Dear friends and readers,
SPECIAL EDITION!!!
I have become aware of an extra Biblical prophecy that seems to be an uncanny prediction of the North Korean debacle playing itself out as I type this article.
Please know that I am extremely skeptical of extra Biblical prophecies including by some of the ancient Rabbis but on the other hand have tremendous respect for some of them as well. That may surprise some of you because most of these folks do not agree with Christians about the identity of the Messiah. My respect for some of the Rabbis and particularly the ancients is based upon the undisputed fact that they have faithfully guarded the scriptures for so many centuries, without which we as believers would not have our Bibles today. Also because whether we agree on certain conclusions or not, these men are faithful and learned scholars.
Having said all of the above, I will present to you some extremely interesting and provocative information and after reading what I have to say, you decide for yourselves whether or not it is valid.
For me the jury is out until I actually see for myself the outcome of the events that are playing themselves out on the world stage at this very moment in time.
As you know there is a great deal of saber rattling going on by the leadership of North Korea. Threats to attack a United States military installation located on the U.S. territorial island of Guam. Also North Korea has just last week very strongly threatened Israel. Coupled with the verification that North Korea has accomplished both underground nuclear tests and fired varieties of ballistic missiles, these threats are being taken very seriously by the United States Government, portions of countries within the United Nations (including both China and Russia) and several allied nations within NATO.
The United States military which is by and far the most powerful in the world is primed and ready to pull the trigger of war should the North Korean dictator, Kim Jung Un decide tho follow through with his unceasing threats. I realize that many people do not believe this man would actually fire on the United States but then few people believed Adolph Hitler either, even though he clearly stated his intentions. Remember this folks, It will not really matter if Kim Jung Un actually loads a nuke on a fired ballistic missile. When fired in any direction of impending threat, the United Stated cannot wait until that missile strikes to determine an outcome. At this point if a missile is fired, my prediction is that large portions North Korea will become very large empty parking lots. That does not mean the U.S. would go nuclear but do you remember the absolutely invisible armies if Saddam Hussein? Nothing could touch them right? The entire military establishment of Iraq came crashing down in short order with their supreme leader found hiding in a hole in the ground. The same could happen to North Korea if they push this too far.
With that as a back ground, allow me to acquaint you with a long established prophecy by Rabbi Moshe ben Yisrael Benyamin in 1894.
Special note: Many will say, who cares about some ramblings by an ancient Rabbi from 100 years ago? Ok fair enough but on the other hand Jesus was called a Rabbi 2000 years ago, every single one of the New Testament writers was a Jew with the possible exception of the physician Luke. Everyone of the Biblical prophets such as Jeremiah, Amos, Daniel, Haggai, Jonah, Ezekiel and ad infinitum were all Jews. Who is to say that God did not also prophesy through other Jewish Rabbis over the centuries? You decide.
This ancient prophecy foretold a solar eclipse that occurs at the beginning of the month of Elul on the Jewish religious calendar. Scientists tell us that a huge solar eclipse is scheduled to begin this coming Monday which is August 21. The month of Elul begins at sundown August 22 which begins Elul 1. Jewish religious days such as weekly Shabbats do not begin at 0001, just after midnight. They begin at sundown and go for 24 hours. Because the eclipse is traveling eastward from the Pacific Ocean over the United States to as far east over the Atlantic ocean as North Africa, Western Europe and portions of Asia, it will transect parts of the worlds 24 time zones. Israeli time is 10 hours ahead of West coast U.S. time. Putting all that together, the August 21 eclipse will be ending approximately as Elul 1 is beginning in Israel.
An FYI: Total eclipses of the sun in any one location are rare. The last one to cross the entire United States was in 1979.
Why is Elul 1 significant? It was on that date that Moses went up on Mount Sinai and in his absence Israel sinned by building the golden calf for worship. It was Elul 1 on which Jonah left for 40 days to tell Nineveh to repent. Also It was Elul 1 when Jesus went out into the wilderness for 40 days. Historically Elul 1 launched a one month period of national repentance for Israel.
Apparently Rabbi Yirsael Benjamin also included as part of his prophecy, an indication that an eclipse in that time frame would signal THE SUFFERINGS OF THE KINGS OF THE EAST. That would most certainly include North Korea.
Luke chapter 21:25 sees Jesus speaking "There will be signs in the Sun and the moon, and the stars" and this portion of scripture is referring to the end times. Admittedly this is not the correct time for Luke to play out because these scriptures are speaking of the time of Christ's return to earth. But that does not diminish the fact that God will use signs in the heavens including the sun to get His point across.
An author by the name of Pastor Mark Biltz points out that one of the best known solar eclipses in history was bad news for the Western nations which include Europe. There was a total eclipse of the sun in 1914 when WWI began and the Ottoman Empire was destroyed. The date of that eclipse in 1914 was August 21, the very same date as the eclipse coming up this next Monday.
Coincidence? Perhaps.
Bottom line folks; No predictions from this writer. But, the United States and North Korea are engaged in brinkmanship of a potential nuclear variety that could very well end in disaster. Both Russia and China have moved massive troops and equipment to their boarders with North Korea. They both claim that is only to ward off or control a huge potential influx of North Korean refugees should war break out. But is that their real reason?
At this very moment, war games are being held in South Korea which include that countries military, the United States and a few other allied nations.
Normally war games are held twice each year in South Korea but now is the third this year. Supposedly the North Korean Government has "backed down" from it's threatening rhetoric. But last Monday the North once again launched two missiles into the sea between Korea and Japan to protest the new war games in the South. Every single time war games are held it drives the North Korean leadership crazy and threats ensue. Both Russia and China have suggested it would be better to call off these war games but they are going forward in the face of North Korea's increased hostilities.
The question is? How much will it take for Kim Jung Un to throw caution to the wind and push a button that cannot be stopped? I would like to make a point here. Our western nations and the people therein think far differently than either the Oriental nations of the east or for example the Muslim nations. We have a tendency to think, "why would anyone start a war like that? In North Korea the people have been brain washed to believe their supreme leader is GOD! God's can do no wrong and neither can they be defeated. If Kim Jung Un actually believes he is a god and therefor invincible then we cannot predict his actions as we would another rational world leader.
I reject some peoples thinking that a war with North Korea would begin WWIII. Although there are some massive conflicts yet to be launched according to Biblical prophecy, the only world war I see in the future is Armageddon. Still, a shooting war of this nature could well spill over into China, Russia, Japan, the Philippines, not to mention several Nato Nations that would have no other choice than to back the efforts of Uncle Sam. Anytime you have war involving several nuclear countries there is potential for disaster. It only takes one very small mistake or miscalculation by any one of the participants to begin events that spell unspeakable death and destruction.
Was this ancient Rabbi hearing from God or did he have an active imagination?
Only time will tell and if the total solar eclipse is in any way a sign from God of impending disaster, we will know within days. I sincerely hope that is not the case.
You decide for yourselves.
God bless,
Pastor Rance.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
ISRAEL and the 9th of Av. Will it be bad news this year?
Dear friends and readers,
Oh, how I love thee, let me count the ways! In a nut shell, that expresses my personal view toward Israel.
I know that many of my readers share my love for Israel and show their support through various ways ranging from visits to the Holy Land, to posts on my wife's ministry Facebook group, "COMFORT ISRAEL" to the most important and powerful tool in our spiritual arsenal --- PRAYER!
I have written extensively about the Biblically Prophetic meanings surrounding Israel and the Covenant promises that were given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) by God all the way back thousands of years ago beginning in the book of Genesis. No one can come away from a thorough reading of the Bible without understanding just how important Israel and the Jewish people are in the mind and heart of God.
However, just like all of mankind, our Jewish brethren have over the centuries occasionally turned away from God (rebelled). He in turn has had no other choice than to chastise the very ones He has chosen. This is an extremely Biblical, Godly way for the Creator of the universe to interact with His created ones. Massive infusions of love offset occasionally with a good spanking. Lest you think that I am being hard on my brethren the Jews, several of whom are good friends, as a Christian pastor, I have been spanked myself on occasion (sometimes we pastors in our frustration act like sheep dogs who bite the sheep a bit too hard), and I have also had to dish out some discipline in my own congregations occasionally for various problems including the sin of rebellion.
We see an example of rebellion against Godly authority in 1st Samuel. The story of King Saul and the witch of Endor. But first, just a bit of background; big problems were happening between Israel and the people of Amalek in the 11th century B.C. God sent the prophet Samuel to tell Israel's first king (Saul), to kill every single one of these people. (Does this sound cruel to you? Well, remember that one rotten apple spoils the entire barrel).! Anyway, King Saul disobeyed and was chastised by God. In fact, so severely, that the kingdom was ripped away from Saul's descendants and eventually given over to King David and his descendants. Saul had rebelled against Godly authority. In chapter 15 verses 22-23, God makes absolutely clear what He thinks about rebellion. He says "behold, to obey is better than sacrifice---For REBELLION is as the sin of witchcraft"! He also says in Proverbs 13:24: "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly".
Did King Saul learn his lesson? No, in fact he made an even greater mistake in 1st Samuel 28:3-25 in which a supposedly Godly king consulted with a witch from Endor. Through the king's prompting, this witch brought up from the grave the prophet Samuel who had since passed away in the Lord. This time Samuel gave Saul even worse news because the very next day Israel was delivered into the hands of another enemy, the Philistines, and Saul and his sons lost their lives in the process.
