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Prophe-Zine Issue 102
PropheZine Newsletter #102
September 1, 2000
Bob Lally Publisher
Lori Eldridge Senior. Editor
Bob Ippolito Asst. Editor
Zenith Merrill Asst. Editor
To Subscribe, Unsubscribe or Change email addresses see notice at the
bottom of this newsletter.
======================================================
IN THIS ISSUE
----GREETING FROM LORI ELDRIDGE
----MINISTRY NEWS
----ARTICLES
Tony Pearce..... Is the Church the New Israel
Ademola Adebayo..... The Birth of the Olympics
J.R. Church..... Six Billion People On Earth!
Chuck Missler..... Christians and the Sabbath: The Seventh Day
----DEVOTIONALS
K.J. Onweller..... The Problem With Stuff
----POETRY
Jacob Samorodin..... The Songs of Praise
----SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
----SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE
----PRIVACY NOTICE
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GREETING FROM LORI ELDRIDGE
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Greetings Everyone,
A lot of people are feeling like our time on this earth is growing
short because of happenings in Israel re the "piece" treaty and
counting days until the rapture. I used to do that myself. First it
was going to happen on this feast day and then that one. I got so
caught up in it one year I sent all my kids a goodbye letter and
wrote out a last will and testament and scared my family and friends
so bad they thought I had lost it. When that feast day came and went,
and I had to swallow my pride, I promised myself and God to never set
dates again--like he told us. So, I don't do that anymore. I just
take one day at a time now--each day having enough worries for
itself. It's hard enough to make a living these days without having
to worry about whether I'll be here next week or not. And besides few
if any of my kids are saved and as hard as I've been praying for them
over the years, I don't see how God would neglect that earnest
mother's prayer, so I just trust him with the Rapture details and get
on with my life.
I hope you find something to bless you in this issue of the PropheZine
Newsletter.
BTW, some of you may not know that we have a Young Poets page on PropheZine.
If you have children that write poetry have them get in touch with me and
I'll consider their poems for YP. We also have links to websites
that provide fun activities for kids and movie and book reviews for
kids. Here is the URL:
http://www.prophezine.com/poetry/yp/
Lori Eldridge
lorield@uswest.net
Senior Editor
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MINISTRY NEWS
by Bob Lally
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Where to begin......The response to the emailing about The Christ Clone
Trilogy was "outta" control! 70 complete series have been ordered
surprising both James BeauSeigneur and myself. It truly is a great series.
By the next issue I will have a page on PropheZine where those who have read
the series may post comments. http://www.prophezine.com/bookstore/james.html
I believe we have someone who may donate a PC to PropheZine. If so, we will
be installing a radically new search engine on PropheZine which will allow
us to have tens of thousands of articles on site.
Thank you to those who support PropheZine financially.
http://www.prophezine.com/text/partner.html
That's about it for now.
Bob Lally
PropheZine
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ARTICLES
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The Birth of the Olympics
by Ademola Adebayo
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Should Christians Watch or be involved in the Olympics?
(a note from Bob Lally: I trained for the Olympics back in the '70's.
Olympic Volleyball. This article opened my eyes a bit to the background of
the Olympics but I assure you that if I had been chosen for the final team I
would have played.)
The Birth of the Olympics
The Olympics ceremony began in 1776 BC in honor of the Greek gods.
This generally took place during the course of closely-organized
religious events known as festivals. The festivals were held in
commemoration of some important mythical tradition, and would involve
processions, sacrifices, athletic contests and competitions in
various branches of the art. Each city arranged a whole series of
festivals of a purely local nature, but there were four major events
during which all the Greeks joined in honoring their greatest gods.
These festivals, described as Panhellenic, were: the Olympics, the
Pythian Games, the Isthmian Games and the Nemean Games.
The Olympic Games were dedicated to Zeus, greatest of the gods, and
were held every four years at his sanctuary in Olympia. According to
tradition, they were founded either by Heracles, by Zeus himself or
by Pelops when he was victorious in the chariot race against
Oenomaus. Iphitus, king of Elea, was traditionally held to have
reorganized the Games and introduced the sacred truce, that is, the
ban of fighting among the Greek cities for as long as the Games
lasted. Official records of the winners of the games began in 1776
BC, by which time the renown of the festival had spread to the whole
of the Peloponnese. Little by little, the event attracted the
interests of all the Greeks. All Greek citizens were entitled to
attend and compete, but there was a strict ban on women.
To begin with, the festival lasted a single day, later occupying two,
three and ultimately five days. Responsibility for organizing the
events was in the hands of special officials called Hellanodicae, who
supervised the training of the athletes and made sure that the rules
of the competition were complied with.
On the first day, there were sacrifices to the gods and the athletes
took their oaths. The remaining days were given over to the events,
the most important of which were the foot race, the diaulus (a foot
race two stades in length), the dolichus (four stades), the
pentathlon (running, wrestling, jumping, the discus and the javelin),
boxing, the pancratium (a blend of boxing and wrestling), the chariot
race, the horse race and the race for armed warriors. On the last day
of the Games, the winners were crowned, receiving the prize of the
cotinus, that is, a wreath made of an olive branch, and of sums of
money. The names of the victors were inscribed on stone pillars and
poets would write hymns to celebrate their triumphs, while once they
returned home their city would receive them as heroes and honor them
for the rest of their lives. The ancient Olympics came to an end in
393 AD.
Below are the fundamental principles of the Olympics. These facts are
as stated in the Official International Olympic Committee website.
Why was the ancient Olympics Abolished?
The Roman Emperor Theodosius declared the Olympic Games corrupt and
put an end to them. Earthquakes and floods buried Olympia and the
temple of Zeus until the German excavations of the 1870's. When the
statues emerged from the vaults of antiquity and the overwhelming
cultural beauty of Greek sport was put on display Europe went into a
frenzy for all things classical.
The birth of the Modern Games
The Olympic Games were revived in 1896 when Baron Pierre de Coubertin
proposed holding a modern Olympic Games, during the International
Conference, held in Paris, France. The principles of the games, which
are contained in the "Olympic Charter," are: "to contribute to
building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport
practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic
spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of
friendship, solidarity and fair play."
Baron Pierre de Coubertin is also credited with the words of Olympic
Creed: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win
but to take part, just as the most important things in life is not
the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have
conquered but to have fought well."
The Olympic symbol (five interlocked rings) represent the union of
the five original major continents (Africa, the Americas, Asia,
Australia and Europe) and the meeting of the athletes from throughout
the world at the Olympic Games. The five colors of the rings from
left to right are blue, black and red across the top and yellow and
green along the bottom.
Why were the Olympics revived?
The beginnings of the Olympic revival trace back to 19th century
Greece, a time and place that united Western society with Hellenistic
tradition. Proud Olympians wanted to display their ancient ancestry
after the establishment of the Greek state in 1833, and the Zappian
Olympic Games were organized. These National Olympic Games were held
in Athens on four occasions: 1859, 1870, 1875 and 1889. [1]
Coubertin said that "The idea of the revival of Olympic Games was not
a passing fancy: it was the logical culmination of a great movement.
The 19th century saw the taste for physical exercises revive
everywhere ... At the same time the great inventions, the railways
and the telegraph have abridged distances and mankind has come to
live a new existence; the peoples have intermingled, they have
learned to know each other better and immediately they started to
compare themselves. What one achieved the other immediately wished
also to endeavor: universal exhibitions brought together to one
locality of the globe the products of the most distant lands;
Literary or scientific congresses have brought together, into
contact, the various intellectual forces. How then should the
athletes not seek to meet, since rivalry is the basis of athletics,
and in reality the very reason of its existence?"
