Departments Staff Listing Staff Listing MORNING STAR A Multimedia Christian Publication P.O. Box 7755, Nashua, NH 03060 Phone: 603-883-4624 Fax: 603-883-0466 ------------------------------------------------------ EDITOR IN CHIEF Toby Trudel - Nashua, NH SENIOR EDITOR - Biblical Department Geoffrey Kragen - Roseville, CA SENIOR EDITOR - Christian Life Department Teresa Giordanengo - Canonsburg, PA SENIOR LITERARY EDITOR Al Murillo III - El Paso, TX ASSOCIATE EDITORS Jerry Johnson - Modesto, CA Joseph A. Nigro - Oradell, NJ Moishe Rosen - San Francisco, CA Clark Stephens - Huntington Beach, CA Dale Strand - Dublin, CA Rick Thrasher - Santa Clara, CA J.C. Trudel - Naples, FL Mike Wilkinson - Citrus Heights, CA Dr. Charles Wootten - Matoaca, VA SENIOR PUBLISHER - DOS and WINDOWS Editions Steve Paulovich - Pembroke, NH OFFICE SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN Patrick Auriemma - Nashua, N.H. ------------------------------------------------------ U.S. DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR OF BBS DISTRIBUTION Walter H. 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ELECTRONIC MAIL LINKS INTERNET: mstarmac@aol.com (Toby Trudel) AMERICA ONLINE: MStarDOS (Steve Paulovich) GENIE: M.Wilkinson1 (Mike Wilkinson) COMPUSERVE: 70743,603 (Jorge Lopez) FIDONET: 1:106/3118 (Walter Bauer) CHRISTIAN FAMILY NETWORK: 8:3003/5 (Walter Bauer) CHRISTIAN DISTRIBUTION NETWORK: 8:2013/1 (Walter Bauer) POLICENET: 150:402/53 (Walter Bauer) To receive a free copy of the MS DOOR program, which allows viewers to read the magazine onscreen, contact: Alan Graff P.O. Box 131 Wheelersburg, OH 45694 FIDONET: 1:2260/50 Letter from the Editor Letter from the Editor Greetings and welcome to our 21st issue of MORNING STAR! In this issue we present a number of excellent articles dealing with the theme of "prophecy". We hope that our readers find the material we present on this important topic both informative and balanced. Every month seems to bring more good news on the "distribution front." MORNING STAR is now available on a fourth major U.S. computer network. You can now download both the DOS and WINDOWS editions from the national DELPHI network. Praise the Lord! Please remember to share MORNING STAR with a friend. And pass the word along of our need for stories and articles. Here's a list of upcoming themes that we need material for: Vol 2.11 - LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRIES (Choir, Singles, Visitation, etc.) Vol 2.12 - THE FEASTS OF AND PROMISES TO ISRAEL Vol 3.1 - ANNUAL "HIGH-TECH" ISSUE (Christians using technology to do the Lord's work, i.e. computers, TV, radio, Faxes, BBS) Vol 3.2 - DOCTRINAL ISSUE - Theme: "Grace and Legalism" Vol 3.3 - BIBLE PERSONALITY ISSUE - Theme: "Paul the Apostle" Vol 3.4 - TESTIMONY ISSUE - Theme: "Victimization" (all forms, i.e. toxic faith, spousal abuse, childhood abuse, etc.) We also need missions reports and testimonies. Help us keep this magazine going strong. We need your contributions. Our Praise and Prayer column is a great resource for our readers. If you have a prayer need, feel free to call, fax or write us. We have a mini-poster (8.5 by 11 inch paper) for MORNING STAR that can be posted in bookstores, church lobbies etc. If you would like to help "advertise" MORNING STAR by making copies of this poster and distributing it, get in touch with us and we'll mail you a free copy. In service to our Savior, Toby Trudel Commentary Commentary Prophecy = "1. prediction under the influence of divine guidance. 2. any prediction. 3. something predicted." (1) "Prophets & Prophecy. The great importance of the prophetic movement is evidenced by the occurrence of the word "prophet" over 300 times in the OT and over 100 times in the NT, along with many other terms that clearly refer to men performing the same function. Since the predictive aspect of prophecy has been so stressed in modern usage as almost to overshadow other phases of prophetic activity, it is particularly needful that Bible students seek to understand the full original purpose of the movement and its importance in Biblical revelation and in the divine plan." (2) "Among all forms of mistake, prophecy is the most gratuitous." - George Eliot Of all the studies of God's word, the exploration of prophecy is almost guaranteed to generate a great deal of controversy without advancing God's kingdom. Much of Scripture contains that which is prophetic. While some prophecies have already come to pass (i.e., Christ's death and resurrection) much is still awaiting fulfillment. Many Bible teachers stay away from the discussion of the prophetic. I recently heard of one teacher who refused to teach on the book of Revelation. He believed it was impossible to understand. This is a direct violation of the words of this book. "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near" (Revelation 1:3). No part of God's word is to be ignored. Also, the book of Revelation is not that difficult to understand, if it is studied in the context of the complete Scripture and especially the Old Testament. The study of prophecy has led to much confusion. A focus on prophecy to the exclusion of other teaching has often interfered with Christ's command to "go and make disciples." Irresponsible teaching has brought discredit on the Church. We have all heard the radio programs that will tell us how the latest news events fulfill prophecy. We have seen the books and pamphlets that told how Christ was to return in 1988, 1989, 1992, and the latest which picks 1994. People have sold homes, and possessions to await Christ on the top of a mountain. Although He hasn't returned yet, Scripture is clear that He will. When He returns it is in His hands. How we serve Him until then is in ours. We must recognize that God will work out future events as He sees fit. This may not conform to our specific views. It may well have been that if we lived before the coming of Christ, and had taken a literal view of Scripture, we would have believed that God's word taught there were to be two Messiahs. One Messiah was to be the suffering Messiah. The other was to be the ruling Messiah. This would have been a logical view. Now we understand how Christ will finally fulfill both roles at His second coming. At one time, when I was part of a church board, its members wanted to revise the church doctrinal statement. The statement taught the pretribulational and premillennial positions. While we held this prophetic position, we also recognized that this was not a fundamental issue necessary to salvation. So we removed this section. Replacing it was a statement related to Scriptural interpretation. It was much more important to clarify the proper method of interpretation, that is the historical, literal method. And after all, how one interprets scripture has a direct effect on salvation as well as one's prophetic system. The study of prophecy is vital, as much for what it tells us of God, as for understanding future events. Let us consider Revelation as a primary example of this. We read in Revelation 1:1 "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place." The book is primarily a revelation of Jesus Christ, and only secondarily an account of future events. The prophecy of Revelation is simply the tapestry upon which the picture of Christ is drawn. If we only had the gospels, we would have an incomplete picture of Christ. There He is shown as the lamb of God, sent to take away the sins of the world. However, this is not His current position. Revelation shows that the day is coming when Christ will return as judge. He will come to sentence those who are going to Hell for rejecting Him. He will come to set up His rule over the world. Because Christ died for us, He will punish those that have rejected His payment for sin. Revelation shows that God is a promise-keeping God. We are saved because God has promised salvation to those who accept Christ's sacrifice. We can believe this is true because He has and will keep His promise to restore Israel. As Paul said: "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarches" (Romans 11:25-28). Revelation also shows this truth. Yes, the events of Revelation are literal, as the plagues of Egypt were literal. The most important teaching of Revelation is that God is not only loving and merciful, but He is also a righteous and just Judge. When He comes again, it will be to judge the world. No one will be saved or lost because of their view of prophecy. People will be saved or lost because of their understanding of who God is. How individuals understand Scripture affects their understanding of God. Their view of prophecy says a lot about how they handle God's word. We must study prophecy. Many of us are strongly committed to a specific view of prophetic interpretation. In the final analysis we can agree to disagree. We must however, agree on the foundational truths of Scripture: The incarnation, Christ's deity and humanity, the Virgin birth, His death, burial and resurrection for sin, and that He is the only way to God. We do not have to agree on every detail of how God will work out future events. As one person said when asked what their prophetic system was: "I am a panmillennialist. Everything will pan out in the end." Considering this, we hope that this prophetic issue of Morning Star will be a blessing, even if ideas expressed here are different from your views. And, praise the Lord, we can all serve the Lord and love one another. And everything will pan out in the end. "He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen" (Revelation 22:20-21). 1. "Webster's New World Dictionary," Collins World, Cleveland, OH, 1971, 377. 2. MacRae, A. A., "Prophets & Prophecy," from "The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible," Vol 4, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1980., 875. People Profile (Part 1) People Profile (Part 1) MORNING STAR editor Theresa Giordanengo conducted this discussion on prophecy with fellow editors Toby Trudel and Geoffrey Kragen by using the technology of the modern computer network. Terri lives in Pennsylvania, Toby in New Hampshire and Geoff in California . . . no one had to leave their homes to participate in this forum! Terri: Where do we find "Prophecies" in the Scriptures in order to study about them? Toby: Much of God's Word in the Bible is prophetic in nature. Some Bible researchers have said that roughly one fourth of the verses in the Bible deal with prophecy. In some cases it's obvious where the verses are prophetic, such as the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew's Gospel where Jesus is asked about the future and responds accordingly. In other places, such as the Messianic verses in the Psalms and other Old Testament books, it takes a bit more study. I recommend getting some sound prophecy study-aid books by authors like John Walvoord, Walter Kaiser or Zola Levitt to help in understanding prophecy in the Bible. Terri: We hear so much about end-times prophecy and the signs of the times that correlate with the end of this dispensation of time. Would you clarify these phrases for our readers? Toby: Well, there is certainly a lot of prophecy in the Bible that has yet to be realized - too much to get into detail here. What's important to remember is that a good understanding of the entire Bible is imperative to understanding any specific prophecy verses. For instance, a lot of people dive right into the book of Revelation and get easily confused or develop inaccurate interpretations, because they don't have a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament. The Bible is a complete book, the prophetic verses start in Genesis and are present in many books right through Revelation. If someone is interested in embarking on end-time prophecy study, a good place to start however is with Matthew chapter 24. I once heard a Christian prophecy teacher refer to that chapter as the "spine" of end-time prophecy study to which other verses are linked. I think that was a good description. Geoff: It is also important to remember that the end-times really began at the time of Christ. We must be careful not to demand that current events be fulfillment of prophecy. They may well be, but, they don't have to be. The important aspect of prophetic study is to learn more about God. How events come to pass is in His hands. But, if we are to have a well-rounded view of God/Christ, we must learn about aspects of His nature only displayed in prophetic Scripture. Terri: What are a few of the end-time signs that are evident today and why is it important that we recognize them? Toby: Let's see, where do we start with this? Aside from the more obvious rapid decline in morality and apostasy in the mainstream churches, some of the more obvious signs would be developments in Israel and Europe and recent developments in technology. The establishment of the nation of Israel in 1948 was probably the most significant thing to happen prophetically since Jesus resurrected. It's a sad thing in my opinion that many Christians don't understand the importance of Israel and the Jewish people in God's end-time plan. The Bible says Israel would be there in the last days - and it is! It also says that Jews from all over the world would return to the land - and they are! It also says that the Temple would be rebuilt. We have an excellent article on this in this issue of Morning Star. The Bible also speaks of some type of peace pact that Israel will buy into. When you watch the news today you can't help but see that on the horizon. And when you see the nations of the world coming together against Iraq and more recently Serbia, I believe this is only a foreshadowing of all the nations coming against Israel at the end of this age, again as the Bible says will happen. Geoff: Clearly most of the prophetic teachings of Scripture center on Israel. While there is always the possibility that the Jewish people could again be removed from the land to return at a later date, like Toby, I believe that the existence of the current state of Israel is a fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham. The very existence of Israel is proof that God is a promise keeper. Much of the misunderstanding of Scripture in general and prophecy specifically arises from the incorrect teaching that God is through with the Jewish people. This type of approach presents the Church as "Spiritual Israel" and her replacement. This is completely inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture and the nature of God. Toby: As far as Europe goes, that is less clear in scripture. A lot of prophecy teachers say that the antichrist will rule a ten-nation European federation because of Revelation 12:3, 13:1 and 17:12-18, as well as verses in the book of Daniel. The idea of a ten-nation European federation led by this man may or may not be exactly the correct idea. There will be some type of unity between some group of ten and the antichrist, but