Bottom line, if you do not want to be chastised by God, do not rebel against Godly authority!
Many the culture and nation has done exactly that but in every single case but one, the entire national cultures were eventually irretrievable destroyed. The sole exception? ISRAEL. Why? Because they are the only cultural people group on this planet who received an irrevocable covenant from God.
Chosen or not, over the centuries Israel has been through some very rough times. Sometimes deservedly, sometimes for the simple reason that satan hates anything that God loves. Remember the interchange in the Garden of Eden when God spoke to the serpent who deceived Eve? God said that there would always be enmity between the serpent (satan) and the seed of the woman. That seed is the Messiah of Israel (who we know as Jesus Christ), who would bruise satan's head and he in turn would bruise the heel of Messiah. That bruising comes in the form of satan doing everything in his power to destroy Israel and the natural brothers and sisters of Messiah.
I have heard so many times people who have said something like "The holocaust was brought about so Israel could once again become a nation". However to think about it in that way is to somehow give the impression that God somehow caused the horrific events of the Holocaust to set in motion a different outcome.
That is simply not true!
What IS true is that an evil dictator (Hitler) was influenced by satan to once again try and destroy the chosen people of God. Romans 8:28 describes the process. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose". Let me unwind that for you. An evil man did his best to destroy God's chosen people and God in turn used what the evil man had done during those horrific events to set the stage for the eventual rebirth of historic Israel.
God used His Holy Word to prophecy very many events that would effect Israel (both good and not so good) in the future. But there are some things that have happened that defy explanation. One of those things are the very many bad things that have happened to Israel and the Jewish people on one specific date all throughout history.
That date is on the 9th of Av (also known as Tisha B'Av) on the Jewish calendar. The world including Israel uses the Gregorian calendar as a basis for all worldwide date setting, business and political events. Israel also has another calendar which is based upon a "lunisolar" rotation. Months being determined by the Lunar system and years determined by the Solar system. This is mainly for the use of religious observance. For example, today's date is July 25th in the year 2017. But it is also the date Av 2 in the Biblical year of 5777 since the creation of man. Of course not all agree with a "young earth" interpretation of the creation story but I personally do for what it is worth. :-)
The 9th of Av has signaled horrific events for Israel and the Jewish people many times since Abraham was given God's covenant promises. I for one cannot explain why this date is so incredibly monumental but I do accept that it is part of God's master plan for the complete and total restoration of Israel which will happen at the end of the 7 years of tribulation listed in the book of Revelation. For those of you who somehow think that the church must go through the tribulation years, please keep in mind what God said in Jeremiah 30:7 (speaking of the great tribulation) "Alas! For that time is great, so that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he will be saved out of it".
NOTE: For study purposes see Revelation 7:14.
Many horrible events have happened on or near the 9th of Av.
1). (Exact date unknown) Sometime after Moses received 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai the 10 Jewish spies returned after spending 40 days in the "promised land" and discouraged Israel from entering in.
2). 586 B.C. First Jewish Temple destroyed by Babylon.
3). 70 A.D. Second Temple destroyed by Rome.
4). 135 A.D. events of the Jewish Bar Kochba revolt against Rome resulting in the Temple Mount being plowed under.
5). 1096 A.D. First Crusade killed over 1 million Jews.
6). 1290 A.D. Jews expelled from England.
7). 1306 A.D. Jews expelled from France.
8). 1492 A.D. Spanish Inquisition.
9). 1914 A.D. Key events beginning WWI.
10). 1941 A.D. Authority given to Heinrich Himmler for the final solution to the Jewish problem.
11). 1942 A.D. The German army evacuated the Warsaw Ghetto and transported all the Jews to Treblinka.
NOTE: This is a partial list and does not include Russian pogroms, other inquisitions and many atrocities during the Holocaust.
The 9th of Av just past this year on August 1st, 2017. No horrible single event happened this year but All of Israel is currently in turmoil because over 1/2 the nations of the world are pressuring Israel to give up more land plus half of the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Imagine what it would be like if the nations were demanding that Mexico give up Mexico City, Argentina give up Buenos Aires, Peru give up Lima, Spain give up Madrid or Columbia give up Bogata?
Without it's capital city, a nation looses it's identity. Jerusalem has been the capital city of Israel since King David's time in 1000 BCE.
So, what can we expect if anything next year on or around the 9th of Av? Well, for one the United Nations is once again breathing down the neck of Israel in an attempt to rip away Jerusalem as her capital. Russia, Turkey and Iran now have troops patrolling along Israel's Northern boarder with Syria (the Golan Heights).
The United States has just pressured Israel into pulling the metal detectors off the Temple Mount because the Muslims objected. Also there is vastly greater pressure being exerted against Israel to give up East Jerusalem and the West Bank which is historic Judea and Samaria.
Finally (but certainly not all), there is extreme pressure building for Israel to begin construction of a third Temple. Not a popular idea with 280 million Muslims who live in the neighborhood of the Middle East.
I do not know if the next 9th of Av will pass by with a whimper or become a very loud bang. Only time will tell, but please remember Joel 3:2 in which ALL the nations of the world will be judged by God in direct relationship to how they treated Israel. As I type this, 164 nations (out of about 200), now officially recognize the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied Palestinian territories". NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
Prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes.
Psalm 122:6: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
God bless you all,
Pastor Rance.
Oh, how I love thee, let me count the ways! In a nut shell, that expresses my personal view toward Israel.
I know that many of my readers share my love for Israel and show their support through various ways ranging from visits to the Holy Land, to posts on my wife's ministry Facebook group, "COMFORT ISRAEL" to the most important and powerful tool in our spiritual arsenal --- PRAYER!
I have written extensively about the Biblically Prophetic meanings surrounding Israel and the Covenant promises that were given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) by God all the way back thousands of years ago beginning in the book of Genesis. No one can come away from a thorough reading of the Bible without understanding just how important Israel and the Jewish people are in the mind and heart of God.
However, just like all of mankind, our Jewish brethren have over the centuries occasionally turned away from God (rebelled). He in turn has had no other choice than to chastise the very ones He has chosen. This is an extremely Biblical, Godly way for the Creator of the universe to interact with His created ones. Massive infusions of love offset occasionally with a good spanking. Lest you think that I am being hard on my brethren the Jews, several of whom are good friends, as a Christian pastor, I have been spanked myself on occasion (sometimes we pastors in our frustration act like sheep dogs who bite the sheep a bit too hard), and I have also had to dish out some discipline in my own congregations occasionally for various problems including the sin of rebellion.
We see an example of rebellion against Godly authority in 1st Samuel. The story of King Saul and the witch of Endor. But first, just a bit of background; big problems were happening between Israel and the people of Amalek in the 11th century B.C. God sent the prophet Samuel to tell Israel's first king (Saul), to kill every single one of these people. (Does this sound cruel to you? Well, remember that one rotten apple spoils the entire barrel).! Anyway, King Saul disobeyed and was chastised by God. In fact, so severely, that the kingdom was ripped away from Saul's descendants and eventually given over to King David and his descendants. Saul had rebelled against Godly authority. In chapter 15 verses 22-23, God makes absolutely clear what He thinks about rebellion. He says "behold, to obey is better than sacrifice---For REBELLION is as the sin of witchcraft"! He also says in Proverbs 13:24: "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly".
Did King Saul learn his lesson? No, in fact he made an even greater mistake in 1st Samuel 28:3-25 in which a supposedly Godly king consulted with a witch from Endor. Through the king's prompting, this witch brought up from the grave the prophet Samuel who had since passed away in the Lord. This time Samuel gave Saul even worse news because the very next day Israel was delivered into the hands of another enemy, the Philistines, and Saul and his sons lost their lives in the process.
Bottom line, if you do not want to be chastised by God, do not rebel against Godly authority!
Many the culture and nation has done exactly that but in every single case but one, the entire national cultures were eventually irretrievable destroyed. The sole exception? ISRAEL. Why? Because they are the only cultural people group on this planet who received an irrevocable covenant from God.
I have heard so many times people who have said something like "The holocaust was brought about so Israel could once again become a nation". However to think about it in that way is to somehow give the impression that God somehow caused the horrific events of the Holocaust to set in motion a different outcome.
That is simply not true!
What IS true is that an evil dictator (Hitler) was influenced by satan to once again try and destroy the chosen people of God. Romans 8:28 describes the process. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose". Let me unwind that for you. An evil man did his best to destroy God's chosen people and God in turn used what the evil man had done during those horrific events to set the stage for the eventual rebirth of historic Israel.
God used His Holy Word to prophecy very many events that would effect Israel (both good and not so good) in the future. But there are some things that have happened that defy explanation. One of those things are the very many bad things that have happened to Israel and the Jewish people on one specific date all throughout history.
That date is on the 9th of Av (also known as Tisha B'Av) on the Jewish calendar. The world including Israel uses the Gregorian calendar as a basis for all worldwide date setting, business and political events. Israel also has another calendar which is based upon a "lunisolar" rotation. Months being determined by the Lunar system and years determined by the Solar system. This is mainly for the use of religious observance. For example, today's date is July 25th in the year 2017. But it is also the date Av 2 in the Biblical year of 5777 since the creation of man. Of course not all agree with a "young earth" interpretation of the creation story but I personally do for what it is worth. :-)
The 9th of Av has signaled horrific events for Israel and the Jewish people many times since Abraham was given God's covenant promises. I for one cannot explain why this date is so incredibly monumental but I do accept that it is part of God's master plan for the complete and total restoration of Israel which will happen at the end of the 7 years of tribulation listed in the book of Revelation. For those of you who somehow think that the church must go through the tribulation years, please keep in mind what God said in Jeremiah 30:7 (speaking of the great tribulation) "Alas! For that time is great, so that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he will be saved out of it".