In order to purify the notion of rivalry and to transform it in noble
contest, the representatives of all the nations chose one method: the
creation of "competitions at regular periodical intervals at which
representatives of all countries and all sports would be invited
under the aegis of the same authority, which would impact to them a
halo of grandeur and glory, that is the patronage of classical
antiquity. To do this was to revive the Olympic Games: the name
imposed itself: it was not even possible to find another." (Baron
Pierre de Coubertin, 1896)
The Modern Games and Paganism
Two of the most powerful propaganda films ever made were directed by
Leni Riefenstahl. She was Hitler's movie maker. She produced pro-Nazi
films against her will, she now claims (she is still alive). Hitler
made her do it, she claims. We might call this "failure of the will"
-- hers, not his. "I was just following orders!" Her most famous
films are Triumph of the Will (1935) and Olympia (1938). The first
was a political film, which covered the Nazi Party's 1934 mass rally
in Nuremberg. More than any film ever made, this one shows that
messianic politics is both corporate and liturgical. Hitler was a
master of the mass rally. The films religious overtones are subtle
but inescapable.
Olympia was a movie about the 1936 Olympics, held in Berlin. The film
celebrated the perfection of the athlete's body. Riefenstahl's
direction was masterful. The spirituality of supreme physical
performance is a visual theme of the whole movie, from its opening
scenes. She was being faithful to both the Nazis' ideology of the
blood covenant and the classical Greeks' tradition of athletic
excellence.
The Olympics awards medals to winners, but never without the flying
of national flags. The athletes represent political entities.
Athletes win for themselves and for their countries. The gold medal
winner gets to hear his national anthem played in honor of his
victory. He stands on the highest step in a three-step place of honor.
The Olympic games are still political. Prior to the fall of
Communism, they were intensely political. The 1972 games were the
worst in this regard. Arab terrorists killed Israeli athletes.
Americans still believe that biased referees stole the game from the
U.S. basketball team and awarded it to the Russians by failing to
honor the time clock.
Why do people care? Not because of the actual performances as such.
What about that one athlete who proves that, at one moment in
history, he is the best in the world? A few of them are remembered a
month later, but not many. Some of the sports are not even understood
by the public. (An image of a girl dancing around, waving what looks
like a pair of crepe paper streamers, comes to mind; the name of the
sport doesn't.) What matters to most people is the total number of
points that their nation receives at the end of the games, or the
victory of their team over some national rival. That was what
mattered in classical Greece, too: which city won. The gods of a
victorious athlete's city were honored in those games. The god known
as the State is honored today.
Conclusion
The first statement I will like to make is that the information
provided in this article is by no means exhaustive, hence I will
encourage every reader to make further research into the Olympics.
I believe that by now, most Christians who read this information will
see a pattern emerge from the Olympics as a whole. That pattern is
that the Olympics presents a picture which is radically different
from what it represents. The first question is should men compete
against men in a sport? I believe that it is right to ask this
question because this is the main thing that the Olympics represent.
The answer to this question may be found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth
the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth
for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain
a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not
as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I
keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
Galatians 5:26 says, "Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking
one another, envying one another." These two scriptures provides a
clear answer to this question. It is not desirable for men to compete
against one another.
The second question is what does the Olympic represent? The Olympics
is and will always be an event for worshipping Greek gods. The only
difference between the modern Olympics and the ancient Olympics is
that the modern Olympics now encompass all ranges of New Age
philosophy as well as different forms of pagan worship. If you do not
accept this fact, I encourage you to watch a video called the Gods of
the Olympus this can be purchased from the midnight call ministries.
Their website URL is http:/midnightcall.com/
The bible says, in Exodus 20:3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before
me." It also says in Deuteronomy 5:7, "Thou shalt have none other
gods before me." Deuteronomy 6:14, "Ye shall not go after other gods,
of the gods of the people which are round about you;"
I believe that it is the wish of every Christian to have fellowship
with the Holy Spirit. I believe that to enjoy his continuos presence
in our midst, there are many things we need to do as Christians. I
must say that I have missed it on many occasions, but through his
mercy, the Holy Spirit has picked me up. David said in Psalms 51:11,
"Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit
from me." I believe that this is a profound statement.
Finally The International Olympic Organization has a campaign called
"Celebrate Humanity." This campaign "focuses on the ideals the
athletes exhibit when they compete in the Olympic venues - excellence
in oneself, respect for one another, balance between body and mind,
fair-play, and, of course, joy in effort."
Let me comment on just "excellence in oneself." What does the bible
say? Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God." 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:10 says, "If
we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is
not in us."
From these scriptures the bible clearly says that all men have
sinned. Now some people may say that but then we humans can be "nice"
some times. Well, this is what the bible has to say about what we
call nice in Isaiah 64:6, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and
all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a
leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
The message here is clear. Any good that can come out of man is like
filthy rags onto God. As a result this "Celebrate Humanity" campaign
has at least two flaws when tested with the word of God.
1) It conflicts with what the word of God says about human beings,
that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.
2)Because it does not recognize that we are all sinners, it's
deception does not provide mankind with the scriptural answer to our
spiritual bankruptcy, which is accepting that Jesus Christ died on
the cross to redeem us from our sins, which in turn is the only way
we can avoid eternal death according to John 14:6 where "Jesus saith
unto him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me'" and John 8:12, "Then spake Jesus again unto
them, saying, 'I am the light of the world: he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.'"
by Ademola Adebayo
United Kingdom.
<ademola_adebayo@hotmail.com>
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Is the Church the New Israel
by Tony Pearce
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When I became a Christian in 1970 I read most of the Bible and came
to three main conclusions:
1. That the Bible is the Word of God.
2. That Jesus is the one way to God.
3. That we are living in the last days.
A major factor influencing me to believe point 3 was the return of
the Jewish people to Israel and the resulting conflict which tied in
with such prophecies as Jeremiah 30, Zechariah 12-14, Matthew 24 and
Luke 21. I saw also many factors in contemporary world events which
seemed to be pushing us in the direction of the Great Tribulation and
the reign of Antichrist prophesied in the Bible. Somewhat naively I
imagined that Christians who took the Bible literally came to roughly
the same conclusion.
I had a rude awakening from this delusion in 1982 when we joined a
new charismatic fellowship in north London which at the time seemed
to have a lot going for it; lively worship, young families like our
own with plenty of activity for teenagers, exciting prophecies that
we were going to be a stepping stone on the way to taking London for
Jesus. I was on the emerging leadership team and looked likely to be
going to play a leading role in its development.
The 'Restoration' magazine, produced by Bryn Jones and the Harvestime
stream of the charismatic movement brought out its first broadside
against Israel and the pre-millennial view of end time prophecy. Our
fellowship was not under Bryn Jones, but when I took issue with the
interpretation of scripture contained in this magazine I found myself
out of favour with the 'Apostle' who was 'covering' our fellowship
and soon realized that my view of Israel and the end times was not
flavor of the month and was placing me out of the running for any
position of leadership in the group. Eventually we left the
fellowship, which far from taking London for Jesus, ended up in
discord and strife and now no longer exists.
This was my first serious encounter with the view of prophecy
sometimes known as 'Dominion theology' which teaches that:
1. This age will end with a great revival causing the global triumph
of Christianity with great signs and wonders convincing people of the
truth of the Gospel as all other political and religious systems fail.
