THE COMING KINGDOM . ( PART 1 )

By Dr. Andy Woods
Sugar Land Bible Church

Evangelical Confusion
The contemporary evangelical world is engulfed in the idea that the church is presently experiencing the messianic kingdom. The idea of the "kingdom" can be bewildering, especially considering how this term is loosely bandied about by today's evangelicals. Many ministries convey the notion that the kingdom is strictly a spiritual and present reality by indicating that they are "expanding the kingdom" through their evangelistic and missionary endeavors. Even Christian political activists sometimes argue that they are "bringing in the kingdom."
Such "kingdom now" theology factors prominently in the writings of various Emergent Church writers. Doug Pagitt proclaims, “And let me tell you ‘Kingdom of God’ language is really big in the emerging church.” [1] Brian McLaren echoes:

He selected 12 and trained them in a new way of life. He sent them to teach everyone this new way of life...Even if only a few would practice this new way, many would benefit. Oppressed people would be free. Poor people would be liberated from poverty. Minorities would be treated with respect. Sinners would be loved, not resented. Industrialists would realize that God cares for sparrows and wildflowers—so their industries should respect, not rape, the environment. The homeless would be invited in for a hot meal. The kingdom of God would come—not everywhere at once, not suddenly, but gradually like a seed growing in a field, like yeast spreading in a lump of bread dough, like light spreading across the sky at dawn. [2]

McLaren further observes: “If Revelation were a blueprint of the distant future, it would have been unintelligible to its original readers...In light of this, Revelation becomes a powerful book about the kingdom of God here and now, available to all.” [3]

Series Preview

Why do so many seem to believe that the messianic kingdom has already materialized? Is there a biblical basis for such a belief? Due to the dominance of kingdom now theology in modern evangelical thought, a fresh scriptural look at the notion of the kingdom is warranted. To this end, we begin a lengthy series on the subject of the kingdom. This series will seek to accomplish four goals. First, the biblical teaching on the kingdom of God will be surveyed from Genesis to Revelation. Only such an analysis will allow us to capture God's mind on this important subject. Second, this series will set forth some general problems with a New Testament based "kingdom now" interpretation. Third, this series will examine the isolated New Testament texts that kingdom now theologians use and show their insufficiency to convey kingdom now theology. Fourth, this series will note why this trend of equating God's present work in the church with the messianic kingdom is a matter believers should be concerned about since this theology radically alters God's design for the church.

An Important Distinction

At the outset, a distinction must be drawn between the universal kingdom and the theocratic (or mediatorial) kingdom. Such a distinction is justified since some verses present the kingdom as in a state of perpetual existence (Ps 93:1-2) while others indicate that the kingdom will be a future reality (Dan 2:44). Moreover, some verses depict the kingdom as universal in scope (Ps 103:19) while other verses picture the kingdom as earthly (Dan 2:35, 44-45). Furthermore, some verses present the kingdom as being directly ruled by God (Dan 4:17) while other verses depict the kingdom as being indirectly administered by God through a human agent (Ps 2:6-9). Thus, the universal kingdom is eternal, comprehensive, and under God’s direct rule. By contrast, the theocratic kingdom is futuristic, earthly, and under God’s indirect rule. [4] Most theological persuasions agree that God's universal kingdom is a timeless reality existing to the present hour. However, theological disagreement relates to the alleged present manifestation of the theocratic kingdom. Thus, the focus of this series will not be upon the generally acknowledged universal kingdom but rather on what the Bible teaches concerning the theocratic kingdom.

Early Genesis and the Kingdom

The biblical story of the kingdom begins as early as the Garden of Eden. Here, God placed Adam and Eve in a position of authority over God's creation. Gen 1:26-28 says: "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" It should be noted that Adam and Eve were given authority over the physical realm (fish, birds, living things that move on the earth). Here, God arranged for humanity's first couple to govern God's creation on God's behalf. The technical term for this hierarchy is the office of Theocratic Administrator. This term simply refers to someone who governs for God. In other words, God ruled the world indirectly through the first Adam.
However, Satan soon took the form of a serpent with the specific goal of perverting and reversing this divinely ordained hierarchy. Instead of governing the physical world for God, Adam and Eve were influenced by creation (the serpent) to rebel against God (Gen 3). Such rebellion represented a top to bottom reversal of God's original intention for the office of Theocratic Administrator. Satan's success in inciting this rebellion effectively removed the office of Theocratic Administrator from the earth, as Satan became the ruler of the world (Luke 4:5-8; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2). What then is the story-line of the Bible? It is how this office is restored through the messianic kingdom. Just as God the Father originally intended to indirectly govern the physical world through the first Adam, He will one day govern the world through the Last Adam or God the Son.
The restoration of the physical kingdom or office of Theocratic Administrator as the dominant theme of the Bible has been recognized by numerous theologians. Note Charles Ryrie's explanation:

Why is an earthly kingdom necessary? Did He not receive His inheritance when He was raised and exalted in heaven? Is not His present rule His inheritance? Why does there need to be an earthly kingdom? Because He must be triumphant in the same arena where He was seemingly defeated. His rejection by the rulers of this world was on this earth (1 Cor. 2:8). His exaltation must also be on this earth. And so it shall be when He comes again to rule this world in righteousness. He has waited long for His inheritance; soon He shall receive it. [5]

The late Dr. Harold Hoehner of Dallas Theological Seminary used to terrify doctoral students during oral exams by asking them how they would defend the notion of a future earthly kingdom from the Scriptures. Nervous students would usually start with Rev 20:1-10, which speaks of the future one-thousand-year reign of Christ. Hoehner would then ask the student to find an earlier biblical reference to the coming kingdom. Students then typically went first to Paul, then Christ, then the prophets, and finally the covenants (defined later) to find scriptural support for the coming kingdom. When Hoehner again asked for something earlier, the student was forced to go back to Genesis 1. The learned professor was simply trying to get his students to understand that the theme of a future, earthly kingdom begins on the Bible's very first page. One day God the Father will restore what was lost in Eden. He will again rule the world indirectly through a human intermediary. This human intermediary will not be the original Adam but rather the Last Adam or the unique God-man Jesus Christ who is the second member of the Trinity.

The Mother-Child Cult

The next major place in God's word that speaks to the reality of a future messianic kingdom are those sections that reveal God's covenants with His special nation Israel. It is helpful to understand why God created and entered into a covenant with Israel. According to tradition, Nimrod, the leader of the rebellion at the Tower of Babel (Gen 10:8-9), and his wife Semiramis became the founders of the mystery religion known as the Mother-Child Cult. Their son Tammuz born through an alleged miraculous conception was killed by a wild animal and miraculously raised to life. This event led to the worship of the mother (Semiramis) and the child (Tammuz). When God confounded the languages at Babel consequently ushering in multiple ethnicities (Gen 11:1-9), this Mother-Child Cult was exported into every culture that followed. Although the names of the mother and the child were changed from culture to culture, these religions still epitomized the same idolatrous religious system began at Babel. In Assyria, the mother was Ishtar and the child was Tammuz. In Phoenicia, it was Astarte and Baal. In Egypt, it was Isis and Osiris or Horus. In Greece, it was Aphrodite and Eros. In Rome, it was Venus and Cupid. [6] Given the idolatrous origin of these nations, God through Abram began a new nation independent of this universal impact at Babel. This nation, later called Israel (Num 24:17), would become His vehicle of exporting His messianic blessings to the world (Gen 3:15; 12:3).
(To Be Continued...)
Endnotes

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[1] Cited in Roger Oakland, Faith Undone (Silverton, OR: Lighthouse Trails, 2007), 163.
[2] Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), 111.
[3] Cited in Oakland, Faith Undone, 158.
[4] Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1986), 397-98; Alva J. McClain, The Greatness of the Kingdom (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1959), 19-21; Renald Showers, "Critique of Progressive Dispensationalism," Friends of Israel National Conference (June 2003), 9-14.
[5] Ryrie, Basic Theology, 511.
[6] Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons (reprint, New York: Loizeaux, 1959), 19-90; John Walvoord, “Revelation,” in Bible Knowledge Commentary, ed. Walvoord and Zuck (CO: Victor, 1983), 970.

