Why did Jesus have to die? A question that many have asked over the years and the answer that Christianity provides is atonement, and though that is by itself enough, is it the WHOLE story? What if I told you the Bible is a love story like no other love story ever written, and that everything points to the love of a Bridegroom for His Bride? What if God chose to die as an ultimate dowry for the bride He so faithfully loved and desired to win her affection? Please read on and judge for yourself whether the framework of the entirety of Scripture could be considered the Greatest Love Story Ever Told.
God in His creative genius created and established the institute of marriage as a special covenant between one man and one woman. He did this by forming the woman out of the body of the man. When God created the man, everything needed to form the woman was contained in the man's body; they were therefore created at the same time. God then took her out of his body and ultimately reunited them as one flesh. This statement “…they shall be one flesh” is a bit mysterious; obviously the two remain separate entities, but are united in a way that causes them to be one. Does this refer to child bearing? Or does this refer to the special bond that forms between husband and wife?
“And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Genesis 2:22-24
A man shall cleave to his wife. This word cleave is a verb meaning to cling, stay close, stick with…in other words they become inseparable, when you think of one you think of the other they are a team that is closer than any other kind of relationship. God established a similar relationship between Himself and the nation of Israel immediately after rescuing them from Egypt.
“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:5-6
God promises to establish Israel as His people, a peculiar treasure valued above all else on the condition that they are obedient to Him. In Leviticus He further explains that He will live among them and walk among them as His own people.
“For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.” Leviticus 26:9-12
Later in Deuteronomy, God provides His instruction on marriage as it pertains to divorce. The husband, by law, is required to put a bill of divorce in his wife’s hand.
“When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.” Deuteronomy 24:1
We can see that throughout Scripture, time and time again Israel plays the harlot and shows her unfaithfulness to God by her adulterous “flings” with the gods of other nations. She is compared to a threacherous wife
“Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 3:20
Centuries later after forgiving them over and over for their continuous whoring after idols and other gods, God finally divorces Israel and issues her a bill of divorcement in accordance with His law.
“The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce…” Jeremiah 3:6-8
According to Deuteronomy, once a wife has been given a bill of divorce she is free to be another man’s wife.
“And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.” Deuteronomy 24:2
The problem is here given; once a woman is divorced from her first husband and she chooses to marry another who subsequently divorces her, it is unlawful for the first husband to take her back. It is even considered an abomination before God.
“And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD ….” Deuteronomy 24:3-4
So now the problem is established; God divorces Israel, she subsequently whores after Baal, Ashteroth and an assortment of other foreign gods making it impossible for God to re-establish the marriage covenant with Israel and be in compliance with His own law. Yet God says that He will again have Israel as his bride.
“For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” Isaiah 62:5
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.” Joel 2:16-17
And finally…
“And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.” Hosea 2:19-20
“And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.” Hosea 2:23
“Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them. But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.” Numbers 30:13-15
The stage is set, how will God accomplish the impossible and yet retain the integrity of His Word? How will a loving Husband free His bride from the curse of adultery when His law states clearly that it is unlawful for the husband to re-marry his divorced wife. Paul, by revelation of the Holy Spirit, keenly explains the impossible technicality in the law that an all-powerful God makes possible.
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37
“The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 7:39
“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.” Romans 7:2-3
When her husband dies, the divorced wife is free from the curse of adultery, she is free to marry WHOMEVER she will. The word whomever is key, because that whomever could also include her first husband. Huh, you ask? Oh yes, she would be free to marry whomever, but in order for her to be free from the curse her first husband would have to die so how would she marry her first husband? Thus the technicality provided that only God could exploit, and He did for the love of His bride.
“Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” Romans 7:4
Paul brings his point to a climatic conclusion in his letter to the Romans 7:4. By Christ suffering death he voided the curse and by raising Himself again ALIVE, He again is an eligible bachelor for His bride. God loves His people so much that He died for them, but didn’t just die, He suffered and bled and accomplished the impossible task of maintaining the integrity of His Word while saving His people from their sin through His atoning blood.
