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“THE BODY” AND “THE BRIDE.” #2

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new jerusalem

 

 

By E. A. Rawlence.

 

(Note: The original article has been edited because of its length. However, the argument and purpose of the author is clear. We do not necessarily condone all  the writer says, but it seems to be the best answer to an age old question. The publishing of this article does not imply that we agree with any departure from the KJV, should the author do so.)

 

With Israel and the kingdom set aside, how was God’s work to carry on? God would begin a new ministry which had been hidden from the foundation of the world. It had been kept secret and is called a “mystery.” He would accomplish His new plan through a new apostle, not of the Twelve, through a new gospel, not the one preached by the Twelve, and a new body, without Israel’s involvement, without the Law, or any part of Judaism. It is called a “new man.” “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;” Ephesians 2:15. Today, the Jew and the Gentile are on equal standing before God. All are sinners, and all are in the same body by the new gospel of free grace. Eph. 3:6.

When the church, the body of Christ, is completed, it will be raptured, and God will “jumpstart” his program with Israel again. The body of Christ will be in heaven, and the kingdom of heaven ministry will once again be offered to Israel, and then through them, to the world. Since we as members of “the Body of Christ,” form part of the Bridegroom, it cannot reasonably be said to be “the Bride” at the same time.

We have a definite introduction to the bride in Rev. 21. John was invited to come and see, “The Bride, the Lamb’s wife.” John introduces, not to the Church, nor to the Body, but to the Holy Jerusalem. It is certain the City appertains to Israel. The twelve foundations represent the twelve Apostles, who are by promise to sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28). It is important to note there is no foundation for a thirteenth Apostle.

There are twelve Gates, one for each Tribe, and three gates on each of the four sides of the City, as described in Ezek. 48. The Nations, of them that are saved and the kings of the earth walk in the light of it. They bring their glory and honor into it. This, the glorified Israel does not do. They obviously have their dwelling there.

(Lord willing, we will add part 3 soon.)

THE BODY AND THE BRIDE. #1

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Understanding the Body and Bride of Christ

new jerusalem

By E. A. Rawlence.

(Note: The original article has been edited because of its length. However, the argument and purpose of the author is clear. We do not necessarily condone all  the writer says, but it seems to be the best answer to an age old question. The publishing of this article does not imply that we agree with any departure from the KJV, should the author do so.)

The words “body” and “bride” are figurative of one and the same, or two different spiritual groups. I believe practicing right divisions will solve the problem. An understanding between Israel, the gentiles, and the church of God will, hopefully, clear up the matter.

God created the nation of Israel to be the custodians of the Truth, and the means through which He would establish His kingdom from heaven upon the earth. He would do this through Jesus Christ. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7. Daniel explains it like this…  “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” Daniel 2:44-45. This kingdom of heaven will be set up on earth, and will never be destroyed.  John the Baptist and Jesus preached that that kingdom was at hand.”

The Pharisees saw this as a threat to their control and position, and they sought to kill Him.

After Matthew 13, most of our Lord’s public preaching was in parables. His stated purpose for this was to hide from the religious leaders the mysteries of the kingdom. However, He would explain their meaning to His disciples. It is abundantly clear from Matt. 12 that the kingdom He spoke of was an earthly kingdom. Satan destroyed the original kingdom of heaven on earth, and he would do all within his power to defile the efforts to reestablish it on earth. This is illustrated repeatedly in the eight parables in Matthew 13.  The kingdom in heaven is perfect, and God is in complete control. That is one reason Israel was instructed to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

Although the King and the kingdom were rejected, and He was crucified, the offer was re-offered to the children of Israel after His resurrection. It is noteworthy that the first recorded question in Acts 1:6 is, “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6. Peter preached to Jews only and said, “Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities” Three thousand  Jews, out of every nation were converted. God had His band of missionaries, out of every language, prepared to take the gospel of the kingdom to every nation. However, it was not to be so. Wherever they went with the kingdom message, the Jews in leadership opposed it, and murdered the messengers.

Israel was guilty of three great offences: 1. Spiritual whoredom, which led to their divorce as the wife of Jehovah: “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce ; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also” (Jer. 3:8). “Plead with your mother, plead : for she is not My wife, neither am I her husband : let her, therefore, put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts” (Hos. 2:2).

2, They “killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets” (1 Thess. 2:15).

3. “ they persecuted us ; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men : forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sin alway : for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost” (1 Thess. 2:15, 16).

(Lord willing, we will post part 2 in a few days)

KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS TOOL IN THE HAND OF THE FOOLISH

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KnowledgeThe Danger of Knowledge

By Ken Blue

“…Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” 1 Corinthians 8:1 .

I remember asking an older pastor, whom I respect very much, “How do you get wisdom?” He said, “I guess you just plead ignorance.” If we do that, and mean it, it opens our heart so God can teach us.

I am familiar with the passages in Proverbs and James on this subject, and I have tried to make them a habit in my life. However, I have met men who can quote the Bible backward, and it is evident that they are sadly in need of wisdom. What my pastor friend was telling me was that one must come to God with a spirit and attitude of personal ignorance before he can be taught wisdom.

