. He had Ezekiel devote 9 chapters to explaining in detail how this would come about (Ezekiel 40-48 ). This demonstrates the most obvious difference between Israel and the Church. Israel is promised that God will one day dwell among them on Earth forever. The Church is promised that we will dwell with Jesus in Heaven forever. While both promises come true, the people and the locations involved are clearly very different.

There are prophecies through out the Bible that demonstrate the need for the nation Israel to exist again as the time of the end approaches. The one's I've  emphasized contain the clearest pictures of modern Israel's development from a tiny remnant of an ancient people into a covenant nation that will once again be the center of God's attention and the pre-eminent kingdom on Earth. It's something only God could do, and it's no wonder that the enemy has dedicated all of his resources in an effort to prevent it. The battle of the ages is looming and Israel is right in the middle of it. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. (05-16-09)

[nChrist]

Pentecost and the Rapture of the Church
by Jack Kelley
5-23-2009
Pentecost This Year Is May, 31, 2009

Pentecost comes in the early summer (May-June). This year it's May 31.   It's the only Holy Day between the 3 Spring Feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits) and the 3 in the fall (Rosh Hashanna, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles). Its Hebrew name is Shavuot. Pentecost is a Greek word and translates "50 days" since it comes 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits, the day we should know as Resurrection Morning . The Feast of First Fruits is celebrated on the day following the first Sabbath after Passover and Pentecost on the day after the Sabbath seven weeks later, (Leviticus 23:15-16) giving rise to its nickname "Feast of Weeks." Since the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, both these Holy days are Sundays.

What's a Pentecost?

Jews celebrate Pentecost (I'll just use its Greek name to avoid any more confusion than necessary) as the day Moses received the Law on Mt. Sinai in the wilderness and the nation Israel was born. (Exodus 19-20) Christians celebrate it as the day the Holy Spirit fell on the Disciples in Jerusalem and the Church was born (Acts 2).  If you agree with my view that the parables of Matthew 13 describe the church on Earth and that the parable of the yeast predicts there will be sin in the church, you'll be interested in the fact that unlike all the other Jewish Feasts that call for unleavened bread, Pentecost requires bread baked with yeast (Leviticus 23:17). Pentecost also began the annual wheat harvest, perhaps pointing to another of Matthew's Kingdom parables, the Wheat and the Tares.

The Pentecost ceremonies reveal a subtle link to the coming church. In synagogues, the Book of Ruth is read on Pentecost. The story of Ruth has been called "The Romance of Redemption" where-in Naomi, a Jewish woman from Bethlehem loses land and position and is forced into exile in a foreign country where her husband soon passes away leaving her penniless and alone. She decides to return to Bethlehem and is accompanied by Ruth, a gentile woman who has sworn never to leave her. Ruth was a Moabite who had married one of Naomi's sons (who also died) making her Naomi's daughter-in-law and, like her, a destitute widow. Back in Bethlehem Naomi's relative, a prominent Jewish man named Boaz falls in love with Ruth and marries her, in the process redeeming Naomi's land and position according to the law. (Leviticus 25:25 & Deuteronomy 25:5-6). The modeling here is dramatic, with Naomi in the role of Israel, destitute and alone; Ruth as the Church, the gentile bride; Boaz as the Kinsman Redeemer (Messiah) and the story a prediction of the relationship between them. On His way to redeeming Israel, the Kinsman Redeemer takes a gentile bride, saving both from destitution and restoring Israel's land. The identification of the Church with Pentecost began in the prophecies of Ruth. To learn more about these incredible prophecies, and enjoy one of the world's classic love stories,  read Ruth's Story.

By the way, Boaz was the son of Rahab, the harlot from the Book of Joshua (read "The Gospel in Joshua … The Story of Rahab" ), and 3 generations later his great-grandson David became King of Israel. Rahab and Ruth both show up in the Genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5), and one of the pillars at the entrance to the Temple was named after Boaz.

When's Your Birthday?

By tradition Enoch, one of the patriarchs from Genesis 5, was born on the day later to be known as Pentecost. Enoch's name means "teaching", a primary function of the Church.  For this reason many scholars see him as a "type" of the church as well. Genesis 5:21-23 indicates that Enoch was very close to God and was actually taken live (raptured) into Heaven before the Great Flood. Pre-Trib scholars see this event as hinting of a yet future disappearance of the Church before the Great Tribulation. These same traditions also hold that Enoch disappeared from Earth on his birthday. So here's a model in Genesis 5 of a man identified with the church being born and raptured on the day that would become Pentecost, the day the church was born.

All this of course is merely an accumulation of circumstantial evidence. The Rapture is a secret event, and as such it's exact timing is known only to God. But we are admonished to learn from Israel's history (Romans 15:4) and be aware of the times and seasons so that we should not be caught by surprise as events marking the end of the age unfold (1 Thessalonians 5:4). For we will not all sleep (die) but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

Soon And Very Soon

One day soon now, all who are in Christ, having heard and believed the Word of Truth, the Gospel of our salvation, thereby receiving the mark of the promised Holy Spirit, will suddenly disappear from the face of the Earth along with all children and those mentally incapable of making informed choices . In one instant we will have been going about our daily routines on Earth and in the next we'll be standing in the presence of our Redeemer, our sins forgiven and forgotten, and all our imperfections gone. Among us will be all the faithful dead of the Church Age, reunited with their perfected bodies and restored to eternal physical life. Together we will begin the most incredible journey of exploration and realization ever dreamed of.