THE THREE KINGS OF DANIEL 11

This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley
“The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. (Daniel 11:36)
“At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.” (Daniel 11:40)

Three separate kings are in view in Daniel 11:36 & 40 and their identities must be discovered to fully understand what will happen in the days leading up to the End of the Age.  They are the King who exalts himself,  the King of the North, and the King of the South.   All of Daniel 11:4-35 has been taken up with a discussion of various generations of the King of the North and the King of the South.  The King who exalts himself is neither, and yet subdues them both.  Let’s see if we can identify these three kings as to their roles in the world’s final drama.
First, the King who exalts himself. The angel told Daniel this king would exalt and magnify himself above every god (Daniel 11:36).  In 2 Thes. 2:4 Paul said the anti-Christ will exalt himself over everything that is called god or is worshiped.  The angel also told Daniel he would say unheard of things against the God of gods.  In Rev. 13:6 John said the anti- Christ will blaspheme God and slander His name.  So it looks like the king who exalts himself is the anti-Christ.
Now for the other two. The vision of Daniel 11 was given in 536BC and begins with an angel telling Daniel what would happen to the Persian Kingdom then in power.  The angel said that after 3 more Persian Kings, a fourth one would arise, an especially rich and powerful king. This Persian King, who we know as Xerxes I, took as his queen the Jewish woman Hadassah, called Esther in the Persian language (Esther 2:16-17). He put together a mighty army and mounted an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Greece in 480BC.  But after that a mighty king  would appear who would rule with great power and do everything he pleased (Daniel 11:2-3). This prophecy was fulfilled about 150 years later by Alexander the Great whose driving ambition was to first conquer the Persian Empire, and after that the rest of the known world.
The angel then said that Alexander’s Kingdom would be divided into four parts according to the four winds of heaven, not going to his offspring. (After Alexander’s death his four generals divided up the Kingdom among themselves.)  The next 30 verses are devoted to the families of two of the four, Seleucus, known in Daniel 11 as the first King of the North and Ptolemy, the first King of the South. 135 historically confirmed prophecies are contained in the first 35 verses of Daniel 11, most having to do with the descendants of these two men. The other two generals, Cassander and Lysimachus are not mentioned here, but history shows they both eventually lost their portions to Seleucus, the King of the North.
So the first kings of the North and the South were Seleucus and Ptolemy. For territory Seleucus eventually got control of what we now know as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Turkey. Reigning for a time from Babylon in modern Iraq, he built a new capital city 20 miles to the south east on the Tigris river and named it Seleucia.  Eventually he moved his capital to Antioch, where it remained.  Ptolemy took Libya, Egypt, the Sudan, Israel and Jordan, and chose Alexandria in Egypt as his capital.
The descendants of these two kings fought each other for control of the known world for the next several hundred years. Then Daniel 11:33-35 brings us to the Maccabean revolt when the last important King of the North, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, was defeated (165 BC).
The angel didn’t tell Daniel anything about the King of the South’s demise, since it didn’t directly involve Israel.  But history shows that over time the Ptolemys became weaker and weaker.  The last King of the South was actually a queen named Cleopatra, famous for her romantic involvements with Julius Caesar and then Mark Antony, both Romans.  Upon her death in 30BC what was left of the Ptolemaic Kingdom was absorbed into the Roman Empire.

History To Prophecy

Although it was all in the future when the angel revealed what we know as the the first 35 verses of Daniel 11, it’s all history where we’re concerned. But beginning in Daniel 11:36 we fast forward to the time of the end when modern versions of these two kings will appear again and will ultimately oppose the anti-Christ. I believe the current unrest in the Islamic Middle East, euphemistically called the Arab Spring, will soon result in the re-emergence of these two ancient powers in a final contest for leadership of the Islamic world.  Turkey and Iran are both part of the territory once identified with the King of the North, and are obvious contenders for that title. They will both be involved in the battle of Ezekiel 38, but since Daniel 11:40 follows Ezekiel 38 in time, this tells us their defeat on the mountains of Israel won’t put them out of contention.
Prime Minister Erdogan of  Turkey has made no secret of his belief that a restored Ottoman Empire will be the End Times Caliphate.  And in a recent UN speech President Ahmadinejad of Iran all but announced the arrival of al Mahdi to lead the world into peace.
Ezekiel’s phrase “ send down fire” (Ezekiel 39:6), which many believe to be a reference to nuclear warfare, is directed at Magog (Russia), the distant coastlands (somewhere beyond the Mediterranean) and the battlefield in Israel. No mention is made of any such destruction in Persia (Iran) or Turkey (Togarmah). Whatever forces they have in Israel will be decimated, but Iran and Turkey will both survive to fight another day.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia are not named as participants in Ezekiel 38 but could join forces to form the new King of the South. About a year ago, the Saudis quietly rebelled against US policy and embarked upon an independent course of action, promising to defend the Gulf States against Iranian meddling themselves. This was done partly as an expression of anger over the way the US helped oust Egypt’s Pres. Mubarak, a close friend of the Saudi King, and partly over their frustration with America’s lack of action against Iran.  Saudi Arabia does not want Iran to emerge as the leader of the Islamic Middle East and is determined to make sure that doesn’t happen, even if it comes to war.  So far they’ve backed up their promises by moving troops and weaponry into Bahrain, posing a direct threat to Iran.
And we are all aware of the upheaval in Egypt, from a secular government to an Islamic one, although no one’s quite certain where they’ll settle on the political spectrum.
Things are currently so fluid in the Middle East it’s hard to know what’s going to happen next.  It will be interesting to see who winds up with the real power.   If secular governments continue to be pushed aside in favor of Islamic leadership (some are already saying Jordan will be next after Syria) it could mean the Kings of the North and the South are returning.

Then What Happens?

