Matthew 24: Debunking Pretribulation Rapture View.

Usually ones run in with pretribulationists is when a believer’s attention is drawn to biochipping and numbering of men to continue participation in world commerce. They , the pretribers retort, ” why worry? You would have been ruptured!”

I have asked them to produce scriptures that teach us we would be raptured before the revealing/ unveiling of the antiChrist. Usually, they are unable to produce Scriptures that support their position. I do hope some pretribers would accept this challenge and lead us to Scriptures that support Pretribulation Rapture Position.

In the meantime, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I would proceed to highlight/bring scriptures that place end time believers with the pernicious one revealed.

Where else to start but with our Lord’s teaching in Matthew 24. Pastor Avraham Zion’s teachings have been helpful in making Matthew 24 clearer. It turns out that the chapter is a chronologically linear capsule to the very end.

Jesus must have seemed uninterested by the architecture of the temple- unimpressed by it. After all Jesus knew of the real in heaven, and this earthly one was to be destroyed anyway. This must have piqued the interest of the disciples, as they later approached Jesus for more information into the future. Note that it was when the disciples showed interest that Jesus taught them eschatology. Oh! Wish believers would give eschatology the priority it deserves, and we would see how the Holy Spirit would open our eyes to the signs of the times. In fact Mathew 24 is one of the least referred chapters from the pulpit.

It is interesting that Jesus starts His discourse with a warning to us that we be not misled into error( Mat.24:4). Are not Pretribulation, Midtribulation , and Posttribulation Rapture Positions capable of doing just that?

Between verses 5&9 of Matthew 24, our Master lays on ( describes) routine history -wars, earthquakes, floods and famines etc. Famines in today’s parlance can be equated to economic turmoils and upheavals, recessions, depressions, financial meltdowns and collapse, rather than the hungry populations due to poor harvest. Jesus warned that this is not the End, but the beginning of the end and routine history( v 8). We see that there is a beginning well defined. Verse 9 then warns of the coming suffering upon believers- hated of all nations. Verse 10 describes an antichristian world beyond the present postchristian world seen in the West.

Brethren no mention of the Rapture yet. Just Jesus asking us to brace up for the coming attack on believers, with verse 13 warning us to endure, and verse 11 warning us of errors about these teachings.

Verse 14 declares commencement of the End just after the good news is preached to all nations( technology has made this possible).

Fast forward to verse 21-25. Verse 25 says, ” see I have warned you before hand. Why would our Master warn us of this Great Tribulation, if we believers are not going to experience it? Where in the Bible are we believers divided into prerapture believers and postrapture believers as pretribers are wont to explain this scenario away- be careful of false prophets leading many into error( v 11).

Fast forward again to verse 29-31, which at last debut the rapture of the elect. Verse 29 starts with immediately after the tribulation of those days. And verse 31describes our dramatic rescue- the rapture of the elect of God.

No ambiguities here, our Master Jesus warning disciples, and the elect, and saints that it was not going to be rosy for us right on to His coming again for His church. A coming which is will cut short and amputate the oppression of His own chosen ones. Comforting words so that we do not give up, but endure the antiChrist’s persecution ( v 12,22). The Book of Revelation is full of such encouragement to believers ( Rev.7: 9-14; 15:2-4). So also is the Book of Daniel to which our Master Jesus alludes in verse 15 of Mat.24( cf. Dan.8:23-24). So also the second letter to believers in Thessalonica. Th Holy Spirit through Paul, correcting error of some by saying that the Rapture will not occur until the antiChrist is revealed( 2Thess.2:1-5).

I am addressing the issue of our elders telling believers not to perturbed about the coming of the antiChrist, since his persecution and reign will be over nonbelieving world. The Olivet Discourse( Mat.24), does not support this view. The antiChrist is unveiled in verse 15, while the rapture takes place in verse 31.

It is all so consistent that one wonders where pretribers are coming from. Verse 11 of Mat.24 explains how within the church, many have arisen to deceive and lead many to error and damnation as they are not prepared for the reign of the antiChrist.

Brethren, I am not writing to bring fear but joy. Joy similar to a bride receiving her groom. A joy similar to a father welcoming home a son who has been away in a foreign land. And as our Master Jesus puts it, the joy of a new mother receiving her new born in her hands after a prolonged labour.

I encourage us to be prepared like the five wise virgins. Emphasis is necessary because if you live a holy life but get chipped to continue your daily transactions under the rule of the antMessiah, you cannot make it to heaven with Jesus. You have chosen Satan’s Mammon , money, and you cannot serve two Masters. The Pretribulation Rapture view, leads to a state of mind that prevents preparedness to cope with the antiChrist, while the pre-God’s- wrath Rapture View is consistent with the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation.

Olugbenga Jaiyesimi.

The Rebuilding Of The Third Temple.

In the history of Israel,  every period of the kingdom is associated with a temple in Jerusalem.  The period of the kingdom from the institution of the monarchy to the carrying away into captivity in Babylon is referred to as the First Temple Period or simply the First Temple( 1080-586 BC). This period of the kingdom is associated with the temple built by King Solomon. This temple was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 586 BC.

After 70 years in exile in Babylon,  the Jews were freed  by the decree of Cyrus the Persian in 538 BC, according to the words of Jeremiah the prophet(Ezra 1:1-4; Jer.25:12, 29:10). Thus began the Second Temple Period or simply the Second Temple(538 BC-70 AD). By 515 BC,  the returning exiles had completed the Second Temple. This temple, located on the same site as the first was extensively and lavishly refurbished by Herod the Great. It was this temple that was in existence during the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus The Christ. This temple was destroyed by the Roman general Titus in 70 AD as prophesied by the prophet Daniel and reiterated by our Lord Jesus The Christ in His Olivet discourse,  thus ending the second Temple Period(Dan. 9:27; Matt.24:1,2).

As we have pointed out earlier, each period of the kingdom corresponds to a temple. The modern state of Israel was established in 1948 following the end of the British Mandate in Palestine. Up to now,  there is no Temple. Despite the absence of any Temple,  the Jews refer to this period of the kingdom as Third Temple Period or simply the Third Temple(1948-end of the 70th, which corresponds with the death of the two witnesses of Rev.11). During the Yom Kippur War,  when Israel was almost annihilated by her Arab neighbors,  the then Defense Minister of Israel,  the legendary one-eyed general Moshe Dayan said, ” The Third Temple is over.”  up to now as at that time,  there was no Temple. Yet this period of the kingdom without a king is referred to as the Third Temple.

”For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king,  and without a prince,  without a sacrifice,  and without an image,  and without an ephod,  and without teraphim: Afterwards shall the children of Israel return,  and seek the LORD their God,  and David their king ; and shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days”(Hos.6:4,5).

Today Israel is an independent state in the comity of nations,  but it is without  a king. There is no high priest with an ephod and teraphim, no umim and no thumim,  and no sacrifice because there is no Temple. During the Day Of The Lord, the children of Israel shall return to the LORD their God, and David’s greater Son,  our Lord Jesus the Christ shall be king over them,  and the High Priest of God. He shall be a priest upon the throne(Zach.6:13).

The major events of the 70th week of Daniel are centred in and around the Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem.

”Let no one deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,  except there come a falling away first,  and that man of Sin be revealed,  the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God,  or worshipped: so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,  shewing that he is God”(2 These.2:3,4).

In order for the antiMessiah to make his debut at the Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, where he unveils his identity as dead man come back to life,  and displays himself as God,  demanding worship of all mortals in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel,  a  temple must exist on the Temple Mount. Up to now,  the Temple Mount is occupied by the Muslim Dome of the  Rock, the Golden Dome and the Al-aqsa mosque.

Prior to the 70th seven or even within the first three and one half years of the 70th seven,  the third Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem must be rebuilt.  This is probably one of the feats of politics the antiChrist will perform that will endear him to the Jewish people. However,  it is most likely that after the covenant of Apostasy is made with the antiMessiah that the Jews will be permitted to rebuild their Temple, though we must remind ourselves,  that the rebuilding of the temple is not mentioned as one of the major events in the first three and one-half years of the 70th seven of Daniel. The scriptures are not precise when the third Temple shall be rebuilt,  but there ain’t too many options.  It is either prior to the 70th seven of Daniel,  or in the first three and one-half years; for a temple must be standing, and animal sacrifice and meal offering resumed prior to the midpoint of the 70th seven when the Man of Sin is revealed,  and the sacrifice and oblation caused to cease.

The Temple Mount,  is the most expensive piece of property on Earth today.  As a matter of fact,  it is not up for sale.  Jews,  Muslims, christians and the international community are interested in it. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this piece of real estate. When Israel wrestled control of Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967, the then defense minister of Israel,  Moshe Dayan returned the key to the temple Mount to the Muslim Waqf as gesture of good will. Unfortunately Jews are not even allowed to pray on the Temple Mount. Those who move their lips are arrested.

The real issue however is the location of Holy Of Holies of the temple. Studies by Asher  Kaufman indicate that it is not under the Dome Of The Rock, but a little further northwest of the mosque,  under the Dome of the Tablets,  a location directly west of the Eastern or Golden Gate. It therefore means the Jews could rebuild their Temple on the site of Solomons Temple while the Dome of the Rock is still standing. If that is the case,  the Muslim Dome of the Rock is in the outer court.  This may be what is meant by the angel’s instruction to John the revelator,  not to measure the outer court of the temple. ” And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood,  saying,  Rise,  and measure the temple of God,  and the altar,  and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out,  and measure it not; for is given unto the Gentiles: and the Holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months “( Rev. 11:1,2).

In the light of this understanding,  it may be possible for the Jews to rebuild their Temple at the shortest notice without tampering with Muslim Dome Of The Rock. All the materials for the rebuilding of the temple have been procured. Over $100 million dollars have been raised for the rebuilding of the temple. Priests of the family of Aaron and levites have been identified by DNA tests,  trained, and are rehearsing and doing test runs,  on the wings,  waiting to resume Temple worship and animal sacrifice, grain offering and the pouring of libations(drink offering) at a moment’s notice.  Vigorous search is being made for the red heifer. Several have been identified but disqualified by a few strands of  black or white hair. Recently a pure red heifer was found. Crowd funding is being used to raise money for the cloning of red heifers. When this is successful, there will be no lack of red heifers.

It is possible that an entire Temple may not be built,  but only a tabernacles like structure that could be erected quickly to provide a place for worship and animal sacrifice,  not unlike the temporary structure called the tabernacle which Moses erected in the wilderness.  Greek scholars tell us that the Greek word used to describe the temple the antiChtist will desecrate at the midpoint of the 70th seven permits such a view.  At any rate,  a place of  sacrifice is not necessarily a precursor to the 70th seven of Daniel,  and in reality may not be built until shortly before the midpoint of the 70th seven of Daniel.

Avraham Shallom.

The Appointment Of The Cohen Gadol

The newly reconstituted Sanhedrin‎, the council of 70 elders that governed Israel in ancient times has appointed a Cohen Gadol or High Priest, from the house of Aaron. He is Rabbi Baruch Kahane. This revelation was made by Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesperson for the nascent Sanhedrin. Rabbi Baruch Kahane is part of the Halacha Berurah Institute established by Rabbi Avraham Isaac Hacohen Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Israel. The Temple Institute has established a registry of kohanim, and a school for the training of the priests in the details of the Temple service. Thisis a landmark development; inasmuch as there has not been any temple or High Priest since the destruction of the Temple on Mount Moriah, Jerusalem, in 70 AD by the Roman General Titus.

With political will on the part of the Israeli government, temple worship, and animal sacrifice, grain and drink offerings could resume at any moment. A full temple need not be erected, though everything required for the building of the third temple based on the plan drawn from Ezekiel 40-43 has been procured. Over $100 million dollars has been raised in cash for the rebuilding of the third Temple. The red heifer has been identified. Through crowd funding money is being raised for cloning and breeding of the red heifer. The golden altar of incense that stands in the holy place has been reconstructed

However, the plan of the temple in Ezekiel 40-43 refers to the fourth and Millennial temple to be erected by The Messiah Himself after the War of Armageddon(Ezek.39,39; Rev.16:16, 19:11-21), and the subsequent renovation of the Temple Mount, the land of Israel, and the whole Earth(Ezek.44-48), during the 45-day Restoration Period(Dan.12:12). It is not likely an elaborate temple like the one described by the prophet Ezekiel could be built in this age. For a temple of this size to be built, the whole Temple Mount most be reclaimed. The situation on the ground in Israel at this time does not permit that. However, the situation may change.