There is still one aspect of the law that has yet to be fulfilled…
“And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” Leviticus 20:10
The adulteress was freed from the curse of the law to be put to death by the action of her bridegroom, but the adulterer is to be put to death. He that lured away the wife of the Lord will have “Hell to Pay!” for his crime against the Bridegroom, and it will be administered by the Father.
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:10
And finally the marriage of the Lamb of God, who is the bride? John is a witness.
“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:2
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17
The Spirit AND the Bride say come…
“And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel” Ephesians 6:19
“For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:30-32
There is a great misconception of this word church, ἐκκλησία ekklēsia, it does not refer to a building and it does not originate in the New Testament with the book of Acts, this word ekklesia is a gathering or an assembly and one of the definitions is a “gathering of Israelites” . Ok, but what does that do for me, I’m not an Israelite? Wrong! If you, by the grace of God, accept Christ as your savior, no matter what your heritage, you are grafted into the blessing of Israel. Not replacing Israel, but becoming one with Israel. The Spirit and the Bride say come…
“And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree.” Romans 11:17
The “church” always was and always will be the assembly of His people, His body if you will, the body of Christ. Therefore, out of His body shall be taken His Bride. As it was in the beginning so shall it be in the end.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
What Shall be the Sign...Part 11
XI. Blast of the trumpet (shofar) (Matthew 24:31)
Matthew 24:31
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Mark 13:27
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And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
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And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
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a. Exodus 19:16–20 – And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the People that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the People out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by voice. And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai , on top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
§ The voice of the trumpet is associated with the descent of God upon Mount Sinai
§ The last trump can be tied to the descent of the Lord in 1 Corinthians 15
§ In addition to the thunders and lightnings the Lord also called Moses up at this time, not all of the children of Israel
o Note that the thunders and lightnings correspond to the plagues of the 7th Vial of Revelation 16:17
§ We can also see that this occurson the third day in the morning,we know from Peter that a day with the Lord is as 1000 years. But this says the morning of the third day so this passage could mean that early on in the 3rd millennium (3rd day after Christ’s initial descent) we are going to witness these events.
b. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
§ Psalm 47:5 -God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
§ The Lord descends and the resurrection occurs “with the trump of God”, which leaves the reader to wonder what is the trump of God.
c. 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 – Now this I say brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God
§ We can see that this passage parallels 1 Thessalonians in that the dead are raised but reveals a little more information by telling the reader that these things occur “at the last trump”
§ So we can determine from this passage that there is more than one trump and the last trump seems to correspond to the trump of God from 1 Thessalonians
§ This passage does not reveal anything about the return of the Lord, but gives more insight into the resurrection of the dead and the living changed to immortal.
§ What we cannot determine from this passage is which trump is the last trump, because we don’t know how many trumps there are.
§ In this passage of 1 Corinthians 15, there is no distinction of which dead shall be raised, but there is a distinction in other passages:
o 1 Thessalonians 4:16 -For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
- Here we see those who are dead in Christ will rise first
- What does it mean to be dead in Christ?
o Revelation 20:4-6 -And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
- This passage in Revelation seems to indicate that only qualified individuals are given the privilege of having part in the first resurrection.
- Those qualifications to take part in the first resurrection are:
1. Martyred for Jesus
2. Not worshipped the beast
3. Does not have the image of the beast
4. Did not receive the mark of the beast
- The rest of the dead are raised after the millennium
- Those who were part of the first resurrection appear to have exclusive access to Christ for 1000 to be trained as priests.