NOTE: For study purposes see Revelation 7:14.
Many horrible events have happened on or near the 9th of Av.
1). (Exact date unknown) Sometime after Moses received 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai the 10 Jewish spies returned after spending 40 days in the "promised land" and discouraged Israel from entering in.
2). 586 B.C. First Jewish Temple destroyed by Babylon.
3). 70 A.D. Second Temple destroyed by Rome.
4). 135 A.D. events of the Jewish Bar Kochba revolt against Rome resulting in the Temple Mount being plowed under.
5). 1096 A.D. First Crusade killed over 1 million Jews.
6). 1290 A.D. Jews expelled from England.
7). 1306 A.D. Jews expelled from France.
8). 1492 A.D. Spanish Inquisition.
9). 1914 A.D. Key events beginning WWI.
10). 1941 A.D. Authority given to Heinrich Himmler for the final solution to the Jewish problem.
11). 1942 A.D. The German army evacuated the Warsaw Ghetto and transported all the Jews to Treblinka.
NOTE: This is a partial list and does not include Russian pogroms, other inquisitions and many atrocities during the Holocaust.
The 9th of Av just past this year on August 1st, 2017. No horrible single event happened this year but All of Israel is currently in turmoil because over 1/2 the nations of the world are pressuring Israel to give up more land plus half of the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Imagine what it would be like if the nations were demanding that Mexico give up Mexico City, Argentina give up Buenos Aires, Peru give up Lima, Spain give up Madrid or Columbia give up Bogata?
Without it's capital city, a nation looses it's identity. Jerusalem has been the capital city of Israel since King David's time in 1000 BCE.
So, what can we expect if anything next year on or around the 9th of Av? Well, for one the United Nations is once again breathing down the neck of Israel in an attempt to rip away Jerusalem as her capital. Russia, Turkey and Iran now have troops patrolling along Israel's Northern boarder with Syria (the Golan Heights).
The United States has just pressured Israel into pulling the metal detectors off the Temple Mount because the Muslims objected. Also there is vastly greater pressure being exerted against Israel to give up East Jerusalem and the West Bank which is historic Judea and Samaria.
Finally (but certainly not all), there is extreme pressure building for Israel to begin construction of a third Temple. Not a popular idea with 280 million Muslims who live in the neighborhood of the Middle East.
I do not know if the next 9th of Av will pass by with a whimper or become a very loud bang. Only time will tell, but please remember Joel 3:2 in which ALL the nations of the world will be judged by God in direct relationship to how they treated Israel. As I type this, 164 nations (out of about 200), now officially recognize the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied Palestinian territories". NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
Prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes.
Psalm 122:6: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
God bless you all,
Pastor Rance.
Monday, February 13, 2017
ISRAEL, the exact center of the world... or is it?
Dear friends and readers,
Our Bible describes Israel as the center of the world. Admittedly, there is much discussion and argument about this. The anti-Bible folks say it is all posh and nonsense but the sticklers for Biblical truth are adamant. Ezekiel 5:5 states : "This is Jerusalem, I set her at the center of the nations"
Ezekiel 38:12 referring to the Jewish people states: " They live at the center of the world" . The word "CENTER" more appropriately rendered "navel" of the world. In any man''s speak that is pretty center. I do want to point out something that will make more sense further down in this article. God uses the term "NAVEL" but does that mean center in this context ?
The navel of a person is the point from which a baby receives nourishment from its mother. But the navel is not the exact center of the human body. In fact for most people, their navel is several more inches distant from the bottoms of their feet than it is from the top of their head. In fact the navel is not even the center of the trunk of the human body.
There is a point to all this so please humor me for a moment.
In doing research for this article, I came across some absolutely fascinating information that I did not previously know. It began while I was digging into whether or not there was evidence to support the idea that Israel really is the center of the world---not center of the planet, as in center of a round ball, but geographically center of the topographically face of the earth.
An interesting article by a scientist from the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) was most revealing. For those of you who do not know about ICR, it is a group of scientics who believe that the earth and all of the universe was created rather than coming into existence by some random act , other wise known as the big bang theory. I once visited the center when it was located in Southern California but it has long since moved to Dallas Texas. What a fascinating place. The founder of ICR is Dr. Henry Morris, PH.D who wrote a a fascinating article which references research done by a physicist by the name of Andrew J. Woods, M.S.
One of the central issues within this article is to point out that until the advent of super high speed computers, the science was not available to determine or verify the exact geographical center of the earth. We would all like to believe that the exact physical center of the Earth is Israel but according to Mr. Woods computer modeling that apparently in not the case. But the evidence is compelling and certainly gives us a glance into the planning of God that went into the positioning of certain places in the Middle east.
According to this research the geographical center of the earth is actually located near ANKARA, the modern day capital of the nation of Turkey. The city is slightly north of the center of that nation and south east of the port city of Istanbul which was previously called Constantinople, until renamed Istanbul in 1930. Constantinople was the Eastern capital of the Roman Byzantine Empire from 330 to 1204 and then again from 1261 to 1453 A.D. It was Emperor Constantine and his mother Queen Helena (330 A.D.) who was the first Roman Caesar to become Christian. The result was that Christianity spread throughout the later Roman Empire probably faster than in the days of Paul and Peter in the first century.
I have in my office a huge wall map and I placed a stick pin over Ankara. Continuing to read this most excellent article, I next placed a pin over Mount Ararat which is located on the far Eastern boarder of Turkey. Continuing on I placed another over the site of ancient Babylon and yet another over Jerusalem.
According to Mr. Woods, the exact center of the geographycal earth is Ankara at Latitude, 39 degrees and longitude 34 degrees. Which as it turns out is the same Latitude as Mount Ararat and essentially the same Longitude as Jerusalem. Interestingly, the locations of these four historical sites forms a nearly perfect square. Inside that square is contained about 440,000 square miles of territory and includes the names of many ancient Biblical cities . If you look at your own map you will see that the rivers Euphrates and Tigris (Hiddekel) are within that square and the Bible states in Genesis 2:8-14 God planted a garden east of Eden and from it flowed a river and from the garden it split into four riverheads, the first being Pishon, the second is the Gihon, the third is the Hiddekel (Tigris) and the fourth is the Euphrates.
No one knows the exact course that either the Pishon or the Gihon originally took but many learned scholars believe the Pishon may have flowed south between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. If that is the case it would eventually have been deluged by the waters on Noah'''s flood and be located directly under the area where Moses split the waters of the Red Sea and led his people in pursuit of the promised land. How Divinely poetic.
Another remarkable coincidence (?) is the fact that the name ANKARA means ANCHOR. Could it be possible that this is a geographical anchor to the nearly perfect square that may have been home to the Garden of Eden and thus to Adam and Eve? That this anchor is extremely near the great city of Constantinople from which much of Christianity spread in later generations? That directly opposite the anchor, on the far side of the square is Jerusalem which is undeniable the city representing spiritual redemption for all mankind?
Remember I was speaking about the physical location of the navel on the human anatomy and that it is the area from which all newly created humans are fed and nourished? Just as our Redeemer Jesus Christ was born, gave Himself unto death and was resurrected to provide spiritual nourishment for all who will simply embrace Him? Is that the reason Jerusalem is referred to as the NAVEL of the world? I also emphatically state that since Jesus was and always will be the Jewish Messiah, one cannot separate Him from Jerusalem or Israel no matter how hard they try.
So what could be the relevance to the other two corners of the square?
As we all know, when God destroyed mankind through a great worldwide flood, He gave grace, safety and provision to Noah and his family so that mankind could begin with a fresh start and eventually spread to all corners of the earth. It is believed by many that it was Noah's 70 children and grandchildren who resettled the earth. Later of course once again because of sin, God scattered the human race and confused the languages from the ancient city of Babel . This was the Kingdom of the ancient King Nimrod which in the course of time became Babylon who''''s King Nebuchadnezzar was used by God to punish Israel and take many of the Jewish people captive for 70 years.
At the end of that 70 years, another King of Babylon, Cyrus by name who was also King of Persia issued a decree that allowed the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and he even provided monies for them to help rebuild the Temple which had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar .
Is there any physical or spiritual relevance to these four locations and their positioning in relation to one another?
The nearly perfect square:
1). Ankara , geographical center of the World. The "anchor", originally controlled by a great King of Roman Constantinople who spread Christianity worldwide.
2). Mount Ararat, chosen by God to begin re population of the world.
3). Babylon, chosen by God to punish Israel but also to protect a remnant of Jews and restore Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple of God.
4). Jerusalem, the spiritual navel of the world and great city of redemption from whom the redeemer, Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah will eventually reign for 1000 years.
These four points on the compass surround the place where God first created mankind in the Garden East of Eden.
And what else Biblically is within or extremely near that square?
1). Damascus (Isaiah 17---future prophecy-- will be utterly destroyed)
2). Nineveh (mentioned 17 times in the King James Bible)
3).Shushan ( Susa-The home of Queen Esther)
4). Shechem (The Lord spoke to Abraham near Shechem)
5). Hebron (King David's first capital city)
6). Elam (The city of Suza was the capital of Elam)
7). Haran (Genesis 11:32 Terah, father of Abram died in Haran)
8). Parts of ancient Assyria and Mesopotamia (Persia--Iran today)
9). Ur of the Caldeans (Genesis 11:28 Abraham's father was from Ur)
10) Future locations of the great wars of Gog from the land of Magog and the battle of Armageddon.