There is no record of the plan of the Third Temple anywhere in the whole of the Scripture‎s, though a Third temple must exist on the Temple Mount for the events of the 70th Seven of Daniel to be fulfilled(Dan.9:27; Matt.24:15; Mk.13:14; 2 Thessalonians.2:3,4; Rev.11:1,2). The Third Temple may not be a full temple like the First built by Solomon which was destroyed in 586 BC by the Neobabylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar II, or like the Second Temple built by the returning exiles following the decree of Cyrus of Medopersia, in 538. This temple completed in 515 BC, was extensively refurbished and embellished by Herod the Great. It was this temple that was in existence during the ministry of Jesus. This temple was destroyed in 70 AD by the Roman General Titus.

The Third Temple may be a tabernacle like structure hurriedly fabricated. With modern technology, and considering the development in architecture and civil engineering in Israel, such a structure may be erected within a week or even overnight. The politics in the Holy Land and the situation on the ground on the Temple Mount may not permit the erection of an elaborate temple like the one described in Ezekiel 40-43. What will happen to the Done of the Rock, and the Musque of Omer? Admittedly, any attempt to forcibly  remove these two‎ structures in order to erect a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount, will raise a lot of dust, and may in fact spark a global religious war.

In Rev.11:1,2, John the revelator was instructed by the angel of God to measure the Third Temple and those who worship in it, and to leave out the outer court to the Gentiles who shall tread it under foot for forty and two months. This period is of the same length as the ministry of the Two Witnesses who shall prophesy for a thousand three hundred and sixty day(Rev.11:3). Biblical scholars are agreed that this periods corresponds with the Second half of the 70th Seven of Daniel which is the time allotted to the antiChrist to reign.

Israel is the clock. It is God’s time piece for the End Times. It is NOT the Church. With the Church, there is no way we can objectively identify our locus in the eschatological timeline. With Israel we can monitor the times and the seasons. This is not Judaism. It is biblical eschatology of which we do well to be aware.

Avraham Shallom.

Exposition On Isaiah 2:1-22

Isaiah, the son of Amoz was one of the pre-exilic prophets, a contemporary of Hosea, Amos, and Micah. He descended from the kingly line of David. Therefore he is a member of the royal household. Unlike prophet Amos who was a farmer before the Lord called him, Isaiah was highly educated and a man of culture having descended from royalty as is also suggested by the richness of his vocabulary. One could imagine how devoted he was to the God of Israel for him to obey God promptly in answering the call(Isa.6:8). In his unalloyed obedience to God, he performed a prophet act of walking about naked for three years to demonstrate how the Egyptians and Cushites, even their nobles like Isaiah would be led away naked and barefoot into captivity by Sargon II king of Assyria(Isa.20:3,4). God had to so disgrace Egypt and Cush because the southern kingdom of Judah was allied to them, and trusted them to save them from the Assyrian king rather than trust in the Lord their God. Cush was their expectation and Egypt their glory(Isa.20:5).

The name Isaiah means Yahweh saves or Yahweh is Saviour or salvation. As his name suggests, the theme of his work is Yahweh saves or Yahweh is salvation or Saviour. The book of Isaiah contains more prophecies about the Messiah than any other book in the Old Testatment. God’s plan of salvation is so fully and comprehensively revealed in the book of prophet Isaiah that Aurelius Augustinus(Augustine of Hippo: 354-430) called it the Fifth Gospel. Other great biblical scholars have referred to it as the “the Bible in miniature.”

I have retained the Hebrew name Cush rather than Ethiopia as in KJV because this name does not refer to modern day Ethiopia at all. Ethiopia was formerly named Abyssinia. In ancient times it was referred to as Sheba. Cush simply means black. In ancient times it referred to the area south and west of Egypt which more or less corresponds to the nations of modern day Sudan and South Sudan. The reference in the Book of Acts to the noble man who was in charge of the treasures of Queen Candace of Cush(Ethiopia) speaks of Queen Candace of Mero, an ancient kingdom in the region of modern day Sudan(Acts 8:26-40). In antiquities, these areas were inhabited by black skinned people, the Cushites. Hence, the proverb, “can the Cushite change his skin?”(Jer.13:23).

Isaiah was the prophet par excellence. He prophesied for a very long period, spanning the reign of four kings of the southern kingdom of Judah. Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah kings of Judah. Uzziah(Azaiah), Son Of Amaziah reigned for 52 years[767(79)2-740] BC(2 kin.15:1-7; 2 Chron.26:1-23). Isaiah was called the year Uzziah died(2 Chron.26:5). Therefore, the 52 years of the reign of Uzziah was not part of the period of his active ministry. Nevertheless Uzziah laid the foundation for the period. Jotham, Son Of Uzziah reigned for 16 years[740(750)-731]{2 Kin.15:32-38; 2 Chron.27:1-9}. Ahaz, Son Of Jotham reigned for 16 years[731(735)-731] BC {2 Kin.16:1-20; 2 Chron.228:1-27}. Hezekiah son Ahaz ruled for 29 years[715(729)-686] BC{2 kin.18:1-20:21; 2 Chron.29:1-32:33 Is.36:1-39:8}? Isaiah probably ministered for up to half a century or thereabouts. It is not known when Isaiah died. According to tradition, he was sawn in two during the reign of wicked Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah[686(696)-642]. During the reign of these kings, the southern kingdom of Judah experienced prosperity, but the people were morally bankrupt and spiritually destitute as revealed by those of his contemporary prophets(Hos.4:1-2, 6-8; Amos 2:6-8; Mic.1:5, 3:1-11). Their land was full of silver and gold, and there was no end to their treasures. “Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.”(Isaiah 2:8-9).

Despite their prosperity, they were greedy and rapacious. They copied their neighboring powers, especially Egypt and Assyria, and imported horses and chariots from Egypt which led to trust in their military mighty and prowess(Isa.2:7). As if that was not enough, they added insult to injury, and worshipped idols. These were graven and molten images crafted by their own fingers. This they learned through associations with the peoples of neighboring powers, like the Egyptians and Assyrians who were idol worshippers. Their land was full of idols(Isa.2:8). Whatever the nobles did, the am ha’ aretz, the ordinary people of the land copied them and followed suit. The ordinary people of the land took their cues from the elites. The mean bowed down, and the great man humbled himself before the works of their hands. Because they have bowed themselves to graven images, and worshipped the works of their hands, the God of Israel would not forgive them and spare them any punishment which was due. They had to go into captivity. It was not that God was unwilling to forgive them, but rather, they were unwilling to repent.

This was the situation in Israel during the reign of these kings when the prophet Isaiah prophesied to the kings, nobles and people of Judah. He was also looking beyond the immediate period to the End of Time. This is what theologians call the near and far views of prophecy. During this period of the far view of Isaiah’s prophecy, Israel shall enter into a seven-year peace treaty with the Man Of Sin, the Son Of perdition or destruction(Dan.9:27; 2Thess.2:3). For the first three and one-half years, Israel shall be relatively peaceful. They shall prosper being protected by the armies of the most powerful world ruler. When Jesus came to His own in the name of the God of Israel, they rejected Him. When another, the antiMessiah shall come in his own name, they will receive him. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”(John 1:10-11). “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”(John 5:43). The another here is the antiMessiah; a mere man whose breath is in his nostrils(v22).

This covenant is called the covenant of apostasy, because it will lead to total abandonment of the God of Israel by some Jews and Christians three and one-half years later when the antiMessiah shall declare himself God in the rebuilt Third Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem and demand to be worshipped by all and sundry(Dan.9:27; 2Thess.2:4). It is called covenant with death and agreement with Hell. “Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.”(Isaiah 28:15, 18-19).

When the antiMessiah breaks his peace agreement with Israel, he shall persecute Jews who refuse to worship him. During the reign of the antiChrist, enlivened images of the Beast shall be situated in strategic places for public worship. This will be like in the Roman period when emperor worship was demanded of citizens. Every Roman citizen was required to offer a pinch of incense to the statue of the emperor at the city square or in the Temple Of Caesar. These images, empowered by AI, and energized by demonic powers shall be able to identify those who do not have the mark of the Beast, and cause them to be put to death if they refuse to capitulate to the authority of the antiMessiah by accepting to be branded with his mark of allegiance. Those who agree to worship him shall be instructed by the second Beast, the false prophet, his enforcer, to make images of the Beast in gold, silver, bronze, iron, and wood to worship in their homes, offices, and cars, every man according what he can afford. The second half of the 70th week shall be like the period of the reign of the aforementioned kings when the land of Judah was full of idols, and even worse because the antiChrist shall make the worship of his image mandatory. Although Isaiah was speaking of the situation in his day, but he was also looking forward to the second half of the 70th week when there shall be mass idolatry all over the world. The false prophet, the spiritual head of the one world religion shall instruct his followers all over the world to worship the First Beast and the Dragon(Rev.13:4).

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”(Rev.13:11-18).

This shall account for the preponderance of idols during the second half of the 70th week. Anyone who refuses to bow to these images shall be punished with death, banishment or captivity as the case may be. During this period many shall betray one another. The martyred saints arriving heaven is the fifth seal. “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”(Rev.6:9-11).

When the complement of the saints to be martyred is fulfilled as evidenced by the fifth seal, God shall amputate the Great Tribulation with cosmic disturbances which constitute the sixth seal. “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”(Rev.6:12-14).

The fifth seal promises wrath during the Day Of The Lord. The sixth seal portends wrath during the Day Of The Lord. There is an interlude between the sixth and the seventh seals. During this interlude, the Shechinah, the sign of the Coming of the Son Of Man appears in the heavens, the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel are sealed with the seal of God for protection during the Day Of The Lord, and the saints are raptured into heaven, taken away from the scene of persecution from the antiChrist, and the wrath of God during the Day Of The Lord, which begins the very same day the surviving saints are translated into heaven(Rev.7). The interlude between the sixth and the seventh seal therefore protects from the wrath of God.

At the breaking of the sixth seal, the branded idol worshippers who worship the Beast, his image, and the Great Red Dragon, who gave power and authority to the Beast shall dispose of their idols to the moles and bats to hide in the rocks and the mountains, invoking these to fall upon them, and to hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”(Rev.6:15-17).

These branded worshippers of the Beast shall be composed of the high and low, the rich and the poor, the mighty men and generals of the armies of nations and kingdoms, bond and free.

We can see that Isa.2:11-22 parallels Rev.6:15-19:21, barring Rev.10-14 which is parenthetic. During this period, the Day Of The Lord’s Wrath, the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in That Day(Isa.2:11,17). It shall be a terrible day for every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low(v.12). It shall be upon the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures(vv.13-16). The cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan are the tallest of trees in the Mid East. They are figurative of the high and mighty, the powerful and influential men, the great men and the nobles. The mountains and hills symbolize the kingdoms of the Earth and their kings which shall be devastated by the wrath of God in the Day Of The Lord. All that man has achieved in defiance to God shall be destroyed, the skyscrapers, the lofty institutions of man, his global ideal epitomized by Babylon shall be utterly destroyed at the outpouring of the seventh bowl judgment. The cities of the nations shall be leveled by the great earthquake of the seventh bowl judgment. Apostle Peter asked us, seeing that all these things shall be destroyed, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness?(2 Pet.3:13,14).

“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”(Rev.16:17-21).

During the Day Of The Lord, the idols, the enlivened images of the Beast in gold, silver, precious stones, wood, etc shall be utterly abolished(v.18). Once the Day Of The Lord has begun, no man or idol shall be worshipped any more anywhere on the planet Earth. Men shall throw away their idols, the enlivened images of the Beast, to go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the Earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His Majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the Earth. Every man alive on Earth at that time shall know instinctively that God is about to punish the world for their evils. They will throw away their idols to run for their dear lives. God shall shake the heavens and Earth, and everything that man has built in defiance to God shall be destroyed(v.19).