When the anti-Christ first comes on the scene in the aftermath of the Battle of Ezekiel 38-39, he’ll look to the world like a great peacemaker. He’ll deceive people by distributing gifts of power and influence and will even confirm a treaty allowing Israel to build the third Temple and reinstate their worship of God there (Daniel 9:27).  As he gains public support he’ll start attacking countries who don’t fall into line. He’ll make his close followers into rulers, giving them conquered lands as a reward for their faithfulness (Daniel 11:39).
But when he moves to consolidate his control of Planet Earth by going to Jerusalem to assert his divinity, the King of the North and the King of the South will both try to stop him (Daniel 11:40). This tells us that even among Islamic countries there will be resistance to his rule, as others will also have their sights set on becoming the head of the world wide caliphate.  It’s important to remember that there’s disagreement among the various branches of Islam over how  and by whom world dominance will be achieved  There’s also no love lost between Arab and non-Arab Muslims.   But he’ll bring them all into submission, and after invading many other countries, he’ll arrive in Jerusalem and set up his headquarters there (Daniel 11:42-45), where he’ll walk into the New Temple and claim to be God ( 2 Thes. 2:4).
In Matt. 24:15 Jesus said this declaration will be the primary cause of the Great Tribulation.  This is because it will be the event that pits Satan and his man directly against God and His Anointed, as King David prophesied so long ago (Psalm 2:2-3).  The anti-Christ’s defeat of the Kings of the North and the South could be the reason for all the world to unite behind him and declare, “Who is like the Beast? Who can make war against him?” (Rev. 13:4)  And as Daniel was told, the anti-Christ will be successful until the time of wrath is completed because this is the way God has determined it will happen (Daniel 11:36).  No one on Earth will be able to stand against him.
But when his time has come to an end, he’ll be defeated. Where the Kings of the North and South will have failed, the King of Kings will be successful and at the end there will be no one to help him (Daniel 11:45).
If, as I believe, the current unrest in the Islamic Middle East is leading to the re-appearance of the ancient Kings of the North and South, then the appearance of the anti-Christ cannot be far behind. And that’s another reason for us to believe that the days of the Church on Earth are truly numbered. You can almost hear the Footsteps of the Messiah. 09-29-12

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THE CHRIST OR THE ANTICHRIST ? ( PART 2 )

By Dr. Renald Showers
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry

The Beginning of the Day of the Lord’s Wrath

In 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 Paul indicated that Church saints will not experience the outpouring of God’s wrath during the future Day of the Lord, implying that the Church will be removed from the earth before that day—with its divine wrath—begins. In light of this implication, the question must be asked, When will the future Day of the Lord, with its outpouring of God’s wrath, begin? Several biblical facts provide the answer to this question.
First, the first four seals of Revelation 6 involve a great outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth. Three things indicate that this is so: (1) Christ is the One who breaks these seals (vv. 6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12; 8:1); thus, He is the source of the horrors unleashed through the opening of the first four seals. (2) God is the One who determines the extent and effects of the famine of the third seal (v. 6). (3) The first four seals involve death by the sword (war), famine, pestilence (plague) and wild beasts, and the Scriptures indicate that these four things are instruments of God’s wrath (Lev. 26:21–28; Dt. 28:20–26; 32:22–25; Jer. 15:1–9; 16:4, 10–11; 19:7–9, 15; 21:5–7; 44:8, 11–13; Ezek. 5:11–17; 6:3, 11:12; 7:3, 8, 14–15; 14:21; 33:27–29; 38:19–22; 39:4).
A comparison of the events following the opening of the first four seals with the beginning of birth pangs (Mt. 24:5–7) indicates that those events and the beginning of birth pangs are the same thing, and there are reasons for concluding that the beginning of birth pangs will take place during the first half of the 70th week of Daniel 9. One of those reasons is that the Bible describes both the time of Jacob’s trouble and the Great Tribulation as unprecedented times of trouble (cp. Jer. 30:6–7 with Dan. 12:1 and Mt. 24:21), thereby indicating that the time of Jacob’s Trouble and the Great Tribulation are the same thing since logically there can be only one such time without precedent. In addition, the Bible associates birth pangs with the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer 30:6–7). Since the time of Jacob’s trouble and the Great Tribulation are the same thing and since birth pangs are associated with the time of Jacob’s trouble, then birth pangs must also be associated with the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation is the unprecedented time of trouble; therefore, the birth pangs associated with it must be the severe birth pangs of hard labor. They cannot be the less severe, beginning birth pangs which precede hard labor. In light of this, the beginning birth pangs of Matthew 24:5–7 must take place during the first half of the 70th week before the Great Tribulation of the second half of the 70th week begins.
The events of the first four seals and the beginning of birth pangs are the same thing and the beginning of birth pangs will take place during the first half of the 70th week; therefore, the first four seals must also take place during the first half of the 70th week. Those seals will involve a great future outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth, and the Church will be removed from the earth before that outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth. It must be concluded, therefore, that the Church will be removed from the earth before the first half of the 70th week.
Second, in 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3 Paul indicated that the coming of the future Day of the Lord will be similar to the coming of a thief in the night and the birth pangs of a woman with child. The similarity that Paul had in mind is that just as a thief in the night and a woman’s birth pangs come suddenly without warning so the future Day of the Lord will come suddenly without warning.
The birth pangs of a woman that come suddenly without warning are her beginning birth pangs, not her later, more severe birth pangs of hard labor. The later birth pangs do not come without warning for they are preceded by the beginning birth pangs. Thus, Paul was teaching that the beginning of the future Day of the Lord will be characterized by the beginning of birth pangs.
As noted earlier, the beginning of birth pangs (Mt. 24:5-7) will take place during the first half of the 70th week, and the beginning of the future Day of the Lord will be characterized by the beginning of birth pangs. It can be concluded therefore that the future Day of the Lord will include the first half of the 70th week of Daniel 9.
As noted earlier, the Church will be removed from the earth before the future Day of the Lord when his divine wrath begins, and the future Day of the Lord will include the first half of the 70th week; therefore, the Church must be removed from the earth before the first half of the 70th week.
Third, in 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3 Paul indicated that the future Day of the Lord will come suddenly with destruction when the unsaved feel that they have peace and safety in the world. In conjunction with this it is important to note that once the events of the first four seals begin, the world will not be characterized by peace and safety until after the 70th week ends. The rider of the second seal will be given authority to take “the peace” (literal translation) from the earth. The first four seals will bring death to the people of one-fourth of the earth through the sword (war), famine, pestilence, and wild beasts (Rev. 6:8). This is the opposite of peace and safety.
According to the Bible, the sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts go together with lack of peace and are the result of God’s withdrawal of peace (Jer. 14:12–14; 16:4–5); but the absence of the sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts is characteristic of peace and safety (Lev. 26:56; Ezek. 34:23–30; Hos. 2:18).
The events of the first four seals will be characterized by the opposite of peace and safety, since once they begin the world will not be characterized by peace and safety until after the 70th week ends. Since the future Day of the Lord will come suddenly with destruction when the unsaved feel that they have peace and safety in the world, it can be concluded that the future Day of Lord cannot begin at any time after the events of the first four seals begin. Instead, the future Day of the Lord must include those events.
Since, as noted earlier, the first four seals will be opened during the first half of the 70th week, and the future Day of the Lord will include the opening of the first four seals, it can therefore be concluded that the future Day of the Lord will include the first half of the 70th week.
Because, as noted earlier, the Church will be removed from the earth before the future Day of the Lord when its divine wrath begins, and the future Day of the Lord will include the first half of the 70th Week the Church must be removed from the earth before the first half of the 70th week of Daniel 9.