2. Prophecies relating to the restoration of Israel in the last days
should in fact be applied to the church because the church has
replaced Israel (or is the New Israel).
3. Bryn Jones described a vision in which he summed up this exciting
prospect in store for those who took this line of interpretation:
(a) Ordinary Christians would be equipped with supernatural powers,
laying hands on the sick with extraordinary miracles taking place in
public places. Poverty would be abolished among them as multitudes
turn to the Lord and have their material needs met through his
provision.
(b) The powers of darkness would be overthrown - governments and
religious systems based on principles opposed to the Bible would be
shaken as the Church emerges in power and glory.
(c) All nations would reach out to God as the Church is established
as the 'mountain of the Lord's house, the highest of nations'. Heads
of government in despair at their own failure to solve the problems
of humanity will turn to the revived church asking them to 'teach us
the ways of the Lord' (see Isaiah 2:1-4).
(d) Following this great revival the Lord will return for his
glorious church and wind up history. However exciting this vision
appeared, my problem was that it did not line up with the scriptures
which spoke of 'evil men and seducers waxing worse and worse' (2
Timothy 3:13) in the last days, of apostasy, persecution and the rise
of 'Mystery Babylon the Great, mother of harlots and abominations of
the earth' (Revelation 17:5), and of a coming time of such great
tribulation that if God did not cut short those days no flesh would
be saved (Matthew 24:21-22). The only way to make out that the church
would end up triumphant in this age was to take the Old Testament
prophecies of Israel's restoration in the Millennium (i.e. after the
return of Christ) and apply them to the church at the end of this age
(i.e. before the return of Christ). This in fact is what Bryn Jones
is doing in the quote above, taking the words of Isaiah 2, which
apply to the reign of the Messiah from restored Zion after his second
coming and applying them to the church today. The church then
replaces Israel and rules and reigns over the nations before the
second coming as a result of the great end time revival.
In order to do this consistently one has to take the allegorical view
of the prophetic scriptures which has in fact been the dominant
church view since the time of Origen and Augustine, both of whom
taught that the church replaces Israel and that the millennial reign
of Christ is now taking place through the church. An example of this
l i n e o f interpretation would be to say that the fulfillment of the
regathering of 'the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the
earth' to the land of Israel (Isaiah 11:10) is the coming of the
Gentiles from the east, west, south and north into the kingdom of God
(Luke13:29).
It is vital for 'Dominion theology' to take this line of
interpretation, because without it there are no scriptures to justify
the idea of the triumph of Christianity in the last days of this age.
Therefore those who insist on taking the literal view that Israel
means Israel in the Old and New Testaments are seen as a threat and
their views criticized and suppressed. However it is the literal view
which makes sense of both the prophecies themselves and the current
world situation. Let us now examine the evidence that Israel remains
Israel in prophetic interpretation, after the Church has come into
being. For the sake of brevity I have simply given the references of
most of the passages referred to. To understand the issue it is
necessary to look up t h e s e p a s s a g e s .
1. God made a covenant with Abraham, repeated to Isaac and Jacob, to
give him a multitude of descendants and the land of Canaan as an
'everlasting possession' (Genesis 15, 17, 26:2-5, 28:13-15). This was
conditional on God's word, not on the faithfulness of Abraham's
descendants. If they were unfaithful God reserved the right to remove
them from the land as a punishment for disobedience (Leviticus
26:27-39, Deut. 28:58-68). However every reference to the removal of
the people from the land is always followed by a promise of
restoration (e.g. Deuteronomy 30:1-6).
2. Even after the promise of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34,
God promises that only if the sun, moon and stars cease to give their
light will "the seed of Israel cease from being a nation before me
for ever" (Jeremiah 31:33-37). This passage significantly points to
the continuation of Israel as a nation after the giving of the new
covenant.
3. In the New Testament the words Israel and Israelite are used 74
times. In all but 3 occasions (one of which is the word Israel coming
twice in the same verse) there is no question that these words are
used to mean exactly the same as they mean in the Old Testament. Let
us look at three examples out of 71 in which Israel has to mean
Israel.
(a) Luke 2:32. Jesus is described by Simeon as 'a light to lighten
the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.'
(b) Luke 7:9. Jesus speaking to the Roman centurion: "I say to you I
have not found such great faith, not even in Israel."
(c) Romans 9:4. Paul writing of his kinsmen according to the flesh,
who are Israelites, to whom pertain the glory, the covenants, the
giving of the law, etc.'
Replace Israel or Israelite with the church or Christian and you
reduce any of these verses to meaninglessness.
4. Now let us look at the possible exceptions:
(a) Romans 9:6: "For they are not all Israel who are of Israel." (A
similar thought is to be found in Romans 3:28-29). Looked at in
context the point Paul is making is not that Jews cease to be Jews
when they don't believe in Jesus or that Gentiles become Jews when
they do. Romans 9 deals with the question of the 'remnant', an idea
familiar to the Hebrew prophets, whom he quotes at length to make his
point. Within the nation of Israel there are those who are unfaithful
and unbelievers as far as Yahweh, the God of Israel is concerned, and
there are those who are faithful. The spiritual remnant of Israel
obeyed the Torah and heeded the words of the prophets. The
backsliding majority did not and came under judgment, the most severe
judgment being their removal from the land. However there was always
the possibility that the unfaithful Israelites would repent and
return to the Lord and become believers, obeying the Torah. That was
the purpose of the preaching of the prophets.
Now that the Messiah had come, the spiritual remnant of Israel
recognized him and became Hebrew Christians/Messianic Jews. The
unspiritual majority rejected him. However Paul goes on to say in
Romans 11 that "blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the
fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be
saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer,
and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is my covenant
unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the
gospel they are enemies for your sakes; but as touching the election,
they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of
God are without repentance." Rom. 11:25-29
Therefore Israel will remain a people even in unbelief because of the
covenant which God made with 'the fathers' (Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob), to be saved at the end of this age. This is backed up by
point 2 above. In the meantime individual Israelites may turn to the
Messiah, as Paul himself has done, and become part of the church made
up of Jews and Gentiles united in Messiah.
Therefore Paul urges the church to pray for Israel to be saved and to
take the Gospel to them (Romans l:16, 10:l).
(b) Galatians 6:16: "And as many as walk according to this rule,
peace be upon them and mercy, and (or even) upon the Israel of God."
The linguistic key to the interpretation of this verse rests on the
Greek word 'kai' translated 'and' in the AV and 'even' in the NIV. If
'and' is the correct reading, there are two groups of people in
question: 'those who walk according to this rule' and 'the Israel of
God.' If 'even' is correct then there is one group, those who walk
according to this rule who are even the Israel of God. As a result of
the latter interpretation "the Israel of God" becomes a synonym for
the Church.
Paul's argument in Galatians has been with those Jewish Christians
who have been trying to impose observation of ritual aspects of the
Torah (e.g. circumcision and dietary laws) on the Gentiles. He is
therefore dealing with two groups of people, Jewish Christians, who
are trying to influence Gentiles to be circumcised and keep the Law,
and Gentiles who are being influenced. So the AV version using the
word 'and' makes sense, because Paul is commending both Jewish and
Gentile Christians who are resisting the pressure of the Judaisers.
The 'Israel of God' therefore simply means the Jewish believers who
have understood correctly the implications of the new covenant. This
is consistent with the usual translation of 'kai' as 'and' and not
'even.'