“In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”(Isaiah 2:20-21). Based on this scenario painted by the prophet Isaiah and corroborated by all the other OT and NT prophets, and graphically summarized by Apostle John, the revelator, Isaiah admonished us, “cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted.”(v.22). This verse is applicable to every man, that man should not worship his fellow man. However, in context, it is referent to the antiMessiah, the ultimate superman who shall arise in the last days to demand worship of all mortals. We must not worship him. He is man not God. And because he is man, he shall die like every other mortal man. He is not to be accounted of anything.

The pretribulationists tell us the whole 70th week of Daniel is the wrath of God. And because the Church is not appointed unto wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus the Christ, the Church shall be raptured before the commencement of the 70th week of Daniel at the breaking of the first seal(1 Thess.1:10, 5:9). But it is inconceivable, in the light of the scenario painted by the prophets that after the wrath of God has begun in the Day Of His Wrath, that the antiChrist can arise, achieve a worldwide domination, transfer his headquarters to the Jewish Holy City of Jerusalem, demand worship of all men, desecrate the Third Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah, built for the worship of Jehovah, institute the Great Tribulation, brand men as farmers brand cattle, and slave dealers brand their victims, martyr the saints of the Most High all over the world, mount the enlivened images of himself at strategic locations all over the world for men to worship, attempt to kill everyone who refuses the mark of allegiance to him, in the day when the haughtiness of men shall be brought low and the idols utterly abolished? In the day when no man shall be exalted but God alone. All these theological and biblical impossibilities are flouted in an attempt to keep the Church out of the Great Tribulation. Impossible you will say, and you are right.

If the whole of the 70th week were the wrath of God, why are the three angelic announcements made at the midpoint of the 70th. Who shall go about proclaiming the gospel in the Day Of The Lord?(Rev.14:6,7). No one. Who shall abide in Babylon in the Day of her desolation?(Rev.14:8). No one. Who shall worship the Beast or his image in the Day Of The Lord?(Rev.14:9-13). No one. The Day Of The Lord is darkness and not light. It is a day of gloominess, as one did flee from a lion(the Great Tribulation), and bear(the wrath of God) met him; as if one did flee from a lion(the Great Tribulation), entered his house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent(the wrath of God) bit him(Amos 5:18-20). These men in spite of their stellar biblical scholarship and holy living have not rightly divided the word of God(2 Tim.2:15). They have failed to distinguish the wrath of Satan(Rev.12:12), man’s inhumanity to man, from the wrath of God(Rev.6:17) which is God’s direct intervention in the affairs of men to justify the righteous and punish the wicked who bowed to the image of the Beast. One of these dear ministers of God arrogantly tells us, if you are here after the rapture, I tell you 20 things you must do to survive the reign of the antiChrist. When I read through, I said to myself, these are the things he should teach his congregation now in order that they might survive the horrors of the Great Tribulation. He may sleep in the Lord before the antiChrist shows up, but certainly, some members of his congregation or their descendants after them shall one day face the horrors of the Great Tribulation by the antiChrist before the Rapture takes place.

Although the picture graphically painted here by the prophet Isaiah is gloomy, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Our God is wonderful. He works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. He knows all things. He knows the end from the beginning. The word spoken here concerns Judah and Jerusalem, but it has ripples all over the world. “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”(v1). Israel will not cease to be a nation before God. Jerusalem, her Holy and capital city will not be destroyed. There will be consummative and eschatological restorations. At the end of Armageddon, the whole Earth shall be renovated. The land of Israel shall be restored. Mount Zion shall be restored. It shall be elevated above all other mountains. On its summit shall sit the Fourth And Millennial Temple to be built by Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself(Ezek.40-43). Therefore it shall be called The Mountain Of The Lord’s House. All those from all nations who survived the Sheep And Goat Judgment after Armageddon shall flow unto it. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.”(v2).

The gentile survivors of the Sheep And Goat Judgment shall make yearly pilgrimages to Jerusalem to keep the Feast Of Tabernacles and to receive instructions on the Word Of God in order that they may learn to walk in His ways. They shall learn His instructions and do them; for out of Zion shall go forth The Law(Torah; instructions, teachings), and the Word Of the Lord from Jerusalem. “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”(v3). Our Lord Jesus, David’s greater Son shall be judge over the nations and peoples of the Earth. He shall rule with the rod of iron(ps.2:8). He shall rebuke the heathen(peoples). The nations shall not learn war anymore. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks. The nations shall not lift up sword one against another. Every man shall be under his vine and under his fig tree. The heavens and the Earth shall know peace and tranquility. The present laws that govern nature were instituted by Satan after the fall of Adam. They shall be abrogated. New and better laws that govern nature shall be instituted. There shall be no more hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, monsoon rains and landslides etc. There shall be neither pests nor plagues. There shall be no more wars nor hostility between nations. “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”(v4).

In the light of the proposed millennial reign of Christ, God invited the whole house of Jacob, both the Northern And Southern kingdoms, that is, all the twelves tribes to walk in the light of the Lord. The word of God is light. To receive divine instructions is to receive light. In Him was life and the light was the light of men(Jon.1:4). In thy light shall we see light(Ps.36:9). But the sons of Jacob rebelled. They wanted to be like the surrounding nations. They were replenished from the East, and became soothsayers like the Philistines. They entered into military alliances with neighboring nations. They entered into marriage contracts with foreign women which they were forbidden to do in the Law Of Moses(Exod.34:15,16). They also gave their daughters to the sons of strangers. They turned their sons hearts to worship foreign gods, the idols that the nations worshipped. They entered into trading agreements with the surrounding nations. They prospered materially and financially through trade with these nations. “Their land was full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures”(v7a). They entered into military alliances with these surrounding nations. Therefore they learned to trust in chariots and horses like these nations instead of the Name Of The Lord(Ps.2:7). “Their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots(v7b). Because of their disobedience and rebellion, the Lord forsook them. “Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob.”(v6).

Avraham Shallom.

The Jerusalem Campaign

”And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that in the countries enter thereinto. For these shall be the days of vengeance, that all things written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be Great Distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be lead away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”(Luk.21:20-24).

The phrase translated Great Distress here in verse 23 is the same translated Great Tribulation in Matt.24:21. As we can see here, the fleeing to the mountains of them that are in Judaea is associated with the surrounding of Jerusalem with armies. The same events associated with the surrounding of Jerusalem with armies is associated with the abomination of desolation standing in the place where it ought not, that is, the rebuilt Jewish temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem(Matt.24:15-20; Mark 13:14-18). We have already proven that this event, the abomination that maketh desolate which is the importation of the image of the antiMessiah into the Holy of Holies of the rebuilt Jewish temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem dedicated to the worship of Jehovah occurs precisely in the middle of the 70th seven of Daniel.

“For he shall cut the covenant with the many(from within Israel) for one week; and in the midst of the week(midpoint) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations, he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the one who maketh desolate”(Dan.9:27).

It therefore follows that these two events are concurrent. They occur when the restrainer is removed. When the opposition of Michael, the archangel that standeth for His people is removed, the Beast-antiChrist shall be at liberty to do as he pleases. This initial invasion of Jerusalem by the armies of the antiMessiah in order to enforce the apostasy is dubbed the Jerusalem campaign in order to distinguish it from the other two campaigns that will take place in the same vicinity, namely the Jehoshaphat campaign and the Armageddon campaign. The Armageddon campaign begins in the vicinity of Jerusalem also but ends in the Battle of Armageddon in the valley of Esdraelon in northern Israel, about 160 km north of Jerusalem.

This campaign which shall occur at the beginning of the Great Tribulation shall lead to increased death toll amongst Jews and Christians in the Holy land if it falls on the sabbath day or in the winter. ” And pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day”(Matt.24:20). If it occurs in the winter, many more Jews and Christians fleeing from the antiChrist persecution shall perish from exposure to the elements. Right now we are in the midst of refugee crisis in Europe fleeing ISIS persecution in Syria and Iraq. Something has to be done quickly to provide them shelter before the winter arrives. In the midst of the 70th week, there shall be no government or organization to provide shelter for Jews and Christians fleeing from the antiChrist in the Holy Land. There will be no Red Cross or Medicine sans frontier to provide them with medical care. These international NGOs will not be able to function due to wars and rumors of wars, and earthquakes in diverse places. There will be total disruption of communication and international cooperation. The rules of war enshrined in the Geneva Convention will be rubbished.

It shall be worst for the observant Jews if the flight associated with the invasion of Jerusalem by the antiChrist occurs on the sabbath day. The sabbath day journey is a little more that half a mile. The observant Jew shall run so far and no more. He shall be apprehended, coerced to capitulate to the authority of the antiMessiah by taking his mark of allegiance or be killed on refusal to comply. The majority of the observant Jews shall reject this Mark of allegiance to the antiMessiah outright and pay with their lives.

How difficult shall it be for pregnant mothers and those with children and women who are giving suck in those days? It shall be extremely difficult for them to get away from Jerusalem, more so if the flight occurs in the winter; and worst still on the sabbath day in the winter for the observant jewess. These women and their children shall not be able to go very far, and could die from exposure to the elements or be caught and be coerced to capitulate to the antiChrist or be liquidated on refusal to comply. Others will be taken taken into captivity. Some will be be publically humiliated.

Avraham Shallom.

Author’s Note: I have culled this article from my previous post, The Great Tribulation, to put it here, as it were, on the front page, to make it easier for those who visit our website, in preparation for our seminar on End Times, to access; for that is one of the topics we shall be discussing. Shalom! Maranatha.

The Jehoshaphat Campaign

Towards the end of the Great Tribulation, a little while before the cosmic disturbances that shall interrupt the Great Tribulation, the antiChrist and the nations surrounding Israel which are part of the 8th and Final Beast Empire or allied to the antiMessiah shall carry out another military campaign to destroy all in the land of Israel who do not have the Mark of the Beast. The Great Tribulation which began with the Jerusalem campaign in which Jerusalem was surrounded by the armies of the Beast, shall end with another military campaign carried out in the vicinity of Jerusalem to ferret out and destroy the remnants of Israel who repudiate the authority of the antiChrist by refusing to be chipped or branded with his Mark. These men, women, and children are hiding in cellars, basement, underground bunkers and sewers. This campaign called the Jehoshaphat campaign is the gathering of the armies of the Gentile nations that surround Israel which are part of the ten-nation confederation of the antiChrist, or which are not part of the confederation, but allied to the antiChrist like Jordan, in preparation for the second military assault on Jerusalem.

The Lord Himself shall draw these nations into the valley of Jehoshaphat prior to the inauguration of the Day Of The LORD. ” For behold in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and of Jerusalem, and I will gather all nations, and I will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will plead with them there for my people and my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land”(Joel 3:1,2). The intention of these nations shall be to totally destroy the nation of Israel, but God will gather them there to judge them instead. ” For behold, the Day Of The LORD cometh, and thy spoil, shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; the city shall be taken, and the housed riffled, and the women ravished; and half the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city(Zech.14:1,2). This will be very horrible. One half of the Jewish residents of the city shall be taken captive. Their houses shall be destroyed, and the women sexually violated. The residue of the Jewish residents who shall not be cut off from the city are those who are beast-marked. They are branded with the Mark of the Beast. Therefore they are free to reside in the city, and buy and sell without molestation by the security agents of the antiChrist. However, they shall face the wrath of God in the Day Of The LORD.

“Proclaim ye amongst the Gentiles; prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come all heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be awakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for their will I sit to judge the heathen round about. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the Day Of The LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heaven and earth shall shake: but the LORD shall be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy , and there shall no strangers pass through her any more(Joel 3:9-17).

It is obvious here that this campaign shall begin before the Day Of The LORD, when the sun, moon, and stars shall be darkened. But God shall interrupt this destruction by the armies of the antiChrist and the Gentile nations surrounding Israel with cosmoceletial disturbances. A substantial number of these armies shall be immediately annihilated by the cosmic and celestial disturbances. However some remnants of them shall survive the initial onslaught of the wrath of God, but shall finally be annihilated at Armageddon.