The Imminency of Christs Return

The expression the imminency of Christ’s return means that Christ could return at any moment. Nothing else has to happen before His return. Two significant things should be noted concerning the imminency of Christ’s return. First, the Bible teaches the imminency of His return in such passages as 1 Corinthians 1:7; 16:22 (“Maranatha” means Oh, Lord come!); Philippians 3:20; 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Titus 2:12–13; James 5:7–9; Revelation 16:15; 22:7, 12, 20. Some of these passages declare that the Lord is near or at hand (even at the time the New Testament was written). Others indicate that the believers of the first century were eagerly waiting for Christ to return. All of them imply that He could return at any moment.
Second, throughout the history of the Church many of its leaders have recognized that the Bible teaches the imminency of the Lord’s return. Following are examples of such recognition:

• The First Epistle of Clement, 23 (written around 96 AD. by Clement, a prominent leader of the church at Rome who knew some of the apostles personally and probably is the one referred to in Phil. 4:3), “Of a truth, soon and suddenly shall His will be accomplished, as the Scripture also bears witness, saying, ‘speedily will He come, and will not tarry.’”
• The Didache, chapter 16, section 1 (written as early as 70 to 90 A.D. or as late as 120 to 180 AD.), “‘Be vigilant’ over your life; ‘let your lamps’ not be extinguished, or your loins ungirded, but be prepared, for you know not the hour in which our Lord will come.”
• John Calvin, the reformer at Geneva during the 1500s and founder of the Presbyterian Church, made the following statements in some of his commentaries on books of the Bible: “Be prepared to expect Him every day, or rather every moment.” “As He has promised that He will return to us, we ought to hold ourselves prepared, at every moment to receive Him.” “Today we must be alert to grasp the imminent return of Christ.” Commenting on 1 Thessalonians 4, the Rapture passage, Calvin said that Paul “means by this to arouse the Thessalonians to wait for it, nay more, to hold all believers in suspense, that they may not promise themselves some particular time ... that believers might be prepared at all times.”
• The Westminster Confession, xxxiii, 3 (written by the Puritans of England during the 1600s), declared that men should “shake off all carnal security and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come.”
• J. Barton Payne, a 20th-century opponent of the pretribulation Rapture view, could not deny that the imminency of Christ’s return was taught in the Bible and was believed by Church leaders throughout the Church age. In his book The Imminent Appearing of Christ, after an entire section dealing with some of the Bible passages upon which the imminency of Christ’s return has been based historically, Payne made the following comment about the concept of Christ’s imminent return: “The preceding section has validated a considerable group of passages that do demonstrate its legitimacy. In fact, no natural reading of Scripture would produce any other conclusion.” Payne also stated, “Belief in the imminency of the return of Jesus was the uniform hope of the early church.” Concerning early Church believers, he said, “They were waiting, eagerly awaiting, His imminent appearing.”

The pretribulation Rapture view is the only view of the Rapture which comfortably fits the biblical teaching of the imminent return of Christ. It is the only view that can honestly say that Christ could return at any moment and that nothing else has to happen before His return. Since all the other views believe that the Church will go through at least part of the 70th week of Daniel 9 before Christ returns to rapture it, those views cannot honestly say that Christ could return at any moment. According to those views, at least some part of the 70th week of Daniel 9 has to transpire before Christ returns to rapture the Church.

OBAMA REBUILDS MOSQUES WHILE CHURCHES BURN

http://frontpagemag.com

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While Christian churches are being destroyed on a near daily basis in Muslim countries throughout the world, the Obama administration is investing millions of dollars to rebuild overseas Islamic mosques and minarets.

According to the State Department, the mosque restoration program, first reported on back in 2010, is a “cultural preservation” project designed to “fight Islamic extremism by building relationships with Islamic leaders.”

To that end, the State Department, through the US Agency for International Development, is spending millions to preserve mosques and minarets in 27 different Islamic countries.

While the State Department would not reveal the entire cost of its Muslim outreach program, it did acknowledge one restoration project, the refurbishing of Egypt’s 1,300-year-old Amr Ibn El-Aas Mosque, was part of a $770 million program to rebuild Cairo’s sewer system.

Perhaps the State Department’s reticence in sharing the full fiscal details of its taxpayer-funded Islamic goodwill project centered on the fact that federal regulations prohibit USAID funds from being used for saving structures which are used for “inherently religious activities.”

Of course, it should be noted, that the “inherently religious activities” of those overseas Islamic mosques includes preaching hatred of Jews, Christians and Americans, incitement to terrorist activity, and global imposition of Islamic rule.

In recent days, Muslim clerics in at least 20 Islamic countries have used these “houses of worship” to urge their congregations to take to the streets in violent protests to defend Islam over the release of the video “Innocence of Muslims.”

So, given that, it’s not surprising that the Obama administration’s diligent efforts to help preserve the religious heritage of Islam has failed to engender in its Muslim beneficiaries a similar respect toward preserving the religious heritage of Christianity in the Islamic world.

For example, while the State Department was busy repairing Egyptian mosques, scores of Egypt’s Coptic Christian churches were being burned down by Muslim mobs, one which included St. George’s Church in the Egyptian village of Merinab.

The 100-year-old St. George’s was in the midst of its own renovation when local Muslim sensibilities were offended by the presence of a cross, bell, and dome on the church’s roof. So, in the interest of “community peace,” church leaders agreed to take down the spire and cross, leaving the dome intact.

Unfortunately, that compromise proved insufficient to soothe Muslim outrage, leading a Muslim throng numbering in the thousands to descend on the church, burn it to the ground, while shouting, “Kill all the Christians.”

In 2010, the State Department provided monetary support for saving three mosques on Zanzibar Island off the coast of Tanzania, mosques which included the 900-year-old Kizimkazi mosque, considered one of the oldest Islamic buildings on the coast of East Africa.

That generous American donation was repaid in July 2012 when Muslim mobs, shouting, “Away with the church — we do not want infidels to spoil our community, especially our children,” burned down three Christian churches on Zanzibar Island.

In 2011 the State Department provided funds to restore the 15th century Gobarau Minaret in Katsina State in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north, an area which has become a virtual killing field for Christians at the hands of Muslim militants, led by the al-Qaeda-linked terror group Boko Haram.

Since 2009 over 288 Christian churches in Nigeria have been burned, thousands of Christian-owned homes destroyed, and over 2,000 Christians killed, including in July 2012 when fifty members of a northern Nigerian church were burned to death in their pastor’s house.

Finally, the State Department provided taxpayer funds to restore the 18th century Golden Mosque in Lahore, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, an area which happened to be the scene of an assault on a Christian colony in July 2009 by thousands of Muslims who set fire to over 50 houses and two churches, burning to death eight people, including a seven-year-old child.

Unfortunately, the ongoing eradication of Christian churches in the Islamic world shows no signs of abating any time soon, especially given comments like those of Sheik Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, who recently declared that it is “necessary to destroy all the churches of the region.”

While Aziz bin Abdullah’s clarion call was directed toward Christian churches on the Arabian Peninsula, it has nevertheless been earnestly followed by Muslims in Islamic countries throughout Africa, the Mideast, and Asia.

For example, in the past two months Muslims in Kenya have attacked 11 churches, assaults which include grenade attacks on a crowd of 150 Christians attending an outdoor church meeting, killing two and wounding more than 30; and one attack during a church service that killed one and injured 16.

In June the Sudanese government bulldozed three church buildings to the ground and confiscated three Catholic schools in the capital of Khartoum, saying that such buildings are now unwelcome in the Islamic-ruled country.