So we can see that even these possible exceptions do not contradict
the rule that Israel means Israel in the New Testament.
5. Does the New Testament imply a future for Israel?
The Old Testament contains many prophetic passages speaking of a
worldwide restoration of Israel, many of which are connected with the
events of the 'last days' and the 'time of Jacob's trouble' (e.g.
Deuteronomy 30:1-6, Isaiah 11:10-12, Jeremiah 16:14-15, 30-31,
Ezekiel 36-39, Zephaniah 3:20, Zechariah 12-14). It has been said by
some commentators that the New Testament has nothing to say about
this subject and therefore as far as Jesus was concerned this was no
longer on the agenda. However Jesus treated the Old Testament as the
infallible Word of God and assumed it would be transmitted without
alteration to his followers (Matthew 5:17-18). In the light of this
we can assume that Jesus did not wish to add or take away anything
from what had already been revealed through he prophets on the
subject of Israel's dispersion and restoration. There are however
significant New Testament references which imply a future for Israel:
(a) For Jesus' own words concerning his second coming (Matthew 24,
Mark 13, Luke 21) to be literally fulfilled there has to be a Jewish
presence in Jerusalem and Judea (Matthew 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20,
Luke 21:20-24). Some opponents of this view argue that Jesus'
prophecy of the 'abomination of desolation', the flight from
Jerusalem and the great tribulation was fulfilled in the siege and
destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70. There was no doubt a
partial fulfillment of this prophecy then, but there is no way that
this can be a complete fulfillment, since in all three Gospels these
events end in the visible return of the Lord in glory, something
which clearly did not happen in AD 70 and has not yet happened to
this day.
(b) Matthew 23:39, announcing the coming destruction of Jerusalem and
the desolation of the Temple, Jesus prophesies to Jerusalem: "Behold
your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, you shall
not see me again, until you say, Blessed is he that comes in the name
of the Lord." The phrase "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the
Lord" (Baruch ha ba be shem Adonai in Hebrew) is the traditional
Jewish greeting for the coming Messiah (note Psalm 118:19-29, Matthew
21:1-16). This phrase has no significance for Palestinian Arabs or
any other Gentiles, but is still used by Orthodox Jews in
anticipation of the Messiah coming. This expectation of a Jewish
reception committee in Jerusalem for the returning Messiah harmonizes
with the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10 and the outpouring of the Spirit
upon the Jewish remnant in besieged Jerusalem as a result of which
"They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as
for an only son."
(c) Luke 21:24: "And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Whether or not the
final fulfillment of this prophecy took place in 1967 (and my view is
that it did not), it clearly implies a future restoration of
Jerusalem to Jewish rule, after the long years of their dispersion in
which they are 'led away captive into all nations.'
(d) In Acts 1 Jesus had the perfect opportunity to settle the matter
once and for all. In the time between his resurrection and ascension
he had spoken to the disciples of 'the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God' (Acts 1:3). Most important he had put them right on
the matter of Messianic prophecy (Luke 24:44-46), showing them that
he had fulfilled the prophecies of the Suffering Servant Messiah. We
are not told which passages he referred to, but we can assume that
Isaiah 53 was a major subject of this Bible study. There remained
prophecies which he did not fulfil at his first coming, notably
Isaiah 2:1-4, which concerns the reigning king Messiah who would rule
the Gentile nations from a restored and redeemed Jerusalem and cause
there to be world peace.
In the light of this the disciples' question, 'Lord will you at this
time restore the kingdom to Israel?', makes sense. What they were
saying was: 'We understand that you had to first fulfil the prophecy
of Isaiah 53 by dying as a sacrifice for sin. Are you now (at this
time) going to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah 2:1-4, drive out the
Romans and restore the Davidic kingdom to Israel and bring world
peace?'
Jesus does not say 'Forget about restoring the kingdom to Israel.
That's finished now because everything is transferred to the church.'
He does say that their priority is to receive the power of the Holy
Spirit and to preach the gospel worldwide (which is still our
priority). But the implication of Acts 1:7, "It is not for you to
know the times and the seasons which the Father has put in his own
power", is that the Father has a time for the restoration of Israel.
This will be sometime in the distant future at a date which the
disciples will not know (because it is linked to the second coming -
see Matthew 24:36).
(e) Romans 11:25-26: "So all Israel shall be saved." Replacement
theologians say that Israel in verse 26 means the church, but this
makes nonsense of the text and the context. For three chapters Paul
has been discussing Israel's unbelief and need of the Gospel, so
logically Israel in verse 26 must mean Israel. The theme of a future
spiritual restoration of Israel harmonizes with several Old Testament
passages and is implied in Revelation 7, 11 and 12. For Israel to be
saved at the end of this age, there must have been a physical
survival of the Jewish people throughout the Christian era. The
response of the true Church to Israel's unbelief should have been to
follow Paul's injunction to 'pray for Israel that they might be
saved.' The failure to do this has resulted in tragic loss for both
Israel and the Church. Now that we see the events of the end times
which center on Jerusalem and the Jewish people unfolding before us,
God is looking for a faithful remnant amongst the believing
Christians to pray for Israel and to point Jewish people to the only
one who can save them, the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).
Tony Pearce is the Director of the Messianic Testimony, an
international ministry amongst Jewish people. Tony is also the editor
of Light for the Last Days, a quarterly magazine looking at current
events in the light of Bible prophecy. He also runs Bridge Lane
Chapel, an independent Evangelical Church in Golders Green, London.
For more information concerning any of the above, please write to:
Tony Pearce,
Light for the Last Days,
BOX BM - 4226,
LONDON WC1N 3XX
The Messianic Testimony, 93, Axe Street, Barking, Essex, IG11 7LZ
(<mailto:tmt@cwcom.net>tmt@cwcom.net) if people want more information
on Jewish ministry. I am Director of the Testimony. Also Light for
the Last Days, which is a magazine about end times. Same address.
======================================================
Six Billion People On Earth!
by J. R. Church
======================================================
With every tick of the clock, five people are born and two people
die. That is a net gain of three people each second. On October 12,
1999, Earth's population reportedly reached six billion. The
population is presently doubling every 40 years. By 2040, there may
be 12 billion people! By 2080, our children could be living in a
world with 24 billion people! By 2120, Earth may be overcrowded with
48 billion mouths to feed! However, the United Nations Council on
Population Growth suggests that only 12 billion people will be alive
in 120 years. As world government develops into a full-fledged
nightmare, birth control will become their number-one priority. The
sanctity of human life is quickly being replaced with a so-called
rational acceptance of abortion and euthanasia. To agree to such
immoral practices, one has to be convinced that there is no God. The
human conscience has to fool itself into thinking that man is just an
animal to be controlled like cattle. It is hardly comforting to know
that someone is already planning to hold population growth to a
"manageable level" before it gets further out of hand!
Dr. Paul Ehrlich, writing on behalf of the Sierra Club, published The
Population Bomb (1968) in which he suggested that the world's
population would reach six billion by 2000. On October 12, 1999, the
U.S. government reported that mankind had reached that point.
However, Ehrlich also said that Calcutta, India, would become a
seething mass of humanity with 66 million people (p. 9). Just inside
the cover of his book, Ehrlich is touted as a "qualified scientist."
Maybe he is, but one wonders if we really have six billion people on
Earth, since Calcutta's present population is reported to be only 12
million - not 66 million as Ehrlich suggested. How could he be so
right with the six billion estimate and so wrong with Calcutta's 66
million estimate in the same book?