I am certain that all four points on the nearly perfect square are still important in the throne room of God. But here on earth, the relevance of Ankara as the anchor, Mount Ararat and Babylon have become lost to history other than for those of us who love to know the Biblical answers. It being a fascinating study.
What is not lost to history is Jerusalem and the role she currently plays and ALWAYS will.
Scripture tells us that Jerusalem will be the eternal home to all human beings who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile.
Jerusalem is the most hotly contested piece of real estate on the planet. Not only is the ownership of Jerusalem contested but also the very existence of the Jewish people. They have been threatened with future extinction by Iran (ancient Persia), Syria, the terror organizations, Hezbolah, Hamas, Isis, Jabhat Fatah a-Sham, Khalid ibn al-Walid Army plus several lesser known groups who would love nothing more than to wipe Israel off the face of the map. She is constantly maligned by the United Nations and accused of stealing Arab land even though the tiny spec of Israel (with 7 million inhabitants) is surrounded by massive nations containing roughly 600 million Arabs, Turks and Persians many of whom want to destroy her.
Think of this from satan'' view point for surely all these anti Semitic groups are inspired by non other than lucifer himself. If he were able to inspire the death of Israel and all Jews on the planet, (not to mention Christians) the real Messiah, Jesus the Christ of God would have no place to return to and no people to call His own. Of course that is not possible and the end of the Book (BIBLE) says clearly that Jesus and His people will eventually prevail in this centuries old battle for dominance over the human soul.
By the way, just a thought to remember; The Covenant land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants (the Jewish people), if realized today, would include a huge swath of Egypt, all of Israel, another huge swath of Saudi Arabia, all of Jordan, roughly one half of Iraq, all of Lebanon, about two thirds of Syria, and a small portion of Turkey. Our Jewish friends are stealing the land? I don''t think so.
It is no wonder God instructed us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). Interesting that this Psalm is not a suggestion, it is a command.
Question for everyone to ponder. Is the Bible merely a dusty old tome filled with inaccuracies and made up stories? Or is it Divinely inspired and written by anointed Prophets and people of God? Is it simply all coincidence? I think not.
I sincerely hope you find this article as interesting as it was for me to write.
Until we meet again,
God bless you all,
Pastor Rance.
Our Bible describes Israel as the center of the world. Admittedly, there is much discussion and argument about this. The anti-Bible folks say it is all posh and nonsense but the sticklers for Biblical truth are adamant. Ezekiel 5:5 states : "This is Jerusalem, I set her at the center of the nations"
Ezekiel 38:12 referring to the Jewish people states: " They live at the center of the world" . The word "CENTER" more appropriately rendered "navel" of the world. In any man''s speak that is pretty center. I do want to point out something that will make more sense further down in this article. God uses the term "NAVEL" but does that mean center in this context ?
The navel of a person is the point from which a baby receives nourishment from its mother. But the navel is not the exact center of the human body. In fact for most people, their navel is several more inches distant from the bottoms of their feet than it is from the top of their head. In fact the navel is not even the center of the trunk of the human body.
There is a point to all this so please humor me for a moment.
In doing research for this article, I came across some absolutely fascinating information that I did not previously know. It began while I was digging into whether or not there was evidence to support the idea that Israel really is the center of the world---not center of the planet, as in center of a round ball, but geographically center of the topographically face of the earth.
An interesting article by a scientist from the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) was most revealing. For those of you who do not know about ICR, it is a group of scientics who believe that the earth and all of the universe was created rather than coming into existence by some random act , other wise known as the big bang theory. I once visited the center when it was located in Southern California but it has long since moved to Dallas Texas. What a fascinating place. The founder of ICR is Dr. Henry Morris, PH.D who wrote a a fascinating article which references research done by a physicist by the name of Andrew J. Woods, M.S.
One of the central issues within this article is to point out that until the advent of super high speed computers, the science was not available to determine or verify the exact geographical center of the earth. We would all like to believe that the exact physical center of the Earth is Israel but according to Mr. Woods computer modeling that apparently in not the case. But the evidence is compelling and certainly gives us a glance into the planning of God that went into the positioning of certain places in the Middle east.
According to this research the geographical center of the earth is actually located near ANKARA, the modern day capital of the nation of Turkey. The city is slightly north of the center of that nation and south east of the port city of Istanbul which was previously called Constantinople, until renamed Istanbul in 1930. Constantinople was the Eastern capital of the Roman Byzantine Empire from 330 to 1204 and then again from 1261 to 1453 A.D. It was Emperor Constantine and his mother Queen Helena (330 A.D.) who was the first Roman Caesar to become Christian. The result was that Christianity spread throughout the later Roman Empire probably faster than in the days of Paul and Peter in the first century.
I have in my office a huge wall map and I placed a stick pin over Ankara. Continuing to read this most excellent article, I next placed a pin over Mount Ararat which is located on the far Eastern boarder of Turkey. Continuing on I placed another over the site of ancient Babylon and yet another over Jerusalem.
According to Mr. Woods, the exact center of the geographycal earth is Ankara at Latitude, 39 degrees and longitude 34 degrees. Which as it turns out is the same Latitude as Mount Ararat and essentially the same Longitude as Jerusalem. Interestingly, the locations of these four historical sites forms a nearly perfect square. Inside that square is contained about 440,000 square miles of territory and includes the names of many ancient Biblical cities . If you look at your own map you will see that the rivers Euphrates and Tigris (Hiddekel) are within that square and the Bible states in Genesis 2:8-14 God planted a garden east of Eden and from it flowed a river and from the garden it split into four riverheads, the first being Pishon, the second is the Gihon, the third is the Hiddekel (Tigris) and the fourth is the Euphrates.
No one knows the exact course that either the Pishon or the Gihon originally took but many learned scholars believe the Pishon may have flowed south between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. If that is the case it would eventually have been deluged by the waters on Noah'''s flood and be located directly under the area where Moses split the waters of the Red Sea and led his people in pursuit of the promised land. How Divinely poetic.
Another remarkable coincidence (?) is the fact that the name ANKARA means ANCHOR. Could it be possible that this is a geographical anchor to the nearly perfect square that may have been home to the Garden of Eden and thus to Adam and Eve? That this anchor is extremely near the great city of Constantinople from which much of Christianity spread in later generations? That directly opposite the anchor, on the far side of the square is Jerusalem which is undeniable the city representing spiritual redemption for all mankind?
So what could be the relevance to the other two corners of the square?
As we all know, when God destroyed mankind through a great worldwide flood, He gave grace, safety and provision to Noah and his family so that mankind could begin with a fresh start and eventually spread to all corners of the earth. It is believed by many that it was Noah's 70 children and grandchildren who resettled the earth. Later of course once again because of sin, God scattered the human race and confused the languages from the ancient city of Babel . This was the Kingdom of the ancient King Nimrod which in the course of time became Babylon who''''s King Nebuchadnezzar was used by God to punish Israel and take many of the Jewish people captive for 70 years.
At the end of that 70 years, another King of Babylon, Cyrus by name who was also King of Persia issued a decree that allowed the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and he even provided monies for them to help rebuild the Temple which had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar .
Is there any physical or spiritual relevance to these four locations and their positioning in relation to one another?
The nearly perfect square:
1). Ankara , geographical center of the World. The "anchor", originally controlled by a great King of Roman Constantinople who spread Christianity worldwide.
2). Mount Ararat, chosen by God to begin re population of the world.
3). Babylon, chosen by God to punish Israel but also to protect a remnant of Jews and restore Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple of God.
4). Jerusalem, the spiritual navel of the world and great city of redemption from whom the redeemer, Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah will eventually reign for 1000 years.
These four points on the compass surround the place where God first created mankind in the Garden East of Eden.
And what else Biblically is within or extremely near that square?
1). Damascus (Isaiah 17---future prophecy-- will be utterly destroyed)
2). Nineveh (mentioned 17 times in the King James Bible)
3).Shushan ( Susa-The home of Queen Esther)
4). Shechem (The Lord spoke to Abraham near Shechem)
5). Hebron (King David's first capital city)
6). Elam (The city of Suza was the capital of Elam)
7). Haran (Genesis 11:32 Terah, father of Abram died in Haran)
8). Parts of ancient Assyria and Mesopotamia (Persia--Iran today)
9). Ur of the Caldeans (Genesis 11:28 Abraham's father was from Ur)
10) Future locations of the great wars of Gog from the land of Magog and the battle of Armageddon.
I am certain that all four points on the nearly perfect square are still important in the throne room of God. But here on earth, the relevance of Ankara as the anchor, Mount Ararat and Babylon have become lost to history other than for those of us who love to know the Biblical answers. It being a fascinating study.
What is not lost to history is Jerusalem and the role she currently plays and ALWAYS will.
Scripture tells us that Jerusalem will be the eternal home to all human beings who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile.