There are some biblical scholars that teach that this is part of the battle of Armageddon. The references to the sickle and the harvest in verse 13, indicate that is is part of the wrath of God. But it is also obvious that the gathering of the Gentiles for this battle occurs under the fourth seal of Rev.6. Remember that the fifth seal is a heavenly scene, reflecting the killings going on here on Earth under the fourth seal, the Great Tribulation, and is therefore concurrent with it. This second invasion of Jerusalem by the armies of the antiChrist shall be the final satanic act to destroy those who do not have the Mark of the Beast in and around Jerusalem, and the whole land of Israel during the Great Tribulation before God amputates it with cosmic disturbances. With the cosmic and celestial disturbances, these armies are incapacitated, and shall finally be annihilated at Armageddon a few years later.

The fact that this battle occurs just before the Day Of The LORD, distinguishes it from the Jerusalem campaign which occurs at the beginning of the the Great Tribulation, in the middle of the 70th seven of Daniel, and the battle of Armageddon that occurs 30 days after the end of the 70th week of Daniel. The Jehoshaphat campaign is a precursor to the Day Of The lord, and the return of Christ. This campaign as we have seen will involve the Gentile nations that surround Israel(Joel 3:11,12 Zech.12:6).

It is likely that these surrounding nations are the seven secondary nations of the ten nation confederation formed by the antiChrist. But they will also include other nations which are not part of the ten nation confederation which are allied to the antiChrist. The three power base nations would already have their armies stationed in Jerusalem by virtue of the Jerusalem campaign that occurred at the midpoint of the 70th week, at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. As a matter of fact, the three power base nations of Magog, Meshech, and Tuval shall station a protection force in the land of Israel and her Holy City , Jerusalem, right from the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel, following the 7-year peace agreement between Israel and the antiMessiah and his ten nation confederation. This accounts for the relative peace that Israel shall enjoy while wars rage on in all other parts of the world for the first three and one-half years of the 70th week of Daniel. This relative peace shall lull Israel into complacency until attacked by these forces at the midpoint of the 70th week of Daniel in the Jerusalem Campaign. The seven secondary nations of the ten nation confederation form a circle around Israel. Whichever these nation would be, the prophet Joel prophesied that God would gather these nations together into the valley of Jehoshaphat just before the Day Of The LORD. Therefore this campaign will occur sometime during the second half of the 70th seven of Daniel, just before God cuts short the Great Tribulation by the antiChrist with cosmic disturbances. The Scriptures did not name them, but gave us a description of them. They are the nations that surround Israel geographically.

Most biblical scholars believe the valley of Jehoshaphat is the kidron valley in the east of Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat means Jehovah judges which is an apt description. There is no valley in the OT named the valley of Jehoshaphat. It may be that Jehoshaphat was referring to the valley of Beracah located about six miles, approximately 10 Km, southwest of Bethlehem where king Jehoshaphat defeated the coalition forces of Moab, Ammon, and Edom(2 Chron.20:20-26). Whatever the exact location of this campaign, the Almighty God of Israel will defeat these arrogant, insolent, and ungodly nations.

The prophet Zechariah portrayed the same end time scenario. ” In that Day, saith saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open my eyes upon the house of Judah, and I will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a touch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again on her own place, even in Jerusalem(Zech.12:4-6).

The defeat of these armies by God in the valley of Jehoshaphat shall enable the clans of Judah to mount a counteroffensive against the antiChrist and his allies. It is important to remember that the Jehoshaphat campaign by the antiChrist will begin shortly before the Day Of The LORD is unleashed upon the Earth. The back-to-back sign of the end of the ages, and the sign of Christ’s coming, cannot occur until the Jehoshaphat campaign has been initiated against Israel and her Holy city Jerusalem. It is only after these crucial events that the return of the Lord shall be imminent.

Our Lord addressing His disciples on the end time scenario, said, “the days will come(during the Great Tribulation) when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son Of Man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, see here; or, see there: go not after them nor follow them. For as the lightening, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall the Son Of Man be in His day”(Luk.17:22-24).

Christ continued to admonish his disciples to pray and have faith in God, and not to faint, telling them the parable of the unjust judge. If the unjust judge grants the widow legal redress against her oppressors, so as not to be wearied by her continual coming, shall not God, The Righteous Judge of the Universe grant justice to His elect, who cry to Him, day and night? I tell you, He will grant them justice speedily. However, when the Son Of Man cometh, will He find faith on Earth?(Luk.18:1-8). Therefore we conclude, that the return of the Lord, initiated by the sign of the end of the ages , cannot be imminent until the persecution of the elect begins during the Great Tribulation by the antiChrist, after the beginning of the Jehoshaphat campaign and the cosmic disturbances. The sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven. There shall be universal darkness and frigidity. It is only after then shall we look for the sign of the coming of the Son Of Man, which is the Shekinah in the heaven. The Shekinah, the glorious presence of the God of Israel shall dispel the darkness and defrost the Earth. This is the sign of His Coming, the appearance of the Son Of Man in the heavens, and of the End Of The Ages.

Avraham Shallom.

Author’s Note: I have culled this article from my previous post, The Great Tribulation, to put it here, as it were, on the front page, to make it easier for those who visit our website, in preparation for our seminar on End Times, to access; for that is one of the topics we shall be discussing. Shalom! Maranatha.

The Last Trump

1 Cor.15 in its entirety is given over to a thorough treatment of the
doctrine of bodily resurrection. Bodily resurrection is an integral
part of the gospel. This lies in the fact that Christ died, and was
buried, but rose again from the dead on the third day according to the
Scriptures(1 Cor.15:1-11). Ab initio, Paul dealt with the irrefutable
logic that if there is no such thing as physical resurrection, then
Christ is not raised from the dead. If Christ is not raised from the
dead, our faith in Him is in vain, and we are still in our sins (1
Cor.15:17). Besides, the Apostles would be false witnesses of God;
because they testified of God that He raised Christ, whom He did not
raise up(1 Cor.15:15). Then those who died in Christ have perished(v.18). “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” Paul made the assertion that Christ rose from the dead; and His resurrection is an absolute and inviolate guarantee that all men will one day rise from the dead(1 Cor.15:55; Jon.5:25-29). “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept”(v.19). The twin enemies of man, death and the grave will finally and summarily be defeated at Christ’s Second Advent(1
Cor.15:20-34).

Paul also talked about the nature of bodily resurrection(1 Cor.15:20-50). At death and burial, the physical body is sown inweakness and dishonor. At the resurrection, it raise in power and glory(v.43). The highlight and the climax of Paul’s teaching and the revelation he received on the nature of bodily resurrection is that one generation of believers in Christ shall receive glorified eternal immortal resurrection body without passing through the intermediate
process of death(vv.51-58). “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall
not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the Last Trump: for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead in Christ shall be raised in corruptible, and we shall be
changed”(vv.51,52).

Apostle Paul referred to the fact that one generation of believers in Christ
will receive glorified eternal immortal bodies without dying
physically as a mystery. Mystery in Pauline theology has three
characteristics. Firstly, it means something that has always been part
of God’s plan. Secondly, it was not revealed in the OT, but revealed
in the NT. And thirdly, it is only known by divine revelation(Eph.3:5). Here are some of the significant biblical mysteries revealed in the NT: the mystery of iniquity(2 Thess.2:7); the mystery of
Israel’s blindness(Rom.11:12); the mystery concerning Christ and the
church(Eph.5:32); and the mysteries of the kingdom(Matt.13.11).

When we examine the mystery of Christ and the church, we see the three component parts or characteristics of a biblical mystery. ” How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in a few words, whereby when you read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs , and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel(Eph.3:3-6). Here Paul revealed that (1) the church had
always been part of God’s plan; (2) and that this biblical truth was
not revealed in the OT dispensation or ages; (3) and that it was
revealed to Paul and other apostles and prophets of the NT by direct
divine communications.

At the core of the purpose of biblical mystery therefore is the
unveiling in the NT dispensation, of a biblical truth that had always
been part of God’s plan but never before revealed in the past ages of
OT dispensation(Matt:13:11; Rom.11:25; 16:25; 1 Cor.2:7; 15:51;
Eph.3:3-5; 5:32; 6:19; Col.1:26,27; 2:2; 4:3; 1Thess.2:7; 1Tim.3:16;
Rev.1:20; 17:5,7). So, we can see here that Paul revealed to the
Corinthians that one generation of believers in Jesus the Messiah
shall receive a glorified eternal immortal resurrection body without
passage through the intermediate process of death, but by being
snatched or caught up or raptured to meet the Lord in the air(1 Cor.15:51; 1 Thess.4:16,17). He also revealed when that Rapture will
take place, “at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”(v.52).
It therefore means that if we identify the last trump, we shall be
able to pinpoint in the eschatological timeline the exact occasion at
which the rapture will occur.

Posttribulationists identify the last trump with the seventh trumpet
of Rev.11:15-19. They also understand it to occur at the end of the
70th week of Daniel. They therefore conclude that since the rapture
must occur at the last trump, and the last trump occurs at the end of
the 70th seven of Daniel, it therefore follows that the rapture must
occur at the end of the 70th seven of Daniel. In other words, the
rapture must be posttribulational. Therefore the church must of
necessity go through the The Day Of The Lord judgment. The midtribulationists also identify the last trump with the seventh trumpet judgment. But unlike the postribulationists, midtribulationists like J. Oliver Buswell place the sounding of the seventh trumpet precisely in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel. They therefore conclude that the church shall be raptured precisely at the midpoint of the 70th seven of Daniel. Therefore the rapture will be midtribuational.
Pretribulationists do not make any strong appeal to the last trump in
relation to the timing of the rapture. The reason for their absence of
appeal to the last trump is obvious. If the rapture were to occur at
the last trump, Pretribulation rapturism have no way to exegetically associate a pre-seventieth week rapture with the last trump.

As we have pointed out earlier, a biblical mystery is the unveiling of
something that had always been part of God’s plan, but not previously
revealed in the OT, but revealed in the NT. The mystery which Apostle
Paul revealed to the Corinthians was that a generation of believers
shall receive a glorified eternal immortal resurrection body without
dying, i.e., through rapture, and that event will occur at the last
trump of God. It must also have been understood and accepted by the
Corinthians. The book of First Corinthians was written around 55-56 AD. The last of the NT books to be written was the Scroll of
Revelation. It was penned by the Apostle John, the revelator about 96
AD. That means there is a gap of forty years between the writing of
these two books of the NT. For Paul’s teaching on the mystery of
bodily resurrection to be meaningful to the Corinthians, they must
have understood the phrase, at the last trump, without the benefit of
the Scroll of Revelation which was written forty years later.

The trumpet played a significant role in the religious ritual of
Judaism and the children of Israel. It’s use began at the time of the
exodus from Egypt, during the wilderness wandering in the time of
Moses. It continues to the present day. When the Israeli army captured
Jerusalem from Jordan during the six day war, on June 7, 1967, after
nineteen years of Jordanian occupation, Rabbi Shlomo Goren, the then chief rabbi of the Israeli army blow the trumpet. He was symbolically calling world jewry to Jerusalem. Today as in Old Testament times, the trumpet is blown at the new moon(Num.10:10), on Israel’s feast days(Lev.25:9), to call a solemn assembly(Num.10:2,3), and to
prepare for war(Num.10:9). The Lord commanded Moses,

“Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shall thou make
them, that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and
for the journeying of the camps. And when thou shall blow with them,
all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation(Num.10:2,3).

During the wilderness wandering, the tabernacle was the dwelling place
of God amongst His people, Israel. To assemble at the tabernacle was
to assemble in God’s presence. Similarly, at the rapture, the trumpet
shall be blown to call the church to the presence of God in heaven.
Our brother Paul writing to the Corinthians said, ” For the Lord
Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall
rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so
shall we ever be with the Lord(1 Thess.4:16,17). And once again, Our
brother Apostle Paul in that classic passage on the Rapture in First
Corinthians 15, wrote: “Behold I show a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, At The Last Trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”(1 Cor.15:51,52).

As we have pointed out earlier, apart from the calling of a solemn
assembly, the second major purpose of the sounding of the trumpet in
ancient Israel was to prepare for war. “And if you go to war in your
land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an
alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord
your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies”( Num.10:9).

