The Kingdom of God on Earth

GOD'S PLAN FOR THE WORLD: THE view of planet earth, seen from outer space, is very beautiful indeed. Confirmation of this has come from the astronauts who have gazed upon it. The earth is the fairest jewel in God's creation and it is the chosen place in the whole universe where He has promised to reveal His Kingdom in all its glory. That is why it is so beautiful. The earth, of all the planets in the solar system, is the one that is perfectly suited to all forms of life and the one that orbits at exactly the right distance from the sun to provide comfortable conditions for the human race. Bible Prophecy is the Sole Source of Information on God’s Purpose. The Bible alone explains why and how this should be. The reason is that the Creator "formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:18). We think it is logical to assert that if there is a Great Designer, and if He created a race of beings to inhabit this planet and no other, then there must have been an ultimate objective in His mind. Happily, we have not been left to guess what that goal might be. From the day that God put a human being on this earth, His one supreme purpose was that His creation should willingly respond to His own perfection: "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). The final stage in fulfilling that intention is what the Bible describes as THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH. A REAL KINGDOM: Because it will be in every physical and political sense a real kingdom it will have a king, a government, a capital, and an international system of laws. God has already delegated "all power in heaven and in earth" to His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. What is more, we learn that the date has been set in the divine calendar: "God hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained" (Acts 17:31). The kingdom of God on earth will soon be here. The abundant signs which confirm this are not the subject of this booklet; but we are mightily convinced that it is so! This coming Millennium will be the most exciting thing the world has ever seen. It will overshadow all those periods in history labelled with names like 'the age of enlightenment', 'the classical age', 'the renaissance' and so on. The kingdom of God will provide a superb environment on this lovely planet for all who will acknowledge God as supreme Creator and Jesus Christ as king of the world. A BEAUTIFUL WORLD: Use your imagination for a moment! Think of a world at peace, its inhabitants healthy and well-fed and doing rewarding work. Imagine a world in which there is full employment, where people are not exploited and where a man can live a long and prosperous life; a world in which famine and pestilence no longer kill one quarter of the population and where the full resources of the land and the seas are harvested. Already you are getting a picture of the Kingdom of God. Now ponder on the absence of religious bigotry or sectarian strife; imagine the benefits of internationally accepted laws, with justice administered by fair-minded yet uncompromising judges. Conjure up a mental picture of life without terrorism and child-abuse; where good neighbourliness prevails and evil tendencies are discouraged, where governments establish good standards of behaviour, and implement just forms of retribution. That will be the kingdom of God on earth! To many people, the Kingdom of God is just a vague hope that one day man will bring about a state of happiness on earth. To others, the Kingdom is a dream of heavenly bliss in the skies. But the realist knows that the aspirations of men are not producing a better world for us or our children. And anyone who reads his Bible carefully knows that there is no evidence for the common belief in an afterlife in heaven. The Kingdom has to do with a real, tangible world empire which will be set up when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth from heaven in the near future. "THY KINGDOM COME": The disciples of Jesus found prayer to God a difficult matter. What to pray for? What are the priorities? The Lord solved their problems by teaching them what we call "The Lord's Prayer". It established their priorities for them: God is a Father, the provider. God has a realm in heaven where His will is obeyed; God's kingdom is to come to the earth. It was a powerful plea to make. "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven ... For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever" (Matthew 6:9-13). Christendom still repeats the prayer "Thy kingdom come" should always be on the lips of the faithful Christian. For the most part, human beings act as though there is no Creator and no purpose in the world around them. But they are without excuse, for just look at the wonders of the human body and the miracles of plant life! Did they occur by chance or by design? Even atheists are forced to marvel at the incredible wonders of living cells. The apostle Paul, a well-educated man of his time, declared that atheism is untenable because "that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1: 19,20). If there is a God, and He has a future for the human race, then surely He has told us? Of course He has! The whole Bible, from beginning to end, reveals His plans for the earth. He spoke to the "fathers" and through the prophets, and "in these last days by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things" (Hebrews 1:1,2). That is why the Gospel was the centre of Christ's ministry. "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew 4:23). He left no doubt when that kingdom would happen: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations ... "(Matthew 25:31,32). WHERE ON EARTH WILL IT BE: We have seen that the kingdom of God will be centred in the land of Israel with Jerusalem being the centre of God’s Kingdom on Earth.  One thousand years before Christ the Jewish poets declared: "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king" (Psalm 48:2). It will make a superb capital, more central than New York, Moscow or Strasbourg - and convenient to the great land continents of Europe, Africa and Asia. This kingdom of God is to be a world empire and Jesus Christ the emperor. This was revealed long ago. The prophet Daniel, interpreting a vision which forecast the successive empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, to be followed by a fragmented world of strong and weak governments leading up to the coming of Jesus Christ, pictured God's agent in the form of a "stone" descending to crush the rebellious nations at the time of the end: "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" (Daniel 2:44). “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart" (Jeremiah 3:17) An artist’s impression (above) of the Temple that shall be built in Jerusalem as a “House of Prayer for all nations”. Here is another prophetic statement: "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). JUDGEMENT OF THE WORLD: Before we go any further let us remember that the return of Jesus Christ will bring its terrors as well as its blessings. The takeover of the nations will not be accomplished without much resistance. Let us note four aspects: "All nations"gather against Israel but Jesus will destroy the invaders (Zechariah 14; Ezekiel 38, 39). Jerusalem will suffer a major earthquake, with devastating results, when "his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives" (Zechariah 14:4). Some governments will challenge Christ and will "set themselves against the Lord and against his anointed" (Psalm 2:2), but there will be judgements on those who oppose Christ (Isaiah 34; Revelation 18). There will be a resurrection and judgement. Loud will be the cries of those who are rejected, who had the opportunity, but rejected it! On the other hand, what joy for those to whom the King will say: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). The Kingdom Begins With these events over and the King having led his triumphal army of faithful followers into Jerusalem, the real work of Christ's kingdom can begin. There is a new temple to be built and the tribes of Israel are to be allocated