Ehrlich is a political liberal - a socialist in the classic sense of
the term. For that reason, we conservatives tend to scoff at his
findings. We would like to think that his suggestion that Earth
cannot support billions of people is just a socialist ploy. He is
trying to scare the populous into accepting a proposal for world
government. However, though he may be exaggerating in some areas, his
basic premise is staggering. Is man really becoming his own worst
enemy?
We may not be worried that the next generation could require enough
space to replace all forests and farmlands, but Ehrlich may be
correct in the assumption that our grandchildren will not be able to
enjoy our present standard of living. Will there be 48 billion people
on Earth in 2120 - or only 12 billion? It doesn't matter. Even 12
billion is a nightmare number! Whatever our political or religious
views may be, if the present population growth continues unabated, in
another hundred years there simply will be too many people scrambling
for food, clothing and shelter.
For those who believe there is no God an exploding population is
unacceptable. Eventually, mankind could be forced to accept a single
world dictator offering terrifying solutions. Genocide may be
distasteful, but acceptable, in a world without faith. In addition to
hunger and disease, crime and war will be the norm rather than the
exception. A prime example of overpopulation can be seen in Mexico
City. With over 20 million people, the city has become a breeding
ground for robbery, burglary, rape and murder. No one is safe in such
a place. Mexico City is just a preview of what the entire world could
be like in another century.
But if there is a God, then the problem becomes solvable. The
biblical prediction that God will stop the process of human
procreation at the appropriate time is a far superior alternative. We
believe there will be an "end of the world" - not an extinction of
the planet, but rather a change in the development of the human
species. At the second coming of Christ man's long anticipated utopia
will be achieved. The next thousand years with Jesus on the throne
offers a far better hope than the present liberal agenda.
Prospects for Peace
Peace among nations can only be short-lived under present political
circumstances. No lasting peace is possible. For example, World War I
was fought to end all wars. However, as soon as peace was achieved,
some nations felt threatened by other more progressive industrialized
societies. It did not take many years before Germany reacted to their
forced poverty by creating another war. Japan was allowed to nurture
its hatred for America while dreaming of its own empire.
Following World War II, Russia felt the need to create a "cold war"
with the United States. Over the years, almost every other nation in
the world has come to hate us. We are "the ugly Americans." Not long
after the dissolution of the Soviet Empire, Russia conferred with
China to establish a coalition to counter what they perceived to be
"American Imperialism." Let's face it. No peace can be sustained as
long as unregenerate men are in charge of government and business.
Big dogs always eat little dogs - right? At least that is the current
perception rampant throughout the world.
Israel is looking for a mere human messiah. But such a person could
only produce a short-lived utopia. It would not be long until some
nation, thinking they were being handed the short end of the stick,
would challenge his power. Let's face it. Wars can only continue and
get worse.
Exponential Growth
According to Ehrlich, the world's population reached "500 million ...
about AD 1650. It reached a billion people around 1850, doubling in
some 200 years. It took only 80 years or so for the next doubling, as
the population reached two billion around 1930" (p. 4). By 1960,
population figures had added another billion. In 1975 we topped four
billion. He reasoned that we would reach six billion people around
the year 2000. On October 12, 1999, the human race reached that
predicted six billion in population growth.
According to the Internet, Earth's population is presently doubling
every 40 years. Shall we fix the problem with social planning? Does
communism offer a solution? How about capitalism? Is abortion the
answer? Is the pill? Take any of those attempts at curbing population
growth and follow them into the future. All of them will ultimately
fail. Several years ago, China instituted a "one child only" policy -
making it a crime to have more than one child per couple. Some
industrialized countries - especially Europe and America - have
limited their population growth to doubling every 70 years, whereas,
underdeveloped countries continue to double as much as every 35
years. Aside from faith in God, in the very near future, the world
will reach the point where no further growth can be tolerated.
World Hunger
Ehrlich writes, "The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the
1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death
in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now. At this late date
nothing can prevent a substantial increase in the world death rate,
although many lives could be saved through dramatic programs to
"stretch" the carrying capacity of the Earth by increasing food
production and providing for more equitable distribution of whatever
food is available. But these programs will only provide a stay of
execution unless they are accompanied by determined and successful
efforts at population control" (Prologue).
According to Ehrlich, sometime in 1958, the stork passed the plow. He
writes, "People are recognizing that we cannot forever continue to
multiply and subdue the Earth without losing our standard of life and
the natural beauty that must be part of it.... These are the years of
decision - the decision of men to stay the flood of man" (Foreword).
His suggestion that world population is doubling every 35 years was
built into a scenario of what the world would be like in 900 years.
Ehrlich suggested that as the seventh millennium nears its end, there
will be 60,000,000,000,000,000 people on Earth - that's 60 million
billion people! Imagine a 2,000-story building covering the entire
surface of the planet. There will be only a few square yards of floor
space for each person alive! Man would have reached the "heat limit."
The roof of the "world building" would be kept around the melting
point of iron to radiate away the human heat generated.
Some believe science will solve the problem by populating the
planets! With a base of 60 quadrillion, it would only take 50 years
to populate Venus, Mercury, Mars, the moon and the moons of Jupiter
and Saturn to the same population density as Earth! Then where would
we go?
Enough of fantasy, let's get back to reality. Within the next hundred
years, the human race will face incredibly apocalyptic forces of
destruction, similar to those described by the four horsemen in the
book of Revelation, in spite of any attempts - or any so-called
socialist cures! Communism has already demonstrated its failure to
improve society. Socialism is merely another attempt at carrying out
the dreams of Marxism. Socialism, as we have seen it in Europe and
this country, is a farce. But can capitalism solve the problem? Can a
free market bring utopia?
The prophets described "Mystery Babylon" as a system of world
commercialism. The "mark of the beast" was predicted to be man's
attempt at regulating trade. In the end, all will fail.
How Long Do We Have?
Have we reached the limits of our planet? Can we sustain six billion
people if we slowed down to a zero population growth? If Al Gore and
friends are successful in saving our forests and farmlands, can we
sustain the present world population for another thousand years?
Well, let's stretch that question out a bit. Can we sustain the
present world population for another ten thousand years? - twenty
thousand years? - thirty thousand years? Obviously not. We cannot
sustain even the present population for a thousand years - much less
thirty thousand years - with our dwindling natural resources. Earth
is running dangerously low on our supply of oil, chromium, gold and
other strategic minerals needed for industry. What will happen when
they're gone?
In 1973, U. S. News and World Report suggested that the human race
had entered a new era - "the era of famine." That year, millions died
of hunger or of some related disease in Africa and the Far East. We
are told that with the passing of every five seconds, four people die
of hunger, most of them children, and twenty-five more are born.
Today, 40% of the world's population is under 15 years of age. Over
half the world goes to sleep hungry every night. There is simply not
enough food. Can the problem be solved? Let me answer that question
with a question. Do you see it being solved? The answer to both is,
no. And it can only get worse.
Natural Disasters
One might cite the 30,000 deaths due to mudslides in Venezuela in
December 1999 as proof that nature will solve the problem from time
to time. My answer to that tragedy is that three people are added to
the human race every second - 180 people every minute - 10,800 people
every hour. The tragedy in Venezuela only took out a three-hour
growth in the population. What will take care of the rest of one
day's 259,200 people added to the continuing population bomb?