Jerusalem is the most hotly contested piece of real estate on the planet. Not only is the ownership of Jerusalem contested but also the very existence of the Jewish people. They have been threatened with future extinction by Iran (ancient Persia), Syria, the terror organizations, Hezbolah, Hamas, Isis, Jabhat Fatah a-Sham, Khalid ibn al-Walid Army plus several lesser known groups who would love nothing more than to wipe Israel off the face of the map. She is constantly maligned by the United Nations and accused of stealing Arab land even though the tiny spec of Israel (with 7 million inhabitants) is surrounded by massive nations containing roughly 600 million Arabs, Turks and Persians many of whom want to destroy her.
Think of this from satan'' view point for surely all these anti Semitic groups are inspired by non other than lucifer himself. If he were able to inspire the death of Israel and all Jews on the planet, (not to mention Christians) the real Messiah, Jesus the Christ of God would have no place to return to and no people to call His own. Of course that is not possible and the end of the Book (BIBLE) says clearly that Jesus and His people will eventually prevail in this centuries old battle for dominance over the human soul.
By the way, just a thought to remember; The Covenant land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants (the Jewish people), if realized today, would include a huge swath of Egypt, all of Israel, another huge swath of Saudi Arabia, all of Jordan, roughly one half of Iraq, all of Lebanon, about two thirds of Syria, and a small portion of Turkey. Our Jewish friends are stealing the land? I don''t think so.
It is no wonder God instructed us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). Interesting that this Psalm is not a suggestion, it is a command.
Question for everyone to ponder. Is the Bible merely a dusty old tome filled with inaccuracies and made up stories? Or is it Divinely inspired and written by anointed Prophets and people of God? Is it simply all coincidence? I think not.
I sincerely hope you find this article as interesting as it was for me to write.
Until we meet again,
God bless you all,
Pastor Rance.
Monday, March 2, 2015
History Repeats Itself...
History repeats itself, often in extremely dangerous ways; King Solomon stated “There is nothing new under the sun”, “That which has been is what will be and that which is done is what will be done”!
Things and circumstances often seem new to each generation but a careful study of history will dispel that myth. The things that change are people and subtle issues of circumstance but generally speaking mankind is prone to repeat his mistakes, hatreds, loves, zeal for power, pride and folly time after time after time after-----!
This very week signals what may be a close repeat of something that happened in the 5th century B.C. Or if nothing else, a lead up to the very same circumstances that occurred roughly 470 years after Christ walked the earth.
The events in those days are recorded in the Biblical book of Queen Esther. This book is only 10 chapter long and is available in any modern version of the Bible so I am not going to belabor the entire story. Basically this is the story of a Jewish Queen married to Persian King by the name of Ahasuerus (also called Xerxes).
There are several main characters in this timeless story but it all basically boiled down to four personalities. The King was extremely powerful and controlled a huge portion of what is the Middle East today. The Queen who is the actual star (Esther actually means STAR) of the Book of Esther was a very beautiful but shy lady who rose to power on the heals of another Queens failure.
Then we have a good guy and a very bad guy; The good man was a Jew by the name or Mordecai who had at one time saved the Kings life. He was also Esther’s relative and raised her after the death of her parents.
The bad man in this story was very bad. He was a greedy, self deceived, jealous man who hated Mordecai and because he was a Jew, actually plotted to kill all of the Jews living in Ahasuerus Kingdom. This mans name was Haman who was an advisor to the King. The usual evil plots and scheming took place until he was able to convince the King to order the destruction of all Jews in his Kingdom. In those days once a Royal decree was signed into the official records, not even the issuing King could reverse it.
Mordecai discovered this evil plot and enlisted the help of his niece, Queen Esther. Even though she was the Kings wife she was not allowed to enter into his presence without prior invitation. Taking a chance with her own life, she did approach the King and through miraculous circumstances the entire plot was exposed, the Jews saved from death, Mordecai elevated to the Kings right hand man and Haman suffered the very death he had plotted for so many others.
FAST FORWARD TO TODAY!
Ancient Persia is called Iran today. I am certain that anyone reading this article knows that the religious leadership of the current Nation of Iran has openly announced on many occasions over the years that his desire is to annihilate all Jews in Israel and in fact upon the face of the earth.Todays Iran is a huge country with a well equipped modern army and is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Some experts indeed say they are very close to realizing that goal.
Historically the United States has been a great supporter of Israel and the Jewish people. Things have changed along that line rather dramatically during the past few years and the current leadership of the USA seems intent upon estranging Israel to the point of seemingly turning its back on the only free democracy in the Middle east---ISRAEL!
Into this mix comes the Prime Minister of Israel man who is a very serious confirmed Zionist.
I should clarify what a Zionist is before moving on with our adventure; A Zionist (myself included) is a person who believes that the Bible is true. That God said certain things in that Bible that can never ever change. One of the core issues involved are the covenants that God gave to the Jewish people through Abraham, his son Isaac and his son Jacob. Jacob’s name was later changed by God to “ISRAEL” and he became the progenitor of the original 12 tribes of Israel.
A Zionist is a person who believes that God was serious when He gave the land of Israel (eternally) to the Jewish people and no one else on this planet has a right to that land nor a right to give it away---not even the Jews themselves.
I will throw something else into the pot that I personally believe as a Zionist. We know that the modern State of Israel came back into being on May 14, 1948. However Israel was in fact founded by God Himself well over 3,500 years ago. The Jews were scattered from the land by the Roman legions in A.D. 70 and roamed the earth for the past 2000 years. However there has always been a Jewish presence in the land and after this Diaspora (scattering of people with a common origin), God began bringing His people back home to Israel and as such the date of May 14, 1948 really represents a reconstitution of a Nation that has always been in the mind and heart of God!
This is not really an article about Biblically fulfilled prophecy but the fact remains that there are very many Biblical prophecies that foretold this reconstitution of the Nation of Israel. The fact that it happened should be a surprise to no one.
This week is extremely important and may well portend a severe changes that could effect all of our lives. Each and every year since the events of Queen Esther and the saving of the lives of the Jewish people living in those days, Jews (and many Christians) around the globe celebrate the feast of Esther. Which this year begins Wednesday March 4, 2015 (On the Jewish calendar---13 Adar in the year 5775---since the creation of man).
The day before, on Tuesday March 3, the Israeli Prime Minister is scheduled to give a speech before the United States Congress. His agenda will be to lobby congress to support continuing sanctions against Iran so they cannot obtain a nuclear weapon and thereby eventually fulfill their leaders promise to destroy Israel.
I lay no claim to being a prophet called by God. However it is pretty hard to miss the fact that this monumental speech is scheduled during the exact time frame that happened in the 5th century B.C. and that the circumstances are also exactly the same. THE THREAT OF IMPENDING TOTAL ANNIHILATION OF ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH POEPLE!
At the same time, the United States Government is obviously stepping way back from it’s historical friendship with Israel. While I cannot know exactly what is in the mind of the U.S. President, it certainly appears that he is supporting Iran’s goal of obtaining nuclear weaponry. Also many of the elected leaders in Washington D.C. who represent the political left are planning to boycott the Prime Ministers speech. INCLUDING THE U.S. VICE PRESIDENT!
I must ask myself what kind of signal that is sending to the enemies of Israel and for that matter the allies of the United States who are witnessing The current U.S. Government throwing it’s closest ally under the old proverbial bus?
So lets see who these players are today;
Lets call Queen Esther the Nation of Israel.
Mordecai would be Benjamin Netanyahu the Prime Minister of Israel.
Haman would be the leader of Iran and by extension anyone helping him develop the power to destroy Israel---including the U.S. President if in fact that is what he has in mind.
HISTORY ALWAYS REPEATS ITSELF!
The Jews will once again be saved.
Mordecai will once again survive
Haman will once again be destroyed through his own evil planning.
Let us hope that good will prevail and that those with evil intent will not take a great Nation like the United States down with them.
For those of you who say something like that could never happen to the good ole U.S.A?
Well lets see what history tells us about that shall we?
ALL of the following Nations tried in some way to destroy Israel.
1). Ancient Egypt GONE!
2). Philistines GONE!
3). Assyrian Empire GONE!
4). Babylonian Empire GONE!
5). Persian Empire GONE!
6). Greek Empire GONE!
7). Roman Empire GONE!
8). Byzantine Empire GONE!
9). Crusaders GONE!
10). Spanish Empire GONE!
11). Nazi Germany GONE!
12). Ottoman Turks GONE!
13). Soviet Union GONE!
14). P.S. Did anyone happen to notice that the British Empire is a mere shadow of it’s former self (after siding with the Arabs and against the Jews before the events of 1948)?
IRAN ????
United States ???? the heavenly jury is out for both.
SPECIAL NOTE! For those of you Christians who are turning your backs on Israel please remember that Jesus Christ is the Messiah of Israel. God clearly chose Israel and the Jews as His own special people. Hebrews 10:30-31 “Vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord. The Lord will judge His people”. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God!
This is not a good time to be aligned with the enemies if Israel.
God bless,
Pastor Rance.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
It's time to WAKE UP!
by Rance Cook
We are entering a period in the history of mankind in which evil, sinful, violent activity is viewed by many people as not only accepted but celebrated. Honest God fearing people, particularly in Christian Nations are being labeled as hate mongers and cowed into silence by radical movements who engage in political agendas which at the very core are evil and un-Biblical. Even large portions of the church are turning to the support of sin in the name of freedom of speech and expression.
These people have become the victims of false teachers!
The evil things and trends we are witnessing today have been repeated through out all of history since the tower of babel and even before that to a time in which evil became so rampant that God destroyed the entire world through worldwide flood and catastrophe. But who can deny that we are seeing a level of depravity today that is unprecedented in all of history.