§ If the dead shall be raised incorruptible where are the dead now? Sleeping? With the Father?
o Luke 16:19-31 -There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyesi, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.ii Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.iii
1. Here we see evidence from the mouth of Jesus that we do not sleep after death, but our souls are either:
a. carried away by angels to Abraham’s bosom to be comforted, or
b. taken to hell to be tormented
2. There is an impassable gulf between where Abraham is and hell
3. The message of Moses and the Prophets is consistent with one (Jesus) who has risen from among the dead.
v It seems (with regard to those who are dead in Christ) that those who died in Christ would be among those with Abraham
o 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 -For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.i For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:ii (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.iii
1. Continuing with this theme from 1 Corinthians 15, we shall be clothed in immortality
2. While in this corruptible and mortal body we cannot be present with the Lord
3. What this passage states is that we cannot be present with the Lord, unless we are absent from the body (which is the corruptible and mortal body). Is it possible to be present with the Lord while in this flesh body? Paul of all people should answer this question in the affirmative for it was he who was struck down by the very presence of Jesus Christ on his journey to Damascus
The other thing that may not be so evident is that just because one may be absent from the body does not necessarily mean that he is present with the Lord, for neither the rich man nor Lazarus in the parable Jesus spoke appear to be in the Lord’s presence.
o Ecclesiastes 12:3-7 -In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; Also [when] they shall be afraid of [that which is] high, and fears [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7 is another verse that is often quoted independently of the context. Notice that it says Then… before the rest of the verse describes where the spirit goes. But with the lead in Then, should cause the reader to say When?
- When? Is answered in verses 3-6, In the day…, well, what day? I think we can see that the day being described is a day of wrath and judgment. So does the spirit return to God immediately upon death? That may be the case, but this text does not seem to provide any certainty that that is the case, but rather after the day of wrath.
d. Revelation 11:15 - And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.”
§ What is the seventh angel sounding? The seventh trump!
§ Revelation 8:6 -And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
§ We can tie the seventh trump to the return of Christ and the resurrection, are there any other trumps that align with what Jesus said in the gospels?
§ The trumps are sounded in order as follows:
o Revelation 8:7 -The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
o Revelation 8:8 -And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
o Revelation 8:10 -And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
o Revelation 8:12 -And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
o Revelation 9:1 -And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
o Revelation 9:13-16 -And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen [were] two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
- 4 Angels prepared for 4 things:
- Seems to aligns with the 6thseal:
1. Revelation 7:1-4 -And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel
- Are the angels in chapter 7 the same angels of chapter 9 performing the same task, but viewed from a different perspective?
1. Similarities between Revelation 9:13-16 and Revelation 7:1-4 include:
a. 4 angels
b. Angels are sent to destroy
2. Differences between Revelation 9:13-16 and Revelation 7:1-4 include:
a. The 4 angels in Chapter 9 were bound in the Euphrates , no mention of the angels in chapter 7 being bound
b. The 4 angels in chapter 9 were prepared to slay a third part of men, the 4 angels in chapter 7 were given 3 things to “hurt” the earth, the trees and the sea (which could be allegorical for trees and sea have referred to men and government in other places in scripture)
c. Angels in chapter 7 are withholding the wind, there is no mention of the angels in chapter 9 withholding the wind.
d. Chapter 7 indicates that there are 144,000 servants of God who were sealed in their foreheads.Chapter 9 indicates 200,000,000 “horsemen” which appear to represent the locusts out of the bottomless pit.
- Jude 1:6 – And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
§ We see there is a big gap between the 6th and 7th trump in terms of written material.
§ So from the Book of Revelation we know the number of trumps are 7 and that the last trump would be the 7th trump
o From this passage combined with the 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians passages we can determine the timing of the return of the Lord, the resurrection of the dead and the changing of the living with respect to other events.
o What we don’t know is if these trumps are literal trumps or events that represent a trumpet blast
§ Leviticus 23:23-24 – And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, speak unto the children of Israel, saying, in the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing trumpets, an holy convocation.
o Holy convocation – Dress rehearsel
- Holy - קדשqodesh, apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness
- Convocation - מקראmiqra', convocation, convoking, reading, a calling together
- The only Feast Day that begins on the 1st day of the month; therefore, no one knows the day or the hour, why? Because the first day of the month falls on a new moon and in order to determine the first day you must Watch for the new moon or the first sliver of moon in the sky.