In Afghanistan, where more than 2,000 American troops have died protecting that country, the last public Christian church was demolished in October 2011, forcing Afghan Christians to practice their faith in underground “House Churches.”

In Indonesia, a ministerial decree has led to the closure of more than 400 Christian churches. While Christian worshippers must make due in storefront churches or, lacking that, parking lots and the side of streets, it hasn’t stopped Muslim mobs from trying to prevent those services.

Specifically, in May a horde of 600 Muslims, led by Indonesia’s Islamic Defenders Front, hurled bags of urine, rotten eggs, ditchwater and stones at over 100 Christians attempting to attend church service in an empty parking lot in the city of Bekasi, located outside the capital of Jakarta.

Unfortunately, news of that type of anti-Christian behavior was not included in the recent public service announcement the State Department aired on Pakistani television in which it condemned religious intolerance in the video “Innocence of Muslims.”

Instead, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while lamenting the hurt feelings the video engendered among Muslims, said the Islamic faith “respects the fundamental dignity of human beings,” and that it is “a violation of that fundamental dignity to wage attacks on innocents.”

Ironically, as Clinton’s public apology was being aired, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, an 82-year-old church in northwest Pakistan, was being burned by a mob of hundreds of Muslims protesting the offending video.

Since that attack was, in the words of Mrs. Clinton, “a violation of that fundamental dignity to wage attacks on innocents,” perhaps she will inquire if there are any funds still available in her mosque restoration program to help cover the costs of rebuilding St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THE CHRIST OR THE ANTICHRIST ? ( PART 1 )

By Dr. Renald Showers
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry
The doctrinal statement of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc. contains the following declarations:

We believe in the premillennial and pretribulational return of Jesus Christ. This means that Christ’s return for His bride (the Church) is imminent and therefore can happen at any moment (1 Thess. 4:13–17; 5:6). We believe that, following the Rapture of the Church, the Tribulation Period (Daniel’s 70th Week, or the Time of Jacob’s Trouble) will take place (Dan. 9:24–27; 2 Thess. 2:3–4).

These official declarations clearly indicate that The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry advocates the pretribulation Rapture view. In light of the fact that many fine Christians hold other views concerning the time of the Rapture, why does this Mission believe that Christ will return to rapture the Church out of the world before the 70th Week of Daniel 9 (commonly called the Tribulation period) begins? Several reasons for this belief will be presented.

The 70-Week Prophecy of Daniel 9

In Daniel 9:24 Daniel was told that God had determined 70 weeks (70 periods of time, each consisting of seven years) for Daniel’s people (Israel) and his holy city Jerusalem).
It should be noted that all 70 weeks had been determined uniquely for Israel and Jerusalem, not for the Church.
The Church did not exist during any part of the first 69 of the 70 weeks. The 69th week ended with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The Church did not begin until the Day of Pentecost after that Palm Sunday. God consistently kept the Church out of the first 69 weeks. It is evident that He intended the first 69 weeks to be His program for Israel only, not for the Church. This intention is consistent with the fact that God uniquely determined the 70 weeks for Israel only.
God temporarily interrupted His 70-week program for Israel at the end of the 69th week with a gap of time which is now approaching 2,000 years in duration. As a result, the 70th week has not yet begun. This is another way of saying that the Tribulation period has not yet begun. God brought the Church into existence very shortly after He interrupted His 70-week program for Israel, just 57 days after the 69th week ended with the triumphal entry of Christ.
Taken together, the above facts strongly imply three things. First, God does not intend the Church to be present for any of the 70 weeks that He has determined specifically and uniquely for Israel. He intends to keep His 70-week program for Israel and His program for the Church separate and distinct from each other, just as Israel and the Church are distinct.
Second, God does intend the Church to be present specifically and uniquely for the interrupting gap of time between the end of the first 69 weeks and the beginning of the 70th week. If God had intended to mix His 70-week program for Israel with His program for the Church, would He not have started the Church sometime during the first 69 weeks of the 70-week program?
Third, God will remove the Church from the earth before the 70th week begins (before He resumes His 70 week program for Israel).
These implications fit only the pretribulation Rapture view. All other views have the Church going through at least the first half of the 70th week.

The References to the Church and Israel in Revelation

Although the Church is referred to 25 times in the Book of Revelation, none of the references appear in Revelation 4 to 18, the chapters which cover the 70th week of Daniel 9 (the Tribulation period), including the seals, trumpets, and bowls.
By contrast, 26 of the 30 references to Israel in the Book of Revelation appear within chapters 4 to 18. Thus, over 86 percent of the references to Israel occur in the chapters that cover the 70th week of Daniel 9, including the seals, trumpets, and bowls, but none of the references to the Church occur in those chapters.
This contrast is consistent with the implications of the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9 noted earlier. It is exactly what should be true of the Book of Revelation if the Church is raptured from the earth before the 70th week of Daniel 9 begins (before God resumes His 70-week program for Israel). Thus, this contrast corresponds precisely with the pretribulational Rapture view but conflicts with all other views of the Rapture.

THE COMING LEADER

This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power (Daniel 8:24-25).


When he first comes on the scene he’ll quickly garner the world’s attention. More that just being likeable, he’ll be seen as a man with a brilliant future ahead of him, a charismatic personality who will immediately attract and hold everyone’s interest. And when he takes center stage after the Battle of Ezekiel 38, many will believe he has the solution to all their problems. In a world reeling under the twin disasters of the mysterious disappearance of millions of Christians and the outbreak of nuclear war in the Middle East, he’ll be a voice of calmness and reassurance. If it seems to them like he has an almost supernatural ability to get control of things and lead the way to peace, it will be because he does. He’s Satan’s man, masquerading as the savior of the world.
In an early success, he’ll broker a treaty in the Middle East that will astound everyone (Daniel 9:27), causing the recently defeated Muslim nations to agree to the building of a Temple in Israel. Using Ezekiel 48 as his authority, he’ll show everyone involved that the new Temple doesn’t belong on the current Temple mount, but slightly more than 20 miles to the north in Shiloh. Sharing a space with the Dome of the Rock and the al Aksa mosque will not be required. After thousands of years of strife, it will appear that peace has finally come to that war torn part of the world.
I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest (Rev. 6:2).
Not everyone will immediately be convinced to line up behind him, and for those who aren’t, conquest will be the answer. He’ll justify the need for war by convincing them that a lasting peace depends on everyone submitting to the authority of a single government. Those who don’t come willingly will have to be persuaded.
In the process there will be an assassination attempt that will leave him blinded in one eye and crippled in one arm (Rev. 13:3, Zech 11:17). But once again he will astonish the world. They will have thought him to be dead, but suddenly there he’ll be, alive again. As a result, His power and influence will grow exponentially. And soon, although it will have required much bloodshed, the world will be forced to accept him as their leader and wear his mark as a sign of loyalty.
Because his goal is not to be just a world leader, but to be worshiped as their god, he will stand in the temple he helped to build and declare that he alone is God (2 Thes. 2:3-4). Using Satan’s power to deceive and the supernatural assistance of an apparition who calls herself Mary he’ll bring Islam, the Eastern religions, New Age paganism, and what will be left of Christianity together into one world wide religion with the sole purpose of worshiping him.
Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” (Rev. 13:4)
In Rev. 12:9 the dragon was identified as the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, and yet just one chapter later we learn that the people of Earth will worship him. How could the one who has traditionally been known as the very personification of evil suddenly become an object of worship? The answer comes in two parts.