whether it's the European Community, which is looking like a 12-nation unity, or something else - well, we will just have to wait and see. I do believe Europe is significant however. Just look at the example they are setting for the world. Countries uniting under one banner, with common laws and a single currency. If it works for Europe, why not for the entire world? Surrounding countries from Eastern Europe and Scandinavia are already knocking on the door of the 12 E.C. nations to join with them as soon as possible. This type of economic unity is also forming in the far east as well as over here. You can see things developing here with the current North American Fair Trade Agreements between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Everything seems to be coming together one step at a time. Terri: What about technology? What role is it playing? Toby: There have been incredible advancements in technology in the past few years. You now see statistics that say that mankind's scientific knowledge is doubling every seven years. The prophet Daniel said that at the end "knowledge would increase" - I think there's a connection there! Probably the most key element is that we are now living in the first generation ever that can see the important prophecy of Revelation chapter 13 actually take place. Look at a the news items in the MORNING STAR Newsdesk column and read some of the latest computer and economic journals. The global banking, one number per person system is no longer a far-distant dream. The technology is now available to make this happen within the next few years. You can see the one number per person system in some of the programs being put in place right now. The government is already doing away with the food stamp program as we now know it and replacing it with "Electronic Benefits Transfer", a system where everyone gets a number. The new health care legislation that this administration is proposing has provisions for everyone to have one number. For now, everyone would get a "card", like a credit card. But even that is not infallible as the credit card companies well know. How far away is the decision to be "practical" and physically connect the person to their number? Only the Lord knows for certain. Geoff: The important thing we must remember as we speculate on how current technology may be used in the fulfillment of prophecy is that God is in control. As believers we must never become fearful even as we see these thing come to pass. We can see all throughout Scripture that nothing happens without the Lord's allowing it. Our responsibility is to "go and make disciples." We are not to live in fear, "be anxious for nothing," but instead reach out with the comfort of the promise of God's forgiveness. If all that you have noted is fulfillment of prophecy, then the Lord's return is imminent. And, we are to live in the expectation of His soon coming. Therefore, time is running out, and we must strive to reach out to a fallen world, as we do here at Morning Star. Terri: Do we have Bible references to this prophetic word as being proof of God's truth? Geoff: First, we have to remember that prophecy is just part of the whole of Scripture. Therefore, by definition it is of God, and accurate. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, " (2 Timothy 3:16). Second, Christ gave His own "stamp of approval" to the prophetic word. In speaking of His words in the book of Revelation He said: "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star" (Revelation 22:16). Third, the very existence of the Jewish people and for that matter Israel, is the fulfillment of God's promises to David is proof of the validity of Biblical prophecy. "The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, . . . Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:11-12,16). (continued) People Profile (Part 2) People Profile (Part 2) Terri: Can we rely on the Old Testament Prophets? Geoff: God has kept His word in the past therefore, we must expect that He will do so in the future. Most of the book of Matthew is an account of how the work of Christ was the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. Also as we read the Old Testament prophets, we find that they were given prophecies that were fulfilled in their own day. Their accuracy in these becomes the basis for depending on those yet to be fulfilled. All those prophecies related to the first coming of Christ as the savior were fulfilled therefore we must expect that those related to His coming to judge the world will also be fulfilled. We don't have the time to go into these Messianic prophecies here but I refer you to the article "The Messianic Time Table" in the Features area of this issue as a great example. Toby: I can't think of anything more reliable than the Old Testament prophets. God even declares His prophetic Word as "proof", in Isaiah chapter 41, of His reliability through the prophets. Terri: Explain the difference between the return of Christ in the clouds to meet His church and the second coming of Christ. When will these events come about? Geoff: While there are a number of views regarding these events, Scripture seems to show that the return of Christ for the Church, (commonly referred to as the Rapture) isn't the Second Coming. Christ will come for His church to take her to heaven. Christ will not come to the earth proper at this time so this event cannot be considered the Second Coming. In fact, the Church will return with Christ at His Second Coming. The purpose of His coming will be to bring about His rule over this earth in fulfillment of God's promise that Messiah will sit on the throne of David, restore Israel and to rule the world. This all occurs prior to His final judgment of the wicked. As to when they will occur, both are still in the future. Only God knows the time. But, a literal understanding of Scripture best supports the understanding that Christ will come for His church prior to the Tribulation. This being the case the Second Coming will be some seven years later. The important issue though isn't when these events will occur, but the fact they are going to occur. The warning of prophecy is that Christ will judge this world. We must get this warning out to the lost. The day is coming when ". . . at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, " (Philippians 2:10). We must be willing to give people the opportunity to bow by choice, not in preparation to eternal judgment. It is the Holy Spirit who saves. But as we give out the prophetic word, people are given the chance to hear His words. Terri: So many people do not want to hear about Prophecy . . . they have a fear of it. What would you say to them? Toby: God says to read and study all of His Word, including the prophetic parts. We are not to be ignorant of the past, present or future. And of course, it's great to know what the future holds for us when we go through rough times. The "sure word of prophecy" as Peter wrote in the Bible. Geoff: Also, remember that when specifically speaking of the book of Revelation, God has promised blessing for studying it. "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near" (Revelation 1:3). Terri: What problems could we face with interpretation of the future events? Toby: The devil and his demons know the Word of God too. They will do their best to confuse things and try to discredit Christians and the Word of God, especially the parts about the days we live in. The more people Satan can get to wrongfully guess the "date of the rapture" and other such nonsense, the more people will walk away from Christians who seek to share the Gospel with them. Geoff: My concern is that the false use of Scripture can be used to bring believers in bondage. As you noted Toby, people are wrongly guessing about the Rapture. Those that do often do this as a way as getting control over their followers. And, we can contribute to the discrediting of Scripture and God, by going along with this kind of behavior. Terri: How can Prophecy cause an individual to get interested in Bible reading? Geoff: I remember back in the 70's when "The Late Great Planet Earth," came out. Many people read this book. Many were exposed to the Gospel and were saved. And consequently, many then got into churches and the Word. Toby: If done correctly, it's not a bad approach to get people to listen and read the Bible. But it's important to remember that being an expert on prophecy won't get anyone to heaven. The message of the Gospel has to go hand in hand. Still though, pointing out events in the world today and showing someone how God has given us the Bible that predicted these things can be effective in opening doors. Terri: What problems and situations must Israel face during the future years? Toby: The problems will continue to grow. I would strongly advise Christians to take with a grain of salt anything they see about Israel in the news. The reporting is almost always biased and often completely false. Unfortunately, Israel-bashing is as popular as ever, and those providing the advertising and support dollars often can influence reporting. I don't need to convince anyone that Israel doesn't have control of the petrodollars that back most of the media giants today. I encourage all Christians to support Israel in these trying times in both prayer and practical support, such as helping distribute factual news reports which are available, such as "Israel News Digest" People can contact me directly to receive this publication. Geoff: And when speaking of Israel in general, let's not forget our responsibility to the Jewish people. In spite of views being presented by some Christians, we must give the gospel to the individual Jew. Without Christ, they are just as lost as the Gentile. As a Jew, I am not saved by my descendancy from Abraham, I'm saved by the shed blood of Christ. Do the Scriptures say anything about religion and morality in the world today? Geoff: Well, certainly we are told that as we approach the return of Christ the world will become more religious, but not more ready to follow Christ. Additionally people will live as they did in the days of Noah, essentially living how they want to. Morality will be what ever people want it to be. This is certainly the case today. People are more superstitious. Many in the ecology movement hold pagan views, worshiping "Mother Earth." We have computerized horoscopes, the height of technological silliness. There is a lot of religiosity, but little faith. In this society and throughout the world we are told that there is no sin. Immorality has simply become alternate life-styles. Everywhere we look we see people striving to become their own gods. God must and will judge this fallen world. Who are the "False Christs"? Geoff: The False Christs are any who deny that Christ came in the flesh, and all that implies. This includes the denial of the Virgin Birth, God taking on Human Flesh, the necessity of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. There are many who call themselves Christians, even within the traditional Church, but they are not. They are of Satan. They are antichrists, false Christs. Terri: Will there be persecution of Christians in the future? Toby: No doubt. The Christian position on such issues as abortion and gay-rights is more and more being considered as "prejudiced" or even "immoral". Geoff: Of course. And, we shouldn't be surprised at this. Christ warned us that if He was persecuted for the truth, then we His followers shouldn't expect anything less. But, we aren't to be fearful, for we are blessed when we suffer for the truth of the Gospel. Terri: What assurance does a "Believer" have that God has everything under control and that all will end well for him? Geoff: Well, I've been teaching in the book of Esther lately, and the whole thrust of the book is that the providence of God is at work. God's will must eventually prevail. We have nothing to fear if we are His children. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). We are told by Christ, in Revelation, that we have an eternity in His presence to look forward to. We have the confidence of knowing that one day He is coming for us. Paul told the Thessalonian church that Christ is coming, and we have to encourage one another with this truth. Terri: Is there any final thought you would like to leave with our readers? Geoff: Only that let us not let our prophetic approach drive wedges between believers. We are saved by the shed blood of Christ, not by our prophetic system. Toby: Just one. As the Bible says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." When we say this and pray this, we are actually praying for the return of the Messiah, Jesus, as there will be no real peace for Jerusalem or the world until He returns. Book Review Book Review Browsing With The Bookworm Throughout history God has placed His "handwriting on walls" for all to see. His prophetic handwriting is observed many places in scripture. Two of the most notable sources are Daniel and Revelation. Our guest reviewer, Steve Paulovich, Senior Publisher - Dos and Windows Editions - Morning Star, examines two books dealing with these prophetic works. Then I will take a look at book that sounds the warning of the advancement of heresy into Christ's Church. THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL Secrets from the Prophecies of Daniel by David Jeremiah with C.C. Carlson Word Publishing A significant amount of space in my library is devoted to books dealing with prophecy and eschatology. Many have been read through once and returned to the shelf in perfect condition. A few have creased bindings, dog-eared pages and multi-color highlights strewn over the pages. "The Handwriting On The Wall" falls into the second category. In his introduction to "The Handwriting On The Wall," Dr. Jeremiah writes, "If we wish to understand today what will happen in the near future, we should place the books of Revelation and Daniel between the bookends of our thinking and keep them in perspective as we are involved in these exciting, fateful days." The first half the book is devoted to the historical chapters (1- 6) of Daniel. Each event is explored: from Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah arriving as captives in Babylon, to Daniel prospering after surviving the night in the lion's den. Each event is examined from a Biblical and historical perspective as well as having contemporary illustrations of the principles involved. The second half of this book is devoted to the prophetic chapters (7-12) of Daniel. As with the historical chapters, Dr. Jeremiah examines each of Daniel's prophecies. Without going into microscopic scrutiny and without resorting to allegorical embellishment, the examination of each prophecy is interesting and informative. For those who may have heard Dr. Jeremiah's radio program "Turning Point," the style and tone of the book is familiar -- easygoing, informative and rich with illustrations