Perhaps by now you are beginning to see my point. This planet was not
designed to sustain human life, as we know it, forever. The concept
that humanity evolved provides no future! If there is no God, we are
all doomed. If Jesus does not return as He promised, the human race
will eventually destroy itself. We are using up all of Earth's
natural resources. Just how long we can last on human ingenuity is
academic. Nothing will last forever.
During November and December - as the turn of the century approached
- media pundits pondered the notion that some people still believe
the book of Revelation. A "professor of religion" at some ivory tower
university in New York said that any Christian with good sense had
long ago discarded the book of Revelation as ridiculous and that
anyone who still believes what is written in the Apocalypse should be
considered as a threat to society.
Such liberals are painting themselves into a proverbial corner. Their
obvious dislike for Bible believing Christians just adds to the
problem. Their solutions are like putting Mercurochrome on a cancer.
They can rail against the book of Revelation all they want to. They
cannot stop the inevitable.
After the Y2K computer glitch was touted as a disaster waiting to
happen, over a hundred billion dollars was spent to fix it. When the
turn of the century came off without a hitch, those who spent the
money to fix the computers that run our world publicly laughed at
those who had warned us. Instead of being congratulated as the heroes
they were for bringing the problem to our attention, they were
scorned.
In the final analysis, only the return of Jesus Christ can solve the
multiplicity of problems presently facing the human race. Without the
Creator, mankind is limited in what we can do to provide food,
clothing and shelter for the years ahead.
JR Church
http://www.prophecyinthenews.com
======================================================
Christians and the Sabbath: The Seventh Day
by Chuck Missler
======================================================
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in
it he had rested from all his work which God created and made . -
Genesis 2:3
Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. - Exodus 20:8
Many Christians still remain uncomfortable over the issue of the
Sabbath day. Observing Sunday as a memorial of the resurrection of
our Lord is our traditional day of worship, and yet many are
disturbed over this issue.
(Anyone who thinks this is a simple issue to resolve hasn't studied
it very carefully!)
A number of key questions still remain unresolved for some:
o Did God institute the Sabbath just for Israel?
o Is a Christian supposed to keep the Ten Commandments?
o Does a Christian have to keep the Sabbath?
o When did Sunday replace Saturday as "the holy day"?
Noah's Animals?
First, how many of each animal did Noah take into the ark? Often
overlooked is the fact that Noah was to take seven of the "clean" and
only two of the "unclean."1 But how did Noah know which were "clean"
and which were "unclean?" These are ecclesiastical definitions.
It seems that many concepts which were later codified in the Law
under Moses had previously been ordained in Eden.2
(Notice, too, that Noah was not circumcised and still was able to
observe these "Levitical" distinctions. Abraham, too, was declared
righteous prior to his circumcision in Genesis 15:6; circumcision was
established in Genesis 17:10ff. Note also that the priestly
instructions linked these concepts with the Sabbath.3 )
The Origin of the Sabbath
Jesus emphasized that:
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath . - Mark 2:27
His words point back before the Ten Commandments, to the original
purpose and will of God. The Sabbath came into being when man came
into being. It was set apart and blessed-as a divine example-for the
use and benefit of man, at the Creation (Genesis 2:1-3).4
First Mention
The first mention of the "Sabbath" (from the Hebrew verb shabbat ,
meaning "to rest from labor"; the day of rest) is in Exodus 16:23,
regarding the gathering of manna:
And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said,
Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the LORD: bake that
which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that
which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning . -
Exodus 16:23
Notice that this is four chapters before the Law was given at Mt.
Sinai. They were to gather twice as much on the sixth day in
anticipation of a day they were apparently already observing.5
It is clear that the Sabbath had been instituted long before the
giving of the Law at Sinai: it was ordained in Eden.
The Decalogue
And, of course, the Sabbath was included in the Ten Commandments:6
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
That the Sabbath had been ordained prior to Sinai is even accounted
for in the very wording of Exodus 20:8: "Remember..."7
The Sabbath was part of the covenant which God made with Israel at Sinai.8
Applicable to All People?
This ordination of the Seventh Day acknowledges the moral duty of man
to worship his Creator.9 It also recognizes the basic need of man for
a weekly day of rest.
The physical necessities of man require a Sabbath of rest. He is so
constituted that his bodily welfare needs at least one day in seven
for rest from ordinary labor.
The failure to set aside the seventh day may account for the toll of
stress in our modern society. (It has been reported that an 8%
increase/decrease in traffic accidents surround the changes to/from
"daylight savings time.")
God even established Himself as the ultimate example. How can we
ignore this day? If you love God, you need to spend time with Him.
(In contrast to our hectic pace as double-income families, etc.)
In Mosaic Legislation
Under the Mosaic law, strict regulations were laid down regarding its
observance.10 These were peculiar to that dispensation.
In the subsequent history of the Jews, frequent references are made
to the sanctity of the Sabbath.11 The kindling of a fire on the
Sabbath was forbidden.12 The penalty for profaning the Sabbath by
doing any work on it was death.13 And yet, the priests still carried
on their duties about the Tabernacle.14 The Temple was full of
activities.15 The rite of circumcision was performed on the Sabbath
if it was the eighth day after the child's birth.16
In later times they perverted the Sabbath by their traditions. Isaiah
condemned the hypocrisy of the worshipers in his day.17 He defined
true Sabbath-keeping as turning from one's own ways and own pleasures
and taking delight in the Lord.18
Other prophets also raised their protests against the abuse of the
Sabbath.19 They regarded the destruction of Jerusalem and the
captivity of the Jews as due-at least in part-to their desecration of
the Sabbath.20 Their 70-year exile in Babylon was directly linked to
the Sabbath instructions.21 God clearly takes His instructions for
the Sabbath, and Sabbatical years, seriously.
You can't legislate devotion. Even today, in Israel's secular state,
a visitor is confronted with Sabbath elevators (stopping at every
floor during the Sabbath); and other travel inconveniences quite
removed from the real intent of the Sabbath observance.
The New Testament Period
As time passed, the true meaning of the Sabbath had been obscured by
the multitude of restrictions laid upon its observance; it had become
largely external and formal. And, of course, as the rules surrounding
the observance of the Sabbath multiplied, so did the fanciful and
far-fetched rituals to circumvent them.22
It was Jesus' custom to attend the synagogue on the Sabbath.23 It was
inevitable that Jesus would come into conflict with the Jewish
leadership over the Sabbath.
In His teaching He upheld the authority and validity of the Mosaic
Law.24 His emphasis, however, was not on the external observance of
the law, but on a spontaneous performance of the will of God which
underlaid the law.25
In regards to the Sabbath, He clarified the true meaning by showing
the original purpose for its institution:
The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath . - Mark 2:27
Six Conflicts
Jesus asserted His lordship over the Sabbath.26 He defended His
disciples for plucking grain on the Sabbath by alluding to the time
when David and his men ate the bread of the Presence.27 In so doing,
Jesus placed the Sabbath commandment in the same class as the
ceremonial law. Human need had precedence over the ceremonial
requirements.
He also reminded His critics that the priests in the Temple profaned
the Sabbath and were held guiltless.28 He referred to the
circumcision of a male on the Sabbath Day.29
Jesus expressed anger over those at Capernaum who showed more concern
for the punctilious observance of the Sabbath than for a human being
who was deprived of the use of a hand.30 Likewise, he was angered by
the ruler of the synagogue who became indignant when Jesus healed a
woman who had a spirit of infirmity for 18 years.31
There were seven healings on the Sabbath.32 (However, there were also
healings on other non-Sabbath days.33 ) In all of these instances,
Jesus showed that He placed human need above mere external ceremonial
observance of the Sabbath. He never did or said anything to suggest
that He intended to take away from man the privileges afforded by
such a day of rest.