Part One. The Luciferian Doctrine

Lucifer is a Latin word that means light bearer. It comes to us by way of the Hebrew phrase, heylel ben shachar, found in the Hebrew version of Isaiah 14:12, where it refers to Satan. Heylel means shining one, and was translated into Latin as Lucifer. Ben shachar means son of the dawn.
In 2 Cor. 11:14 Paul said that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. This tells us that in appearing as Lucifer, Satan is not revealing his true nature, but merely the counterfeit facade he uses to deceive mankind.
Experts say the Luciferian doctrine is a radical revaluation of humanity’s ageless adversary, Satan, and have called it the ultimate inversion of good and evil. There are many variations of this doctrine, but they all boil down to the claim that Lucifer is actually the champion of mankind, desperately trying to bring mankind through his final phase of evolution, the spiritual one. This is when humans will become as gods, like the Serpent promised Adam and Eve, and will finally be able to live in peace and harmony in the utopian environment mankind has dreamed of since the fall.
But first man will have to win his freedom from the evil Adonai (Hebrew for Lord) who has been holding him back, and that’s really what the End of the Age is all about. Mankind is finally ready for an all out effort to defeat Adonai and wipe out His followers, and under Lucifer’s direction and control success is assured. In other words, it’s not Jesus who came to be the Savior of mankind, it’s Lucifer.
This is not a new idea. As we saw, it was first presented in the Garden (Genesis 3:4-5). It’s also the motivating force behind Psalm 2:1-3, which we’ve looked at before.
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.
“Let us break their chains,” they say,“and throw off their fetters.”
According to experts, the essence of the Luciferian Doctrine can be found in every religious system except Judaism and Christianity, and that’s why both have to be destroyed. Even the anti-religions of Darwinian evolution, secular humanism, transhumanism and others can be linked to the Luciferian Doctrine. This shared core belief is what will make it possible for all the religions of the world to unite behind the anti-Christ and worship Satan, while thinking they’re in the right for doing so.

Part Two. The Powerful Delusion

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,  and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie  and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness (2 Thes. 2:9-12).
When the Church leaves, the Age of Grace will end and those who have refused to believe the truth will be deceived by the miracles, signs, and wonders that Satan will display on Earth. These include the many appearances of the Marian apparition with her call to religious unity, often accompanied by supernatural healing and signs in the heavens, and the apparent although imperfect resurrection of the anti-Christ.
By the way 2 Thes. 2:10 is one of the Bible’s strongest statements in support of our freedom to choose whether or not to allow the Lord’s death to pay for our sins. How could Paul say unbelievers will perish because they refused to love the truth and be saved unless they could have chosen to accept it?
God has always allowed, and even helped mankind to take our desires to their ultimate conclusion. This is a great blessing for those who desire to spend eternity with Him, but a curse for those who want to be rid of Him for good. Never will this be more obvious than in the time of and just following the Rapture.
We who want more than anything to dwell in His presence forever will receive our heart’s desire when in the twinkling of an eye we’ll be whisked off the planet to begin our adventure in Eternity. But God will send those who have rejected His offer of pardon a powerful delusion that will make them certain that they made the right choice. This delusion will cause them to believe Satan’s deceptions with such conviction that they’ll follow him to an eternity of torment in the Lake of Fire.
Please note that I don’t believe this delusion will apply to those who won’t have made a firm decision either for or against God at the time of the rapture. According to Rev. 7:9 untold numbers of people from all over the world will come to faith following the seal judgments of Rev. 6 and be martyred for doing so.  I think the rapture will have been the final sign they needed to make up their minds and give their hearts to Jesus. They won’t be part of the Church, but they will have avoided eternal punishment and will be with the Lord forever.
Through out Daniel’s 70th Week , even after numerous judgments that are obviously from God, most of the people of Earth will continue to reject Him. These examples tell the sad story.
The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts (Rev. 9:20-21).
They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him (Rev. 16:9).
The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony  and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done (Rev. 16:10-11)
From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible (Rev. 16:21)
They’ll curse God and refuse to repent because their belief in Luciferian Doctrine will result in the greatest paradigm shift in the history of the world. Evil will be seen as good. Wrong will be seen as right. Darkness will be seen as light. One of the most telling signs of the End of the Age is the extent to which this is already happening in the world. But what we’re seeing today is nothing compared to the way it will be when God causes His powerful delusion to descend upon the left behind people of Earth. It will elevate the Luciferian Doctrine to a fervently held religious belief, with Satan as the object of their worship.
Psychiatrists define a delusion as a fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact. We can’t imagine anyone thinking they could defeat God, but this will quickly become the mindset of the world after the Church is gone. The delusion God sends will help the unbelieving world to take their desire to be rid of Him to it’s ultimate conclusion. It will allow them to believe they’re justified in uniting against Him, and that they actually have the ability to defeat Him.
It’s strange isn’t it, how the world thinks we’re the odd ones? But while they’re lining up like a bunch of lemmings ready to march off the cliff to their doom, we’ll just be getting started on our adventures in Eternity. No longer conforming to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2) we’ve been made new in the attitude of our mind and have put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephes. 4:24). Because we’re in Christ we’re a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). And where our eternal destiny is concerned, that makes all the difference. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 09-14-12

HEADLINES INDICATE CLARION PROPHETIC WARNING

There are major headlines concerning the Middle East in general and the United States and Israel in particular that should send a clarion prophetic warning to those who discern the times. The headlines include: Egypt-Iran meeting could increase terror attacks; White House cancels meeting with Israeli Prime Minister; Embassies in Libya and Egypt attacked by Islamists; and American diplomat killed in Libya attack.The resultant actions from these news stories could cause a convergence of dangerous activity connected to types and shadows of end time prophecies that undoubtedly will impact you and your family.

There is an open feud escalating between the occupant of the Oval Office and the Prime Minister of Israel over Israel's right to defend itself by a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. This feud is so deep that the US president is refusing to meet with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu. In pointed remarks toward the US president, CBS reports that Netanyahu said, "Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel." According to a Reuters report, the White House rejected a request to meet with the president from Netanyahu during a trip to the US later in September.

The occupant of the Oval Office brought American war power to bear in assisting the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda in overthrowing the governments of Libya and Egypt. Yet on September 11, Islamist gunmen in Libya attacked the US Embassy killing the US Ambassador and three staff members beginning with a rocket attack on their car; ending with the Ambassador being suffocated and the three aides shot. The US Embassy in Egypt also was attacked as Islamists burned the American flag and tried to raise the Muslim Black Flag with the words, "There is no God, but Allah, and Mohammad is his messenger." The attacks were sparked by a movie produced in the US that allegedly "insulted" Mohammad.

In response to the movie-generated violence in Egypt, the US Embassy in Cairo issued a statement saying, "We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others." Both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the president issued similar statements that "While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants." The religious justification of these violent actions should not be a part of any condemnation of their murderous deeds.