and contemporary applications. ESCAPE THE COMING NIGHT An Electrifying Tour of our World as it Races Toward its Final Days by David Jeremiah with C.C. Carlson Word Publishing In the introduction to this book, Dr. Jeremiah writes, "Many scholars have written commentaries on the Book of Revelation, and I do not pretend to write something which only a Bible student or seminary graduate can comprehend. This book is intended for the person who has never read Revelation because it didn't make sense to him or to the person who has read it and it still didn't make sense." "Escape The Coming Night" isn't an in-depth study of Revelation. Rather, I think of it as "Revelation for the rest of us." The book takes an "episodic" approach to Revelation. The 235 pages are divided into 20 chapters (and 173 sub-chapters) that make the reading quick. Still, in those 235 pages is a lot of information. And there are more than a few anecdotes included, which are wonderful illustrations, that make the general tone of the book uplifting. If you haven't read the book of Revelation, or you want to gain more insight into prophecy and eschatology, this book is highly recommended. The prophetic "handwriting" is on the wall. We are to look forward to the day of Christ's return. But, until He returns, we are to abide. We are to serve Him through the Church. There have been attacks against the Church from its birth at Pentecost until today. And, as in the past, some of the most dangerous attacks come not from without, but from within. Once again the "handwriting is on the wall." This time the Lord provides it through the author Hank Hanegraaff. CHRISTIANITY IN CRISIS By Hank Hanegraaff Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 1993 Who said the following statements? (For the answers, see the end of this review.) (a) "Satan Conquered Jesus on the Cross." (b) "Never, ever, ever go to the Lord and say, 'If it be thy will ...' Don't allow such faith-destroying words to be spoken from your mouth." (c) "God has to be given permission to work in this earth realm on behalf of man. ... Yes! You are in control! So, if man has control, who no longer has it? God." (d) "Man was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God's presence without any consciousness of inferiority." (1) Do these quotes sound like cult teachings? They may be, but they come from individuals who are accepted by many Christians as orthodox Bible teachers. "Christianity In Crisis" was written to expose heretical teachings invading the Christian community. Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute, has done a masterful job of research in developing this book. He exposes to the light of Scripture the heretical teachings of some of the most well-known proponents of the "Positive Confession" message. Dr. Norman L. Geisler, Ph.D., is quoted on the back cover as saying: "Hank Hanegraaff has carefully documented one of the most popular and dangerous cultic groups to ever penetrate the contemporary evangelical church. The church owes a deep debt of gratitude to the leader of the world's largest countercult organization for unmasking the deceptive and poisonous false doctrines of the Faith Movement." "Christianity In Crisis" is not intended to be a sensationalistic work. In fact, often the text doesn't include the names of the individuals quoted. Instead, these are found at the back in an extensive note section. This is where the dedicated reader can appreciate the depth of the author's research. Mr. Hanegraaff's primary concern is to expose false teaching, not to attack individuals. Nevertheless, it is vital that readers understand the sources of these false teachings, because these men and women have a tremendous number of followers in the Christian community. Exposed false teachings include: Faith in Faith, Little gods or Little Frauds, Atonement Atrocities, Wealth and Want, and Sickness and Suffering. The approach of this book helps the reader remember both the false teachings and basic Biblical truths. This is done with the use of acronyms. If you go back to the beginning of this paragraph, you will see that the false teachings are represented by the acronym F.L.A.W.S. This is shown by reexamining the titles at the beginning of this paragraph. Within each area of the book, other acronyms are also used to present more detailed information. Included in the book is an extensive bibliographic section identifying the leading proponents of these teachings. Three appendices are also provided. The first deals with "Are 'God's Anointed' beyond Criticism?" The second talks about the importance of apologetics. The final appendix focuses on the three foundational creeds of Christianity. The balance of the book is taken up with an extensive note section, a complete Bibliography and Scriptural and Subject indexes. This book is easy to read, and can also be used as a reference source. It is both accessible and detailed. "Christianity In Crisis" sounds a warning to the Church. This book should be required reading for every Christian. Now, for those who didn't skip directly to this paragraph, here is the answer to the quiz at the beginning of the review. a. Kenneth Copeland b. Benny Hinn c. Frederick K.C. Price d. Kenneth E. Hagin Let us study to show ourselves approved. Let us not only be familiar with the prophetic aspects of scripture, but also let us hold firm to the clear teaching of God's Word. We hope that these books might be aids to this process. Your Friend - The Bookworm 1 Hanegraaff, Hank, CHRISTIANITY IN CRISIS, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 199, p. 11. Theme: Prophesy The Messianic Timetable (Part 1) The MEssianic Timetable (Part 1) THE MESSIANIC TIMETABLE By Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Part 1 of 2) More than any other book of the Hebrew Scriptures, the writings of the prophet Daniel confront us with evidence of the time of Messiah's coming - evidence that many people would rather not see. But it is there and cannot be ignored. That Daniel was indeed a prophet is well substantiated. He accurately prophesied the rise of the Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman empires even at a time when the Babylonian Empire, which preceded them all, was at its height. He accurately predicted the fortunes, conflicts, wars and conspiracies of the two kingdoms of Syria and Egypt between the fracturing of the Greek Empire and the conquest by Rome. He prophesied the role of the Maccabees during this period. It is Daniel's detailed accuracy in his prophecies that has caused many critics to try to give a late date to the book of Daniel, although no evidence has been discovered that would negate the book's composition at the time that it claims to have been written. At the very latest, the book was completed around 530 B.C. E. The purpose of this article is to discuss in some detail verses 24-27 of Daniel nine. However, it will be wise to survey the entire chapter in order to see what engendered the prophecy of when Messiah would come. The Background - Daniel 9:1-2 The date for Daniel's prophesy is "the first year of Darius," which means that it occurred in the year 539 B.C.E., about 66 or 67 years after the Jews initially went into exile to Babylonia. It was on this occasion, Daniel stated, that he was studying the Scriptures; and from these Scriptures he came to understand that the number of years for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem was almost over, since the duration was to be 70 years. Daniel mentioned that he was studying "books," and we can see for one that he had been studying the writings of Jeremiah; the lives of Jeremiah and Daniel did overlap to some extent. On two occasions (Jeremiah 25:10 14, 29:10-14) Jeremiah predicted that the captivity and desolation of Jerusalem would last 70 years. What other books Daniel may have been studying we cannot know with certainty. But there are some strong possibilities that he also studied the book of Isaiah, since Isaiah actually named Cyrus as the one who would permit the Jews to return (Isaiah 44:28-45:1). Furthermore, there are other writings in Moses and the Prophets that spelled out some specific conditions for the establishment of the messianic kingdom, and Daniel may have looked at some of these as well (Leviticus 26:40-43, 1 Kings 8:46-53, Jeremiah 3:12-18, Hosea 5:15-6:3). These passages emphasize that Israel as a nation must repent and confess sin prior to the establishment of any kingdom of the Messiah. Reckoning the 70 years from the year 605 (when the Jews went into exile) would bring the end of the 70 years to 536 B.C.E. Daniel realized that the captivity had only about three years to go. But Daniel not only expected the captivity to end after 70 years, he also expected a final termination of any possibility of future desolations for Jerusalem. He had acted as if the messianic kingdom were about to occur: since the Word of God was to be established on the basis of prayer, he prayed; and realizing that the prerequisite was the confession of national sin, he confessed the sins of Israel. Daniel's Prayer - Daniel 9:3-19 Daniel's detailed prayer can be divided into two portions. The first (verses 3-14) is the confession of sin. Daniel acknowledged both sin and guilt, which had been incurred in two ways-first by disobedience to the law of Moses, and secondly by disobedience to the prophets who came after Moses. Daniel neither denied the sin of his nation nor his own sin, and by the use of the pronoun "we," Daniel fully identified with all Jewish people in their sins. He did not see sin as merely a bad habit, but as something ingrained in the people that had brought on divine judgment. This disobedience to both the Law and the Prophets caused Israel "confusion of face," an idiom meaning a sense of shame. It also resulted in the need for forgiveness. Here Daniel confessed that to God belong forgiveness and mercy, and that forgiveness was needed. Daniel concluded the first part of his prayer by describing the punishment for sin and guilt. That punishment, captivity in Babylon, confirmed the words of the prophets who had predicted it and confirmed the Law of Moses, which taught that divine judgment would come as a result of disobedience. The second part of the prayer (verses 15-19) is a plea for mercy. Daniel made his plea on the basis of righteousness- not Israel's, but God's righteousness. He also pleaded for mercy on the basis of God's grace, for Israel did not merit mercy; but the grace of God was (and is) able to extend it anyway. Furthermore, the righteousness of God required him to fulfill his promises, and therefore he should do so at the end of the 70-year period. The conclusion of Daniel's prayer is very dramatic: "O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God; because thy city and thy people are called by thy name." The Arrival of Gabriel-Daniel 9:223 Then, while Daniel was presenting his supplications, he was interrupted. He apparently had intended to say more, when Gabriel arrived. The interruption came by the touch of the angel's hand, "about the time of the evening oblation." This refers to the daily, regular evening sacrifice that was offered while the temple stood. Although it had not been practiced for seven decades, Daniel showed his longing for the return from captivity and for the rebuilding of the temple by remembering the sacrifice. Gabriel told Daniel that the purpose of his visit was (1) to correct Daniel's misunderstanding concerning when the messianic kingdom would be set up and (2) to present God's revelation, which contained a timetable for Messiah's coming. The Decree of the 70 Sevens- Daniel 9:24a Gabriel's prophecy to Daniel began with the words, "Seventy sevens are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city ..." Many English versions have translated the phrase to read "seventy weeks." But this translation is not totally accurate and has caused some confusion about the meaning of the passage. Most Jews know the Hebrew for "weeks" because of the observance of the Feast of Weeks, and that Hebrew word is shavuot. However, the word that appears in the Hebrew text is shavuim, which means "sevens." The word refers to a "seven" of anything, and the context determines the content of the seven . Here it is obvious that Daniel had been thinking in terms of years - specifically the 70 years of captivity. Daniel had assumed both that the captivity would end after 70 years and that the kingdom would be established after 70 years. But here Gabriel was using a play upon words in the Hebrew text, pointing out that insofar as Messiah's kingdom was concerned, it was not "70 years," but "70 sevens of years," a total of 490 years (70 times seven). This period of 490 years had been "decreed" over the Jewish people and over the holy city of Jerusalem. The Hebrew word translated "decreed" literally means "to cut off" or "to determine." In chapters 2, 7 and 8, God revealed to Daniel the course of future world history in which gentiles would have a dominant role over the Jewish people. This lengthy period, which began with the Babylonian Empire to continue until the establishment of Messiah's kingdom, is for that reason often referred to as the "Times of the Gentiles.'' Now the prophet was told that a total of 490 years was to be "cut out" of the Times of the Gentiles, and a 490 year period had been "determined" or "decreed" for the accomplishment of the final restoration of Israel and the establishment of Messiah's kingdom. The focus of the program of the 70 sevens was "thy people and ... thy holy city." The "people" were Daniel's people, the Jewish people, and the city was Daniel's city, Jerusalem. Though he had spent the vast majority of his life in the city of Babylon, Jerusalem was still Daniel's city. For Jews, whether they are in the land or outside the land, their city is always Jerusalem and not any other. The Purpose of the 70 Sevens - Daniel 9:24b Daniel was next told by Gabriel that the 70 sevens are to accomplish six purposes. The first is to finish transgression. The Hebrew word translated "to finish" means 'to restrain firmly," "to restrain completely" or "to bring to completion.'' The Hebrew word translated "transgression" is a very strong word for sin and more literally means "to rebel." The Hebrew text has this word with the definite article, so literally it means "the transgression," or "the rebellion." The point is that some specific act of rebellion is finally going to be completely restrained and brought to an end. This act of rebellion or transgression is to come under complete control so that it will no longer flourish. Israel's apostasy is now to be firmly restrained, in keeping with a similar prediction in Isaiah 59:20. (continued) The Messianic Timetable (Part 2) The Messianic Timetable (Part 2) THE MESSIANIC TIMETABLE By Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Part 2 of 2) The second purpose of the 70 sevens is to make an end of