Now for many people the Bible has become a source of strength and support for justifying evil acts by taking scripture completely out of context.
These kinds of people, many of whom claim to be Christians are doing all they possibly can to silence real Christians and pastors who take the word of God literally and speak the truth from their pulpits.
These things should not surprise us. There is ample evidence in scripture, penned by God’s Holy prophets who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. this evidence tells us that a time of ultimate evil is rapidly approaching which will make all past evil in this worlds history pale by comparison.
There are certain things in life that God has made extremely clear and will not in the end be tolerated.
Hate, violence, sexual perversion, destruction of life, anti semitism (among others) have become for many a celebration of the willful aggression against several different people groups,first among them the Jewish people and falling only closely behind them true believers in Christ.
If we truly believe that all mankind was created in the image of a Holy God, then we must also be color blind people. The color of any man’s skin or his ethnic origin should only serve to celebrate the fantastic human plethora that has been bestowed upon mankind by a Creator who’s desire is Himself to spend all of eternity with His beautiful creation.
The support for a people that God has clearly chosen, our Jewish brethren and the Nation of Israel should be a goal for all Christians worldwide coupled with an unfailing commitment to also pray for the salvation of every other ethnic and cultural group living on this planet.
Instead what we see happening is a rapid degeneration within the church and a rush to “political correctness” that can only lead to destruction by those who practice or even advocate such things.
In todays world we see a rush by many to deny God’s word and by doing so to deny the very God who created that word. By doing so, it opens the door to hatred and a rapidly expanding rejection of Godly principles. What many who claim the title of “CHRISTIAN” apparently do not realize is that no matter how much they may wish it to be so, God’s desire for mankind, as written in the Holy Bible cannot be changed.
Israel and her natural descendants are the chosen of God! Perfect at this time? Absolutely not. However it is also obvious that God is working very diligently through His preconceived plan to bring all of Israel into fellowship with Himself.
The church’s job on this earth is aptly described by the Apostle Paul in the eleventh chapter of the book of Romans. As believers in Jesus Christ, when we have repented for our sins and accepted the free gift of eternal grace that is offered to all of mankind through His (AND ONLY HIS) sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, we become ingrafted into the root which is Israel. Under no possible stretch of the Biblical imagination can any true believer in Christ justify a belief that the Church has replaced Israel in the mind and heart if God.
On the other hand we must also accept the fact that the church is made up of both Jew and Gentile and those gentiles come from every color, race and ethnic origin on earth.
What we see today are many “CHRISTIANS”---self confessed, who are turning away from Israel and instead standing in support of her enemies who celebrate openly on the streets, giving candy to their children when innocent civilians and children are butchered with axes, bombs, guns and other heinous acts are perpetrated in the name of a false god. But this wanton destruction is not limited only to the Jews is it? No, now Christians women are being captured in some countries, raped, beaten and sold as sex slaves. Children of several ethnic groups are being killed and in some cases beheaded.
Entire family groups in areas of Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and endless other areas are being systematically wiped out merely because they have different colored skin or belief systems.This is wrong no matter what religious system they may have been taught.
The world is upside down and becoming worse by the day. These are on the one hand most certainly signs of the end times but that does not mean real Christians should simply role over and hide if fear and trembling. This is a time in which the church needs to stand up for what is right. But that “SO CALLED RIGHT” must also match what scripture tells us is Biblical truth.
First, although we are not supposed to be judgmental, it is non the less abundantly clear that we are supposed to be fruit inspectors. It is time to stop being fooled by false teachers, wolves among the sheep and evil non Biblical doctrine and political agendas that only lead to destruction.
It is time for the church to vote. However it is not a time for settling! It is past the time when we can afford to vote for the “least of the two evils”.
It is time for us to take a stand. It is time for us to become vocal and remind the world of what is truly important, even though it may not be popular.
It is time that we say NO, we will not accept this terrible, indiscriminate violence. We will not accept being labeled as hate mongers. It is time we tell the world that there are over two billion of us who support traditional family values, support the right to life, reject all forms of hatred no matter who it is leveled at. It is time that we stand up and tell the world that we support Israel and reject categorically all forms of anti semitism.
It is time that we stand up and say, you may not take down our crosses. You will leave our Ten Commandments alone. You will not refuse to allow our children to pray in school. You will not downgrade our religious freedoms or our guaranteed freedom of speech.
You will not get way with telling us that we cannot display a Nativity scene our our own front lawns.
by Rance Cook
Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7 verse 13-14 that the only way that leads to eternal life is through the narrow gate.
In the same chapter in verses 15-20 we are warned about false prophets, wolves among the sheep and that we will know other true believers by their fruits.
It is time to stop being fooled by anyone who claims to be a Christian but who also supports non-Biblical doctrines!
And, by the way; Yes Christianity has some very e
very black spots in our collective history. Some people carrying shields, crosses, and swastika’s did unspeakable things that were evil, and violent and disgusting. But that was not THIS generation and I for one am getting tired of hearing about how “YOU CHRISTIANS”, enslaved great grandpa, rode to the crusades, burned people in the inquisitions., and used our skin for lampshades and burned us in ovens.
THOSE THINGS WERE EVIL!!! However
I DID NOT DO THOSE AWFUL THINGS and neither did the Christ that I serve. Take a break---don’t try and put that stuff on my plate or anyone of multiple millions of Christians worldwide in THIS GENERATION who are trying to do things in a way that demonstrates the peace, grace and love that is commanded by our Lord.
You know every single night on the news channels we hear Muslims saying that only a small portion of that religion are blood thirsty depraved terrorists. OK, got it, no problem. Now when are we going to begin drawing a line between real Christians and phony ones who only use that Great Name for self seeking purposes?
So, the question is really this? What do you think would happen if over 2 BILLION TRUE believers actually did stand up and very strongly and vocally said “NO NO NO! I promise you that this world is run by politicians and even some of the worst kings and dictators BASED UPON THE FEAR that the masses may rise up and vote them out!
The final question is, WILL WE?
Friday, January 25, 2013
Is Replacement Theology True Christianity?
Dear Friends,
The church is being polarized by a number of events. The most significant of which is our position as Christians FOR or AGAINST the Biblical support of Israel and the Jewish people. One of the most dangerous elements sneaking into the church is the doctrine of "Replacement Theology". In other words, the belief by some people that God is somehow through with Israel,
and the Church is Israel's replacement.
NOTHING could be further from the Truth.
Please join me in reading an article by one of our staff members, Ed Benjamin. This may just be the clearest explanation of this ungodly doctrine
that I have EVER read.
God bless,
Pastor Rance
The rebirth of the Nation of Israel is a miracle. The restoration of the Hebrew language is a miracle. The return of the Jewish people to their homeland is a miracle and so is the reunification of Jerusalem, but they have been God’s plan all along. Israel is a nation that was born out of a promise of God. One very unique thing about Israel is that it is the only nation whose history, current situation, and future have already been written. Israel is the only nation whose story has already been told from beginning to end.
However, there are some in the Church who want to change that story. They claim that Israel has been rejected by God as a nation. Their contention is that Israel is a failure beyond salvage, and that God has now made for Himself a “new Israel,” the Church. Where do these Ideas come from? They stem from a system of belief known as Replacement Theology.
This is not a new doctrine. It has been around for a long time and has become imbedded in churches of many denominations and traditions. The roots of Replacement Theology and its fruit of anti-Semitism go back to the very beginning of Christianity. This is ironic when you consider the fact that the Church began as a Jewish institution. It was founded in Judea by Jews who were followers of a Jewish Messiah, and its founding documents were written by Jews.
Originally, the Christian faith had a much more Jewish flavor. In the first century AD, the Church was well connected to its Jewish roots, and Jesus did not intend for it to be any other way. After all, Jesus is Jewish and the basis of His teaching is consistent with the Hebrew Scriptures. In Matthew 5:17 He says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Before the first Jewish revolt in AD 66, Christianity was basically a sect of Judaism, as were the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. However, as the Jewish leadership died and was replaced by the Gentile leaders, the Jewish flavor began to fade away. As the Church began to spread beyond Judea throughout the Roman Empire, and its message was embraced by more and more Gentiles who had no interest in maintaining contact with the Jewish roots of the Church, Greek and Roman thought began to creep in and completely change the orientation of Biblical interpretation through a Greek mindset, rather than a Jewish of Hebraic mindset. This resulted in many heresies, some of which the Church is still practicing today. Even worse, the new Gentile leaders began to turn against the Jews by characterizing them as “Christ killers.”
Consider the following examples:
Ignatius of Antioch (50-117 CE) – Taught that those who partake of the Passover are partakers with those who killed Jesus. (Not considering the fact that Jesus celebrated Passover)
Justin Martyr (100-165 CE) – Claimed God’s covenant with Israel was no longer valid and that the Gentiles had replaced the Jews.
Irenaeus (130-202 CE) – Declared the Jews were disinherited from the grace of God.
Tertullian (155-230 CE) – Blamed the Jews for the death of Jesus and argued they had been rejected by God.
Origen (185-254 CE) – He was responsible for much anti-Semitism, all of which was based on his assertion that the Jews were responsible for killing Jesus.
Eusebius (275-339 CE) – Wrote an influential history of the Church and taught that the promises of scripture were for the Gentiles while the curses were for the Jews, and that the Church was the “true Israel.”
John Chrysostom (344-407 CE) – Preached that there could never be forgiveness for the Jews, it was the Christian’s duty to hate Jews and that the Jews worshipped the Devil.