Neither we, nor the unbelieving world, will have received any advance warning of the timing for this event; it will have come totally by surprise. Maybe it will happen on Pentecost, maybe not. But one thing is certain, when it does happen, none us will care one whit whether we had predicted it's timing accurately. We will only express in unimaginable joy our gratitude for being there. For it is by grace you have been saved through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) As it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him – but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

[nChrist]

Ruth's Story
An Adaptation of Ruth
by Jack Kelley
5-23-2009

Chapter 1

My name is Ruth.  The story I'm about to tell you is true. All of its characters are real people who really did the things I'll describe. I mention this at the outset because over the generations my story has so clearly predicted the relationships between Israel, the Church, and the Messiah that many who study it forget that it really happened. That fact that my story was once included among the books of the Prophets of Israel and even today is read in synagogues around the world on Pentecost has added to its mystique. Like several other biblical events, it's a true story that can also be viewed allegorically. Here's how it happened.

I was a Princess, the great grand daughter of King Eglon of Moab (Jordan to you) when Elimelech, Naomi and their 2 sons moved across the river from Israel into our country. Elimelech had been the Mayor of Bethlehem, a small town in southern Israel when a protracted famine there forced them to move. It was just a couple of days walk from Israel to Moab but our country wasn't suffering food shortages the way they were. I heard that their God was disciplining them for their disobedience.

At first they thought their visit to Moab would be a short one, but when Elimelech died and then Kilion and Mahlon, their 2 sons, both married Moabite women (I was one of them, my friend Orpah was the other) it seemed they were here to stay.

10 years after they first came to live among us, both of Naomi's sons also died leaving Naomi, Orpah, and me all widows. I don't know if you're aware of this but in my day widows had no standing in the community and were totally dependent upon the good will of their families and friends for survival. In Israel it was the duty of the priests to look after widows and orphans (Deuteronomy 14:28-29), but there was no such provision in Moab. So Naomi decided to move back to Bethlehem, where the famine had ended, and hope for the best. She encouraged Orpah and me to find new husbands among the Moabite men to care for us since we were still young enough to do so.

After much discussion and shedding of tears, Orpah agreed to return to her family home and look for a new husband but having come to know the God of Israel I through Naomi just couldn't bear to leave her. "Where you go I will go," I told her, "And where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." So I went with Naomi to Bethlehem.

We arrived in Bethlehem, two rag-tag penniless widows, just as the barley harvest was beginning. Several people recognized her, saying, "Can this be Naomi?" "Don't call me Naomi," she lamented, "Call me Mara. For the Almighty has made my life bitter. I went away full but have returned empty." (Naomi means pleasant in Hebrew, while Mara means bitter.) On that sad note Naomi had returned home.

Chapter Two

Remember I told you Naomi's husband had been prominent in Bethlehem. It seems he had brothers who had remained there through the famine, and one of them had survived the hard times and recovered very nicely. His name was Boaz. He and his brothers were the sons of Rahab, the woman from Jericho who Joshua had rescued when the Israelites conquered that city years earlier. Boaz was a man of standing among the elders of Bethlehem, with fields of barley ready for harvest.

One of the ways in which the indigent were provided for in Israel was to leave the corners of the fields untouched as the harvesters went through reaping the grain (Leviticus 19:9). These triangular corner patches, plus any other areas the harvesters missed on their single pass through the fields (they were also forbidden from making a second pass) were left for widows and orphans like Naomi and me to harvest for ourselves. So the day after we arrived I went into the fields to get us some food.

As it happened (the Rabbis say that coincidence is not a kosher word) I wound up in the fields of Boaz, and being a young and attractive woman I soon came to his notice. When he learned that I had just arrived with Naomi, he called me over instructing me to watch his servant girls and learn from them. He told me to glean only from his fields where he had ordered the harvesters not to bother me. Then he offered me a drink of water from the supply he had brought for his workers.

Not yet knowing who he was, I asked how I had found such favor with him. He said he had heard of my kindness toward Naomi and was repaying my acts of kindness with some of his own. Then he blessed me, as was the custom of the day, and at mealtime gave me some lunch. Later I learned that he even told his reapers to miss some sheaves on purpose so I'd have more to harvest for Naomi and me. That night I brought home so much grain that Naomi couldn't help wonder whose fields I 'd been working in. When I told her it was Boaz she began praising both the Lord and him, telling me that he was not only a relative, but one of our kinsman redeemers as well.

This was another Jewish provision that was new to me. In Israel if a man has a debt he can't pay and has to sell his property, his next of kin is responsible to redeem it for him, hence the term kinsman redeemer (Leviticus 25:25). This way the property given to each family when they first came into the Promised Land remains in the family. Since Boaz was one of Elimelech's brothers, he was a kinsman redeemer for Naomi, responsible for helping her in her time of need.