their respective divisions in the land of Israel. National ambassadors will begin to arrive to pay their respects to the King: "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba (Arabs) shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him" (Psalm 72:10-11). Even the survivors of those enemies which invaded the holy city will come to worship, for "everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16). Nations will be rallying their peoples:"Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord". They will do this because: "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"(Isaiah 2:3). The effect of this education will be remarkable. Nations will "beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks" - a colourful way of describing disarmament. There will be no more war. THE PEOPLE OF THE KINGDOM: We ought to clarify one or two matters about the inhabitants of the kingdom of God. There will be two kinds of people: firstly, the rulers and spiritual leaders, who will be immortal (that is, never-dying) and, secondly, the citizens of the kingdom, who will be mortal (that is, subject to death). The first group will include Jesus, the universal king; Abraham, David and other great "worthies", who will have positions of honour in the empire; the twelve Apostles, and the faithful followers of Jesus the "saints" - who will be the administrative rulers and educators of the new age. The second group will consist of the mortal peoples of the world who, at Christ's return, survive the judgements on the earth and are willing for Jesus to be their king. This will include Jews who are allowed to live in Israel. THE IMMORTAL PEOPLE: Immortality is the gift of everlasting life that God will give to those who have faithfully obeyed and practised His commandments - those of all ages of history up to the return of Jesus to the earth. These will be those who are: "Redeemed ... out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation ... and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth ... They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Revelation 5:9,10; 20:4). We must not think of an immortal being as something like a ghost. Jesus, after his resurrection, was immortal; but he ate and drank with his followers and showed himself to have remarkable physical powers. The immortal body has flesh and bones like others, but is energised by the Spirit of God, suffering no disease or disability. Jesus, like any wise ruler, will delegate much of the conduct of his empire to others who have been suitably trained. Prominent among those to be closely associated with the King will be the great Biblical examples of faith: men like Abraham, described as the "heir” of the world in Romans 4:13, and "my servant David shall be their prince for ever" (Ezekiel 37:25). Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, Moses and Samuel, will be there; women, too: Sarah, Rahab and Ruth, Mary and Elisabeth. RULERS WITH CHRIST: There will be a special role for the Lord's twelve apostles - as he promised: "Ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew 19:28). In the book of Daniel, the prophet saw a vision of the kingdom of God on earth, and he was told about those who should be in charge: "The saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever" (7:18). What is so special about these immortal rulers called "saints"? "Saint" means a holy or separated one - someone chosen for his dedication to divine principles. Like the men who were first selected and given the Spirit of God to help Moses to govern ancient Israel, they will be "able men, such as fear God, men of truth. hating covetousness". But with one big difference: those in times past died - but the rulers of the future will not die, and their qualities will not be lost with age. The King will have the discernment to select the right men or women for the jobs on hand and to utilise the skills of mind and body which they began to develop during their service in this present life. THE QUALITY OF ETERNAL LIFE: Eternal life will convey marvellous benefits on these governors and teachers. With healthy minds and physically perfect bodies, they will not suffer the crippling effects of disease or disablement: "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more: neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat ... and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 7:1617). Like their Master, they will know what is in men's hearts and, with the unerring ability to diagnose the source of human problems, will have the capacity to root out trouble-makers and to promote trust between neighbours. Think what that could accomplish in some of the world's present trouble-spots! What a transformation will begin to work its way across the earth when Christ's immortal administrators are sent out from Jerusalem. New laws, based on Biblical principles, will have the effect of cutting through partisan politics and will rapidly remove the cause of so much bigotry among contesting religions. A THOUSAND YEARS OF PEACE: Of course, it will take time for adjustments to be made and for people to see the benefits to their way of life. It will not happen overnight; but there is to be a period of one thousand years (Rev 20:4, Psa 72) for the glorious "refreshing" of the earth's peoples before God's programme is complete. We must not think of the coming age as a fanciful, too-good-to-be-true fairyland. It will be a very real world, peopled with those who have survived the judgements and have come to accept that Christ is a world ruler who, for the good of the whole civilisation, is prepared to rule with "a rod of iron". But the mortal nations will still have their own characteristics and cultures, and their own racial backgrounds. The rulers will have the gift of speaking in other languages; but it may be some time before the world's dialects are completely changed into the one universal language that will reverse the confusion of Babel (see Genesis 11) and allow the suspicions and difficulties of multi-language communication to be dispersed. A FAIR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE: At every level of civilisation throughout the world there are forces at work which undermine happy and rewarding co-existence between people. No ideology, capitalism or communism, even the tyranny of cruel despots, has been able to handle them. They are the forces of greed, corruption, subversion, bribery and personal power. All this is going to change. There will be justice for the poor, and the under-privileged will get fair treatment. Jesus will see to that: "He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked" (Isaiah 11:3-4). When "princes shall rule in judgement" (Isaiah 32:1) the whole balance of society will change: no longer one law for the rich and one for the poor! The same rules will apply whether you live in Washington, Moscow or Beijing, because they will be based on the Sermon on the Mount and on divine principles laid down by the King and his court in Jerusalem. How will this affect the lives of the people? When criminals and hooligans perceive that the judges can see right through them and that the punishment will always fit the crime, the majority will soon learn that loving one's neighbour and the virtues of honesty and truth are much to be preferred in the attainment of a happy and prosperous life. Not only does it mean that families and neighbours can live in complete harmony but it will spill over into a release from national and international tensions. As Isaiah said: "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever" (Isaiah 32:17). The restraints imposed by the immortal rulers will prevent the worst excesses of human nature. Unrepentant sinners will suffer summary execution and the otherwise long lives which people might enjoy will be cut short. "With the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked"; and, "The sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed" (Isaiah 11:4; 65:20). GOOD HEALTH: The Prophet Isaiah also tells us that: "There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old" (65:20). This suggests that infant mortality, which