Jerome (347-407 CE) - Produced the Latin translation of the Bible which became the official Bible. He said, “Jews are incapable of understanding scripture and should be severely punished until they confess the true faith.” The authors of the scriptures believed that the Jewish Messiah would literally establish a kingdom on earth which would bless the Gentiles too, but this was rejected in favor of a non literal, allegorical “replacement theology.” He described the Jews as “…serpents, wearing the image of Judas, their psalms and prayers are the braying of donkeys.
Augustine (354-430 CE) – Turned the literal into spiritual – “The kingdom is only spiritual, is now, and is in men’s hearts. The millennium is now and Satan is bound.” He wrote that the Jews deserved death but were destined to wander the earth to witness the victory of the Church over the Synagogue. The Catholic Church has recently refuted this view but it is still around.
Constantine – In 312 CE the Roman emperor Constantine accepted the Christian faith, or at least his version of the Christian faith. While preparing for another military campaign he claimed to have had a vision of the cross against the sun, accompanied by the words, “In this sign, conquer.” He made Christianity the state religion and it began to be corrupted by man centered thinking and Greek philosophy, taking control away from God and enforcing “Christian” faith by earthly methods. He called the Council of Nicea in 325 CE, which fixed the dates of holy days by the secular, pagan calendar rather than the Jewish calendar. The celebration of Jesus’ death became Good Friday instead of Passover and His resurrection became Easter (the feast of the pagan deity Ishtar) instead of First Fruits. (Did you ever wonder how you get three days and three nights from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning? I have! But that’s another article, maybe.) This detached the events in Jesus; ministry from their prophetic Jewish context, depriving us of so much deep insight into God and His designs. The Romans had many gods, the highest of which was the sun which was worshiped on Sunday and its birth was celebrated on December 25th. In 440 CE, the Church adopted this date to celebrate Jesus’ birth instead of the most probable time which was during Tabernacles. It is my opinion that this also had something to do with changing Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. The state Church enforced anti-Semitism and Jews accepting their messiah had to renounce all Jewishness and become Gentile Christians. It is interesting to note that the Church grew faster before it became “Establishment” under Constantine than it ever has since! This is in spite of the fact that there are no records of evangelistic campaigns or crusades (poor choice of words) as we trust in nowadays.
The Council of Elvira (305 CE in Spain) – Prohibited Christians form sharing a meal with a Jew, marrying a Jew, blessing a Jew or observing the Sabbath.
The Council of Nicea (325 CE in Turkey) – Changed the celebration of the Resurrection from the Jewish Feast of First Fruits to Easter in an attempt to disassociate it from Jewish feasts. The Council stated: “For it is unbecoming beyond measure that on this holiest of festivals we should follow the customs of the Jews. Henceforth let us have nothing in common with this odious people…”
This anti-Semitism, which took root in the early Church, has continued throughout Church history and is seen in the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Reformation and the teachings of Martin Luther, Russian Pogroms, and the Holocaust of the Nazis.
One outcome of Church history was Replacement Theology. Put very briefly, Replacement Theology holds that God rejected the Jews (Israel) when they rejected Jesus. (Actually thousands of Jews soon accepted Jesus, but it was their religious leaders who rejected Him.) From this it follows that the promises throughout the Bible now apply to the Church while the curses apply to Israel – the Jews. This is spiritualized in various ways but it is surprising how deeply entrenched it is in some denominations and the writings of well known Christian scholars. Its influences can even be detected in some well respected Bible translations and their section headings. Consider this, God made many promises to His chosen, covenant people in the Old Testament. We Christians trust in the promises He made us in the New Testament and those we appropriate from the Old Testament. If God can break His eternal promises to His first covenant people we do not have much assurance for the new covenant. But praise God, glory be unto Him, “…God’s free gifts and His calling are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29
Because of a tragic misinterpretation of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Jewish people were viewed with contempt and all throughout the early church, and even into more recent times, the bible has often been interpreted in the light of this contempt. For centuries, the Jewish people have been cast as the villains of the New Testament. This can be seen in many books, works of art, and in the movies depicting the life of Christ. Jesus is rarely portrayed as Jewish in art or film. He is portrayed as an antagonist to Judaism; the Jewishness of His life is almost completely eliminated in any depiction of Him.
Replacement Theology has done nothing but bring much pain and suffering to the Jewish people. It was born of an arrogant, irrational hatred of the Jewish people. It holds them forever responsible for a sin they did not commit, namely the death of Jesus. THE JEWISH PEOPLE DID NOT KILL JESUS! Jesus said in John 10:18, that no one took His life from Him. He said it was His to lie down and that He would take it up again under His own power. Jesus made it clear that He came to earth to give His life as a ransom for all mankind to bring salvation to the world (Matthew 20:28). Jesus’ death was not a murder or execution. Jesus was in full control of His life the entire time He walked this earth. Jesus’ goal was the cross. No one had the power to take His life; not the Sanhedrin, not Pilate, not even Caesar himself. Jesus died at the exact moment He planned to die, and not a minute too soon, nor a minute too late. Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrifice that He gave out of His love for each one of us. To blame anyone else for Jesus’ death is to insult the grace of God. It amounts to robbing Him of the glory He is due, by claiming that Jesus’ death was a product of a human agenda, and not the product of God’ love and mercy.
God tells us that His covenant which gives Israel – the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the land of promise, will last forever.
He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance.” – Psalm 105:7-11
What part of everlasting do Replacement Theology people not understand? God could not have made Himself any clearer. The Hebrew word for everlasting means everlasting. If you have a desire to build a relationship with people in the Jewish community, you must understand Replacement Theology and the impact it has had on the Church and Jewish people who have lived with a 2,000 year legacy of anti-Semitism in the name of Christ. This is what they know. Jewish people need to know there is more than one type of Christian and that there are Christians today who do not believe that God is finished with the Jewish people. He will restore them and make them a glorious nation for His name’s sake because He loves them and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
A perversion of Christianity through Replacement Theology has been the source of most anti-Semitism in the Western world. Throughout northern Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, anti-Semitism has been promoted by Islam. The Qur’an calls Jews “the children of monkeys and pigs.” However, there are anti-Semites in this world who are neither Christian nor Muslim and who have never met a Jew. Why is anti-Semitism so widespread, so persistent, so virulent, and so irrational? It is because it is fundamentally a spiritual phenomenon. Satan hates the Jews because God provided both the Bible and the Messiah through them. He hates them because God called them His Chosen People. He hates them because God has promised to save a great remnant of them. He hates them because God loves them. The result is that he works overtime to plant seeds of hatred in people’s hearts toward the Jews. He is determined to destroy the Jews so that God cannot keep His promise to save a great remnant of them. He tried and failed to annihilate them in the Holocaust. He is trying and will fail to annihilate them through Muslim terrorists. He will try to destroy them once again during the last half of the Tribulation. Of course, He will fail once again. However, GOD IS IN CONTROL, not satan. God has the wisdom and power to orchestrate all the evil of satan and mankind to the triumph of His perfect will in history. The Jews be preserved and a great remnant will be saved. All the promises to the Jewish people will be fulfilled. When will this occur? It will occur at the end of the Tribulation when Jesus returns to Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant cry out, “Baruch Haba Bashem Adonai!” Which means,
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 23:39)
The church is being polarized by a number of events. The most significant of which is our position as Christians FOR or AGAINST the Biblical support of Israel and the Jewish people. One of the most dangerous elements sneaking into the church is the doctrine of "Replacement Theology". In other words, the belief by some people that God is somehow through with Israel,
and the Church is Israel's replacement.
NOTHING could be further from the Truth.
Please join me in reading an article by one of our staff members, Ed Benjamin. This may just be the clearest explanation of this ungodly doctrine
that I have EVER read.
God bless,
Pastor Rance
"Is Replacement Theology True Christianity?"
BY ED BENJAMIN
As I prepare to go to Israel for a ten day tour, I have been reflecting on the fact that Israel exists. It is a miracle that the Jewish people have survived. What other people still exists after being scattered all over the world for thousands of years. The continued existence of the Jewish people in spite of numerous persecutions and threats and attempts at genocide throughout Jewish history is evidence of Divine intervention. Despite being stripped of their home and scattered to the four corners of the earth; despite repeated attempts at forced conversions and their own attempts of assimilation, the Jews have survived as a distinct nation. No other ethnic group in the history of mankind has been dispersed, faced such odds and yet endured. What explains this apparent invincibility? The God of Israel has preserved them in His grace because He loves them. In Zechariah 2:8 God proclaims that the Jewish people are “the apple of His eye,” and He warns against anyone trying to harm them. In the words of Malachi: I the Lord do not change. So you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. – Malachi 3:6
The rebirth of the Nation of Israel is a miracle. The restoration of the Hebrew language is a miracle. The return of the Jewish people to their homeland is a miracle and so is the reunification of Jerusalem, but they have been God’s plan all along. Israel is a nation that was born out of a promise of God. One very unique thing about Israel is that it is the only nation whose history, current situation, and future have already been written. Israel is the only nation whose story has already been told from beginning to end.
However, there are some in the Church who want to change that story. They claim that Israel has been rejected by God as a nation. Their contention is that Israel is a failure beyond salvage, and that God has now made for Himself a “new Israel,” the Church. Where do these Ideas come from? They stem from a system of belief known as Replacement Theology.