Meantime, National Security and Intelligence reporter Bill Gertz wrote that a meeting between the head of Egyptian General Intelligence and Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security has raised concerns that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt could become more involved in supporting global terrorism. The Muslim Brotherhood was considered a terrorist sponsoring organization until the current administration took office. All these headlines do not bode well for America. The American president has supported Islam at every opportunity and remains a critic for those who would hurt Islamic religious feelings even as Islamists murder our own diplomats.

By denying a meeting with Israel and by opining appeasement to Islamists, the US leadership is risking putting Americans here at home in harm's way. The US is a lot like Babylon in Jeremiah. The nation is failing morally, economically, and spiritually as it supports the enemies of YHVH. The prophetic implications are enormous from types and shadows of Ezekiel and Revelation to very specific ones like that of Jeremiah 51:14, "I will fill you with men like locusts; they will raise a battle cry against you." Watch yourself in transition. Pray for YHVH's mercy. Call for repentance. Rest in Yeshua.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson

www.dailyjot.com

WHAT DO YOUR PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PULPIT ?

Ron Allen
WorkingPreacher.org

"The most surprising challenge to emerge from the data is a request to preachers to bring controversial issues into the pulpit."

It seems like a no-brainer. Yet preachers rarely seek direct input from listeners about how we might improve our preaching. What do people in the pews want from a sermon? A few years ago, a cadre of teachers of preaching sought to ask listeners what we could learn about preaching from them. We invited people from the pews to teach us how they listen.

Supported by the Lilly Endowment, we interviewed 263 people who regularly listen to sermons to identify qualities in preaching that most engage (and disengage) them. The interviewees include younger, middle-aged, and older adults in small, medium, large, and mega congregations largely associated with the historic denominations such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church, various Baptist bodies, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Disciples, Episcopalians, Church of the Brethren, Lutheran bodies, Mennonites, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and United Methodists.

The detailed findings are reported in four books listed at the end of this article. For now, I report some points at which our research confirms common wisdom in preaching and some points at which the study challenges prevailing assumptions.

The study's most important finding may be the high value listeners place on sermons. Almost every one of the 263 interviewees indicates that preaching is meaningful to them. They look to sermons to help them make sense of life by helping them identify God's presence and purposes and helping them figure out how to respond faithfully. In today's congregation, when so many responsibilities lay claim to a minister's time, members encourage ministers to give the best of themselves to sermon preparation.

One of the most reassuring discoveries is that most listeners think the Bible is a significant resource for interpreting God's purposes. Their perspectives on the authority of the Bible vary, of course, and no one wants the sermon to be nothing more than a history lesson. Yet virtually all interviewees want to know what the Bible encourages people to believe and do. They also want the preacher to help them connect the world of the Bible to the world today.

Midway between confirmation and challenge, many listeners stress that they want the sermon to connect with their living experience today. They want to know the implications of what they most deeply believe for their workplaces, homes, schools, civic affairs, and leisure activities. Along this line, they yearn to know that preachers understand what their worlds feel like. They are willing to be challenged (see the next point), but they want to know that the preacher understands the complexity of their lives. One of the most communicative ways for preachers to do so is to draw from the preacher's own life experience.

The most surprising challenge to emerge from the data is a request to preachers to bring controversial issues into the pulpit. Yes. You read that correctly. Many of the listeners want ministers to help them wrestle with God's purposes in connection with matters such as war with other nations, abortion, and same-gender relationships. As someone said, "Who else is going to help us think about these things from God's point of view?" The respondents in our study do not want preachers to tell them how to vote or what to think, but they do want help interpreting issues from a theological point of view and considering possibilities for faithful responses.

The study also challenges ministers to listen to members of their own congregations regarding characteristics in the content, development, and embodiment of the sermon that help local listeners enter the world of the sermon and those that prompt congregants to keep their distance. Such an effort requires courage on the part of the preacher as well as candor on the part of congregants. But such listening can take place in ways that minimize anxiety and that foster mutual encouragement. Indeed, listening to listeners can become a means of enacting the priesthood of all believers.

Chalice Press has published the project's four books. John McClure, et. al., Listening to Listeners: Homiletical Case Studies (2004), contains detailed analyses of six interviews (including one small group) as well as suggestions for interviewing in a local congregation. Ronald Allen, Hearing the Sermon (2004) examines relationship, content, and feeling as settings through which listeners receive sermons. Mary Alice Mulligan, et. al., Believing in Preaching: What Listeners Hear in Sermons (2005) describes clusters of listener perceptions on God, the Bible, embodiment and several other major topics, and explores preaching strategies for congregations of diverse listeners. Mary Alice Mulligan and Ronald Allen, Make the Word Come Alive: Lessons from Laity (2006) summarize the 12 most common themes in the interviews.

Ron Allen

WorkingPreacher.org

Ron Allen teaches preaching and Gospels and Letters at Christian Theological Seminary where he has been since 1982. Prior to that, he and his spouse, the Reverend Linda McKiernan-Allen, were co-ministers of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Grand Island, Nebraska. He has published more than 35 books.

REVELATION 15:5

By: Dr. Ken Matto

 

Revelation 15:5

(KJV) And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

(1611 KJV)

And after that I looked, and behold, the Temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heauen was opened:

(1587 Geneva Bible)

And after that, I looked, and beholde, the Temple of the tabernacle of testimonie was open in heauen.

(1526 Tyndale)

And after that I loked and beholde ye temple of the tabernacle of testimony was opyn in heven

(1384 Tyndale)

And aftir these thingis Y say, and lo! the temple of the tabernacle of witnessyng was opened in heuene;

 

Counterfeit Versions

(1881 RV) And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

 

(1901 ASV) And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

 

(AMP) After this I looked and the sanctuary of the tent of the testimony in heaven was thrown open,

 

(CEB) After this I looked, and the temple in heaven—that is, the tent of witness—was opened

 

(CEV) After this, I noticed something else in heaven. The sacred tent used for a temple was open. 

 

(ERV) After this I saw the temple, the holy place of God’s presence, in heaven. It was opened,

 

(ESV) After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened,

 

(GNB) After this I saw the temple in heaven open, with the Sacred Tent in it.

 

(HCSB) After this I looked, and the heavenly sanctuary—the tabernacle of testimony —was opened. 

 

(THE MESSAGE) Then I saw the doors of the Temple, the Tent of Witness in Heaven, open wide.

 

(NASV) After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened,

 

(NIRV) After this I looked, and the temple was opened in heaven. The temple is the holy tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. 

 

(2011 NIV) After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple —that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law —and it was opened. 

 

(NKJV) After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 

 

(NLV) After this I looked and saw that the Holiest Place of All in the house of God was opened. 

 

(NLT) Then I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God’s Tabernacle, was thrown wide open.

 

(RSV) After this I looked, and the temple of the tent of witness in heaven was opened,

(NAB-Roman catholic) After this I had another vision. The temple that is the heavenly tent of testimony opened,

 

(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) And after these things I saw, and the sanctuary of the tent of the witness was opened in heaven,

 

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text

και μετα ταυτα ειδον και ιδου ηνοιγη ο ναος της σκηνης του μαρτυριου εν τω ουρανω

 

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text

και μετα ταυτα ειδον και ηνοιγη ο ναος της σκηνης του μαρτυριου εν τω ουρανω

 

Corrupted Manuscripts

This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:

Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Fourth century
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century

C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century

P 025 - Ninth century

1 (Minuscule) - Seventh century

 

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse

Stephanus 1550 A.D.