is still a scourge in many developing countries, will be wiped out. If someone only reaches the age of 100 he will still be accounted a child. What a change from the present, when life expectancy in some countries is only 40 years or so, and even in the medically advanced countries it only attains what the Psalmist described as "threescore years and ten". Childhood will be a joy, and old age no disgrace, for, "there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof" (Zechariah 8:4,5). If Jesus, the Great Physician, in his first ministry could heal the sick, cure blindness from birth, make cripples walk, exorcise mental disorders and raise people from the dead, then there is every certainty that he and his aides will do that, and more, in the future. When the people of the world are moved to turn to divine standards and to seek help in the right quarter, then scourges like cancer and heart disease will disappear. When families again have a reverence for the sanctity of marriage and for correct sexual behaviour then pestilences like AIDS will no more afflict the nations. The good news is that: "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing" (Isaiah 35:5-6). WORLD RESOURCES FOR THE GOOD OF ALL: It is a sad commentary on our modern civilisation that despite large deposits of minerals and the abundant potential in the soil for the production of food, man seems unable to feed the evergrowing population. He cannot distribute the resources or organise the labour so that everyone can have satisfying work and lead a prosperous and contented life. But it can be done! The resources have been there since the Creator designed this bountiful earth. What it needs are right-minded people, with the commitment and authority to solve the physical problems and to organise the bounty. It is worth remembering that Jesus was a great organiser as well as a great teacher. What he could do in feeding thousands of men, women and children in well-ordered groups of fifty or a hundred, with a dozen assistants, he will surely do among the starving millions when he is God's King on earth. The heartrending scenes we have seen reported from Ethiopia or Mozambique or Bangladesh will be a thing of the past. No food mountains will rot in European storehouses; no American crops will be burned because the sale price is too low. The Bible foresees the curse on the ground being removed, and plentiful crops for all who will labour for them. "There shall be an handful of corn ... upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon", said king David (Psalm 72:16). "The mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters", said Joel (3:18; see also Amos 9:13). The farmer's crops will be abundant, for "the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew" (Zechariah 8:12). Then there is the prophet Isaiah's vision of the desert rejoicing and blossoming as the rose (35:1). Think of the vast areas of Africa, the Middle East and Asia where every year the sands are encroaching on fertile ground and millions are dying. Governments seem unable to spend the huge sums of money necessary to bring up the water that often lies just below the surface! Then what a blessing it will be for desert peoples to be engaged in huge irrigation schemes and to benefit from the new fertility of their lands. These are the wonderful things that will be possible in the kingdom of God. LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL: There will be less concentration of population in large cities: city dwellers moving out into pasture and woodland areas made available by worldwide conservation schemes. God has never encouraged people to live in large cities, where the worst traits of humanity are expressed and where evil men hide in dark places. On the other hand when, under the improved conditions of Christ's reign, human fitness reaches its peak and men's minds are expanded to their full potential, there will be abundant room for utilising those skills, to the tremendous benefit of all the world's inhabitants. Everyone will achieve what we call 'job satisfaction': "They shall build houses, and inhabit them (a contrast with former times!); and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands" (Isaiah 65:21-22). ARABS WORKING WITH JEWS: One of the most joyful prospects will be the harmony that will exist between ancient enemies. The prophet's vision of the wolf and the lamb feeding together is not only a beautiful description of a restored harmony between man and the animal creation, but it also has a special reference to future peace between previously warring nations. Isaiah speaks of the Arabs, coming to Jerusalem to "shew forth the praises of the Lord" (Isaiah 60:6). He pictures them helping to build up the walls of the new city, working with their former half-brothers, the Jews, and feeding their flocks and becoming farmers and vinedressers. That will be a wonderful reversal of the present state of affairs in the Middle East: a fulfilment of major promises which God made long ago to the Arab branch of Abraham's family. HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? Will this benevolent state of affairs last for ever? In the sense that God has designed the earth for man to live on for ever, the answer is: Yes. But Christ's kingdom, controlled by ever-living rulers, will still have a predominantly mortal populace. That is to say, human propensities and sinfulness will still be there and that is why God has set a time limit on it. By God's reckoning it will take one thousand years fully to educate the inhabitants of the world to divine standards of behaviour. By then they will have a long-term understanding of the marvellous benefits to be enjoyed by possessing eternal life themselves. Eventually the Millennium must come to an end. It will be marked by a deliberate easing of the King's strong reign in order to allow vestiges of rebellion among some of his subjects to come to the surface in a final desperate challenge to his will (see Revelation 20). These disloyal subjects will attack Jerusalem, but will be utterly destroyed. It will be mankind's last death fling. It will provide the necessary marker, a millennium-end "sign of the times", to the people of the world that the finale is about to take place. When the rebellion is over, Christ's work as Saviour and King is nearly done. The dead of a thousand years must be raised from their graves, to meet again their King and Judge: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;. and the books were opened ... and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (Revelation 20:12). Alongside those raised will stand the millions who are living. They must now await Christ's righteous judgement. The rebels and those who represent the worst elements of human nature will die, consigned to the "lake of fire", the death from which there is no returning. On the other hand, the faithful subjects of Christ's kingdom on earth will then receive their reward, everlasting life, just as their rulers had done a thousand years before. "THY KINGDOM COME" Following these dramatic events, the earth is to be inhabited only by men and women who possess eternal life. The work of the Lord Jesus as King is done. He has no mortal subjects to reign over and the great destroyers of man's potential, sin and death, have been conquered. God's will is now truly done on earth, and the "Lord's prayer" has been answered. The Apostle Paul summed it up in 1 Corinthians 15: "Then cometh the end, when he (Jesus) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death ... And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all" (verses 24-28). We may find it difficult to think that far ahead, or to visualise what is meant by God being "all in all". But it will be the climax of the Creator's great purpose with the earth and it will be a very wonderful time for all His True Believers to enjoy! "As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord" (Numbers 14:21). Don't let this marvellous future slip away from you! Jesus will be here soon. Please, read your Bible, and pray with all your heart: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".