sins. The Hebrew word translated "to make an end" literally means "to seal up" or "to shut up in prison." It means to be securely kept, locked up, not allowed to roam at random. The Hebrew word translated as "sins" literally means "to miss the mark." It refers to sins of daily life, rather than to one specific sin. Even these sins are to be put to an end and taken away. This, too, is quite in keeping with predictions by the prophets that proclaim that in the messianic kingdom, sinning would cease from Israel (Isaiah 27:9, Ezekiel 36:25-27, 37:23, Jeremiah 31:31-34). The third purpose is to make reconciliation for iniquity. The Hebrew word translated "to make reconciliation" is "kaphar," which has the same root meaning as the word "kippur," as in Yom Kippur. The word "kaphar" literally means "to make atonement." The third purpose, then, is to make atonement in some way for iniquity. In fact, it is by means of this atonement that the first two purposes will also be accomplished, that of finishing the transgression and making an end of sins. The word translated "iniquity" refers to inward sin. This has sometimes been referred to as the sin nature, or perhaps a more common term among Jewish people would be 'yetzer hara', "the evil inclination." The fourth purpose of the 70 sevens is to 'bring in everlasting righteousness'. More literally this could be translated "to bring in an age of righteousness," since the Hebrew "olam" is better translated as "age" rather than as "everlasting." This age of righteousness is to be the messianic kingdom spoken of in the Prophets (Isaiah 1:26,11:2-5, 32:17, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15-18). It is this very age that Daniel had been expecting to see established after the 70 years of captivity, but now he is told that that will only be after the 490-year period. The fifth purpose is to seal up vision and prophecy. Here Daniel used a word which means "to shut up." So "to seal up" means to cause a cessation or to completely fulfill. Thus, vision and prophecy are to be completely fulfilled. "Vision" is a reference to oral prophecy, while "prophecy" refers to written prophecy. Both oral and written prophecy will cease with the final fulfillment of all revelations. The final purpose of the 70 sevens is to anoint the most holy. A better translation here would be "to anoint a most holy place." This is a reference to the Jewish temple which is to be rebuilt when Messiah comes. It refers to the same temple that Daniel's contemporary, Ezekiel, described in great detail (Ezekiel 40 48). The Start of the 70 Sevens - Daniel 9:5a Daniel was clearly told when the 70 sevens would begin their countdown. Gabriel said, "Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem ..." The 70 sevens would begin with a decree involving the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. Not everything in Persian chronology is as clear as we would like to have it, and there are still some gaps in our knowledge of history. But from what biblical and historical records we do have, there are four possible answers to the question of which decree the passage refers to. One is the decree of Cyrus, issued somewhere between 538-536 B.C.E., which concerned the rebuilding of the Temple (2 Chronicles 36 22-23, Ezra 1:1-4, 6 l-5) and of the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:28, 45:13). Another option is the decree of Darius Hystaspes (Ezra 6:6-l2), issued in the year 52l B.C.E.; it was a reaffirmation of the decree of Cyrus. A third possibility is the decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra (Ezra 7:11-26) issued in 458 B.C.E., which contained permission to proceed with the temple service. The last option is the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:1-8), issued in the year 444 B.C.E. This decree specifically concerned the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem. Of these four possibilities, only the first and fourth are valid in fulfilling the wording Gabriel gave to Daniel. It goes beyond the purpose of this article to deal with the various arguments of either option, but one thing is certain: by the year 444 B.C.E., the countdown of the 70 sevens had begun. The First 69 Sevens - Daniel 9:25b The 70 sevens are divided into three separate units - seven sevens, 62 sevens and one seven. During the first time period (49 years) Jerusalem would be "built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times." The second block of time (62 sevens, a total of 434 years) immediately followed the first for a total of 69 sevens, or 483 years. It is at this point that we are told what the ending point is of the 69 sevens: "unto Messiah the Prince" As clearly as Daniel could have stated it, he taught that 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem had been issued, Messiah would be here on earth. The obvious conclusion is this: If Messiah was not on earth 483 years after a decree was issued to rebuild Jerusalem, then Daniel was a false prophet and his book has no business being in the Hebrew Scriptures. But if Daniel was correct and his prophecy was fulfilled, then who was the Messiah of whom he spoke? The Events Between the 69th Seven and the 70th Seven - Daniel 9:26 Whereas the second subdivision of the 70 sevens was to immediately follow the first, the third subdivision was not immediately to follow the second. Daniel pointed out (in verse 26) that three things would occur after this second subdivision and before the third one. Stepping back in time and looking ahead from Daniel's perspective in verse 26, we see first that "the Messiah shall be cut off and shall have nothing." The Hebrew word translated "cut off" is the common word used in the Mosaic Law and simply means "to be killed." The implication of the term is that the Messiah would not only be killed, but he would die a penal death by execution. The Hebrew expression translated "and shall have nothing" has two meanings. It may mean "nothingness," emphasizing Messiah's state at death. It can also be translated "but not for himself," and the meaning would then be that he died for others rather than for himself, a substitutionary death. The latter meaning would be much more consistent with what the Prophets had to say about the reason for Messiah's death (e.g. Isaiah 53:1-12). The first three purposes of the 70 sevens - to finish transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity - have to be accomplished by an atonement. The Law of Moses decreed that atonement is made by blood (Leviticus 17:11). It appears that Messiah's death "not for himself" but for others would be the means by which Israel's transgression, sins and iniquity would be atoned for. The point of this phrase is that between the end of the second subdivision (the 69th seven) and before the start of the 70th seven, Messiah would be killed and would die a penal, substitutionary death. Secondly, during this interim period it would also happen that "the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood ..." The city and the temple that were to be rebuilt because of the decree by which the 70 sevens began would now be destroyed. So sometime after the Messiah was cut off, Jerusalem and the temple would suffer another destruction. Our knowledge of history during this period is extremely clear: the people responsible for this deed were the Romans, and Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in year 70 C.E. Based upon this verse, it is also clear that the Messiah should have both come and died prior to the year 70 C.E. If such an event did not take place, then Daniel was a false prophet. If such an event did occur, then the question must be answered, who was that Messiah who was killed before 70 C.E.? The third thing to take note of would be, "and even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined." For the remainder of the interval between the 69th seven and the 70th seven, the land would be characterized by war, and its resulting condition would be desolation. All this would set the stage for the final, or 70th, seven. The 70th Seven - Daniel 9:27 From where we stand in time today, the last seven years of Daniel's prophecy are still prophetic, still future, but it is with their conclusion that all six purposes of verse 24 will reach their fulfillment. The verse's main points are as follows: First, the 70th seven will begin only with the signing of a seven-year covenant or treaty between Israel and a major gentile political leader. Secondly, in the middle of that period, that is, after 3 1/2 years, this gentile leader will break his treaty with Israel and cause a cessation of the sacrificial system. The implication here is that by this time a temple in Jerusalem will have been rebuilt again and the sacrificial system of Moses reinstituted, but then will be forcefully ceased. Thirdly, the result of the breaking of this covenant is that that temple will now be abominated. The "abomination" refers to an image or an idol. As it was in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes, so it will be again in the future when a gentile ruler will abominate the temple by means of idolatry. Fourthly, the abomination is to be followed by wrath and desolation, persecution and warfare, for the remaining half of the 70th seven (the final 3 1/2 years). This is similar to the trials and tribulations the rabbis spoke of as preparation for the establishment of the messianic kingdom. These terrible days were referred to as "the footsteps of the Messiah." But once those days have run their course, the last three things predicted in verse 24 will occur: After this period the age of righteousness will be brought in, in which the most holy place will be anointed and every vision and prophecy be fulfilled. At this point the messianic kingdom for which the prophet Daniel yearned will be set up. Obviously, he messianic kingdom requires the Messiah to rule as king. This means the Messiah will come after the 70th seven. Yet earlier Daniel stated that the Messiah would come and be killed after the 69th seven. This would appear to be a contradiction unless Daniel was speaking of two comings of the Messiah. The first time was to be after the 69th seven, when he would die a penal, substitutionary death for the sins of Israel and accomplish the first three purposes listed in verse 24. The second time was to be after the 70th seven (still future), when he will establish the messianic kingdom and accomplish the last three things of verse 24. There is also an important implication here that should not be missed. The Messiah would be killed after his first coming. Yet he would be alive at his second coming. The implication is that the Messiah would be resurrected from the dead after he was killed. Conclusions This dramatic prophecy features certain things in very clear and unmistakable terms. First, the Messiah was to be on earth 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. Secondly, after his appearance on earth he was to be killed, not for his own sins, but rather for those of others; and the death he would die was to be the death of the penalty of the law. Thirdly, the death of the Messiah had to come sometime before Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed again, which occurred in the year 70 C.E. Fourthly, some time after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and following a long period of warfare, the 70th seven will commence, and once that has run its course, Messiah's kingdom and age of righteousness will be established. For that to occur, the implication is that the Messiah who was killed would return again. But who is this Messiah One man fulfills all that is required in this passage. Jesus of Nazareth was born into the Jewish world and proclaimed his messiahship 483 years after the decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem was issued. In the year 30 C.E., Jesus was executed by crucifixion. Daniel indicated that he would be cut off, not for himself, but rather for others. Isaiah 53 also prophesied the death of the Messiah, pointing out that he would die a substitutionary death on behalf of his people Israel. The teaching of the New Covenant is that Jesus died a penal death by taking upon himself the penalty of the Law as a substitute for his people. In keeping with Daniel 9:24, he died for the purpose of making an atonement for sins. Three days after his death, he was resurrected. Finally, the New Covenant proclaims the fact that he will someday return to set up his kingdom and the age of righteousness. If Daniel was right, then Messiah came and died prior to the year 70 C.E. If Daniel was right, then there are no other options for who the Messiah is, but Jesus of Nazareth. If Daniel was right, this Jesus is destined to return and to set up the messianic kingdom. Messiah in the Old Testament Prophets Messiah in the Old Testament Prophets MESSIAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS By Renald Showers From ISRAEL MY GLORY magazine Messiah would be set apart for His ministry and named by God while in His mother's womb (Isaiah 49:1,5) Messiah would be a child born (humanity) through a virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6) Messiah would be a descendant of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1) and David (Jeremiah 23:5) Messiah would be eternal in nature but born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). God's Spirit would enable Messiah to do His work (Isaiah 61:1-2a) Messiah would be God's spiritual light and Savior to Jews and Gentiles (Isaiah 9:2; 42:56; 49:5-6; 56:8). In the 30's A.D. Messiah would officially present Himself to Israel as its Prince by riding humbly into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey (Daniel 9:25-26; Zechariah 9:9). Because of Messiah's humble background and appearance, Israel and its leaders would regard Him as undesirable and of no significance and would despise and reject Him as their Shepherd, but Gentile rulers would honor and worship Him (Isaiah 49:7; 53:1-3; Zechariah 11:4-14). Messiah would be sold for 30 pieces of silver, which would be thrown down in the Temple to be given to a potter (Zechariah 11:12-13). Messiah would be accused falsely, but God would prove Him right (Isaiah 50:7-9). Messiah's back would be whipped, His beard plucked, and His face beaten and spit upon. As a result, He would be so disfigured that He would not resemble a man (Isaiah 50:6; 52:14; 53:5). Messiah would be pierced and crushed, and in fulfillment of God's plan, He would die as a sacrificial offering for man's sin, thereby providing justification for sinful man (Isaiah 53:4-12; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 12:19). In His death, Messiah would be identified with criminals (Isaiah 53:12). Messiah's executors would plan to bury Him with the wicked, but He would be buried in a rich man's tomb because of His innocence (Isaiah 53:9). As a result of His rejection and death, Messiah would