 

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions

Omit “behold” after “and”

Greisbach, Johann - 1805

Lachmann, Karl - 1842

Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869

Tregelles, Samuel - 1857

Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871

Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870

Westcott and Hort - 1881

Weiss, Bernhard - 1894

Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941

Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition

Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition

United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition

Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902

Hodges and Farstad - Majority Text 1982 as corrected in 1985

 

Affected Teaching

The word “behold,” which is missing in the modern versions, is the word in the Greek for “see, perceive, or look.” In this usage of the word, it is in the Imperative mood which means the Lord Jesus Christ is giving a command to John to behold the temple of the tabernacle being opened in Heaven. The word “behold” in the Greek is in the Imperative Mood which is a command and not an option. Now it may seem trite concerning the omission of this one word, but it is an important word. (Rev 1:11 KJV) Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. John was given the command to write what he sees.

 

 

If he does not behold something based on the definitions above and below, then how could he write what he has not seen, plus he is being directed as to what is seen, so what is written is exactly what God wants to be written in the book of Revelation. The word “behold” is important. For example, I see a 1932 Duesenberg parked across the street, so I go up close and look at it and see that it is in beautiful condition. I saw it from a distance but I beheld it when I got close to it and I was able to gain information about it, something I could not do from a distance. The word “behold” in English means “to fix eyes upon, see with attention, or observe with care.” This is why the word is very important because it tells us John was carefully watching the unfolding events so he could write them with all divine accuracy.

 

 

There is also another interesting fact about the Greek word “idou” being omitted in the modern versions. It is found in the 1550 Stephanus text but we see that the word was also in the 1382 Wycliffe New Testament. This means that the word was in the text 168 years before Stephanus made his Greek text. Wycliffe had used the Latin Vulgate of Jerome from the fourth century, translated from Latin to Middle English. This means that the Greek word “idou” was in that translation as far back as the fourth century. Another evidence that Receptus readings are old and not recent.

 

 

 

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(2 Th 3:13 KJV)  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
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REVELATION 15:2

By : Dr. Ken Matto

 

Revelation 15:2

(KJV) And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

(1611 KJV)

And I saw as it were a Sea of glasse, mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victorie ouer the beast, and ouer his image, and ouer his marke, and ouer the number of his name, stand on the sea of glasse, hauing the harpes of God.

(1587 Geneva Bible)

And I sawe as it were a glassie sea, mingled with fire, and them that had gotten victorie of the beast, and of his image, and of his marke, and of the number of his name, stand at the glassie sea, hauing the harpes of God,

(1526 Tyndale)

And I sawe as it were a glassye see mingled with fyre and the that had gotten victory of the beest and of his ymage and of his marke and of the nombre of his name stode on the glassye see havinge ye harpes of god

 

Counterfeit Versions

(1881 RV) And I saw as it were a glassy sea mingled with fire; and them that come victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from the number of his name, standing by the sea of glass, having harps of God.

 

(1901 ASV) And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that come off victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from the number of his name, standing by the sea of glass, having harps of God.

 

(AMP) Then I saw what seemed to be a glassy sea blended with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his statue and from the number corresponding to his name were standing beside the glassy sea, with harps of God in their hands.

 

(CEB) Then I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mixed with fire. Those who gained victory over the beast, its image, and the number of its name were standing by the glass sea, holding harps from God.

 

(CEV) Then I saw something that looked like a glass sea mixed with fire, and people were standing on it. They were the ones who had defeated the beast and the idol and the number that tells the name of the beast. God had given them harps, 

 

(1899 Douay-Rheims American Edition) And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had overcome the beast, and his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God:

 

(ERV) I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. All those who had won the victory over the beast and his idol and over the number of its name were standing by the sea. These people had harps that God had given them.

 

(ESV) And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.

 

(GNB) Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I also saw those who had won the victory over the beast and its image and over the one whose name is represented by a number. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps that God had given them

 

(HCSB) I also saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, his image, and the number of his name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God. 

 

(Phillips) And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass shot through with fire, and upon this glassy sea were standing those who had emerged victorious from the fight with the animal, its statue and the number which denotes its name.

 

(THE MESSAGE) I saw something like a sea made of glass, the glass all shot through with fire. Carrying harps of God, triumphant over the Beast, its image, and the number of its name, the saved ones stood on the sea of glass. 

 

(NASV) And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.

 

(NCV) I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. All of those who had won the victory over the beast and his idol and over the number of his name were standing by the sea of glass. They had harps that God had given them.

 

(NIV) And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God

 

(NLT) I saw before me what seemed to be a glass sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them.

 

(RSV) And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 

 

(NAB-Roman Catholic) Then I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire.

On the sea of glass were standing those who had won the victory over the beast and its image and the number that signified its name. They were holding God’s harps,
 

(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) And I saw what seemed to be a glassy sea mingled with fire, and those who come off victorious from the wild beast and from its image and from the number of its name standing by the glassy sea, having harps of God.

 

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text

και ειδον ως θαλασσαν υαλινην μεμιγμενην πυρι και τους νικωντας εκ του θηριου και εκ της εικονος αυτου και εκ του χαραγματος αυτου εκ του αριθμου του ονοματος αυτου εστωτας επι την θαλασσαν την υαλινην εχοντας κιθαρας του θεου

 

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text

και αδουσιν την ωδην μωυσεως του δουλου του θεου και την ωδην του αρνιου λεγοντες μεγαλα και θαυμαστα τα εργα σου κυριε ο θεος ο παντοκρατωρ δικαιαι και αληθιναι αι οδοι σου ο βασιλευς των αιωνων

 

Corrupted Manuscripts

This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:

Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Fourth century
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century

C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century

P 025 - Ninth century

 

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse

Stephanus 1550 AD

 

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions

Omit “and over his mark”

Greisbach, Johann - 1805

Lachmann, Karl - 1842

Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869

Tregelles, Samuel - 1857

Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871

Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870

Westcott and Hort - 1881

Weiss, Bernhard - 1894

Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941

Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition

Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition

United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition

Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902

Hodges and Farstad - Majority Text 1982 as corrected in 1985

 

Affected Teaching

The omission of the phrase “and over his mark” is a significant omission. Now the beast causes all his people to have a mark and if you will notice the locations of this mark on the body are significant. First of all we see this mark on the right hand. (Psa 17:7 KJV) Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. In Psalm 17:7, we see that the right hand is associated with salvation by the power of the Lord. The beast will imitate the things which the Lord does. The mark on the right hand is associated with those who work deceitfully bringing a false salvation. The right hand will also be associated with those who do works for the beast, in other words, their life’s work will be in concert with the deceit of the beast. They will do the works that deceive others. Then the mark in their foreheads shows that their mind is given over to the work of the beast. So in this particular passage, we see that those who invent systems and then implement them in the world are those with the mark on the hands (works) and the mind (evil thoughts). (1 Tim 6:5 KJV) Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. The mind is Satan’s playground and he is very active with his people. It does not matter what a person’s social status is, Satan will deceive all his people. Now some people want to make this out to be some type of physical mark like a bar code but this is not what it in view. Sensationalizing verses only clouds the real meaning but of course, sells books.

 

 

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(2 Th 3:13 KJV)  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
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