Three Great Bible Prophecies A Life For Eternity Genesis 3:1-15

Three Great Bible Prophecies A King to Rule 2 Samuel 7:1-17

When it existed there of old, it was occupied by David and Solomon as the kings of Yahweh over Israel. It was then styled "the throne of Yahweh," and the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh over Israel" (1 Chron. xxviii. 5; xxix. 23). By the covenant of the Olahm, or Hidden Period, this throne was established in the family of David. The proof of this is found in numerous places of the Scripture. Thus in 2 Sam. vii. 12-16, the covenant to David reads, "YAHWEH will make for thee a house. When thy days shall be completed, and thou hast slept with thy fathers, I will cause to raise up after thee thy seed who shall proceed out of thy bowels; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom ad-olahm, during the hidden period;" that is, the Millennium. "I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to me for a son; whom, in his being caused to bow down, I will chasten with a sceptre of men, and with stripes from the sons of Adam; but my mercy I will not take from him as that I put away from with Saul, whom I removed from before thee. And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established during the Olahm before thy face; thy throne shall be set up for the Olahm," or the thousand years.

Now when David's days were about completed, he thus expressed himself in reference to this covenant of the throne and kingdom. In 2 Sam. xxiii. 1, it is written: "Now these words of David, the last, are an oracle of David, son of Jesse; even an oracle of the mighty man enthroned, concerning an Anointed One of the Elohim of Jacob; and the pleasant theme of Israel's songs.

"Yahweh's spirit spake by me, and His word was upon my tongue; Elohim of Israel spake to me, and the Rock of Israel discoursed, saying, There shall be a Ruler over mankind, ruling in the righteous precepts of Elohim. And as brightness of morning, He shall rise the Sun of an unclouded dawn, shining forth after rain upon tender grass out of the earth.

"Though my house is not so with AIL, yet He hath appointed for me THE COVENANT OF THE OLAHM, ordered in everything and sure: truly this is all my salvation, and all my delight, though he cause it not to spring forth.

"But the wicked shall be all of them as a thorn-bush to be thrust away; yet without hand shall they be taken; nevertheless A MAN shall smite upon them. He shall be filled with iron and the shaft of a spear; but with fire to burn up while standing, they shall be consumed."

The above testimonies I have translated from the Hebrew. The reader can compare them with the English version, and adopt which he thinks the more intelligible and correct. He will find that both renderings agree in affirming this:

1. That a dynastic house was guaranteed to David;

2. That the kingdom and throne of this dynasty should be established during a future period;

3. That the commencement and duration of that period were hidden from David;

4. That said kingdom and throne should be established by AIL; or, as Daniel says, by "the Eloah of the heavens;"

5. That the occupant of said throne should be a resurrected seed of David and Son of the Deity;

6. That this seed should come to his death by the violence of his enemies; and be pierced with a spear:

7. That the establishment of said kingdom and throne should come to pass after David's sleep with his fathers, and before his face; so that the establishment of the throne and kingdom would be after David's resurrection from among the dead;

8. That this Covenant of the then, and yet, Hidden Period, ordered in all things and sure, contained all that constituted the salvation looked for by David; and in which was his delight;

9. That He who should be at once seed of David and Son of the Deity should be Ruler over mankind, ruling them in righteousness and in glory, when occupying the covenanted throne; and,

10. That he should utterly destroy the power of the wicked.

The Tel Dan Stela

The Tel Dan Stela


2Kings 9 v 1 to 29 describes the coup d’etat of Jehu, a Commander in the army of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He was prompted to move by the actions of Elisha the prophet of God. Elisha had sent an emissary from among the prophets to anoint Jehu as king. It appears that this action was a cementation of the inevitable because on hearing the prophets message from Jehu’s own lips the other commanders declare him as king.


The back story is that Joram and his ally Ahaziah of Judah were in a lull in their fight with Hazael king of Aram of Damascus.


So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had been defending Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, against Hazael king of Syria. But King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which the Syrians had inflicted on him when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.)” 2Kings 9 v 14-15


As a result of the insurrection, King Joram (also known as Jehoram) was killed by Jehu at Jezreel and Ahaziah was shot during his escape from Jehu’s men and died at Megiddo, before his body was transported to Jerusalem for burial.


The political context then is one of war between nations. Hazael of Syria is in a state of war with Israel. Joram of Israel has been wounded in battle in his fight with Hazael and Ahaziah his ally is with him to support him. This is the moment Jehu strikes and performs his successful revolt.


It is in the context of these events that the Tel Dan Stela was written. In the 1993/94 excavations at Tel Dan, the site of the ancient town of Dan, at the northern most tip of what was the northern kingdom of Israel, turned up two broken fragments of an inscription written in Aramaic. There are 13 lines of text visible, though parts are missing, these being broken pieces of a complete monument. A translation of the text is given below. Sections in square brackets are either reconstructions from missing areas of text or have been left blank to indicate breaks in the inscription
[ ]...[ ] and cut [ ]
[ ] my father went up [ ] he fought at [...]
And my father lay down; he went to his
[fathers]. Now the king of I[s]/rael had penetrated
into my father's land before. [But then] Hadad made me king,
And Hadad marched before me. So I went forth from [the] seven[...]/S
of my rule, and I killed [seve]nty kin[gs] who had harnessed thou[sands of cha]/riots
and thousands of cavalry. [And I killed ...]ram son of [...]
the king of Israel, and I killed [...]yahu son of [... the ki]/ng of
the House of David. And I made [their towns into ruins and turned]
their land into [a desolation ...]
others and [...Then...became ki]/ng
over Is[rael...And I laid] 13'. siege against [...]


As is common with many monuments from this period, the king is claiming numerous victories for himself. He is declaring his own greatness. The author describes himself as a king and claims his authority from the god Hadad, which identifies him as a Syrian King.


He is clearly at war with his neighbour Israel, who appears to be allied to the king of Judah, of the house of David. He claims to have killed two kings, one of Israel who’s name in only partly visible as […]ram and one of the house of David, again only part of the name is visible as [….]yahu (or equally rendered [….]iah.) There is only one king of all the kings of Israel who’s name ended in “ram” and that is Jehoram. Of the kings of Judah and of the line of David there are several kings who’s names end in “iah”, these are Ahaziah, Amaziah, Uzziah, Hezekiah and Zedekiah. Only Ahaziah fits the context, he being contemporary with and allied to Jehoram. All the other names appear too late in the history of Judah to qualify. It seems then inescapable that the author of the Stela was Hazael of Syria.