- The return of Messiah is the actual event for which the Feast of Trumpets is a dress rehearsel.
o Mark 2:28 – Therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.
o Leviticus 19:30 – Ye shall keep MY Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
o Leviticus 23:2 – Speak unto the children of Israel
- A command to the children of Israel
- These are not man’s feasts, or the Israelites’ feasts or the Jews’feasts, but the Lord’s Feasts
o Hebrews 4:9 – There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
o Revelation 8:1 - And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
- Sabbaths are considered a seal of God
- The Sabbath = rest = silence?
§ Three “woes” are proclaimed in Revelation 8:13 correspond to the 5th, 6th and 7th trumps.
e. 1 John 3:2- Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
§ Now that we know what happens at the 7th trump and that we are changed from corruptible to incorruptible this verse provides tremendous value in that we can avoid deception through false messiahs who claim to be Christ and do miraculous wonders that deceive many.
§ We know that we shall not see Christ until He returns at the 7th and final trump and we are changed to be “like Him” meaning we will no longer be clothed in the corruption of these flesh bodies but will be clothed in incorruption.
f. Joel 2:1-2 –Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations.
g. Zechariah 9:14 - And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
h. Daniel 12:13 – But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
§ Daniel would rest in death until the resurrection
i. Joshua 6 and the taking of the city of Jericho provides a typology of end time events with the seven priests (who represent the seven angels) and the seven trumpets blasting and the walls of Jericho fell down flat, foreshadowing the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdom of our Lord.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
What Shall be the Sign... Part 10
X.
Son of Man coming in the clouds, the day
of the Lord (Matthew 24:30, Mark 13:26-27, Luke 21:27)
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Matthew 24:30
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Mark 13:26-27
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Luke 21:27
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And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power
and great glory.
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And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and
glory. And then shall he send his
angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the
uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
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And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
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a. Two witnesses precede the coming of the son of man (Their coming
corresponds to the 2nd Woe, which corresponds to the 6th
Trump)
§
Acts 1:9-11 – And
when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward
heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee , why stand ye
gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen him go into heaven.
§
Revelation 11:3-12-And
I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand
two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and
the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire
proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will
hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their
prophecyi: and have power
over waters to turn them to bloodii,
and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when
they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out
of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and
kill them. And their dead bodies [shall
lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and
Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see
their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies
to be put in graves. And they that dwell
upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts
one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the
earth. And after three days and an half
the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and
great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven
saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud;
and their enemies beheld them.
1. 1 Kings 17:1 -And Elijah
the Tishbite, [who was] of the inhabitants of Gilead ,
said unto Ahab, [As] the LORD God of Israel
2. Exodus 7:20 -And Moses
and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote
the waters that [were] in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight
of his servants; and all the waters
that [were] in the river were turned to blood.
§
Zechariah 4:1-3 - And
the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is
wakened out of his sleep, And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have
looked, and behold a candlestick all [of] gold, with a bowl upon the top of it,
and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which [are]
upon the top thereof: And two olive treesby it, one
upon the right [side] of the bowl, and the other upon the left [side] thereof.
§
Zechariah 4:11 -14
-Then answered I, and said unto him, What [are] these two olive
trees upon the right [side] of the candlestick and upon the left [side]
thereof? And I answered again, and said
unto him, What [be these] two olive branches which through the two golden pipes
empty the golden [oil] out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest
thou not what these [be]? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These [are] the two anointed
ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
§
Malachi 4:4-6 –Remember
ye the law of Moses my
servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel
b. Sign of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:30) The 7th Seal
§
Answers the original question
posed by the disciples in Matthew 24:3.
§
Revelation 8:1-2 -And
when he had opened the seventh seal,
there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before
God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
§
Joshua 6:10 - And
Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise
with your voice, neither shall [any] word proceed out of your mouth, until the
day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
§
Luke 11:29 -30
- And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a
sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the
prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the
Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
c. Mourning of the tribes of the land (Matthew 24:30) The Two Witnesses
(Revelation 11:3-12)
§
Zechariah 12:10-11 -And
I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the
spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they
have pierced, and they shall mourn for
him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness
for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the
mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
o Hadadrimmon - a place in the valley of Megiddo where a national
lamentation was held for the death of King Josiah
-
King Josiah was a righteous king of
Judah, the nation of Judah mourned his death
o Who is mourning? The house of David, David was of the tribe of Judah,
Judah is the representative tribe of the Jews who remain in Jerusalem and do
not recognize Ye’Shuah as the Messiah, they
will!