The Early Christians
The early Christians were loyal Jews; they worshiped daily in the
Temple at Jerusalem;34 they attended services in the synagogue;35
they revered the law of Moses.36
The dispute over the requirements of a Gentile Christian were
resolved at the Council at Jerusalem.37
The Dangers of Legalism
Paul emphasized that the law was a yoke of bondage from which the
Christian had been set free.38 Paul made no distinction between moral
and ceremonial law. It was all part of that old covenant which was
done away in Christ.39 It was "nailed to the cross."40 This is the
central teaching of the New Testament.
There are no grounds for imposing the Sabbath on the Christian, who
is free from the burden of the law's demands. The Spirit of Christ
enables him to fulfill God's will apart from the external observances
of the law.
The Sabbath is mentioned along with the festivals and new moons, all
of which are declared to be "only a shadow of what is to come."41 To
"observe days, and months, and seasons, and years" is deemed to be
slaves to "the weak and beggarly elemental spirits."42 The ritual
observance of days is a characteristic of "the man who is weak in
faith."43
The writer of Hebrews emphasizes that the Sabbath is also a type of
"God's rest" which is an inheritance of all the people of God.44 We
are urged, in a larger sense, to "strive to enter that rest."
The Sunday "Sabbath"
The first day of the week is now widely observed as the Sabbath. But
where has God expressly authorized this change?
After His resurrection, which took place on the first day of the
week, Jesus appeared to His disciples on four occasions which were on
a Sunday.45 This becomes a major part of the basis of the veneration
of Sunday as the "Lord's Day," ostensibly replacing the traditional
Sabbath.
Pentecost, the birth of the church, was also, by definition, on a
Sunday.46 They did meet on a Sunday night,47 but that would actually
be Monday in Jewish reckoning.
While these are suggestive, they are far from a conclusive
teaching.48 (The oft-quoted 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2 is also unclear:
"...that there be no gatherings when I come."?)
The Hebrew Sabbath, has, of course, continued to be observed by
non-Christian Jews to the present time. During the first century some
Jewish Christians also continued the practice of observing the
seventh day of the week, as well as the assembly for worship on the
first day of the week, but their influence on Christianity,
discernible for several centuries, dwindled rapidly. It has been
suggested that with the rise of anti-Semitism in the early centuries,
Sunday worship was a convenient means of excluding the Jewish
believers.
Caveats About the "Early Church"
The writings of a number of the early church fathers in the 2nd and
3rd centuries support the tradition of Sunday worship. However, the
views of the early church after the book of Acts is, in some views,
an unreliable basis to establish doctrine.
When Jesus sent His Seven Letters to Seven Churches (Revelation
Chapters 2 and 3), each was surprised by their report card. Those
that thought they were doing well weren't. Those that thought they
were not doing well, were.
Even by the late 90s the church was already substantially deviant
from the Lord's desires.
Also, eschatological errors (i.e., Amillennialism, et al.) were
rampant, as well as errors due to the Gnostic influences, etc.
Furthermore, the rising anti-Semitism in the early church, along with
the allegorical hermeneutics promoted by Origen and later by
Augustine, makes their views regarding the Sabbath rather suspect.
These anti-Semitical tendencies subsequently rose to include the
emergence of "blood libel" and other abuses that were reflected in
the Crusades and other medieval horrors. Most of us as Gentiles have
little appreciation for the abuses suffered by the Jews-under the
banner of "Christ"-unless we have undertaken a careful study of the
bloody history of the church.49
The "Christian Sabbath" Views
There are, of course, many diverse views regarding Sunday as the
"Christian" Sabbath, and there are those who strongly adhere to the
traditional Saturday as the Sabbath. Many of us may have encountered
the legalistic zeal of the Seventh-Day Adventists over this "Seventh
Day" issue; however, it is not the Seventh Day which emerges as the
critical theological issue - it is the role of the law, and our
liberty in Christ, that is really the fundamental issue.
The Epistles to the Galatians, Colossians, and Romans far overshadow
any particular cultural customs and ritual observances, and clearly
emphasize our freedom from all external rules as the key to the
entire New Testament Gospel. That, indeed, is the "Good News."
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of
an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days : -
Colossians 2:16
It is interesting that Paul emphasizes that it is the "weaker" ones
in faith that burden themselves with such things (Cf. Romans 14:1-6).
Prophetic Implications
From the standpoint of Bible prophecy, however, there are some
provocative enigmas which also emerge from the Seventh Day issue. The
Sabbath is an intrinsic part of the creation, specifically for man.50
It isn't intrinsically limited to the Mosaic Covenant. Sabbaths will
continue as a basis for worship in the Millennium:
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall
remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name
remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another,
and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship
before me, saith the LORD. - Isaiah 66:22, 23
The Sabbath will also be honored in Ezekiel's Temple: the gate to
inner court will be closed six days and only opened on the Sabbath
and on the day of the new moon.51
Since the Sabbath apparently survives the church period,52 t
his seems
to cloud the view that Sunday replaced the Sabbath.
Conclusions
The veneration of the first day as a memorial of the Resurrection is
certainly appropriate, although its historical role as a replacement
day of worship is arguable. Its formal institution appears to have
been an expedient exploited by Emperor Constantine and following.53
The Sabbath is intended as a time of devotion, not a subjection to
burdensome rules. It is for the benefit of man, to be taken advantage
of. As a demonstration of God's love, and a partaking of His
blessing, the seventh day apparently has not been permanently set
aside.
Our God is Jewish. "Salvation is of the Jews."54 All of our benefits
are derivative from the Abrahamic covenant. We are grafted in the
true olive tree, from the root of Abrahamic covenant (Romans 11).
We should not forget that we serve the King of the Jews. We are
members of a church founded by Jewish leaders; our highest authority
is a Jewish Bible. While we have been freed from the law, we still
can enjoy the benefits of Creation.
In our culture, we enjoy two free days each week, in any case. The
first-day worship is thus available to us as an opportunity. The
seventh-day Sabbath is also still available to us as an opportunity,
yet not under the law:
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day
alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. - Romans 14:5
So the question is, Can we enjoy the benefits of the Sabbath without
"coming under the law?" [We adopt other Jewish practices to our
benefit without incurring the burdens of the law: circumcision (for
hygienic reasons), some of the dietary practices, etc.]
It is clear to me that Adam, Cain, Enoch, Noah, et al., all had
instruction on the seventh day of rest. It was the pattern in Exodus
16 before the manna was given and was memorialized in the Decalogue.
In addition, it was observed by Christ ceremonially.
The error we can easily fall into, however, is legalism and its
deprivations of the fundamental blessings of our redemption. (Study
Paul's definitive teaching in Romans.)
Our Personal Resolution
Nan and I, personally, have resolved-in the absence of travel or
other logistic or scheduling constraints-to "remember the Sabbath
Day" by adopting the following procedure:
1. From Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, we "set aside" the time
for study, meditation, and as a departure from our normal routines.
2. We have resolved to do whatever we do deliberately and together.
3. There are no other "rules."
We don't make it a "burden": we simply attempt to avail ourselves of
His intended blessing. We attempt - in an informal but deliberate way
- to study and reflect on His Word and find ways to praise Him.