But what of Hazael’s claim to have finished Jehoram and Ahaziah? Surely this is at odds with the biblical record which records how is was Jehu’s mutiny that resulted in both kings death. There are several answers to this…
It was common for rulers to claim credit for another's actions, especially if it gave them extra gravitas.
Hazael may have considered the battle with Jehoram, where his enemy had been wounded, reason enough to claim he brought about the circumstances of Jehoram’s and Ahaziah’s death.
Hazael may have considered Jehu as a vassal and therefore claimed credit for anything that Jehu achieved.


There is another monument that fits the context of this one very well. That is the famous Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III. In one section it describes the tribute of Jehu king of Israel, an event that can only have happened in Jehu’s first year as king. It suggests he may have been seeking support from the Assyrian king in his fight against Hazael. In effect siding with the biggest bully in the playground. This was not a particularly unusual activity, Ahaz of Judah, did exactly the same thing with a later king of Assyria, Tiglath-pileser, when he was threatened by Israel and Syria.


“Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me." And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasuries of the king's house, and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria.”
2 Kings 16 v 7 - 8


The House of David…


There is one other point of interest regarding the Tel Dan Stela, and that is it’s reference to the “House of David”. This fragment was found at a time when a scholarly argument was raging about whether the kingdom of David and Solomon had ever existed. What archaeological evidence there was, happened to be more circumstantial than direct. As a result some scholars who identified themselves as biblical minimalists suggested that the powerful united monarchy of David and Solomon was little more than legend and perhaps the monarchs had never existed. The Tel Dan Stela put paid to this notion with it’s clear reference to the line of kings descended from the House of David in Judah, written only 130 years after the death of king David and 90 years after the death of Solomon his heir.

Thought for the Day

This was my reward”

We continue on from some of our thoughts yesterday on how the wisest of kings, Solomon, reflected on what his life had really achieved. In reading Ecclesiastes, we perceive his remarkable insight into the meaning and purpose, from a human perspective, of all that exists and our interaction with them in our lives. What do his insights reveal?

Solomon uses his wisdom to accomplish everything possible. His second chapter details this, “…my heart still guiding me with wisdom … I made great works, I built houses and planted vineyards … made myself gardens and parks and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools … had slaves … also great possessions of herds … also gathered for myself silver and gold … I got singers … many concubines … so I became great and surpassed all who were before me … whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure … this was my reward for all my toil” (verses 3-11).

Note his conclusion! “this was my reward” – but note even more his next comment, “then I considered all that I had done and the toil I had expended” – and what does he see as the outcome of his considerations? “Behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind”. Other versions have, “I saw everything was emptiness and chasing the wind” (NEB) “meaningless” (NIV). Solomon saw that human lives have no lasting substance. Yet we all strive after things we can possess and experience, we may these days, for example, travel to many parts of the world but, let us recognise that, at the end of the day there is nothing ‘eternal’ in what we have experienced or achieved! Solomon then declared “so I hated life” (verse 17). A remarkable comment!

It seems evident he wrote this near the end of his life; he lacked the vision that his father David possessed when he wrote a Psalm and commented about “men of the world whose portion is in this life” – but in the next verse David said to his Creator, “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness” (Psalm 17:14,15). What will we be satisfied with?

Those who read Ecclesiastes should look into the mirror of their hearts and consider their ambitions – and what they mean, or do not mean – in the eternal perspective of their future.

A Man of Sign: The True ' King of Israel ' cometh !!

ARIEL SHARON
A Man of Sign  :   The True ' King of Israel ' cometh  !!

Woe  to Ariel ,  to Ariel ,  the city where David dwelt !!
Yet  I  will distress  Ariel  &  there shall be heaviness  &  sorrow
&  it shall be unto me  ' as Ariel '  . . . .

For the LORD hath poured out upon you
the spirit of  ' deep sleep '  &  hath  ' closed '  your eyes
the prophets  &  your rulers ,  the seers  hath he covered


Ariel Sharon's life  &  the astonishing circumstances
&  timing of his recent death are a ' prophetic sign '
warning of approaching catastrophic global events
that will precede the return of the Lord Jesus Christ

It is our  " heads - up "  from above.

Our opportunity to prepare is ... now !!



Isaiah 29 v 1-10

The death of Ariel Sharon , Israel’s former prime minister & legendary war hero is a ‘ major ’ historical event.
It is an ominous prophetic & biblical warning of calamitous events coming for the nation of Israel.

Among the most controversial figures in the history of Israel , Ariel Sharon’s life was an amazing parallel to his nation’s own short but turbulent history.  Incredibly , the remarkable circumstances of  Ariel Sharon’s death on the 11th January 2014 - after laying in a vegetative coma for 8 years  -  were actually foretold in amazing detail in God’s Word over 2,000 years before  !!!   We implore you to read the following information that graphically details Ariel Sharon’s truly remarkable life  &  the stunning significance of his recent passing  &  what it means for God’s people Israel  . . .  &  the whole world


HISTORY

Over his long career Sharon , was a man of destiny.  Rising from an Infantry Officer in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence , he rose to the highest office in the land when he was elected Israel's 11th Prime Minister in 2001.  His life was a litany of epic military conquests , fighting in all four of Israel's major wars  ,  he quickly rose to the rank of general in the Israeli army.

Later Ariel Sharon’s transition into political life was marked by controversary & seismic contradictions. Reviled by Arabs over his hardline policies & viewed with a mixture of respect & suspicion by many Israelis, Sharon became a lightning rod for controversy , all centred around the question of the final status of Jerusalem  &  the Holy Land , Israel.

Born in Palestine ( as it was then known ) in 1928 , he began his career as a platoon commander in the Israeli military at the outset of the 1948 War of Independence , during which time he was critically wounded & left for dead.  As a commander he later fought with distinction in the  1956 Sinai War  against Egypt.
In the  1967 Six-Day War  as a major general , he headed Israel's most powerful armoured division , the 10th Battalion , leading a crushing victory over the Egyptians.