At the conquest of Jericho, the priests blew the trumpet(Josh.6:4-6). At the defeat of the oppressive Moabites, the judge Ehud blew the trumpet ( Jud.3:27-30). At the defeat of the Midianites Gideon and his small band of three hundred brave men blew the trumpet(Jug.6:34; 7:8-9,13-16,20,22). At the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem by the returning exiles, Nehemiah instructed the Jews to blow the trumpet whenever under attack by their enemies. “And I said
unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, the
work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, and one
far from another. In whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet,
resort ye there unto us. Our God shall fight for us”(Neh.4:19,20).

Because God is about to go to war with His enemies, who are also the
enemies of the children of God and Israel, the trumpet shall be blown
at the start of the Day Of The Lord. The prophet Joel wrote, “Blow
the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Let all
the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the Day Of The Lord cometh,
for it is near at hand”(Joel 2:1 ). The trumpet shall be blown shortly before the day of the Lord begins. The prophet Zephaniah proclaimed, “The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteneth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord; the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of
trouble and distress, a day of waste and desolation, a day of darkness
and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the
trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities, and against the high
towers”(Zeph1:14-16).

The last trump therefore is the final climatic, consummative and
eschatological outpouring of the wrath of God. The Day Of The Lord
commences with the blowing of a trumpet. The final judgment of God
upon the living wicked earth-dwellers is called The Day Of The Lord.

We conclude therefore that the Corinthians understood that truth. The truth which our brother Paul communicated to them was that one
generation of believers in Christ Jesus shall receive glorified eternal immortal resurrection bodies without passage through the
intermediate process of death. And this shall occur through rapture.
And that rapture will occur at the last trump, the final climatic and
eschatological Day Of The Lord. The trumpet shall be blown, the dead
in Christ shall be raised incorruptible, the living believers
raptured, and then the wrath of God upon the living wicked
earth-dwellers shall begin to be poured out. “For God hath not
appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus
The Christ”(1Thess.5:9).

According to the Scroll of Revelation, God’s wrath is to be meted out
to the living wicked earth-dwellers at the breaking of the seventh
seal(Rev.6:17). The seventh seal involves no direct judgment of its
own, but opens into the seven trumpets. In like manner also, the
seventh trumpet involves no judgement of its own, but opens into the seven bowls. Therefore the seventh seal alone contains both the seven trumpets and the seven bowls. When the seventh seal is broken(Rev.8:1), the seven trumpets and the seven bowls will progressively unfold. They are part of a comprehensive whole. Collectively, the seven trumpets and the seven bowls are God’s Day Of The Lord wrath, the final climatic, comprehensive and consummative eschatological judgment. The last trump is the same as the seventh seal. The Rapture occurs at the last trump(1Cor.15:51-52). The rapture also occurs at the breaking of the seventh seal, immediately prior to the commencement of the outpouring of the wrath of God.

 

Avraham Shallom.

A Great Multitude No Man Could Number

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these who,are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and For shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”(Rev.7:9-15).

The identification of this special group, a great multitude which no one could number is very crucial to the timing of the Rapture. The traditional view of pretribulationists on this great multitude as exemplified by John F. Walvoord is that Rev.7 does not advance the narrative, but draws attention to two major groups of saints in the tribulation. He describes the opening portion of the chapter as picturing the 144,000 representative of the godly remnant of Israel on earth in the great tribulation. The latter part he describes a great multitude of martyred saints in heaven, those who died as a testimony to their faith from every kindred, tongue and nation. However, it is not recorded any where in their description in considerable details that they are all martyred saints.

In Rev.6, at the breaking of the fifth seal, martyred saints are described. Their martyrdom occurred during the Great Tribulation at the hand of the antiChrist. “And when he had broken the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and the testimony which they held.”(Rev.6:9). They cried out to God for their blood to be avenged on  the perpetrators of their martyrdom ” them that dwell on the earth”(Rev.6:10). God answered in the affirmative. They were given white robes and told to “rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”(Rev.6:11). There is a complement of believers to be martyred. When that number is complete, God amputates the Great Tribulation by the antiMessiah with cosmic disturbances. These martyred saints are given glorified eternal immortal resurrection bodies on the first day of the millennium. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded(cephalizo) for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had receive his mark upon their foreheads, or in their right hands; and they live and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”(Rev.20:4).

The great multitude which no could number in Rev.7, is a different group from the martyrs under the fifth seal in Rev.6. For the following reasons.

(1) Innumerability

They are so numerous that they cannot be numbered. This is a figure of speech, a hyperbole, an overstatement.  It simply means that they are a very great and large number of people. Given some time they could be numbered, but it will be difficult to number them in a short while. This is in marked contrast to the 144,000 that could be easily number in short while.

(2) Internationality

They are international in scope. They include all nations, kindreds, peoples, and languages or tongues. “After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”(Rev.7:9). In contrast to the fifth seal martyrs, they are simply said to be martyrs. No  information was provided on their nationalities. It is most probable they are also international in scope. But that information was not given in the relevant passage of the Scriptures.

(3) Martyrdom

The fifth seal saints are said to be martyrs under the altar of the temple in Heaven. There is no biblical evidence this great innumerable multitude are martyrs. A martyr is a saint, a believer in Jesus Christ who is slain for for his faith. For this great multitude to be martyrs, one must postulate that after the Rapture, within the 70th Week of Daniel, in the second half but prior to the cosmic disturbances, a universal multitude of such great magnitude that they could not be enumerated, were saved, baptized, became witnesses for Christ, and were slain for their testimony, appear in Heaven, and are now seen before the throne of God. There is no biblical evidence that such evangelistic success occurred. According to Pretribulation rapturism, the 144,000 have just been sealed. There is no indication that the two witnesses have met with any success in their ministry(Rev.1:3-10). Besides, it is debatable whether the three angelic announcements have been made(Rev.14:6). If these are martyrs, how can one account for this innumerable international and universal multitude of believers after the church is taken away, and God is dealing primarily with Israel according to pretribulationists.

(4) Resurrection Bodies

In Rev.6, the martyrs are souls under the altar. They have not yet received their glorified eternal immortal resurrection bodies. They are souls “under the altar”(Rev.6:9). They are disembodied souls and spirits without glorified eternal immortal resurrection bodies. What the Apostle, John, the revelator saw was their spirit bodies. The soul is internal to the spirit body. It is fluid and invisible even in the spirit realm. The soul is the constellation of the will, intellect and emotion. The spirit body corresponds more or less to the physical body. There is a physical body. There is also a spirit body, and there is a glorified eternal immortal resurrection body(a spiritual body).

In contrast, the great multitude which no man could number in Rev.7, are standing “before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”(Rev.7:9). They are resurrected saints; they have received their glorified eternal immortal resurrection bodies. They are clothed with immortality.

(5) Appeal For Vengeance

In Rev.6, the souls under the altar appeal to God for vengeance for their blood(Rev.6:9,10). In contrast the great multitude in Rev.7, are proclaiming with a loud voice, “Salvation to our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb.”(Rev.7:10).

(6) Recognition

In Rev.7, the Apostle John the revelator did not know who this great innumerable multitude were. He did not recognize them. When the elder asked him, “who are these…? “(v.13). His response was, “Sir, thou knowest” v.14). The answer is a clear admission that he did not recognize them. In contrast to Rev.6, John the revelator immediately recognized them as those “slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held” ( Rev.6:9).

Conclusion

The question one would ask would be if this great innumerable multitude with universal representation who suddenly appear in heaven, are not martyrs, who are ? The great innumerable and universal multitude, appearing in heaven, clothed with white robes which signal righteousness, and standing in the presence of God with palms  in their hands, signaling justification and triumph, is the raptured church. This event occurs immediately prior to the breaking of the seventh seal which signals the beginning of the outpouring of the wrath of God(Rev.8:1). The church is raptured before the wrath of God begins. “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ(1 Thess.1:5:9).

John is asked two questions concerning this innumerable multitude by the elder: “who are these arrayed in white robes?” , and “From whence do they come?”(Rev.7:13). John did not know the answer to any of the two questions. The elder, the interviewer answered those questions himself. With regards to the question, who are they, he told John they are those who “washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” And for the question, “from whence did they come, he told him, “These are they which came out of the Great Tribulation”(Rev.7:14). It is therefore most probable that the small, and supposedly insignificantly church of the First Century AD have become a Great innumerable multitude.

“And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God”(Rev.7:11).

We see here that a heavenly host was worshipping God in the Throne Room in Heaven in the behalf of this great multitude, but the church is no where to be found, conspicuously absent as it were. If the church have been raptured pretribulationally, one would expect the church to be present amongst the welcoming heavenly host. We conclude therefore that the great innumerable and universal multitude is the raptured church in Heaven. It is the church that entered the 70th week of Daniel, went through the Great Tribulation, some of whom were martyred, emerged triumphant, and were raptured after the cosmic disturbance that terminated the Great Tribulation, but prior to the breaking of the seventh seal which commences the outpouring of the wrath of God upon the living wicked earth-dwellers, adorers, and worshippers of the antiMessiah.

The symmetry, balance, and timing of Rev.7 should not be missed. It is sandwiched between Rev.6:12-17 after the cosmic disturbance which announces the outpouring of the wrath of God, and Rev.7:1-8, which is the sealing of the 144,000, and Rev.8:1, which is the breaking of the seventh, the commencement of the outpouring of the wrath of God. In Rev.8, the wrath of God begins. In Rev.7, the church is raptured. But immediately prior to the rapture of the church, the 144,000 from the twelves tribes of Israel are sealed for protection prior to the outpouring of the wrath of God. God will not leave Himself without a witness and a representation on Earth. If at any point in time there is no divine representation on Earth, then, Satan has become the sovereign lord of the Earth. But that would not be allowed to happen. The 144,000 are sealed for protection to go through the wrath of God in order that the church can be raptured to the Throne Room in Heaven.

Avraham Shallom.

The Parable Of The Wheat And The Tares.

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”(Matt.13:24-30).

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”(Matt.13:36-43).

In order to understand this parable, there are certain biblical concepts we must understand. The first is the Hebrew concept of age. In Judaism, there are two ages, the present age and the age to come. The present age relates to the rule of Satan over the earthly realm of God’s universal kingdom. God created the world and leased it to Adam for six days. God created the world in six days. The seventh day, He rested. Therefore, God hallowed the seventh day. Each of those six days corresponds to a millennium.

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”(2 Pet.3:8).

In other words, Adam was to rule the world for six millennia. The seventh millennium will be the Shabbat of the Lord. Adam sold out to Satan. So, Satan became the god of this age(2 Cor.4:4; Eph.2:2). Because it was a lease and not a sale, neither Adam nor Satan had access to the title deed of the Earth. The lease will expire at the end of the sixth millennium, after which the rulership of the Earth will revert back to God who has the title deed of the Earth. The title deed of the Earth is the seven sealed Scroll of Revelation(Rev.5,6). The seven sealed scroll may be a certificate of debenture, but that will not serve our purpose for now.

In Abram’s encounter with Melkizedek after the slaughter of the kings and rescue of his nephew, Lot, Melkizedek, the priest of the Most High God acknowledged before Abram that the Most High God is the possessor of the heavens and the Earth.

“And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:”(Gen.14:19). Here Melkizedek acknowledged that God’s kingdom is universal. But there are earthly and heavenly realms of God’s universal kingdom. God dwells in Heaven, but He rules over the Earth by proxy. The headquarters of God’s universal kingdom is in Heaven.

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.”(Ps.115:16).

God is a spirit being. Though He has a form that is comparable to the shape of the physical body of man, he has no physical body with which to relate to the external physical environment. Therefore, He has to rule the Earth through a human representative, and Adam. God never created man to live with Him for ever in heaven. If that were the case, man would not have needed a physical body. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” ( 1 Cor.15:50 ). Our physical body is given us to relate with our external physical environment. It is like a transducer that enables us to relate to the external physical environment.

Satan also is a spirit being like God without a physical body. So, he too cannot rule the world directly. He must do so through a human representative, an Adam. His bodily representation on Earth in the final conflict will be in the person of the antiChrist.