turn Israel over to division, scattering, and death by starvation, pestilence, war, and cannibalism (Zechariah 11:4-14; 13:7). As a result of Messiah's rejection, God would send Israel a false shepherd (Antichrist), who would try to destroy Israel (Daniel 9:27; Zechariah 11:12-16). In Israel's darkest hour (when the armies of all nations would be gathered against it), the Jews would recognize their true Messiah, whom their nation had "pierced," and would go into great mourning (repentance, a genuine change of mind about Him) (Zechariah 12:10). When Messiah comes with the clouds of Heaven as the Son of Man, God will give Him all the peoples and nations of the world to rule over as King (Daniel 7:13-14). Messiah would come to crush all the Gentile nations gathered against Israel and Jerusalem, save the repentant remnant of Israel, and provide security for Israel (Isaiah 59: 18-21; 63:1-6; Joel 3; Micah 5:4-9; Zechariah 14:12). Messiah would rule and instruct all nations from David's throne in Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1-4; 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Micah 4:1-8; Zechariah 14:9). Messiah would combine the offices of King and Priest in Himself (Zechariah 6:9-15). Messiah would be glorious, the delight of the repentant Jews who survive the Tribulation, and the world's center of attraction (Isaiah 4:2; 11:10). God's Spirit would empower Messiah to be a righteous, faithful Judge and King (Isaiah 11:2-5; 42:1-9). Messiah's government would be characterized by justice and peace (Isaiah 9:7). During Messiah's reign, all animals would be tame and vegetarian in diet (Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25). Immanuel - God With Us Immanuel - God With Us IMMANUEL - GOD WITH US By Sam Nadler (The following article was originally published in CHOSEN PEOPLE magazine last Christmas.) One of the many fascinating things about the Word of God is that it is full of the unexpected. In fact, it seems to be God's specialty. He delights in using unlikely choices of people to do some of the greatest acts, and utilizing some of the most unexpected methods to accomplish them. He chose a stutterer to confront Pharaoh, and a rod to dry up the Red Sea. He chose a shepherd boy to become a king, and a slingshot to slay a giant. Get the picture? At this significant time of year, it is again remarkable to explore the wonder of the way of God. Instead of using some holy transporter beam to place the Savior upon the earth He chose a virgin named Mary, with whom He had found favor. The Savior, Yeshua haMeshiach (Jesus, the Christ), would indeed be called Son of Man: fully God, yet fully human. It would leave the bridegroom wondering and the townspeople talking, but this is the divine way that God chose to have the Savior enter the world. When we take a closer look at the virgin birth, it is revealing to first take a look at a prophecy made hundreds of years earlier by Isaiah, announcing His arrival. There is a saying that "great things come in small packages." This is no more true than when we look at God's gift in a manger, our Messiah. To the natural eye, this gift may not look like much. After all, in light of all our problems and difficulties, what help is another child born in poverty and conceived under questionable circumstances? This babe, though, is not only the fulfillment of Scripture, but also of our lives. The Spiritual Principle in the Prophecy When Isaiah first prophesied these words, "Behold a virgin shall be with child and she shall name him Immanuel" (Isa. 7:14), no one was very impressed. For you see, looking at the historical background of the day, Judah had major problems. Israel, Judah's northern but apostate neighbor, had allied itself with Syria, a long time adversary located immediately northeast of Judah. Ahaz, King of Judah, had already decided how he would solve the problem of these northern bullies - he would ally Judah with an even bigger bully, Assyria, an empire to the far north. So God sends in His prophet Isaiah to encourage and to exhort King Ahaz to trust in the Lord. When Isaiah first approaches Ahaz, he assures the king that God would not allow Israel and Syria's unholy alliance to conquer Judah. But he also tells Ahaz that there was another vital ingredient Judah and the king would need: faith in God. "If you will not believe, surely you will not be established" (Isa. 7:9). How would God establish and secure His people? Would He do it through their own fleshly and political intrigues? No, only through faith in the Lord would they stand. As a nation without faith, they could not stand. Tragically, this came to pass in the Babylonian exile, but we see the beginnings of this unbelief during the reign of Ahaz. The Special Problems in the Prophecy Today, in sharing the prophecy of Isaiah with my people to show the prophetic nature of the virgin birth, I sometimes receive arguments against its fulfillment in Yeshua. One argument is "that 'almah' should not be translated to mean 'virgin,' but merely a young woman. Therefore, the idea of a virgin birth was never prophesied, but is a New Testament fabrication." Yet, in all the other usages of "almah" (Gen. 24:42, Prov. 30:18, Ps. 68:25 to name a few) it is commonly accepted as virgin. Therefore, in this section, it is reasonable to think that this prophetic "sign" and miracle would be through a "virgin." To do a further word study, the very root of the word shows that almah is virgin. The root is from "awlahm," which means "be hid" or "secret." Another form of the word is "olam" or everlasting, which is the unrevealed eternal things that are hidden from human experience. So, also, the almah is a virgin, one who was hidden or kept from experience with men. And before "almah" became a point of contention between believers in Yeshua and non-believers, the issue was already settled. Seventy rabbis translated the Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) into the common language of the day, Greek, around 150 B.C. This translation is called the Septuagint. When they came to Isaiah 7:14 and "almah" they translated it simply and without question into "parthenos," the common Greek word for virgin. In their unbiased judgment, there was no other definition for the word almah, except virgin. Thus, we see that God meant a miracle indeed: "a virgin would conceive." Another argument often presented against this passage is that since Isaiah was trying to encourage Ahaz to trust God in the present circumstances, how could a prophecy fulfilled 700 years later be any help? Therefore, this prophecy has nothing to do with Yeshua at all, but probably with some child to be born at the time (possibly Ahaz's son, Hezekiah). But let's explore it a little further ... just how would the miracle 700 years later encourage Judah and Ahaz to trust God? In Isaiah 7:13-16, there are actually two prophecies: one for the House of David (which regularly had trouble trusting God), and one for King Ahaz. "Hear me now, O House of David... the Lord himself shall give you a sign, the virgin shall conceive..." (Isa. 7:13-14). This sign of the virgin birth was meant for the whole House of David. The line of David as a whole was to be encouraged that they will continue till the coming of Immanuel. The alliance with Assyria would not secure the Davidic line, but only the coming of Messiah. This is seen in the Hebrew very clearly. When Isaiah speaks to the House of David, he uses the second personal plural of "you." But when the prophet speaks directly to Ahaz, he switches to the second person singular. Though modern English uses "you" for both plural and singular, this distinction is seen in the King James Version which uses the older English, "you" for the plural, and "thou" for the singular. Furthermore, when Isaiah prophesies to Ahaz, he not only changes pronouns, but also subjects. In Isaiah 7:15-16 the child he speaks of is the one he referred to back in Isaiah 7:3 "Shearjashub, thy son." For within a few years when this boy shall become mature (around the age 13, Bar Mitzvah age among my people) God will have dealt with the problem of Syria and Israel. The Supreme Promise of the Prophecy Thus we can see, not only from the context, but also from the grammar used, that there are two prophecies which are quite relevant for the ongoing House of David and for King Ahaz. We see this is a true prophecy speaking of our Messiah's unique entrance into our world through a virgin birth. Think of it as a birth announcement sent out hundreds of years in advance. Again, the unexpected. And what a birth that would be. It was a night much like any other night, yet set apart by a great star shining over Bethlehem, brilliant in its intensity. Shepherds, notified by an angel, came to witness this new born child... God's promise... the supreme and wonderful promise of Isaiah's prophecy, "... and she shall name him Immanuel" (God with us). God would not forsake His people, but come in the flesh and be "with us." He would come and miraculously intervene in the affairs of men. He sees our trials and disasters and is here to help us. For in Messiah, He is "God with us." The Lord would save His people by coming to die in our place. Although the judgment is due us, He came and took it all upon Himself, for He is and always will be "God with us." So at this significant time of year, perhaps two of the greatest things we can remember is that God's promises are true and that He still uses the ordinary to accomplish the remarkable, often through unexpected means. As we share the Good News of Yeshua with God's chosen people around the world, I realize just how true this is. Daily, through our various forms of outreach, we have the opportunity to see lives change for eternity... and to me, it never ceases to be remarkable! Babylon - Mother of Harlots Babylon - Mother of Harlots BABYLON - MOTHER OF HARLOTS By Elwood McQuaid From ISRAEL MY GLORY magazine The world is careening toward a new order that does not bode well for the inhabitants of this planet. Quarrelsome nations are attempting to stem the tide of deterioration by creating a patchwork of alliances that will somehow bring to humanity a better day. This "better" arrangement is tending toward scrapping Judeo-Christian standards and values in favor of what is being touted as a more humane, tolerant, and creature-centered order. Political campaigning in the recent elections in America reflected the mood in a very dramatic way. Talk about family values, issues related to morality, and questions of character were hooted down by masses of self-indulgent people much more concerned about money than morality. Voters were constantly reminded by some candidates and the media that the overriding issues to be dealt with were jobs and the immediate economic environment. Issues related to historic patterns of conduct associated with the Judeo-Christian heritage were, to say the least, beside the point. Consequently, "right-wing Christians" were accused of pursuing a cultural war designed to oppress those with contrary views, thereby breeding intolerance and promoting hatred and division. It was the type of rhetoric that conjured up comparisons to the Jihad (holy war) mentality of the Muslim world. The end in mind was, of course, to wed those concerned with moral and spiritual values to motives and methods odious to "moderate" Americans. Rest assured that this campaign to discredit Christians is only the beginning. The dreadful spiral of degeneracy delineated in Romans 1 is elbowing its way into the mainstream of America's national life. As important as economic conditions are for nations and individuals, history trumpets realities that are inescapable. A bit more than half a century ago, for example, the German people made political choices based on what was viewed as economic expedience. In so doing, they made one of the most catastrophic mistakes in the history of humanity. Adolf Hitler and his legacy of 50,000,000 dead were left to scar the human record. Such reminders are emblematic of the end-time conditions set before us in the prophetic Scriptures. The nations are nearing the juncture when human and economic expedience will instigate a calamitous decision that will make the choice of Adolf Hitler or like-minded tyrants pale by comparison. The world is preparing to opt for the Antichrist. First Corinthians 10:32 reaffirms the segmenting of humanity into three distinct divisions: "Give no offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Greeks [Gentiles], nor to the church of God." Contemporary history is cascading toward concluding phases of all three of the named participants. Intriguingly, events such as those commented on above are clarifying the issues. End-time Babylon, the Mother of Harlots, is beginning to stir. BABYLON AS AN IDEAL Genesis ll:l-9 reveals the birth of Babylon and exposes the driving forces behind an ideal crafted by Satan - an ideal designed to be the antithesis of God's plan for humanity. The Genesis account of the fiasco created by man's attempt to erect his unifying tower in the place that would become Babylon introduced the Gentile world concept that would plague the earth in successive manifestations. The key to understanding the process is found in a statement made in Ephesians 2:2: "In which in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience." The verse refers to Satan, who is elsewhere identified as "the god of this age" (2 Cor. 4:4). He is the instigator of every counter-strategy developed to thwart God's purposes through the Jewish nation and the Church. His instrument is the Gentile world system idealized in Genesis 11. Man consorted with Satan to build a city and a tower - Babel - that would be his gateway to the heavens. Self-conceived, self-constructed, self-fulfilling - the operative phrase was "let us" (Gen. 11:4). Three thoughts dominated the desire to break free from the dominion of their Creator: "let us build"; let us ascend; let us establish dominion. In a word, rebellion was at the heart of the movement. But there is another "let us" in the passage, and with it comes the clarifying revelation that it is always God who has the last word: "let us," He said, "go down . . . confound their language . . . [and] scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth" (Gen. 11:7-9). In essence, we see the battle joined, a battle that will rage until the final rebellion following the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-10). Man-Let us ascend God-Let us descend Man-Let us build God-Let us confuse Man-Let us have dominion God-Let us scatter BABYLON AS AN EMPIRE The ideal born on the plain of Shinar was imperialized in the Babylonian Empire. "The king [Nebuchadnezzar] spoke, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" (Dan. 4:30). One notes immediately that the spirit present in the ideal is embodied in the empire. In the prophetic scheme of things, Babylon represented a prototype of the imperial structure and design that would rise in Babylon's three successor empires. Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and Rome's reconstituted end-time manifestation, although bearing individual characteristics, would all cherish the same desires: to ascend through idolatrous allegiance to false gods; to build grandiose monuments for their own glory; to create dominion by subjugating weaker nations and unifying them in their world system. At the root of it all was, and is, rebellion against God. And although in secular historical records it evokes little more than a footnote, a common thread in Gentile-inspired history seems to be the need to subdue the Jewish people and establish dominion over their land, Israel. Babylon invaded Israel, devastated Jerusalem, sacked and destroyed the Temple, and instigated three waves of captivity: 604 B.C., 586 B.C., and 535 B.C. Medo-Persia subdued Babylon in 539 B.C. and ultimately produced Haman during the reign of Xerxes (Ahasuerus) [522-486 B.C.] who attempted to destroy "all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus" (Est. 3:6). Greece, following Alexander the Great's death in 323 B.C., was divided among his generals. The infamous Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.) - archetype of the Antichrist who rose out of the Syrian segment of the empire - attacked Jerusalem, desecrated the Temple, forbade the Jews to worship Jehovah, and attempted to paganize Jewry. In short, he tried to destroy Judaism and repopulate Israel with pagans. Rome had, by 146 B.C., subdued remnants of the Greek Empire. Daniel 9:26 prophesied that the Romans would subjugate Israel, crucify Christ, destroy the Second Temple, and scatter the Jewish people across the face of the Gentile nations. BABYLON AS A GLOBAL SYSTEM The final stage of the Babylon phenomenon moves from imperial to global proportions. The dominant vehicle in the transition is the reconstituted Roman empire prophesied as the end-time manifestation of the fourth empire revealed to Daniel (Dan. 7). Scholars question, particularly in the wake of the Gulf War, whether the ancient city of Babylon will be rebuilt and become the center of commercial activity during the last days. Competent theologians have divided opinions on the subject. The important factor to consider, however, is not the city itself; it is the satanically crafted system that will challenge Jehovah and try to consummate what the Devil has attempted through all the lesser empires. Revelation 17 and 18 detail the destiny of the global Babylonish system that embodies the ideal and imperial designs seen in Scripture and throughout history. On the plain of Shinar in ancient Babylon, the people who were rebelling against God built their Babel tower as the gateway to the heavens. Their religious efforts, which have afflicted humanity from that day to this, are traced through the mystery religions spawned at Babel and threaded through apostate religious systems throughout history. Full fruition of the satanic masterpiece is described in Revelation 17:4-5: "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and bedecked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication; And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." She rises as the consummate manifestation of apostate religion without reality - a religion "drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (Rev. 17:6). This harlot system will bring together world religions that are in opposition to Christ and His program. Apostate ecumenical Christianity, Islam, the Eastern religions, and earth worshipers will eagerly consort with the Mother of Harlots to form the Church Satan Built. The beast (Antichrist) will carry the harlot (that is, have an alliance with the church that will, for a time, give the appearance that religion is calling the shots). This fiction will end when "the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire" (Rev. 17:16). Intriguingly, it will be God who will put it in the hearts of these kings (ten horns) to destroy the religious harlot and give total allegiance to the beast (Rev. 17:7), who will lead her into catastrophe; for when the Antichrist destroys his religious competitor, he will declare himself divine and institute a cultic Devil worship such as the world has never seen (2 Th. 2:3-4). Thus the stage is set for Satan's ultimate assault on his one remaining enemy: the Christ he is attempting to dethrone. "These [the Antichrist and his cohorts] shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful" (Rev. 17:14). Three things are worthy of note as Daniel's "stone ... cut out of the mountain without hands" (Dan. 2:45) crushes political Babylon. (1) Lamentation: "Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come" (Rev. 18:10). The tenor of the earth dwellers' lament is that their economic losses were more than they could endure. "The merchants of these things [gold, precious stones, pearls], who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing" (Rev. 18:15). The calamity of seeking affluence and economic security devoid of any association with or recognition of a beneficent God reaps the final catastrophe. A world long adrift on the sea of greed and materialism is finally exposed for what it is and brought down by God. (2) Retribution: "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her ... Babylon [shall] be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all" (Rev. 18:20-21). There is a pervasive feeling in our blood-sodden world that one day accounts will be settled once for all, that righteousness will triumph, and that God will make an end of all the machinations of a God-hating world system bound to work its own will and build a religious, political, and economic utopia. The summary phrase is found in the stark statement, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of demons" (Rev. 18:2). God hasten the day! (3) Bankruptcy: Perhaps the most cryptic words are found in Revelation 18:5. Remembering the objectives embodied in the ideal empires and global phenomenon Babylon represents, the words reflect the pathetic bankruptcy of Satan's grand delusion: "For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Perhaps this is the most fitting epitaph for the headstone of all, nations and individuals, who seek a better way - one devoid of "the way, the truth, and the life" (Jn. 14:6). The Future Day of the Lord The Future Day of the Lord THE TWO PHASES AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE FUTURE DAY OF THE LORD By Renald Showers From ISRAEL MY GLORY magazine The Broad and Narrow Phases The Bible teaches that the future Day of the Lord has two phases. First, there is the broad phase, which refers to an extended period of time involving divine interventions in the 70th week of Daniel 9 plus the thousand-year Millennium. Concerning this broad phase, Davidson wrote, "Though the 'day of the Lord,' as the expression implies, was at first conceived as a definite and brief period of time, being an era of judgment and salvation, it many times broadened out to be an extended period. From being a day it became an epoch." (1) Second, there is a narrow, more intense phase of the Day of the Lord that refers to one specific day - the day on which Christ will return to the earth from Heaven in His glorious Second Coming. Just as the word day in Genesis 1:5 has both a broad phase (a 24-hour day: "And the evening and the morning were the first day") and a narrow phase (the light part of the 24-hour day in contrast with the darkness part: "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night"), so the expression the Day of the Lord has both a broad phase and a narrow phase in relation to the future. Evidence for the Narrow Phase The following facts reveal that the Scriptures present a future Day of the Lord that will be narrowed or limited to one specific day. First, Revelation 16:12-16 indicates that the armies of the nations of the world will not begin to gather in Israel for Armageddon until the sixth vial or bowl is poured out. It should be noted that the pouring out of the sixth vial or bowl and the resultant gathering of the armies will take place after a significant part of the broad Day of the Lord has already run its course. Second, both Joel 3:9-16 and Zechariah 14:1-5 indicate that after the armies of the nations have gathered in Israel, "the day of the LORD is near" and "cometh." It is obvious from the language that this future Day of the Lord will not take place until after the armies of the nations have gathered in Israel. Since this Day of the Lord of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 will not take place until after the armies have gathered in Israel, and since the armies will not begin to gather until after a significant part of the broad Day of the Lord has already run its course, it must be concluded that after a significant part of the broad Day has run its course, there will be another Day of the Lord yet to come. This other Day of the Lord will be a part of the broad phase, but there is a genuine sense in which it will be a complete Day of the Lord on its own, different from the broad phase. One difference will be its duration. As noted earlier, the broad phase will cover an extended period of time. By contrast, the Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 Day of the Lord will be narrow or limited in time. Thus, there will be two phases of the future Day of the Lord. Third, both Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 indicate that the Day of the Lord will be the specific time when the Messiah will come to fight against and destroy the armies gathered in Israel. According to Revelation 19:21-21, that will be when Christ comes from Heaven to the earth in His Second Coming. Thus, the narrow Day of the Lord of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 will be the day of Christ's Second Coming. The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord It should be noted that Joel 3:14-15 indicates that the sun, moon, and stars will be darkened when the narrow phase nears. That is, those heavenly bodies will be darkened before the narrow Day of the Lord comes. Joel 2:31 declares that the heavenly bodies will be darkened "before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come." It is obvious from this that Joel 3 and 2 are both referring to the same Day of the Lord. It can therefore be concluded that the narrow Day of the Lord of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 is to be identified with the great and terrible Day of the Lord. Since, as was noted earlier, the narrow Day of the Lord of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 will be the day on which Christ appears in His Second Coming and is to be identified with the great and terrible Day of the Lord, it can be concluded that the great and terrible Day of the Lord will be the day of Christ's Second Coming. In line with this conclusion, The Babylonian Talmud makes the following statement concerning the great and terrible Day of the Lord: "This is understood to refer to the advent of the Messiah." (2) In light of the foregoing, it should be noted that the Scriptures apply the expression the great and terrible Day of the Lord to the narrow phase rather than to the broad phase. The implication is that the narrow phase will differ from the rest of the broad phase, not only in its duration, but also in its significance. Although the earlier part of the judgment phase of the broad Day of the Lord will involve a great outpouring of divine wrath on the domain of Satan and rebellious man, the narrow Day of the Lord will be the grand climax of that judgment phase. Thus, Bullinger, when referring to the Day of the Lord of Joel 2:31, said, "It is called 'the great and the terrible day of the LORD,' as though it were the climax of the whole period known as 'the day of the Lord.'" (3) Along similar lines, Keil when referring to the judgment of the narrow Day of the Lord of Joel 3, declared, "It is the last decisive judgment, in which all the single judgments find their end." (4) The narrow Day will be the great and terrible Day of the Lord because, in contrast with the earlier part of the judgment phase of the broad Day, the narrow Day will involve the coming of Christ from Heaven to earth. It therefore will do several things. It will expose God's enemies to the actual presence of Christ and the fullness of His divine power and glory, judgment and warfare; bring the angelic armies of Heaven against these armies; end the rule of Satan and rebellious man over the world system; and evict these enemies from the earth (Mt. 13:40-42, 49-50; 24:29-30; 25:31, 41, 46; Lk. 17:26-37; Rev. 19:11- 20:3). In other words, it will end the day of Satan and rebellious man on earth forever. Because the narrow phase will bring such a decisive, permanent change to the world, Joel called the place where the grand climax of God's judgment will fall on Satan and man "the valley of decision" (3:14). Concerning this designation, Keil made the following comment: "Valley of the deciding judgment, from charats, to decide, to determine irrevocably." (5) Implications of the Two Phases There are at least two significant implications in the fact that there will be both broad and narrow phases of the future Day of the Lord. First, since, as noted earlier, the narrow phase of Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 will take place after a significant part of the broad phase has already run its course, and since that narrow phase will be the day on which Christ will come in His glorious Second Coming, it can be concluded that the Second Coming of Christ will take place after a major part of God's wrath has been poured out on the world. It will not take place before or at the beginning of the outpouring of God's wrath on the world. Second, it was demonstrated earlier that the great and terrible day of the Lord of Joel 2:31 refers to the narrow phase - the day of Christ's Second Coming - rather than to the broad phase. The Prophet Malachi referred to the same great and terrible Day of the Lord as Joel (Malachi used the identical Hebrew words and constructions that Joel used for the great and terrible Day of the Lord in 2:31). In its comments on Joel 2:31, The International Critical Commentary states, "The clause before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes is the same as in Mal. 3:15 (Engl. 4:5)." (6) Since Joel and Malachi were both referring to the same great and terrible Day of the Lord, and since Joel's great and terrible Day of the Lord is the narrow Day (the day of Christ's Second Coming), not the broad Day, it can be concluded that Malachi's great and terrible Day of the Lord is also the narrow Day of the Lord. Malachi declared that God will send "Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD" (4:5). Since Malachi's great and terrible Day of the Lord is the narrow phase, it can be concluded that his declaration indicates that God will send Elijah before Christ's Second Coming. Malachi was not declaring that God will send Elijah before the broad phase-before He begins to pour out His wrath on the world. In light of the meaning of the great and terrible Day of the Lord, Malachi's declaration leaves room for Elijah to come and minister after the broad phase has begun and, therefore, while the wrath of God is being poured out on the world. ENDNOTES 1 A. B. Davidson, The Theology of the Old Testament in International Theology Library (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936), p. 381. 