§
The two witnesses precede the
coming of the son of man
o So we have the son of perdition and the two witnesses both make their
appearance before the return of Ye’Shuah
d. 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3 – That ye be not soon shaken in
mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us,
as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and the man of sin be revealed,
the son of perdition.
§
We are in the midst of a falling
away now, but the “man of sin” has yet to be revealed
e. Matthew 24:37-42 – But as in the days of Noe were so
shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
and knew not until the flood came, and tookthem all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man
be. Then shall two be in the field; the
one shall be taken, and the other left.
Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the
other left. Watch therefore: for ye know
not what hour your Lord doth come.
§
Later in Chapter 24 of Matthew we
see Jesus providing greater detail about His coming in that it will be a repeat
of conditions that were present in Noah’s day before the flood.
§
We see the pronoun they used to describe those who were
oblivious to the coming flood and the flood came and took them all away.
§
Likewise Jesus tells us of the two
in the field and the two at the mill, one taken and the other left. Often we here that the one taken is taken by
Christ, but that is not consistent with what He is saying here because the ones
taken by the flood were those that were destroyed by the flood. So the ones taken here at the coming of the
Son of Man are taken to their destruction.
§
This is consistent with Matthew
13:30 where it states: Gather ye together
first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the
wheat into my barn.
f.
Isaiah 26:20-21 – Come, My
People, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide
thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For behold, the Lord cometh out of His place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth
also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
§
God states the purpose of His
return is to punish evildoers
§
He is not coming to punish His
people, but those who do iniquity
§
When the Lord returns, why would
he tell His people to enter into their houses if they have already been
evacuated via the rapture?
o Are not the servants of God also “inhabitants of the earth” yet there
is no distinction made between righteous and unrighteous “inhabitants of the
earth”
o It’s quite possible that at this time, all of God’s servants have been
killed and the chambers mentioned by Isaiah references the place that Ye’shuah
had gone to prepare for us according in John 14:2.
g. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 – But of the times and the
seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the
day of the Lord so cometh as a
thief in the night. For when they
shall say “Peace and safety;” then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as
travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But
ye, brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of the light, and
children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
h. 2 Peter 3:10 -But
the
day of the Lord will come as a
thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great
noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the
works that are therein shall be burned up.
i.
Daniel 7:13-14 – I saw in the
night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of
heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near
before Him. And there was given Him
dominion, and glory, and kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass
away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
§
According to Dr. Michael Heiser, a renowned Bible scholar,
this particular verse was outlawed by the Sanhedrin to be read without a Rabbi present.
§
Matthew 26:63b-64 –
And the high priest answered and said unto Him, “I adjure Thee by the living
God that thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus saith
unto him, “Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see
the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
§ By Jesus stating this Jesus was
disregarding their proclamation initiating the highly dramatic response from
the high priest.
o Matthew 26:65 -Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken
blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard
his blasphemy.
o Blasphemy? Against who? Against their proclamation against this passage
§
Revelation 1:7 –
Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they
also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of
Him. Even so, Amen.
j.
Obadiah 1:15-16 -For the
day of the LORD [is] near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it
shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.For as ye
have drunk upon my holy mountain, [so] shall all the heathen drink continually,
yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though
they had not been.
k. Zephaniah 2:3 -Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the
earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it
may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.
l.
Zechariah 14:1-5 -Behold, the
day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of
thee. For I will gather all nations
against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses
rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity,
and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight
against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the
mount of Olives, which [is] before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of
Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
[and there shall be] a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove
toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee [to] the valley of the mountains;
for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like
as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, [and] all the
saints with thee.
§
Another indication that all the
saints (except the 144,000 sealed) have been killed, they return with Ye’shuah
to vanquish the despots.
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