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?”(Rev.13:1-4).

Because of the failure of the first Adam, God had to become man in order to reclaim His rulership over the earthly domain of His universal kingdom. Hence the necessity for the incarnation. Of course, this is not the only reason for the incarnation. Man has fallen into sin, and has to be redeemed by a kinsman redeemer, the goel. Inasmuch as no man was found sinless to make atonement for man, God also became man to make atonement for the sin of mankind.

The present age, “olam haze,”(Hebrew: This age ), is the age of sin and evil. It is the age of night and darkness. It is the period of Satan’s rule over the Earth. The age to come, (Hebrew: olam haba), is the age of day and light. It is the age when righteousness reigns. It will be the age of God’s rule over the Earth.

Another thing we must understand is the various Greek words that are rendered world in the KJV translation. There are three of these Greek words. The first we shall consider is the word “cosmos.” It is from this word that the English word cosmic and its cognates like, cosmetic, cosmetology, cosmology, etc, are derived. It refers to the physical planet Earth primarily. Sometimes, it refers to the inhabitants of the planet Earth. On other occasions it may refer to the organization of the world, its embellishments, the cosmeticus. In Jon.3:16, it is written:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”(Jon 3:16).

Here it is obvious that what God loved was not the physical planet, Earth, but the inhabitants. It therefore follows that the context determines the meaning of this word.

The second Greek word rendered world is “eion.” It refers to the moving world. It is better rendered age. The Greek phrase “zoe eioneis” is what is rendered everlasting life in Jon.3:16. It is better rendered “life of the age to come.” Both the believer and the unbeliever will live for ever. The difference is in the quality of life. The quality of the life of the unbeliever is so poor and miserable that it is considered eternal death. The believer, though living in the present age, has acquired the life of the age to come. He is not of night and darkness, but of the day and light. The unbeliever, on the other hand is of the night and darkness, the life of the present age.

“But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”(1 Thess. 5:4-9).

Believers are of a different age entirely. Their manner of life is different. Their desires and aspiration are heavenly. They are not of this world, simply because they are not of this age. They are born from above.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”(Jon.3:3).

The Greek phrase translated born again in KJV is “gnoteinai anoten.” It means “born from above.”

“He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.”(Jon 3:31).

The life of the present age is earthbound, mundane, and leads to death, but the life of the age to come is spiritual, and leads to eternal bliss. Jesus told the Jewish leaders of His day:

“And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” Jon.8:23 ).

The origin of their life and thinking is earthly and mundane, but the origin of life and thinking of Jesus is from above, heavenly. Believers have the nature and life of Jesus. The origin of their life is heavenly. Therefore, their affections and desires must be from above like that of Jesus. Colossians 3 & 4 tell us what this new life entails. Our affections must be set on things above, not on things on and of the earth(Col.3:1-4).

The third Greek word is “oikoumene.” It is derived from the Greek word “oikos” which means house. It refers to the inhabited world. Seven eighth of the Earth’s surface is covered by waters. This reference excludes all these in addition to the unhabited mountains like the Alps and the Drekensbergs, etc.

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”(Rev.16:13-14).

The reference here is to the inhabited areas of the world. Jesus told us in the Olivet Discourse that the gospel must be preached in the the world before the end(of the Ages) comes.

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”(Matt.24:14).

The world here is “oikoumene” and refers to the inhabited world.

Let us now look at the word rendered “tares” in the parable of the wheat and the tares. Some translators render it weeds. This is absolutely erroneous. The Hebrew word rendered tares is “darnel.” It is wild wheat. In the early stages of growth, it is indistinguishable from the real wheat. In ancient Israel, the farmer did not try to weed out this wild wheat at all, because in so doing he weeded out some of the real wheat also. So, what the farmer did was to allow both of them to grow together till the time of harvest when they were clearly distinguishable from the real wheat. He first of all gathered the wild wheat into bundles which he heaped up at the edges of his farm. Then he harvested the real wheat into his granary. Afterwards he burned the bundled heaps of wild wheat at the edges of his farm. Jesus used this agricultural practice in Palestine Of His day to illustrate the divine Harvest that will occur at the End Of The Ages.

In interpreting the parable of the wheat and the tares, Jesus said: ” he that sowed the good seed is the “Son Of Man.” The phrase, Son Of Man is Jesus’ favorite appellative to Himself. It has to do with God’s rulership over the Earth. The Son Of Man is God’s representative in the earthly domain of His universal kingdom. “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” ( 1 Cor.15:45-48 ).

The first Adam, our great great grandfather was made a living being. The last Adam, our Lord Jesus the Christ is a quickening spirit. As the last Adam, Jesus took the whole of humanity to death on the execution state. As the second man, he created a new species of human beings. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” ( 2 Cor.5:17 ). The first man is of the earth, earthy, but the second man is the Lord from the heavens. The first Adam failed. The last Adam, the second man, who is the Lord from the heaven will reclaim God’s rulership over the Earth which was usurped by Satan. The reclamation of God’s rule over the Earth will occur at the End Of The Ages.

The End Of The Ages is the point of transition from the present age, olam haze to the age to come, olam haba. This point of transition will occur at the expiry of the sixth millennium which is the end of God’s lease of the earthly domain of His universal kingdom to Adam, which was usurped by Satan. The 70th week of Daniel is the last seven years of the sixth millennium. The End Of The Ages cannot occur outside of or before the 70th week of Daniel. The End Of The Ages occurs within the 70th week of Daniel and beyond. The final harvest occurs at the End Of The Ages. Therefore the final harvest cannot occur before the 70th week of Daniel. It is at the End Of The Ages that Jesus will appear to rapture the Church and institute His Day Of The Lord judgment of the wicked earth-dwellers. It is therefore biblically inaccurate to preach and teach Rapture before the commencement of the 70th week, for the simple reason that Rapture occurs at the End Of The Ages, and the End Of The Ages begins inside the 70th week of Daniel and extends beyond it. Therefore, the rapture cannot be signless, imminent or occur at any moment; it must be preceded by the separation of the Wheat from the tares. Satan’s control of the Earth will expire at the end of the sixth millennium. Satan’s rule of the Earth is legal and binding because the transfer of the rulership of the Earth to Satan was legally done. Adam was God’s representative on Earth. He had the legal right to carry out the transaction in the behalf of God but he did not have the moral right to do so. But because it was legal, it was binding.

At the temptation in the wilderness, Satan took Jesus to a very high mountains from where he showed Him the kingdoms of the world and the glory of the them.

“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”(Luk.4:5-8).

He boasted the kingdoms of this age have been delivered unto him. When were they delivered to him? At the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Jesus did not challenge him on this count because like we pointed out earlier, it was a legal transaction and therefore binding. He further said that he would deliver it to Jesus if Jesus would bow down and worship him. Satan knew very well the kingdom will revert back to God at the end of the sixth millennium. If Jesus wanted it earlier He had to submit to Satan. What Satan offered Jesus was a subsidiary role under the rule of Satan, which was no role at all. What an insult? Will the creator worship His creature? Satan wanted Jesus to be a cop out. Jesus answered him, “thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shall thou serve.” What Jesus was saying was that He will be patient till the expiration of the sixth millennium, then Satan shall be evicted, kicked out from the Earth’s premises. Satan has never claimed to be the creator of the Earth for the simple reason that it is obvious he did not. He said it was delivered to him. He did not say he created it.

Jesus told us plainly that the good seed, the real wheat are the children of the kingdom. He, Jesus, the son of God sowed them. The tares, the wild wheat are the children of the wicked one. The enemy that sowed them is the Devil, the usurper of God’s rule and authority over the Earth. The Harvest is the end of the Ages, and the reapers are the angels. The reapers are the obedient and faithful angels not the fallen ones who are evil. Those are the demons and idols that men worship. The parable is agricultural, but its meaning is cosmopolitical. It is at the heart of the cosmic conflict. It is the transfer of power to God at the end of the sixth millennium. At the end of the ages, the tares, the children of the wicked one, shall be bundled into heaps to be burned by being branded with the mark of the antiChrist during the Great Tribulation. The real wheat, the sons of the kingdom, are harvested into the granary, that is raptured into Heaven. Thereafter, the tares, the Beast marked earth-dwellers are burned with fire.

“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”(Matt.3:12; Luk.3:17).

To separate the Wheat from the chaff, the whole grain is beaten with an instrument, then tossed into the air with the winnowing fork. The chaff is blown away by the wind while the grain which is heavier falls down on the spot. The rapture cannot occur without the separation of The Wheat from The Tares. They reach maturation during the Great Tribulation when the tares are marked for destruction by branding them with the mark of allegiance to the antiChrist. To preach rapture before the Great Tribulation is to attempt the final harvest when the wheat and the tares, their look alike are not yet separable from the wheat. There will be cases of mistaken identities. Some real wheat will be mistaken for the tares. Therefore, rapture before the Great Tribulation is impossible. These are the words of Jesus.

To preach rapture before the children of the wicked one are ripe for harvest and marked for destruction is to court disaster. How then can one distinguish the real Wheat from the tares inasmuch as they are growing together and look alike? The separation occurs during the Great Tribulation in the second half of the 70th week of Daniel. The sons of the wicked one shall be branded with the mark of the Beast. Then the cosmic disturbances shall announce the coming of the Lord and the institution of the day of His wrath which no mortal shall be able to stand.

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”(Rev.6:12-17).

He shall appear in the heavens with the sound of the trumpet. The angelic reapers shall be dispatched to gather together His own from one end of heaven to the other.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”(Matt.24:29-31).

Thereafter, the Beast branded sons of the wicked one are burned with fire in the Day of the Lord’s wrath at the End Of The Ages.

In the Olivet Discourse, the disciples asked Jesus the question, “what shall be the sign of the thy coming and of the End Of The Ages?” The Greek word rendered sign is “semeion.” It is singular. Therefore there is only one sign which indicates His coming and the End Of The Ages. Why were His disciples curious about the sign of His coming and the End Of The Ages? Because the two events are concurrent. The coming of Jesus occurs at the End Of The Ages. It is at the End Of The Ages also that the final harvest will occur. If we identify the End Of The Ages, we shall know the general time period of His coming. This does not however mean that we will know the day and the hour. We cannot know the day and hour of His coming, but we can know the general time period of His coming. Jesus did not answer the question of His disciples directly, but went about enumerating a series of events that will lead to the End Of The Ages starting from the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel.

First will be the emergence of false christs(Matt.24:4,5; Rev.6.1,2). This will be followed by wars, commotions, and rumours of wars(Matt.246,7a; Rev.6:3,4 ). Thirdly, there will be famines, pestilence and earthquakes in diverse places which bring closure to the first half of the 70th week of Daniel, the beginning of sorrows or beginning birth pangs(Matt.24:7b,8; Rev.6:5,6). Beginning from the midpoint of the 70th week, Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies as the antiChrist relocates his headquarters to Jerusalem, and makes his debut at the rebuilt Jewish temple on mount Moriah (Matt.24:15; Mk.13:14; Luk.21:20; Dan.11:45; 2Thess.2:3,4). This move will spark the Great Tribulation(Matt.24:9-24; Rev.6:7,8). The real hard labour begins. At the breaking of the fifth seal, the souls of the martyred saints are arriving in heaven and are quartered under the golden altar of incense in the Holy Place from where they make their plea of vengeance to God. God answered in the affirmative, but they have to wait until the complement of martyrs is reached(Rev.6:9-11). Thereafter God amputates the Great Tribulation with cosmic disturbances(Matt.24:29; Rev.6:12-14). Then shall appear the sign of His coming and Of the End Of The Ages(Matt.24:30). When Jesus appears in the heavens, The angelic reapers are dispatched to gather His elect from the fourwinds of the heavens(Matt.24:28,31). This is the final harvest that marks the starting point of the End Of The Ages. It is at this point that the 144,000 are sealed for protection from the wrath of God, and the Church raptured to take them away from the scene of persecution(Rev.7:1-17). Then the living wicked earth-dwellers are burned with fire as the wrath of God is poured out on them ( Rev.8,9,16,17,18,19 ).

Avraham Shallom.