The context of the above verse is not written to those who were ignorant of the Scriptures. They were ignorant of what was most important. They assumed that their knowledge of Scripture gave them liberty to ignore the weak, uninformed, and baby Christians who were not up to their level of “Bible knowledge. “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.” 1 Corinthians 8:9.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…one must come to God with a spirit and attitude of personal ignorance…[/pullquote]

Knowledge is a dangerous thing, yes, even of the Bible, when it is in the hands of the foolish, or one who does not consider others. There are many passages in the Bible that are difficult to understand, but everyone understands when you love and care about them. If we will show the love of Christ to others first, they will open up their heart and mind so they become teachable.

How do you get wisdom? You go to God as a little child, and you admit your own ignorance.  Then, you ask Him to help, lead, and guide you in the area of concern. Remember, your knowledge of the Scriptures does not mean you know how to rightly divide them, balance them, or apply them in the real world. “…Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” 1 Corinthians 8:1. May God grant all of that wisdom from above.

A STUDY OF HEBREWS CHAPTER SIX

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Hebrews-chapter six

Commentary on Hebrews

 

A complete commentary in book form and on DVD is available. Go to Open Door Baptist bookstore Lynnwood, WA. for information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LET’S STUDY REVELATION # 35

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REVELON BOOK

CHAPTER TWELVE

 

The Temple and Two Witnesses (11:1-14)

 “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.”  Revelation 11:1

Israel will rebuild their temple in Jerusalem prior to the opening of the first seal. That it “will be built” is a fact of Scripture. Paul’s comforting words to the Thessalonians was that the Day of the Lord had not come during their day. He says, “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 Thessalonians 2:3-4).  Before the Antichrist comes and defiles the temple, it must first be rebuilt.

 

Five Jewish temples are mentioned in Scripture:

 

1.   Solomon‘s temple (1 Kings 5-8). It was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 583 B.C.

2.  Zerubbabel’s temple (Haggai 1-2; Ezra 3:4-13; Ezra 6:1-22). It was destroyed by Antiochus Epiphanies in 168 B.C.

3.  Herod‘s temple (John 2:19-20; Matthew 24). It was destroyed in AD 70.

4.   The future Jewish temple that could be built any day now and will be desecrated by the Antichrist (Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:45; Daniel 12:7; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thes. 2:3-4; Rev. 11:1-2).

5.   The Millennial temple (Ezekiel 40-48; Zech. 6:12-13; see Ezekiel 45:7), which will be built by Christ.

When the seven-year tribulation begins, the temple will already exist and many Jews will worship in it. John is told to measure this temple, the altar, and those who worship therein. The measuring is not for dimension but for judgment. The Jews will be worshiping there, in apostasy, when the abomination spoken of by Daniel takes it over.

This rebuilding of the temple is not an act of righteousness nor is it pleasing to God. See Isaiah 66:3-4, “He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.” It is further testimony to their rejection of the Messiah and their Scriptures. God will judge the rebellious nation and their temple. As we said, the measuring of the temple, the altar, and the people is for judgment.

When the Antichrist is seen in that temple, it is a sign to the believing Jews to get out of 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 Judea 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:” (Matthew 24:15-20). Some will flee and survive, others will remain, and many will be killed. Today, there are many Jews determined and eager to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

 

Anyone with connection to the World Wide Web can access the Temple Mount Faithful and read their newsletter. You will see a corner stone ready to be laid for the new temple.

The temple that will be built is the one Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:15. “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:)” The holy place may be within the temple, or it could be the temple site itself. It is believed the Antichrist will enter the temple in the three and one-half year mid-point of The Lord’s Day. (See Daniel 8:9-14; Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:45; Daniel 12:1,7,11; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:9-11; Revelation 20:4-6.)

 

 “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.” (Revelation 11:2).

The temple will be built in troublesome times. The Jews will not be able to take possession of its outer court or the old city of Jerusalem. During the six-day war (June 5-10, 1967), Israel took possession of old Jerusalem, and the place of the temple mount. However, the Jews have not been able to enter the Dome of the Rock nor build their temple on the site. Events will develop which will destroy the Dome of the Rock and a new temple will be built on its site, or the new Temple will be built on a site near the Dome. There will probably be an agreement between the Jews and the Ten Kings, which will allow them to rebuild the temple.

The time of this full takeover by the Antichrist will be at the mid-point of Daniel’s seventieth week. Only three and one-half years of Gentile hostilities against Israel remain from that mid-point.

The Antichrist will enter the holy land and take over Jerusalem and the temple. “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months” (Revelation 13:5). Forty-two months is exactly three and one-half years. The prophecy, that only three and one-half years remain, was given by John to encourage the Hebrew to overcome and reject the mark of the beast.

 “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”  (Revelation 11:3).

The two witnesses (v.3-13) of verse three will begin their ministry of three and one-half years at the week’s mid-point, “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3). The Hebrew calendar has thirty days per month. One thousand two hundred and sixty days divided by thirty equals 42 months. That comes out to three and one-half years.

 

The two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth, which is symbolic of great mourning and contrition. This illustrates the gravity of their ministry.  (See Genesis 37:34; 1 Chronicles 21:16; Esther 4:1-2; Job 16:15; Isaiah 22:12; Lamentations 2:10; John 3:5-8.)