In the  1973 Yom Kippur War ,  Ariel Sharon's bold manoeuvre ( while defying orders ) in crossing the Suez Canal  &  encircling the Egyptian 3rd Army was considered the key to Israel's victory.  It led to the Israeli public giving him the nickname " The king of Israel "  &  " The Lion of God ".  Following this decisive victory against overwhelming odds , crowds swarmed the streets singing a revised Hebrew song called " David - King of Israel "  &  changed it to  " Ariel - King of Israel "

During the 1970's & 1980's as Secretary for Agriculture , Ariel Sharon became known as the ‘ Father of the Settlements Movement ’ as he actively encouraged & directed the building of Jewish settlements on the West Bank.  Eventually he became the head of the Likud Party  &  later in 2001 he was elected  Prime Minister of Israel.
ARIEL SHARON'S SECURITY WALL
AUG / SEPT  2005  -  SHARON  ABANDONS  GOD'S PROMISES

In 2005 as Israel’s Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon caused a national & religious crisis over his Gaza withdrawal plan.  He instigated a seismic shift in Israeli policy , having resolved to enforce the unilateral withdrawal of all Jewish settlers  &  Israeli troops from the disputed Gaza Strip  &  part of the West Bank.  

This decision & it’s execution caused a furore domestically , shaking  Israel's Orthodox Jewish community to its foundations. Never before had an Israeli government relinquished what the religious population universally regarded as ' holy land ' promised to the Jews by God.  For the first time since the Jewish state was founded , Israel had voluntarily uprooted its own people  &  ceded land to the Palestinians.

It was a turning point for the Zionist project ,  So who was the man behind this withdrawal ?  The Lion of God - Ariel Sharon !!  What a stunning turn around.  Sharon who had led Israel to such amazing victories ,  was now  ‘ withdrawing ’ from the land ,  promised to Israel by God himself.
Thus saith the Lord GOD ;  I will even gather you from the people & assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered   &   I will  ‘  give you  ’  the land of Israel.
In 2002 , Ariel Sharon controversially ordered the construction of the security barrier - an 18ft high combination of concrete wall & chain fence that snakes through the West Bank  ( fore-told 2000 yrs ago !! )

Because ,  even because they have seduced my people ,
saying , Peace  :  &  there was no peace  &  one built  up a wall  &  lo others daubed it with untempered morter  Ezekiel 13 v 10

Sharon promised ' peace '.   Sharon built  ' a wall '
Verse 13  tells us  the wall  will be  destroyed by God

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD ;  I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury & there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger  &  great hailstones in my fury  to consume it.

So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter  &  bring it down to the ground ,  so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered  :  &  it shall fall  &  ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof :  &  ye  shall  know  that  I am the LORD.

Thus will I accomplish ' my wrath ' upon the wall  &  upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter  &  will say unto you , The wall is no more, neither they  that daubed it
Ezekiel 13 v 13-15

Incredibly . . . these verses above , clearly describe
' FUTURE EVENTS '  all  fore-told  in Bible Prophecy !!
Ariel Sharon was instrumental in securing the whole land of Israel.  His conquests in 1967 & 1973 ensured Israel's survival in the land given to them by God '.  Given his extraordinary exploits ,  it is clear God was undoubtedly with him in these victories.   But in his old age Ariel Sharon trod a different path . . . .
​
In  2003  he promised to create a Palestinian state


We may ask if Gaza is part of the land that God had promised ?  We are told clearly in :

Exodus 23v31  " I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even unto the sea of the Philistines  &  from the desert unto the river : for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand & thou shalt drive them out before thee"
The sea of the Philistines = Gaza .
NOVEMBER  2005  --  ARIEL SHARON  PLOTS  ' THE FINAL SHAPE OF ISRAEL '

Sixty years after the state of Israel was created ,  Ariel Sharon  -  who as a military general in successive wars since 1948  played a leading role in the expansion of Israel's borders ,  now as a politician  -  was finalising plans to further  divide the land   &  set the country's  elastic frontiers in stone.

With the withdrawal of Gaza complete ,  Sharon planned to complete the process by finally dividing the land of Israel in two.   This is where it gets interesting . . .  ( All this recorded in the UK’s Daily Telegraph )  At about 3 pm on January 4th 2006 a man called Otniel Schneller was ushered into Ariel Sharon's office.   He was a senior cartographer  -  known as the map maker.   He had the ‘ final plans ’ for the future borders of Israel.   The plans detailed the withdrawal this time not of Gaza , but of the vast majority of the West Bank  &  some parts of the Holy City , Jerusalem.   The meeting lasted 1½ hours  -  at the end of it , Sharon agreed the map would form the basis of Israel's disengagement from the West Bank  &  the creation of a Palestinian State.   Two hours later Sharon suffered a massive stroke  &  went into a coma.  Co-incidence ??

The area of the  ancient Philistines  was ' included ' in the land.  But in  Aug/Sep 2005 Sharon sent in soldiers who physically pulled Jews out of the land ( & parts of the West Bank ).  The picture above shows soldiers weeping as they removed their own people.  As Exodus 23 says , it was God who drove out the inhabitants of the land. But now here was an Israeli leader  -  the first in history  -  to give away  ( voluntarily ! )  land given to the Jews by God.

Ought ye not to know  ,  that the LORD God of Israel  ‘ gave ’  the kingdom over Israel
to David . . .  for ever ,  even to him  &  to his sons by a covenant of salt ??  2 Chron 13 v 5

Ariel  Sharon  should  have  known  this  -  but  it  was  about  to  get  worse  . . .


' ARIEL '  . . .  IN BIBLE PROPHECY    

Woe  to Ariel ,  to Ariel   . . .

For the LORD hath poured out upon you
the spirit of  ' deep sleep '
&  hath  ' closed '  your eyes

Isaiah 29 v 1-10
The coma lasted almost exactly 8 years.  Ariel Sharon died on Saturday January 11th 2014.  Throughout the Bible record the number ' 8 ' represents ' change ' or ' a new beginning '.  Was Ariel Sharon's death a fore-warning of dramatic change for both Israel  &  the whole world ,  &  a new beginning  with the coming establishment of God's Kingdom on earth ??