(Our schedule usually has us traveling or speaking on weekends. If we
were ever to organize our own local fellowship, we would prefer to
meet Friday evenings, and leave the weekend free for family time.)
* * *
This article was excerpted from our Briefing Package, The Seventh Day
. A subsequent article will review some of the historical events
surrounding the institution of Sunday as the traditional day of
worship.
Notes:
1.Genesis 7:2.
2.The plan of redemption was being taught in Genesis 3:21: not by
their own efforts, but by the shedding of innocent blood they would
be covered. 3.Ezekiel 44:23, 24. 4.It is significant that there are
no "evenings" and "mornings" connected to the seventh day. The Hebrew
terms erev and boker, connoting "evening" and "morning," may have had
deeper implications in the staging of entropy reductions; see
Stretching the Heavens . 5.Exodus 16:22-28. 6.Exodus 20:8-11.
7.The six "days" of creation are clarified in Exodus 20:11. Any
problem with "24-hour days" isn't in Genesis 1; it is here.
8.Exodus 20:2; Deuternomy 4:13; 5:2-21.
9.Who was his Creator? John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16, 17. 10.Exodus
35:2,3 Leviticus 23:3 26:34. 11.Isaiah 56:2,4,6,7 58:13,14; Jeremiah
17:20-22. (Cf. Nehemiah 13:19.) 12.Exodus 25:3. 13.Exodus 31:14-17.
14.Leviticus 24:8; Numbers 28:9, 10.
15.1 Chronicles 9:32; 23:31; 2 Chronicles 2:4; 8:13; 23:4; 31:3.
16.Leviticus 12:3; John 7:22. 17.Isaiah 1:12, 13.
18.Isaiah 58:13,14.
19.Jeremiah 17:21, 22; Ezekiel 22:8; Amos 8:4. 20.Jeremiah 17:27;
Exodus 20:23, 24. 21.2 Chronicles 36:20, 21.
22.A. Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Volume II,
p.777. 23.Luke 4:16; Mark 1:21; 3:1; Luke 13:10. 24.Matthew 5:17-20;
15:1-6; 19:16-19; 22:35-40; Luke 16:17. 25.Matt hew 5:21-48;19:3-9.
26.Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5.
27.Matthew 12:1-4; Mark 2:23-26; Luke 6:1-4. 28.Matthew 12:5.
29.Leviticus 12:3; John 7:22, 23.
30.Mark 3:1-5; Matthew 12:8-14.
31.Luke 13:10-17.
32.Mark 1:21-27; Mark 1:29-31; John 5:1-9; Mark 3:1-6 (and Matthew
12:8-14); Luke 13:10-17; Luke 14:1-6; John 9:1-14.
33.Mark 1:32.
34.Acts 2:46; 5:42.
35.Acts 9:20; 13:14; 14:1; 17:1, 2, 10; 18:4. 36.Acts 21:20. 37.Acts 15.
38.Galatians 3:2, 3; 5:1; et al.
39.2 Corinthians 3:14.
40.Colossians 2:14.
41.Colossians 2:16, 17.
42.Galatians 4:9, 10; Cf. Colossians 2:20. 43.Romans 14:1-6. 44.Hebrews
4:1-11.
45.Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1. 46.Acts 2:1. 47.Acts 20:7.
48.The assertion that "we never see Christ meeting with his disciples
on any other day" appears to be contradicted by John 20:26, "...
after eight days again..." 49.See our briefing package, The Kingdom
of Blood for a shocking survey and its prophetic implications.
50.Genesis 2:2, 3.
51.Ezekiel 46:1ff.
52.Matthew 24:20; Isaiah 66:22, 23; Ezekiel 46:1ff. 53.We will review
this in a follow-up article in next month's Personal UPDATE. 54.John
4:22.
Resources Available from Koinonia House Online Store
The 7th Day by Chuck Missler - Briefing Pack - $11.96 Does a
Christian have to keep the Sabbath? How did Sunday replace Saturday
as the holy day? Anyone who thinks this is a simple issue hasn't
studied it carefully. Bible scholar Chuck Missler explores this
continuing controversy.
Taken from Personal Update News Journal May 2000, from Koinonia House.
Call 1-800-KHOUSE-1 to order your free one year subscription! Visit
http://www.khouse.org/ for more great articles like this one!
*******************
DEVOTIONALS
******************
The Problem With Stuff
By: K.J. Onweller
Sometimes we read a parable and think we have the meaning down until
we get the meaning in context only to realize there is so much more.
Such a parable exists in Luke 12.
FIRST, THE CONTEXT
"And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother,
that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man,
who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them,
Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth
not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (Luke
12:13-15).
We can see that the context of the parable is for those who are too
focussed on stuff and the false security it brings. Now see the
parable:
THE FOOL AND HIS STUFF
"And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain
rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself,
saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my
fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and
build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for
many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry. But God
said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of
thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So
[is] he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God" (Luke 12:16-21).
Being rich toward God will be covered a little bit later when we see
the need for generosity.
WHY WORRY?
Jesus goes on to teach us just how we should get away from such
reliance on stuff.
"And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no
thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what
ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body [is more]
than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap;
which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how
much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking
thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to
do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and
yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day
in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more
[will he clothe] you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye
shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your
Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye
the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you"
(Luke 12:22-31).
It's really quite a mouthful here, but Jesus is telling us not to
worry about the things which he has already promised to take care of.
GOD ALWAYS TAKES CARE OF YOU
"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).
With regards to all of the worries we can have concerning the things
which we really need and the things which we only think we need,
Jesus tells us to fear not. He goes on to remind us that God's
pleasure is to give us the kingdom. Notice that Jesus didn't say that
God's good pleasure is to give us all the stuff we want, but to give
us the kingdom when Jesus returns in glory and is crowned KING OF
KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
The fact remains, however, that there are things we really do need,
and I'm sure that God throws in a few of our wants just because he
loves us. We should never fear that we are at the whim of fate. God
always has and always will take care of us because he loves us.
Now, there will be some of you who are struggling incredibly and may
wonder why God is not taking care of you. The only consolation I can
offer is that he IS taking care of you even if you do not see how.
Your eternity is of far greater value to God than any temporary
comforts you could have right now.
IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE
"Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax
not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief
approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:33-34).
So how should we actually relate to our stuff? And, how can we seek
first the kingdom? As Jesus explains, the best approach is to not
hold onto your stuff. You should be using everything you have to
bless other people. In other words, be VERY generous. Share if you
can help someone. Give if you can help someone. The list goes on.
Remember the foolish rich man? He was selfish and wanted it all to
himself. You don't want to be that way do you?
The Kingdom of God is all about generosity. Why not seek first this
kingdom and let God fulfill the rest of your desires in his own way?
*******************
POETRY
*******************
THE SONGS OF PRAISE
By, Jacob Samorodin.
Quiet!!!
The sounds I hear...so delicate in this glade.
As I behold His glorious verdant handiwork...
Tis the song I hear, praising Him,
from whom they're made.
The sound of whispered chorus, windy fingers
moving gently as it please...
Here the deeply moving choral sound of nature's harmony.
A symphony of praise, of rustling branch and top of trees.
Praise Him, glade and meadow! Praise Him, all ye trees!...
Praise Him, hill and dale!...Praise Him, babbling brook,
all skies, the mountains and the seas...
Jacob Samorodin
darja63@hotmail.com
Other poems by Jacob can be seen in the Endtimes Poetry section of
PropheZine:
http://www.prophezine.com/poetry/
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