This is not a new doctrine. It has been around for a long time and has become imbedded in churches of many denominations and traditions. The roots of Replacement Theology and its fruit of anti-Semitism go back to the very beginning of Christianity. This is ironic when you consider the fact that the Church began as a Jewish institution. It was founded in Judea by Jews who were followers of a Jewish Messiah, and its founding documents were written by Jews.
Originally, the Christian faith had a much more Jewish flavor. In the first century AD, the Church was well connected to its Jewish roots, and Jesus did not intend for it to be any other way. After all, Jesus is Jewish and the basis of His teaching is consistent with the Hebrew Scriptures. In Matthew 5:17 He says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Before the first Jewish revolt in AD 66, Christianity was basically a sect of Judaism, as were the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. However, as the Jewish leadership died and was replaced by the Gentile leaders, the Jewish flavor began to fade away. As the Church began to spread beyond Judea throughout the Roman Empire, and its message was embraced by more and more Gentiles who had no interest in maintaining contact with the Jewish roots of the Church, Greek and Roman thought began to creep in and completely change the orientation of Biblical interpretation through a Greek mindset, rather than a Jewish of Hebraic mindset. This resulted in many heresies, some of which the Church is still practicing today. Even worse, the new Gentile leaders began to turn against the Jews by characterizing them as “Christ killers.”
Consider the following examples:
Ignatius of Antioch (50-117 CE) – Taught that those who partake of the Passover are partakers with those who killed Jesus. (Not considering the fact that Jesus celebrated Passover)
Justin Martyr (100-165 CE) – Claimed God’s covenant with Israel was no longer valid and that the Gentiles had replaced the Jews.
Irenaeus (130-202 CE) – Declared the Jews were disinherited from the grace of God.
Tertullian (155-230 CE) – Blamed the Jews for the death of Jesus and argued they had been rejected by God.
Origen (185-254 CE) – He was responsible for much anti-Semitism, all of which was based on his assertion that the Jews were responsible for killing Jesus.
Eusebius (275-339 CE) – Wrote an influential history of the Church and taught that the promises of scripture were for the Gentiles while the curses were for the Jews, and that the Church was the “true Israel.”
John Chrysostom (344-407 CE) – Preached that there could never be forgiveness for the Jews, it was the Christian’s duty to hate Jews and that the Jews worshipped the Devil.
Jerome (347-407 CE) - Produced the Latin translation of the Bible which became the official Bible. He said, “Jews are incapable of understanding scripture and should be severely punished until they confess the true faith.” The authors of the scriptures believed that the Jewish Messiah would literally establish a kingdom on earth which would bless the Gentiles too, but this was rejected in favor of a non literal, allegorical “replacement theology.” He described the Jews as “…serpents, wearing the image of Judas, their psalms and prayers are the braying of donkeys.
Augustine (354-430 CE) – Turned the literal into spiritual – “The kingdom is only spiritual, is now, and is in men’s hearts. The millennium is now and Satan is bound.” He wrote that the Jews deserved death but were destined to wander the earth to witness the victory of the Church over the Synagogue. The Catholic Church has recently refuted this view but it is still around.
Constantine – In 312 CE the Roman emperor Constantine accepted the Christian faith, or at least his version of the Christian faith. While preparing for another military campaign he claimed to have had a vision of the cross against the sun, accompanied by the words, “In this sign, conquer.” He made Christianity the state religion and it began to be corrupted by man centered thinking and Greek philosophy, taking control away from God and enforcing “Christian” faith by earthly methods. He called the Council of Nicea in 325 CE, which fixed the dates of holy days by the secular, pagan calendar rather than the Jewish calendar. The celebration of Jesus’ death became Good Friday instead of Passover and His resurrection became Easter (the feast of the pagan deity Ishtar) instead of First Fruits. (Did you ever wonder how you get three days and three nights from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning? I have! But that’s another article, maybe.) This detached the events in Jesus; ministry from their prophetic Jewish context, depriving us of so much deep insight into God and His designs. The Romans had many gods, the highest of which was the sun which was worshiped on Sunday and its birth was celebrated on December 25th. In 440 CE, the Church adopted this date to celebrate Jesus’ birth instead of the most probable time which was during Tabernacles. It is my opinion that this also had something to do with changing Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. The state Church enforced anti-Semitism and Jews accepting their messiah had to renounce all Jewishness and become Gentile Christians. It is interesting to note that the Church grew faster before it became “Establishment” under Constantine than it ever has since! This is in spite of the fact that there are no records of evangelistic campaigns or crusades (poor choice of words) as we trust in nowadays.
The Council of Elvira (305 CE in Spain) – Prohibited Christians form sharing a meal with a Jew, marrying a Jew, blessing a Jew or observing the Sabbath.
The Council of Nicea (325 CE in Turkey) – Changed the celebration of the Resurrection from the Jewish Feast of First Fruits to Easter in an attempt to disassociate it from Jewish feasts. The Council stated: “For it is unbecoming beyond measure that on this holiest of festivals we should follow the customs of the Jews. Henceforth let us have nothing in common with this odious people…”
This anti-Semitism, which took root in the early Church, has continued throughout Church history and is seen in the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Reformation and the teachings of Martin Luther, Russian Pogroms, and the Holocaust of the Nazis.
One outcome of Church history was Replacement Theology. Put very briefly, Replacement Theology holds that God rejected the Jews (Israel) when they rejected Jesus. (Actually thousands of Jews soon accepted Jesus, but it was their religious leaders who rejected Him.) From this it follows that the promises throughout the Bible now apply to the Church while the curses apply to Israel – the Jews. This is spiritualized in various ways but it is surprising how deeply entrenched it is in some denominations and the writings of well known Christian scholars. Its influences can even be detected in some well respected Bible translations and their section headings. Consider this, God made many promises to His chosen, covenant people in the Old Testament. We Christians trust in the promises He made us in the New Testament and those we appropriate from the Old Testament. If God can break His eternal promises to His first covenant people we do not have much assurance for the new covenant. But praise God, glory be unto Him, “…God’s free gifts and His calling are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29
Because of a tragic misinterpretation of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Jewish people were viewed with contempt and all throughout the early church, and even into more recent times, the bible has often been interpreted in the light of this contempt. For centuries, the Jewish people have been cast as the villains of the New Testament. This can be seen in many books, works of art, and in the movies depicting the life of Christ. Jesus is rarely portrayed as Jewish in art or film. He is portrayed as an antagonist to Judaism; the Jewishness of His life is almost completely eliminated in any depiction of Him.
Replacement Theology has done nothing but bring much pain and suffering to the Jewish people. It was born of an arrogant, irrational hatred of the Jewish people. It holds them forever responsible for a sin they did not commit, namely the death of Jesus. THE JEWISH PEOPLE DID NOT KILL JESUS! Jesus said in John 10:18, that no one took His life from Him. He said it was His to lie down and that He would take it up again under His own power. Jesus made it clear that He came to earth to give His life as a ransom for all mankind to bring salvation to the world (Matthew 20:28). Jesus’ death was not a murder or execution. Jesus was in full control of His life the entire time He walked this earth. Jesus’ goal was the cross. No one had the power to take His life; not the Sanhedrin, not Pilate, not even Caesar himself. Jesus died at the exact moment He planned to die, and not a minute too soon, nor a minute too late. Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrifice that He gave out of His love for each one of us. To blame anyone else for Jesus’ death is to insult the grace of God. It amounts to robbing Him of the glory He is due, by claiming that Jesus’ death was a product of a human agenda, and not the product of God’ love and mercy.
God tells us that His covenant which gives Israel – the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the land of promise, will last forever.
He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance.” – Psalm 105:7-11
What part of everlasting do Replacement Theology people not understand? God could not have made Himself any clearer. The Hebrew word for everlasting means everlasting. If you have a desire to build a relationship with people in the Jewish community, you must understand Replacement Theology and the impact it has had on the Church and Jewish people who have lived with a 2,000 year legacy of anti-Semitism in the name of Christ. This is what they know. Jewish people need to know there is more than one type of Christian and that there are Christians today who do not believe that God is finished with the Jewish people. He will restore them and make them a glorious nation for His name’s sake because He loves them and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
A perversion of Christianity through Replacement Theology has been the source of most anti-Semitism in the Western world. Throughout northern Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, anti-Semitism has been promoted by Islam. The Qur’an calls Jews “the children of monkeys and pigs.” However, there are anti-Semites in this world who are neither Christian nor Muslim and who have never met a Jew. Why is anti-Semitism so widespread, so persistent, so virulent, and so irrational? It is because it is fundamentally a spiritual phenomenon. Satan hates the Jews because God provided both the Bible and the Messiah through them. He hates them because God called them His Chosen People. He hates them because God has promised to save a great remnant of them. He hates them because God loves them. The result is that he works overtime to plant seeds of hatred in people’s hearts toward the Jews. He is determined to destroy the Jews so that God cannot keep His promise to save a great remnant of them. He tried and failed to annihilate them in the Holocaust. He is trying and will fail to annihilate them through Muslim terrorists. He will try to destroy them once again during the last half of the Tribulation. Of course, He will fail once again. However, GOD IS IN CONTROL, not satan. God has the wisdom and power to orchestrate all the evil of satan and mankind to the triumph of His perfect will in history. The Jews be preserved and a great remnant will be saved. All the promises to the Jewish people will be fulfilled. When will this occur? It will occur at the end of the Tribulation when Jesus returns to Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant cry out, “Baruch Haba Bashem Adonai!” Which means,
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 23:39)
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