2 Shabbath, 118a, in The Babylonian Talmud (London: Soncino Press, 1938), footnote, p. 580. 3 E. W. Bullinger, The Apocalypse or "The Day of the Lord" (London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1935), p. 248. 4 C. F. Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets, Vol. 1, in Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament, trans. by James Martin (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 226. 5 Ibid., p. 228. 6 John Merlin Powis Smith, William Hayes Ward, and Julius A. Bewer, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Obadiah and Joel, in The International Critical Commentary (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1911), p. 124. The Nations as Armageddon The Nations as Armageddon THE NATIONS AT ARMAGEDDON By Will Varner From ISRAEL MY GLORY magazine Although the Bible deals primarily with Israel and the Messiah, it is surprising to realize how much the Scriptures teach about the Gentile nations and their future role in God's prophetic plan. The Hebrew word for Gentile is "goy", and it appears 514 times in the Old Testament. The Greek word is ethnos, which appears 164 times in the New Testament. Both of these words are translated in the Authorized Version as nation, gentile, or, in a few cases, heathen. The word nation refers to a defined body or group of people. Although the word occasionally can refer to Israel (see, e.g., Gen. 12:2; Ex. 33:13; Dt. 4:6-7), it usually refers to the Gentile nations of the world. References to the future of the nations abound in the prophetic books of the Old Testament as in the Revelation in the New Testament. Four passages are helpful in summarizing the role that the nations will play in the great final conflict - generally known as Armageddon (Joel 3; Zech. 14; Rev. 16;19). In military terminology, there is a difference between a single battle and a longer military campaign, or an even longer war. While popularly referred to as the "Battle of Armageddon", this final raging conflict will be more of a campaign that a single battle. It is better to refer to it as the "Campaign of Armageddon" because it will encompass a number of separate battles. What role will the nations play in this great conflict? The first fact to consider in answering this question is that the Lord is the one who will gather the nations. Note the following passages: "For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and win judge them there for my people and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land" (Joel 3 l-2). "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" (Zech. 14:1-2a). Although the nations will converge on the Middle East for power, attack Israel, and oppose the Lord, it will be the sovereign Lord who will draw them there. At that time, the nations will be judged, and God will use the nation's hatred for one another to bring about their own destruction. From the human perspective, the nations will gather to wrest world leadership from the Antichrist. In the satanic purpose, the armies will gather to oppose the Lord and His anointed. In the divine purpose, the armies will gather to experience their own judgment. Psalm 2:1-5 prophetically describes this scene: "Why do the nations rage, and the peoples imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He who sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his great displeasure." The second fact is that the campaign will rage throughout the land of Israel. The broad expanse of the plain of Jezreel in Israel's north, popularly referred to as the "Valley of Armageddon," although often depicted as the locale of this conflict, will actually be the staging area for the armies. "And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" (Rev. 16:16). But the conflict will not be limited to this valley alone. A comparison of Scriptures indicates that at least two other locales will be scenes for this mighty war. Far to the south is the ancient land of Edom, home of the fabled city of Petra. Isaiah 63:1-6 describes the Lord's return from judging the nations in that locale: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Why art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him who treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the peoples there was none with me; for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold. Therefore, mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the peoples in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth." The other location that will serve as a battlefield in this campaign will be Jerusalem itself: "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about" (Joel 3:12); "And it shall come to pass, in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zech. 12:9). Most scholars believe that the Valley of Jehoshaphat is a reference to the Kidron Valley on the east of Jerusalem. It appears, therefore, that the campaign will begin in the Valley of Jezreel in the north, continue at Edom in the south, and then culminate in its final fury in the Holy City itself. It is striking to note that Revelation 14:20 describes the bloody battle as reaching over a space of 1,600 furlongs, or approximately 180 miles. This is the actual distance between the Valley of Jezreel and Edom and passes right by Jerusalem! The last fact to note is that Jesus Himself will destroy the gathered nations at His glorious Second Coming. John beheld a rider on a white horse coming out of heaven: "And I saw heaven opened and, behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies that were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Rev. 19 14). This is clearly a description of Jesus as the righteous judge, since His name is "The Word of God" - John's favorite title for the Lord Jesus (see Jn. 1:1). The scene is one of judgment: "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Rev. 19:15). The following passage then describes, in picturesque language, how the Messiah Himself will slay the gathered armies of the nations, including the beast and the false prophet (Rev. 19:17-21). In contrast to the joyous Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-10), there will also be a very different supper - one for the birds of prey! Thus will end, in one cataclysmic blow, the power of the Gentile nations, which have controlled Jerusalem from the time of Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C. Satanic control of the Gentiles will also end, especially in oppressing the nation of Israel. Satan, the god of this world, will also be dealt with, and, according to Revelation 20:1-3, he will be cast in the "bottomless pit," where he will be inactive for the entire length of the thousand-year reign of Christ. The Gentile population of the world as a whole will then be judged at a separate judgment to follow (Mt. 25:31-46). The inglorious end of Gentile power was prophesied in Daniel 2, where the great image was smashed when struck by the stone cut out without hands. Then the "times of the Gentiles" (Lk. 21:24) will terminate. Jerusalem no longer will be trodden under foot by Gentile overlords, and Israel will once again be exalted as the King of kings reigns from Zion. As we consider the practical application of this, it is good to return to the Psalm referred to earlier. After describing the wrath of the gathered nations (Ps. 2:1-5), the Lord provided His solution to the Gentile fury: "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they who put their trust in him" (Ps. 2:6-12). The only way in which Gentiles will escape the sure judgment of God is by placing their trust in God's Son - the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you trust Him today? The Signs of the Times The Signs of the Times THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES by John Kinsella From THE CHRISTIAN WORLD REPORT Are we living in the last days? Jesus Christ said that we would see the fulfillment of certain prophecies in the end times. He said they would be clear, unmistakable signs that would provide undeniable landmarks to be read by that blessed generation. In Matthew 24, in what is called the Olivet Discourse, our Lord described a generation facing insurmountable social and ecological problems. Time and space would not permit us to conduct an exhaustive investigation of these signs, but we have elected to examine two: pestilence and earthquakes. There have always been pestilences, and there have always been earthquakes. How can we know these are the signs Jesus told us about? Matthew 24:7-8: "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." "The beginning of sorrows" pictures birth pains. Strongs Greek Dictionary entry #5604 defines the word translated "sorrows" as derived from the Greek word "odeen": a pang or throe, esp. of childbirth. So we see that our Lord clearly intended that we could recognize that these things are end-times signs when they intensify and become more frequent, the way labor pains become closer together and more intense as the event approaches. EARTHQUAKES Today, with modern technology, we are able to record earthquakes that we were never able to record before. Seismic monitors record earthquakes on the ocean floor or in remote mountain areas. Sensationalists would say, "See, earthquakes are increasing!" Skeptics would say, "No, we just have better monitoring equipment." Major earthquakes are those that would have been obvious to anybody, at any time in history. When the earth opens up and shakes violently, buildings fall, and thousands of people are killed, those earthquakes would certainly be recorded historically. According to the 1992 Canadian Global Almanac, page 439, a total of 48 major quakes rocked the world between 1900 and 1969, an average of almost 6 per decade. In 1970, a pattern begins to develop. By 1989 we experienced 33 quakes worldwide, an average of 17 per decade. The total thus far for the 20th century~, 81 earthquakes, is already in excess of the total major earthquakes recorded from the time of Jesus until 1899! In the first six months of 1990, ten major quakes killed more than 100,000 people! We wanted to investigate the trend and see if the 1990 figures were a coincidence or the beginning of a pattern. The Almanac cited Energy, Mines and Resources Canada as the source of their figures. I telephoned this agency in Ottawa, Canada and asked Bob North of the seismology department to send me a list of the major earthquakes between July 1990 and the present, I asked him to use the same standards as was used to prepare the list for the almanac. He faxed me a list of earthquakes covering the period from the middle of July 1990 until October 12, 1992. The list is ten pages long, and reports that in just over two years, 133 major earthquakes have shaken the planet! PESTILENCE Twenty years ago, the U.S. Surgeon General announced that it was time "to close the book on infectious diseases." Great killer diseases of the past like TB and cholera, leprosy and many forms of venereal disease were all but eliminated by antibiotic therapy and improved living standards. Last year, TB killed 13 men in an outbreak in New York's prison system. In Thailand, an unfamiliar and untreatable strain of malaria puzzles researchers. Chinese Muslims on a pilgrimage to Mecca passed on a virulent strain of meningitis to African pilgrims, who carried it back to their homelands. The U.S. Center for Disease Control reported a six-fold increase in drug resistant strains of TB. These new strains made up 19 percent of the bacteria sampled last year in New York. New, drug-resistant bacteria responsible for meningitis and pneumonia make up another 15 to 20 percent of the same sampling. Staphylococcus, a bacteria that causes post surgical infection is becoming less and less vulnerable to conventional antibiotics. Researchers warn that this infection could become completely untreatable by the end of the decade. An epidemic of cholera is still raging in Mexico and some South American countries. Leprosy is on the rise in the Third World. Outbreaks of Salmonella poisoning are increasingly common in all parts of the world. Carl Kendall of Johns Hopkins University quoted in U.S. News & World Report says, "We're entering a new era of infectious disease ... for parasites and pathogens, humans are now the host of choice." Africa is suffering under the greatest famine and drought in modern history. Estimates that suggest 125 million Africans will die of AIDS in the next ten years are supported by the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control. Diseases we thought defeated are resurfacing, stronger and more deadly than ever. This generation, like no other in history, is unique. Although we have only examined two of the "signs of the times" that our Lord identified, a quick reading of Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13, followed by a scanning of the evening news, will alert even the most casual observer that all these things are coming to pass. Jesus told us, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28) These things are unquestionably coming to pass. Jesus Christ is about to return in power and glory. The question that remains is, are you prepared to meet Him? According to Luke 21:36, Christians are exhorted: "Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." Jesus is coming soon! Biblical Studies New In Christ New In Christ MAJOR CONTRASTS BETWEEN PAGAN MYTHS AND THE BIBLE From the JEWS FOR JESUS Newsletter THE UNIQUENESS OF GOD ... Pagan thought: Sea monsters were rivals to be conquered by the gods. Bible revelation: Sea animals were created by God (Genesis 1:21), who is unequalled in power. Parallel Scripture: "To whom, then, will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One" (Isaiah 40:25). THE POWER OF GOD ... Pagan thought: The gods struggled tremendously in creating the world. Bible revelation: God created effortlessly, by His word. "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). Parallel Scripture: "Let them praise the name of the LORD; for He commanded, and they were created" (Psalm 148:5). THE SUPREMACY OF GOD ... Pagan thought: In Egyptian myths, the gods created through magic utterance, a means of controlling higher forces in order to bring about a desired result. Bible revelation: God created through his own power, not by appeal to anything higher. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Parallel Scriptures: Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he" (Isaiah 41:4). "I am the LORD; that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to carved images" (Isaiah 42:8). THE WORSHIP OF GOD ... Pagan thought: The sun, moon and stars were worshiped as gods. Bible revelation: Genesis (1:16) simply called the luminaries the "greater and lesser lights" because "sun" and "moon" were pagan names for deities. "He made the stars also" came almost as an afterthought in the creation account, to contrast with the significance given to the stars in pagan astrology. Parallel Scripture: "I form the light, and create the darkness ..." (Isaiah 45:7) THE REASON FOR MAN'S EXISTENCE ... Pagan thought: The gods created man as an afterthought in order to relieve them of work and provide them with food. Bible revelation: Man is the crown of God's creation. God provides man with food. "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created Him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them; and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food" (Genesis 1:26-29). Parallel Scripture: "Who giveth food to all flesh ..." (Psalm 136:25). New Testament Study New Testament Study NEW TESTAMENT STUDY This issue features the seventh in a series on the Epistle of 1 John. On some occasions this column with be called Old Testament Study. In either case studies will include Psalms and books from both the Old and New Testaments. "JUDGING: A CALL TO COMMITMENT TO TRUTH!" 1st John 4:1-6 When couples first come to me for counseling, they frequently fall into the trap of thinking that by the conclusion of the process all their problems will be solved. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your perspective, this isn't the case. The counseling process is one in which we identify major developmental problems that affect the relationship between husbands and wives. Success isn't identified by the absence of problems. The dysfunctional family puts significant energy into hiding their problems, while healthy families identify problems and work on them. Therefore, successful therapy is a process by which the couple can identify and work problems through on their own. The counselor is an instructor, teaching the process of conflict resolution. John's goal was similar. His desire was to teach the way in which believers could, and still can, be responsible for searching Scripture as the touchstone of truth. John wanted the recipients of his letter to learn to see truth and identify fallacy. In this study we will see that John provides a way one can test the teachings of someone claiming to speak for God. Second, because he provides all believers with this test, we have a personal responsibility to distinguish between what is true and what is a lie. WE ARE CALLED TO CLOSELY EXAMINE THE TEACHINGS OF THOSE WHO CLAIM TO SPEAK FOR GOD. The false prophets were offering a very appealing system to the believers of John's day. They taught that once you were saved, it didn't matter how you live. In other words, you could "have your cake and eat it too." In this first epistle of John, he presents the truths of the Old Testament, Christ and the Apostles as the basis for the Christian life. He teaches that it is important how one lives as a Christian. In fact, the absence of a commitment to live out the truth of scripture is symptomatic of the spirit of antichrist. He shows that the life of the believer is typified by the love of God and others. And, while the believer will still sin, he no longer either perfects his sin or finds comfort in it. In contrast, the unbeliever's life is typified by a hatred of God and His righteousness. The unbeliever may not sin in a specific situation, but his life is identified with sinful behavior. He is comfortable in his sins. However, it isn't enough simply to tell John's readers what is wrong with the specific teachings of these false teachers. He is also concerned with believers knowing how to test the teachings of others. This section gives the specific approach. For us, this method should be used to test the words of contemporary theologians. It doesn't matter whether the words are verbal or written, they must be tested. This method can be used to confirm systems of church growth, counseling, self-help systems and the plethora of material dropped into the Christian community on an almost daily basis. Vs. 1: Again, John expresses his relationship in love to those he is writing to: "Dear friends." He loved these people and wrote out of his concern for their welfare. They needed to stand against the apostate teaching inflicted on them. We saw in 1 John 3:19-24, (Morning Star 2.7), that conscience isn't to be the final arbitrator of truth. In other words, the claim to speak under the influence of the "Spirit of God" isn't validation of truth. As John notes, there are many spirits in the world, and they too must be tested against the standard of Scripture. Because someone like David Koresh claims to speak for God does not mean he does. Note: John is speaking of literal spirits. When a noted "Christian" evangelist denies the virgin birth, or teaches that we are all little gods, he may not just be speaking heresy, he may be speaking under the influence of demonic spirits. The Holy Spirit teaches truth. He exists to glorify Christ, not to speak of Himself. Those who speak under the influence of evil spirits tend to glorify themselves and denigrate the person of Christ. Vs. 2: John wants the believer to judge false teaching. He provides a test that can be used as a basis to validate or invalidate the teachings of one who purports to speak for God. What is the test? It is an accurate understanding of the incarnation. How one teaches about the incarnation is the proof of the source of their message, whether it comes from God or Satan. One MUST believe that Christ came in the flesh. Glen Baker notes, regarding the false prophets: "(they) may well have believed that Christ was the Savior of the world, but they probably denied the connection between the divine Christ with Jesus of Nazareth." 1 Vs. 3: John's statement that Christ came in the flesh from God, encompasses the total teaching related to the incarnation. Anyone who taught otherwise was clearly not of God. Those who reject Christ's incarnation are not just mislead. They are not just sincerely mistaken. Whether they understand it or not, they speak Satan's propaganda. They speak in the spirit of antichrist. John noted that the spirit of antichrist was present in the world. While the specific individual called Antichrist may not yet be present, the spirit that stands against Christ has been present from John's day to ours. Vs. 4: The warning that this evil spirit is present doesn't need to be a source of fear. John expresses this comforting truth. "... the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." Believers do not have to be fearful over present conditions. We do not have to be afraid of those who come up against us. These believers had stood for truth. They had recognized the false prophets. They overcame because they were indwelt by the Holy Spirit. He gave them the discernment to recognize the heresy that was being taught. They were willing to accept the inspired teachings from John. They rejected false teaching. THEY JUDGED. Remember, not only had the believers realized that these teachers rejected the incarnation, they had also failed to shown God's love in their lives. They had taught that it didn't matter how one lived. It was obvious by their words and deeds that they were not in fellowship with God, or part of the company of believers. This was in contrast with the presence of God in the lives of the believers to whom John was writing. Vs. 5: No matter how much the false prophets claimed to speak for God, their words conformed to the world's view, not God's. And, interestingly enough, the world also listens to these men. The world doesn't listen to the call for obedience, unconditional love, repentance from sin, and sacrifice. It listens to the call to live as you want, to have prosperity, to salvation by works. The very fact that the message of the false prophets was acceptable to the world was the validation of its satanic source. Vs. 6: In addition, if the world listens to the false prophets, it rejects the words of God's own. John notes that those who are of God listen to the words of His spokesmen. Those that reject their words reject the words of God, and so are not of God. Now, be warned again that the false prophets also claimed to speak for God. They also stated that to reject their words was to reject the words of God. John said that the acceptance of the incarnation, "... that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God ..." points out the source of these doctrines. John's words should sound a clarion call to all believers. We live in an age where men and women claiming to speak for Christ teach heresy. Nevertheless, their books are published by "Christian" publishers and are sold in "Christian" bookstores. Many people who really are believers chose to accept the teachings of these individuals. While these believers may be ignorant of some of the worst teachings, nevertheless, they are still accountable for providing support to these heretics teaching in the spirit of antichrist. John has provided us with a test of orthodoxy. This test is the incarnation test. Anyone who fails it must be rejected. All of the cults fail this test. These cults teach many heresies, from Christ Jesus being the brother of Satan, to Jesus being indwelt by the Christ-consciousness. There are many in the midst of the church who also fail this test. They deny the uniqueness of Christ and His deity/humanity. They teach that we too are gods, as He is. They undermine the truth of the incarnation by trying to bring down Christ. (For a good source on contemporary heresy within the Church, check out the review elsewhere in this issue, and then read the book "Christianity in Crisis.") John requires us to judge the teaching of others. Too often we hear believes say, "Judge not!" Sincerity has become the basis for testing truth. Some, even when convinced of the false teaching from specific individuals, hold that since they are sincere, the fact they are mistaken shouldn't invalidate their ministry. Many sincere but naive believers have sent large sums of money to radio and TV heretics under the misguided belief that sincerity is all that matters. As well, this naivete is expressed by people regarding the current administration. I recently heard the following comments on a television program: "It doesn't matter that nothing is done, or that what has been done is terrible, the administration is trying really hard." This belief that the sincerity of the false teachers makes them acceptable, has led to the movement of heresy within the church. God will hold us accountable for not judging the teachings of that claim to speak for Him. Because God has provided truth, we MUST use it. This is clear because God through John has provided us the test of truth. Believers are called to go and make disciples. A disciple is one who follows Christ. If we are to make disciples, then we must demand commitment to the truth of Scripture. We must stand and be counted every time someone claiming to be speaking for Christ undermines orthodox doctrine. We must be willing to call heresy what it is. Standing up for truth is often uncomfortable. Some may accuse us of not being loving when we identify heresy. That should not be the issue here. Jesus loved all people enough to die for them. However, Jesus was also the one who demanded that men stand for God's truth. He taught more on Hell than He ever did on Heaven. We have no excuse to accept false teaching. Yes, it is some work to dig through the teachings you hear and identify the view on the incarnation. But this is something you must do. And, having recognized heresy where it is, we must be willing to stand against it. Recently, I choose not to shop at a specific "Christian" bookstore. This was because it had a major display promoting the book of one major TV evangelist who was teaching some of the most outrageous heresy imaginable. By calling itself a Christian bookstore, it must be held accountable for presenting that which is in direct contradiction to the truth of scripture. All over the world people are hungering for truth. They live and die over truth. Let us test the spirits so we can present the truth and expose the lie, the spirit of antichrist, to the light of God's word. 1. Baker, Glen W., "The Expositor's Bible Commentary," Vol. 12, "1, 2, 3 John," Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1981, p. 340. Special Studies Special Studies Baptism is one of the two unique sacraments given to the Church, the other being Communion. The act of Baptism is a required public statement of faith in the work of Christ in the life of the believer. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is believed to be a second type of baptism. This position, explained within this article, is held by a large number of believers within the contemporary Christian community. Nevertheless many believers, both clergy and laity understand Scripture to teach that the new believer in indwelt by the Holy Spirit at conversion and that there is no separate baptism experience. What is presented here then, represents a view held by a significant number of Christians, but does not necessarily represent the view of Morning Star or its editorial staff. GOD IS REVEALED THROUGH BAPTISM By Dr. Charles Wootten "Since the personality of our Lord Jesus Christ is the personality of God, it was impossible for Him to consent to sin. Since His personality could not consent to sin, it was impossible for Him in His human nature (seeing that human nature was inseparably joined to His personality) to have sinned" (Emery H. Bancroft, ELEMENTAL THEOLOGY, pp. 135-136). Since He was human, it behooved Him to obey God and be baptized. The forerunner, John, was already announcing His coming and baptizing unto repentance. In Luke 3:21-22 (NIV) we find that, "When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (see also John 1:26-34; Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11). There is much controversy within the Body of Christ today on the subject of Baptism. Even today the practice of infant baptism is carried out in spite of the fact that scripture clearly teaches that first one must believe, and THEN be baptized. The particular Greek term used for the word "baptism" can be translated "with water" or "in water." Except there is a difference involved. If John baptized WITH water, then we can picture him drawing up some water in his hands and baptizing his aspirant WITH this substance. But if John baptized IN water, then we can envision him bringing his aspirant down INTO the substance. Which way did John baptize: WITH or IN water? Our answer is not