The Fig Tree: A Figure Of Israel?

“Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”(Matt.21:18-22).

The parallel account in Mark reads:

“And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it”(Mk.11:12-14).

If the fig tree were a symbol of Israel, it would mean that Christ cursed Israel, that Israel would not be fruitful for ever. It would also mean that Israel withered away and died. Though Israel was exiled for nearly two millennia, the Jewish people live on, and Israel stands in the comity of nations today. It would mean that God contradicted Himself. “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”(Gen. 12:1-3).

It would also mean that God cursed Himself, because whoever curses Israel will be cursed by God. It would also mean that all the families of the Earth would not be blessed. It would mean also that no man would eat any fruit from Israel and the Jewish people from thence forward and for ever. False you would say, and you are right. Israel invented drip irrigation which has revolutionised farming in some arid and poverty striken African nations.

All these negative inferences would be right were the fig tree to symbolize Israel. But we know they are all wrong. For starters, salvation is of the Jews.

“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews”(Jon. 4:22).

Apostle Paul wrote:

“What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God”(Roms.3:1-2).

“To them also partaineth the covenant, the glory, the giving of the law, and the promises etc….”Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen”(Roms.9:4-5).

Shortly after this imprecatory invocation on the fig tree, Jesus went to the execution stake where He procured salvation for all humanity. Jesus is Israel’s greatest blessing to humanity. Would Jesus curse Israel when He, the greatest of the sons of Jacob, was about to hang on the cross to secure God’s greatest gift to humanity? One of His seven words on the execution stake was “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luk.23:24). One cannot curse whom God had blessed. The prophet Balaam could not curse whom God had not cursed; he could not defy whom God had not defied (Num.23:8). Jesus could not curse Israel because the Father had already Blessed Israel. As matter of fact, Jesus is God’s greatest blessing on Israel. Jesus never invoked any imprecations on the whole nation of Israel.

The ones He invoked woes on were the hypocrites: the Pharisees, Saddusees, the Herodians, the corrupt religious and political leaders of the nation.

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers” (Matt.23:13-16, 23-32; Luk.11:42-52).

Jesus also invoked woes on the impenitent cities in which he ministered: Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum: “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee” (Matt.11:21-24; cf. Luk.10:13).

Jesus invoked woe on the world because of offences. “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” (Matt.18:7; cp. Luk.17:1).

Jesus invoked woe on him by whom He was betrayed, Judas, the man from Iscara.

“The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said” (Matt.26:24-25; cf. Mk.14:21; Luk.22:22).

Jesus also invoked woes on pregnant women, and nursing mothers, those who give suck to children during the Great Tribulation.

“And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!” (Matthew 24:19; cp. Mk.13:17; Luk.21:23).

This would be so because of increased death toll due to exposure to the elements and inability to move away quickly from Jerusalem and it’s environs which are being surrounded by the armies of the Beast. “Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (Luk.21:21-22).

This event shall occur precisely at the midpoint of the 70th week when the antiChrist shall relocate his headquarters to Jerusalem, violate the secret precincts of the rebuilt Third Jewish Temple on Moriah in Jerusalem, declare himself God in the midst therefore, and demand worship of all mortals.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:'(Matt.24:15-16; cf.Mk.13:14-16).

The antiChrist shall declare himself God in the Temple of God.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God”(2 Thess.2:3-4).

Jesus invoked woe on the rich who do not known Him, for they have received their consolation.

“But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation”(Luk.6:24).

Jesus invokes woe on those who are full who do not know Him, for they shall hunger. He also invoked woe on those who laugh now in defiance to God, for they shall mourn and weep.

“Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep”(Luk.6:25).

Jesus invoked woe on those who love to be well spoken of by men without caring about their standing before God. This is the portion of the false prophets. “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets”(Luk.6:26).

In the parable of the vineyard, Jesus again indicted the chief priests and the Pharisees.

“Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.”(Matt.21:33-46).

The chief priests and the Pharisees were wise enough to perceive that Jesus spoke the parable against them. There would be a change of leadership within the framework of new religious and national order. The leaders of this new order would come from all nations, so also the members of this new order. The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation bearing the fruits thereof. This new nation no doubt is the Church. This is the mystery and invisible form of the kingdom. This assertion however, does not mean that God was finished with Israel as some affirm. It has no national boundaries; it is a nation within nations; a kingdom within kingdoms. It consists of Jews and Gentiles. Jesus had a grouse with the leadership of Israel, not the whole nation. He had nothing against the ordinary people of the land, the common man in the street. Jesus never invoked any imprecatory woes on the nation of Israel as whole. His grouse was with the nation’s religious and political leaderships as represented by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians. He warned His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Herodians.

“And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”(Matt.16:5-12).

The Pharisees were hypocritical(Luk.12:1). They sat in Moses’ seat.

“Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”(Matt.23:1-12).

They said the right things but did not do them. They loved greetings in the market places, and the best seats in the synagogues. They would rob a widow’s house, and for pretense, make long prayers. They loved to wear long robes and phylacteries, and they loved greetings in the marketplace. They coverted the best seats in the synagogues. They went about establishing rules to prevent breaking the Torah, which in turn lead the people away from the Torah. Over time, their traditions became more valuable to them than the Torah. Even till this day, the Jewish rabbis and their disciples study more of the Talmud and the writings and sayings of their sages and rabbis than the Torah. They engaged in hair-splitting arguments that were not understood by the ordinary people of the land, and had no practical relevance to their lives. They said if one swore by the Temple, it was nothing, but if one swore by the gold of the Temple, it was binding. They said if one swore by the altar, it was not binding: but if one swore by the gift at the altar, it was binding(Matt.23:16-22). Which was more important, the gift at the altar, or the altar that sanctified the gift? They taught the people to say to their parents, corban; it is a gift whatever you may be profited by me. And so, neglect to care for their parents and were therefore exonerated from their responsibilities to their parents to requite them(Mk.7:11). They led the people astray. They were blind leaders of the blind. They strained at a gnat, but swallowed a camel. They paid tithe to the minutest detail, but failed to deal with the weightier matters of the Torah: faith, love, justice, and mercy. Jesus never condemned them for tithing to the minutest details, but for neglecting faith, love, justice and mercy.

The Sadducees on the other hand were sceptics. Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Sadducees which was the unbelief of the Sadducees(Matt.16:6,12). The high priests came from this religious sect(Acts 5:17). They were also corrupt. There was a lot of infighting for the position of the high priest. Some families would bribe the Roman authorities to be favored with the position of high priest. They controlled the Temple tax and treasures which they used to enrich themselves. They commercialized Temple worship into a bureau de change. The Roman coin imprinted with the Roman eagle, a symbol of idolatry was unacceptable in the Temple. They were permitted by the Romans to mint their own coin. Jews and Gentiles converts to Judaism who came from all over the Roman Empire to pay Temple tax and to worship had to exchange the Roman coins with the Temple coin. The priests charged high rates. They sold animal and birds for Temple sacrifices; the prices were astronomical. It became a very big business. People who came to worship God were defrauded to the enrichment of the priesthood. They turned the house of prayer for all people into a den of thieves and robbers(Matt.21:13; Mk.11:17; Luk.19:46). Jesus made a whip and chased them out of the Temple, overturning the tables of the money changers and those that sold pigeons. They did not believe in the existence of spirits and angels, nor in the resurrection(Matt.22:23; Mk.12:18; Luk.20:27; Acts 4:1-3, 23:8).

Their teachings were earth-bound, mundane. To sum it up, it was like let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die(1Cor.15:32c). They were the ones who came to Jesus with a fabricated story of one woman married to seven brothers; a parody and a travesty of levitate marriage. They erred not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. Jesus demolished their false doctrine of no resurrection by invoking Moses’ vision of the burning bush from which He inferred that God is God of the living and not the dead.

“The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”(Matt.22:23-32).

What a miserable woman ? There was no such woman anyway. The story was a sadducean fabrication and concoction. She was hypothetical.

They were at loggerheads with the Pharisees(Acts 23:6,8). However, they collaborated with the Pharisees to demand of Jesus a sign from heaven(Matt.16:1). One of the accusations leveled against Jesus before Pontius Pilate was treasonable felony(Luk.23:1-5). Jesus made no claims to the kingship of Rome; His kingdom was not of this age.“Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. What Jesus meant was that His kingdom is not of this age. Jesus will still reign on Earth but in the Millennium. So, the accusation of treasonable felony was unsubstantiated and therefore null and void. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”(Jon.18:33-37).

Do you see Jesus’ kingdom? It is not of this age. It is not the Roman Empire. It is of the age to come where TRUTH is supreme, where love reigns, where fairness and justice prevail, where Heaven and Earth are in a holy embrace. If it were of this age, his disciples would have had to fight to bring it to fruition, and to establish it.

The Herodians were worldly. These were Jews who supported the party of Herod the Great and his family. One would not get any political appointments unless one belonged to this party. The publicans were members of this party who took the contract to collect taxes for Herod and the Roman government. They collaborated with the Roman authorities to oppress the people of the land. They were the tax collectors, the publicans. They collected more than was appointed them, and thereby defrauded the people(Luk.3:12,13). John the Baptist told the tax collectors: “collect no more than is appointed you(Luk.3:13).” Herod himself, of whom this party was named, was an oppressive ruler, an evil genius. He lavishly refurbished the Second Temple. He built hepodromes(horse racing tracts), amphitheaters, and fortresses and palaces like the Herodium, Masada, Alexandrium, Hyrcania, and Machaerus. These extravagant building projects were funded by a Hasmonean taxation system that weighed heavily on the Jewish people. To safeguard his throne, he executed his sons, Aristobulus and Alexander on suspicion of treason, and his wife, Mariamne I on suspicion of adultery. When he ascertained from the Magi that Jesus was born king of the Jews, he sent his soldiers and killed all male children up to two years old and under in the town of Bethlehem and its environs(Matt.2:1-18). Herod’s father was Antipater, an Idumean, whose ancestors were originally Philistines. After Idumea was conquered and destroyed by the Maccabean priest and king John Hyrcanus II around 135 BC, the Idumeans were forced to convert to Judaism. They resettled in south of Judah after been ransacked by the Nabateans. Herod ingratiated himself to the Roman senate which appointed him king of the Jews in 39 BC. In 30 BC he was confirmed king of Judea by Octavian at Rhodes.

The Herodians and publicans were at loggerheads with the Pharisees. The Pharisees looked down on them as extortioners and sinners(Matt.9:10,11). The publicans loved and saluted only their kind(Matt.5:46,47). The publicans were rich. Their wealth made them vulnerable to foolish and hurtful lusts that drown men in destructio(1 Tim.6:9).

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”(Luk.18:10-14).

The publicans were looked down on like the prostitutes. The publicans were not religious at all. They were quick to repent like the harlots(Matt.21:31). They repented at the preaching of John the Baptist(Matt.21:32; Luk.3:12, 7:29,30). Because Jesus ate and drank with the publicans, He was called a friend of tax collectors and sinners by the Pharisees(Matt.11:19; Mk.2:15-17; Luk.7:33-35, 15:1,2).

Some Publicans were hospitable to Jesus like Levi who Jesus called while he was at the tax office. Levi who was also named Matthew became one of the twelve apostles(Matt.9:9, 10:3; Mk..3:18; Luk.6:15; Acts 1:13).

“And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But the scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”(Luk.5:27-32).

Zacchaeus, a publican, a man of small stature, climbed into a sycamore tree to see Jesus whom he later hosted in his house. He too became a disciple of Jesus. He promised to give away half of his wealth to the poor and to repay fourfold anyone he had defrauded.

“And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”(Luk.19:1-10).

So, the Pharisees did not naturally agree with the publicans. But in order to undo Jesus, they entered into a marriage of convenience with the Publicans.

“And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.”(Mk.3:6).

The Herodians also collaborated with the Pharisees to entrap Him in treasonable felony.

“Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.”(Matt.22:15-22; cp. Mk.12:13-17; Luk.20:19-26).

The ordinary people of the land had to contend with opposing doctrines and practices of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the oppression of the worldly Herodians and publicans. If the head was sick, the whole body also would be sick.

“From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”(Isaiah 1:6 KJV).