‘ Ariel ’ is a name that means ‘ Jerusalem ’.  Ariel  is mentioned in this context  in only ‘ ONE ’ chapter  in the entire Bible .  Isaiah 29  speaks of Ariel being ' the city ' where David lived. It speaks prophetically of Jerusalem  being ' brought down to the ground ' ( ' Levelled ’ )

But amazingly ,  this ancient Bible passage also speaks of  ‘ the leaders ’ falling into a deep sleep.   This condition will be the catalyst for the terrible time of trouble  soon to befall , not just Jerusalem & Israel , but will also engulf ALL nations culminating in God's righteous judgments on mankind.  So we can see the remarkable cirumstances of Ariel Sharon's personal demise ( all foretold over 2,500 years ago in God's Word )  unmistakably  ' foreshadow '  global events soon to unfold.
THE RABBI ,  THE NOTE  &  THE MESSIAH  

In 2005 ( while Ariel Sharon was at the height of his power & busy withdrawing from Gaza )  Israel's most loved  &  venerated Rabbi pronounced that the Messiah would not come until  AFTER  the death of Ariel Sharon.

Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri wrote a cryptic note in  September 2005  that he requested should only be opened one year after his own death. One year is the traditional mourning period , during which certain privileges are accorded the family out of respect for the deceased. More importantly, condemnation of actions of the dead cannot be placed on the family after this time period , so Kaduri was likely protecting his family from the backlash he thought may come from his note.

Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri died just 24 days after Sharon's stroke in 2006 at the age of 108.   Over 300,000 people attended his funeral.  By the time Kaduri’s note was opened on 28 January 2007 , Ariel Sharon had been in a coma for over 12 months.   In the note he had left ,  Rabbi Kaduri had revealed that the true ' Messiah ' was in fact  Jesus !!!  ( Yehoshua  or  Yeshua )  All this was reported in  Israel Today ( April 7 , 2007 ).

Now , 8 years later  &  following the recent death of Ariel Sharon , many in Israel  &  around the world are asking whether the Messiah will come soon
 . . .  A  ' WARNING '  of  COMING  GLOBAL  JUDGMENT

We also know one scriptural precedent for a significant death before world-wide judgment. There has only ever been one world-wide judgment  before.   The next one is coming soon .  The first one was at the time of the flood.   Just  BEFORE  the flood came , a man died whose name was ' Methusaleh '.   His name means " his death shall bring judgment "   He definitely died in the year of the great flood  &  just before  the flood came. His own name spelt out judgment was coming & served as a warning of impending judgment to those around him.  Given the remarkable circumstances of his life & his death , Ariel Sharon might be a similar person.   His own name predicts what is coming . . .  judgment concerning Jerusalem  . . . namely  ‘ the levelling ’ of  ‘ Jerusalem ’.  Sharon who led Israel to capture & expand the land ,  also became the leader who gave some of it away  &  tried to divide it in two.   He has recently died at the very time the world is pushing for division again in 2014 as US-led ‘ Peace Negotiations ’ near their conclusion  &  we see Israel edging closer to a final deal to trade ' Holy Land ' for the false promise of peace.  So , is all this pure chance ??  or is God's hand behind these things ??   You decide .
The world at that time was destroyed , being flooded with water.

But by His word ,
the present heavens & earth are being reserved  for fire
kept for the day of judgment  &  destruction of ungodly men

God is patient toward you , not wishing for any to perish
but for ' all ' to come to repentance.

    2 Peter 3 v 6-7

Bible Prophecy - Hebron Controversy

Thousands of Jews from Israel and all over the world converge on Hebron this weekend for a significant and festive Sabbath honouring the Jewish reading of the Torah portion called Chayei Sarah, which is Genesis 23:1 - 25:18. Even as Jews gathered to Hebron, the city of Abraham to celebrate, seven left wing demonstrators were arrested for causing a disturbance protesting the Jewish presence in the ancient city. The city of Hebron is often in the news. Today it is a divided city of conflict and a difficult place for Jews to live; a place where there is a great danger of Arab terrorism and where they are harassed by left wing provocateurs.

To suggest that Jews should not live in the city of Hebron because they are Jewish, is problematic. Especially when we remember that the very roots of the Jewish people come to this place. This week's Torah portion which is being celebrated in Hebron is described by Israel National News: "The Torah portion describes the Biblical patriarch Abraham’s purchase of the Machpelah Cave in Hevron as a burial site for his wife Sarah. According to Jewish tradition, Abraham, Sarah, their son Yitzchak (Isaac) and his wife Rivka (Rebecca), and Yaakov (Jacob) and his wife Leah are all buried in the cave." When visiting Hebron today, one can stand in the very gate where Abraham bought the field and the cave from the sons of Heth as recorded in Genesis.

"And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth." (Genesis 23:17-20)

The miracle of the return of the Jews to the land of Israel after almost 2 millennia is the greatest sign of the times, spoken of by so many of the Hebrew prophets. The return to Hebron is also a fulfillment of prophecy. Consider Isaiah 61:3,4 where the prophet says:

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.  And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations."

Surprisingly there has almost always been a small Jewish community in Hebron, even through the period of the diaspora. There were Jews living in Hebron almost continuously throughout the Byzantine, Arab, Mameluke, and Ottoman periods. Up until 1929 there was a peaceful Jewish community in Hebron, which coexisted with the Arab population quite well. But the the 1929 Arab riots broke out and in Hebron many Jews lost their lives. In the book "Israel, a History", Martin Gilbert records on page 60: "On August 25 a large Arab crowd made what the official British report described as a 'most ferocious attack' on the Jewish Quarter. 'This savage attack,' the report continued, 'of which no condemnation can be too severe, was accompanied by wanton destruction and looting.' Within five hours, more than sixty Jews had been killed, including many women and children." The remainder of the the Jewish community in Hebron was expelled by the British.

After the six day war, Israel ended up in possession of the hill country, of what has become known as the "West Bank", including Hebron. Just outside the old city of Hebron a new Jewish community was founded, which was called Kiryat Arba after the other name of Hebron used in the Bible, in the KJV, Kirjath Arba. Later Jews moved into the old city of Hebron and there is a small community there today. The Jewish community of Hebron faces many challenges today, including provocations and terrorism. During the last intifada, or Arab uprising, a sniper targeted and killed a Jewish toddler in her stroller in a playground in Hebron.