The rottenness of the leadership also reflected on the ordinary people of Israel.

Let us look at the parable of the barren fig tree.

“He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”(Luk.13:6-9).

Can the barren fig tree be a figure of the whole nation of Israel? No doubt, the three years were the three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The Father is the owner of the fig tree. The dresser is Jesus who requested an extension of time for the fig tree to bear fruits. In the book of Acts, God re-offered the kingdom to Israel which She had earlier rejected in the gospel. The barren fig tree cannot represent the whole house of Israel. It is a figure of the individual Jew who would not accept the ministry of Jesus. More also like in all the other instances we have examined, the weight of evidence is in favour of the leadership of Israel. After it was dunged for another year and remained unfruitful, it was cut down. The year is the 38-year interim between the crucifixion of Christ and the destruction of the Temple on Mount Moriah in 70 AD. If the barren fig tree were the whole nation of Israel, that would mean that Israel as a people ceased to exist, which is historically false. So, my conclusion is the barren fig tree symbolizes the individual Israelite who rejected Jesus, was unfruitful, and was therefore cut down in unbelief. The motif fits more into that of the hypothetical and scornful leaders of Israel who in the eyes of God were unproductive whilst they flagrantly displayed their religious costume and paraphernalia. No doubt, the nation of Israel suffered a sever setback, lost its independence following the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD and the scattering of Jews amongst the nations, it never ceased to exist. The wrath of God was on the leadership and the Temple, the center and object of their hypocritical worship.

In this parable, a case could be made that Israel is the barren fig tree. But one of the principles of biblical hermeneutics is that there should be not antinomies. A common denominator must be found that harmonizes all seemingly apparent contradictions. The common denominator is the corrupt leadership of Israel. This is clearly borne out by the parable of the wicked tenants.

“Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out. Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” ( Luk.20:9-18 ).

The vineyard is the house of Israel, and the landlord is the God of Israel. The wicked tenants are the religious and political heads of the people of Israel. His servants are the prophets of Israel whom they molested, assaulted, and killed. The son is Jesus, the heir of the Father, whom they crucified on the execution stake outside the city of Jerusalem. The vineyard was never destroyed. What was destroyed was the wicked husbandmen. A new leadership was reconstituted under the framework of the new covenant. Once again this fits into the motif of Jesus’ invocation of imprecations on the hypocritical leaders of the nation of Israel.

The twelve apostles were Jewish. His disciples were mainly Jewish. Would Jesus had cursed Israel when He was about to hand over the baton in the heavenly relay race to His Jewish disciples who would take the message of salvation in His name to the rest of humanity? The new covenant was instituted by Jesus with His disciples all of whom were Jewish. They were representative of Israel. The New Covenant was enacted with Israel. It was not enacted with the Church. The Church was not in existence then. One cannot make a covenant with non existent body. The Church is the product of the New Covenant not its precursor. The Church was not instituted until the day of pentecost.

The Jews have been of tremendous blessing to humanity. Jews built the first cell phone, and developed text messaging. Jews built the first Intel mother board which is used in computers all over the World. Jews founded Google and Facebook. They have revolutionalized technology and communication. Jews were involved in the Manhattan Project that built the first nuclear bombs which were dropped at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for the US, which brought an end to WWII. They were also responsible for the passage of information on the making of nuclear bomb to the Soviet Union, in order to maintain balance of power between the West and the East. Am not advocating treason; Snowden is a traitor. The Rosenbergs were executed on the orders of Eisenhower. Salk developed the polio vaccine that has saved millions of lives the world over. The contributions of the sons of Jacob to the betterment of human condition are too numerous to enumerate. A detailed and comprehensive list is beyond the scope of this article. In agriculture, civil engineering, science and technology, medicine, philosophy, psychology, indeed all fields of human endeavours, Jews have left their indelible imprints on the canvass of history. The contributions of the sons of Jacob to humanity are out of proportion to the paucity of their number, a mere less than 1% of the world population. Per capita, Israel and the Jewish people have worn more Nobel Prizes than any other nation or people. Young and little is the start-up nation. US, China, India, and many other nations are in partnership with Israel, and coöperate in various areas all because of Jewish ingenuity. Jewish ingenuity rules the world 🌎 in all fields of human endeavours.

Had it been Israel were cursed as was the fig tree, Israel would not be a blessing to humanity. We must take heed to be consistent with our hermeneutics(interpretation) less we contradict and condemn ourselves in those things which we allow or permit. The fig tree cannot symbolize Israel in Matt.24:32 and something else in Matt.21:19. Who and what then determine when it represents Israel and when it does not? There are many good bible teachers who teach that the fig tree signifies Israel. I beg to differ.

We can see that Jesus was using what His words did to the fig tree to illustrate what power His disciples could weald if they exercised their faith in God. If the fig tree were Israel, it would be wrong for Jesus to demand fruits of it when it was not the time for Israel to bear fruit. It was a practical lesson in Faith. The fig tree was just the fig tree. In the account in Matt.21, the application could be made to any situation that contradicts the word of God. We must understand however, that an application is different from primary interpretation. There could be hundreds of applications, but only one correct primary interpretation. If anything, Israel symbolizes a fruitful fig tree and not a barren one. It may not be as fruitful as it ought to be, but fruitful nonetheless.

The Lesson Of The Fig Tree

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”(Matt.24:32-36).

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.” (Mk.13:28-30).

Our Lord Jesus being the good teacher that He is illustrates His teachings with simple observable natural exemplary phenomenon. What prompted the Olivet Discourse was the question His disciples posed to Him with regards to His comments on the destruction of the Temple and the time of His parousia.

“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”(Matt.24:3).

Jesus did not answer their question directly by telling them the time of His coming and of the end of the ages. Instead He enumerated in sequential order a series of events that shall unfold beginning from the emergence of false Christs at the commencement of the 70th week through the Great Tribulation that begins at the midpoint of it to the cosmic disturbances which shall interrupt the Great Tribulation and usher in His appearance in the heavens, the rapture of the Church and then the wrath of God which occurs at the end of the ages.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”(Matt.24:29-31).

After enumerating the sequence of events, He then illustrated His teaching with a simple observable natural seasonal occurrence. The parable of The Fig Tree was very apt; it was an object lesson that drove home to His disciples’ memory the essence of His teaching on the Olivet Discourse. He told His disciples to learn a parable of the fig tree. The fig tree was very common in Israel. A lot of it grew wild. It was also cultivated. It was ubiquitous. It was apt for an illustration. He told His disciples to learn a parable of the fig tree. It was observable. The disciples saw it all the times, in all the seasons. So, they could know what Christ was talking about by observing it. What is a parable? It is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. It illustrated a central truth; all parts of it need not be interpreted.

In Israel as in all temperate climate, trees are denuded of their leaves in Autumn or what the Americans call Fall. They remain so throughout Winter. This is a process of conservation. It is similar to hibernation practiced by some amphibians like the toad during the Dry Season and Harmattan in the Tropics. All activities are slowed down to zero in order to conserve energy. The toad burrows into a hole in the ground, and remains there throughout the dry and hot weather, its only activity being respiration. In spring, as the temperature rises and rain begins to fall, the trees will begin to sprout new leaves. The toad emerges from hibernation. It is life again after a period of dormancy. It bears some semblance to regeneration and resurrected from the dead. When this happens, everyone knows Summer is at the corner. I have heard Americans say this at the beginning of Spring, “Summer will soon be here.” This seasonal observation is not peculiar to the fig tree; in fact, it is common to all the trees. The fig tree was singled out, mentioned, and given prominence because it was very common, perhaps the commonest. In the Lukan account of this parable, Christ referred not only to the fig tree, but indeed to all the trees.

“And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”(Luk.21:29-32).

The fact that the Lukan account refers to all the trees is enough to indicate that Our Lord Jesus did not intend to use the fig tree as the figure or symbol of Israel in His illustration; for indeed all the trees cannot symbolize Israel. What He was trying to say to His disciples was that there would be a period of seeming inactivity when it would look like these thing would not come to pass. Then comes a period when these events would begin to unfold. And this lesson can be learned by observing the fig tree. Then learn a lesson of the fig tree, and indeed all the trees, when the branches soften and begin to bud, you know that Summer is near. In like manner, when these events begin to unfold, then know that the time of my coming and Of the end of the ages is near. When the fig is denuded of its leaves, and lies dormant does it mean it is dead? No. Spring will come, and then it will begin to sprout and grow again.

“This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” The generation of believers that shall enter into the 70th week, witness the unfolding of the events enumerated by Christ in the Olivet Discourse, including the Great Tribulation by the antiChrist, shall be the generation that shall witness the coming of Christ, and the end of the ages. It is this generation that shall be raptured alive without passing through the intermediate process of death.

Do these events relate to Israel? Certainly. It is Israel that shall sign a 7-year peace agreement with the antiChrist.

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”(Dan.9:27).

It is the scornful leaders of Israel that will initiate the covenant of apostasy.

“Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.”(Is.28:14-15, 18-19).

It is Israel that will build the Third Temple on Mount Moriah, and resume animal sacrifice, grain, and drink offerings.

“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.”(Rev.11:1-2; cp. Dan.9:27).

Daniel’s prophecy of 70 sevens concerns Israel and its Holy City, Jerusalem.

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”(Dan.9:24).

It is Jerusalem, the Holy City of Israel that the antiChrist will make his headquarters beginning from the midpoint of the 70th week.

“And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.”(Dan.11:45).

The abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel the prophet will be set up in the rebuilt Jewish Third Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)”(Matt.24:15). It is Jerusalem, the Holy City of Israel that shall be surrounded by the armies of the antiChrist at the midpoint of the 70th week.

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.”(Luk.21:20).

The Great Tribulation shall be hottest in Jerusalem. The worst persecution by the antiChrist shall take place in Jerusalem.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”(Matt.24:15-21).

The reference to Judaea and the Sabbath day relates it to Israel and the Jewish people. Though the Great Tribulation by the antiChrist shall be worldwide, its epicenter shall be the land of Israel, and its Holy City, Jerusalem. It is unfortunate that some Jews, both orthodox and secular label us theological antisemites because we teach that a worse antisemite than Adolf Hitler will show up on the world stage in the last days, and make war upon the sons of Jacob, and the followers of Jesus the Messiah, the seed of the woman that keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus the Christ(Rev.12:17). It is regrettable and very dismal that some churches in Israel, and indeed Jerusalem, the epicenter of the antiChrist persecution of Jews and Christians preach pretribulational Rapture.

Obviously there are similarities between this natural seasonal observation and the history of Israel as a nation. Are these facts, in and of themselves, sufficient to make the fig tree, the figure and symbol of Israel? Certainly not. For that would mean that the generation that witnessed Israel’s independence in 1948 would not pass before Christ returns, raptures the Church, and initiates the wrath of God at the end of the ages. A generation is reckoned variously in different dispensations in the Bible. Now, it is more or less reckoned to be 40 years. Between the 1960s and now, we have seen three generations: the Baby boomers, the Millennials, and Generation X. Israel has been independent for almost 70 years, and yet we have not entered into the 70th week let alone witness any of the events enumerated by Our Lord in the Olivet Discourse. Is the word of God of none effect? No. Is Christ then a liar? No. We conclude therefore that the fig tree is not a symbol of Israel, at least, in the parable of the fig tree.

Jesus added that

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”(Matt.24:35-36).

This establishes the inviolability of His teaching on the Olivet Discourse. The fig tree is therefore a sign of approximation that Summer is near. Likewise the unfolding of these events signal the nearness of the time of His Coming and of the End Of The Ages. The budding of figs and all the trees in the Spring does not tell us the Day and the Hour Summer will begin, but the general time period. So, also all these events do not tell us the Day and the Hour of our Lord’s Coming, but the general time period. Jesus did not say that we the saints cannot know the time of His Parousia, but the Day and the Hour. The Day and the Hour of His Coming constitute a divine secret.

“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”(Deut.29:29).

Jesus is God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”(Jon.1:1-5).

He knows all things. But as the Son Of God, He has ceded certain decisions to the Father. So, it is the Father that decides on which Day, and in what Hour that Jesus will Come.

Avraham Shallom.