Hebron was the place where God made the covenant with Abraham, "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." When the Israelites came out of Egypt, Hebron was the place where the spies saw the giants and were fearful to go into the land. They acted by sight and did not live by faith. When they came into the land, Caleb chose to have his inheritance in Hebron, the hardest part of the land to take and drove out the Anakim - the giants. In one of his great acts of faith, Samson took the gates of Gaza to Hebron, recognizing the significance of the place where the Abraham was buried, where the promises were given, literally possessing the gates of his enemies. During Bible times Hebron was a priestly city, a city of refuge and David was king there first over Judah. Hebron has always been a place that required faith to live in. It is quite striking that again today Hebron is a city that requires faith to live in, where there are great obstacles and so the Jews that live there are of a unique character. There is terrorism, it is extremely difficult for Jews to buy any property, they have been expelled from properties they have bought. The world does not want Jews in Hebron. The European Union's Executive Commission has announced it will bar financial assistance to any Israeli organization operating in the West Bank from 2014. This is a prime example of the bullying of the EU against Israel, to force Jews out of cities such as Hebron. As reported on the Jerusalem Post website, this week Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Ze'ev Elkin said that, "Israel and the European Union will drift apart if they cannot compromise on new EU guidelines covering settlements beyond the Green Line that could damage research and trade ties".

As Jews flow to Hebron from all over Israel and the world this weekend, it is a fulfillment of prophecy. It is a celebration of the promises of God to the faithful who await the resurrection when they will inherit the land; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Rebbekah, Leah, Caleb... It is also a controversial event, a focal point of the controversy for the land of Israel, a controversy that becomes more acute as time passes. In 1868, long before the Jews returned to the land of Israel, John Thomas wrote in the booklet, "Anatolia", concerning the time of the end, that: "The time, however, fast approaches; and the nearer it arrives, the more important do all questions become bearing upon Judah's land, and Zion, the city of their king." We look forward to this time, when the little stone of the kingdom of God, will smite the image of the empire of the kingdom of men and smash it - Daniel 2. At that time Hebron will become the possession of the faithful of old, who will be royalty in the kingdom of God. Hebron will be an important and royal city in the restored nation of Israel. Jeremiah 33:10-11

"Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,  The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.

What the Armageddon of the Bible Is? (AremaGaiDon)

To bring about the good news of His Kingdom, God must prepare the world first. The world’s pride must be brought low. Only when the world is humbled, will they be willing to listen to God. The battle of Armageddon is referred to in Revelation 16v16. We are told that this symbolic name should be interpreted “in the Hebrew tongue”. Hebrew is the language of modern Israel. The word “Armageddon” is a combination of 3 Hebrew words:


Arema - A heap of sheaves

Gai - in a valley

Don - for judgement


Armageddon therefore means “a heap of sheaves in a valley for judgement”. Many prophecies in the Bible liken God’s judgement on the nations in the last days to gathering sheaves of wheat to be reaped and threshed. The Bible uses symbols of nature to teach us lessons. The agricultural symbol of a farmer reaping and threshing wheat is used in the Bible to show how God will deal with nations who rebel against Him:

“Thrust in thy sickle and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.…” (Revelation 14v16)

God “shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh…” (Micah 4v12-13)

“Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat (ie. God’s judgement), for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing thesickle, for the harvest is ripe…Multitudes, Multitudes in the valley of threshing. For the day of the Lord is near.” (Joel 3v12-14)

The nations are broken in pieces and “become like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors…” (Daniel 2v35)

“The mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high…. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations” (Habakkuk 3v10,12)

Armageddon is therefore an Old Testament subject. While not a lot of detail is given in Revelation 16 about the battle itself, we are in effect being told to go BACK TO THE OLD TESTAMENT to find out the full story. If we go back to these chapters we are able to see that Armageddon concerns Israel and Jerusalem, and that the nations will be judged at this time. We ask you to simply read these chapters for yourself. Many of them are self explanatory. For instance read Isaiah 34v1-10, Jeremiah 30v3-11 and Malachi 4.

Enter Satan The Book of Job #2

Enter Satan

The identification of Satan is critical to any interpretation of the unfolding drama. I propose that throughout the Bible Satan is a metaphorical character representing human pride. Therefore in Job Satan is present wherever pride is present: initially only in the three friends (but later Job too becomes infected).

This proposal is prompted by the following observations:

 The word ‘Satan’ is a Hebrew word meaning ‘opponent’ and is referenced with the definite article (i.e. The Satan), suggesting a metaphorical character, rather than a proper name.

3

 The natural reading of the prologue suggests that the ‘opponent’ is the opponent of God.

 The Satan is stupid! The entire basis of the Satan’s argument is that he is cleverer than God and has observed something God has missed. This characteristic arrogance points strongly at human pride.

I consider these observations in the light of the broader Biblical teaching concerning Satan, resting on the assumption that the scriptural canon communicates a single message, so Biblical texts interpret each other:

 Peter’s NT writing reveals angels do not slander righteous men, as the Satan does to Job, excluding the possibility of the Satan being an angel, either benign or malign.

 Scripture consistently indicates that God’s opponent is man’s stubborn, proud heart (Gen 6; Jer 17; Mark 7).

 The scriptural scenes of God interacting with Satan follows a template of three generic points: 1) God speaks a truth; 2) Satan counters with an untruth, which forms an accusation against a righteous man; 3) God rebukes the Satan. Examples of this three-part template can be seen in: a) Gen 2-3 & Rev 12; b) Matt 16; c) Ezra 1-4 & Zech 3. The template is consistently fulfilled in Job if we understand the Satan as the pride of the three friends, because their untruths concerning God’s character form accusations against righteous Job and their pride-filled rhetoric is rebuked by God at the end.

 The story of Job forms the iconic tale of human suffering. This forms an appeal to our sensibilities, especially as God is directing the action, that the cause of this suffering should equally be the signature root cause. Other interpretations lay this cause at the feet of others: other men are seen as the Satan, or even a slow-witted angel who doesn’t quite grasp God’s plan. My interpretation identifies the pride and self-will resident in us all as that ultimate, root cause of suffering and divorce from harmony with God: the Satan.