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ehold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:31-33) “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to
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our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child (John), shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.� (Luke 1:67-79)
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n the above announcements from the angel Gabriel and the prophecy of the priest Zacharias we see the entrance into the earth of the two
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most significant babies ever born. Two witnesses to the almighty purpose of the Father, in order to save mankind from their darkness. These two came in fulfilment of prophecies given as Zecharias Levi declared: “as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began”. This was no small event, but a hugely significant and a time splitting fulfilment! John Zacharias Levi was born with the Holy Spirit and was the first to bring the Word of God for more than 400 years. He prepared the hearts of the Israelites to receive the message of the Messiah who was close behind him (6 months in fact). He did this by preaching repentance through baptism for the remission (clearing) of sins. This clearly had an effect and sins were cleansed outside of the temple rituals without sacrifices. This infuriated the Temple leaders and it cost them revenue! Jesus then came and declared His Kingdom from heaven and demonstrated it powerfully through signs, wonders and healings and most importantly new Words from heaven. John was beheaded and finally just as prophesied the Messiah was then betrayed and finally ‘cut off’ midway through his seven year ministry becoming the atoning sacrifice for sin (Dan 9:26). “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.” (John 19:28) We read in John’s account of the crucifixion and that, as far as Jesus was concerned, he had accomplished his mission, ‘ALL things were now accomplished’. What exactly did Jesus
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mean when he said ALL THINGS were now accomplished (past tense). He had not yet even been raised from the dead! Early on in his ministry we see that Jesus announced his mission statement: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matt 5:17). Something often misunderstood is the fact that Jesus (God come in the flesh) came with a specific purpose in mind which had been planned since before the creation of the world (Matt 13:35). As mind blowing as this is, we must take Jesus and the Apostles at their word if we are to be his genuine disciples. Jesus’ physical body, like Adam’s, was part created by the Spirit and part the dust of the earth (Gen 2:7), but with one huge difference, Jesus was without sin (no rebellion). We see Paul confirm this in his letter to the Corinthians, who were struggling with these truths: “And so it is written,The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Jesus) was made a quickening spirit.” (1 Corin 15:45) Hang on a minute did he say LAST ADAM referring to JESUS! What does this actually mean? At this point it’s interesting to note that in Luke’s gospel he gives the genealogy of Jesus going all the way back to... you guessed it, Adam (Luke 3:38), but don’t we all go back to Adam? This genealogy reveals Jesus body as being fully man. We understand that Jesus’ Spirit preexisted his subsequent earthly body because he is the great I AM, the ALMIGHTY as revealed through many Scriptures (Rev 1:8), His deity therefore is not in question, because when His flesh was murdered, He died, was buried and on o
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the third day He rose again by the power of the Spirit according to the prophecies of the prophets. His earthly flesh (the Adam bit) took on immortality (or became spirit, that is indestructible!) for example he could appear and disappear and ascend into heaven and back at will. This is why he is called the ‘quickening spirit’ or ‘life giving spirit’ (1 Corin 15:44-46). As such he has conquered death and ever lives to intercede for those who believe in him because his ‘flesh’ can no longer perish, it has been transformed. This was God’s intension for the original Adam. The first man Adam started out connected to the Father by the Spirit, but through his rebellion (disobedience) he became a man of the flesh only (his spirit blinded). So Jesus was fully man, but also fully God and now also fully Spirit - One God, Father, Son and Spirit. The triune eternal existence or trinity of God, so incredible that it’s almost beyond our understanding due to its non-created heavenly nature, but by His grace Jesus came to explain and reveal this Truth! Why would God Almighty bother to go through all this effort to enter into humanity? The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews makes this clear to us: “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.” (Heb 10:4-6; from Psa 40). King David, the man after God’s own heart, had prophesied something which had always been spoken of by the prophets and was commonly understood; that one day God himself would come as a man,
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the Son of Man. Jesus came with power to first do away with the core problem - sin (inner rebellion) - and ultimately the author of sin - Satan (who hides). Sin is the cause of all pride and wickedness in mankind’s spirit, soul and body. The Apostle John points this out to us very clearly: “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8). Jesus was on a mission from the Father and this mission was to fulfil all prophecy including the destruction of Satan, who has led the whole world astray and polluted God’s creation with his rebellion. The kingdom that Gabriel had prophesied to Mary that would have ‘no end’ was not any earthly kingdom restricted to a small plot of land called Israel, but it was a kingdom of heaven which would one day completely destroy the Satanic kingdoms of the whole world and ultimately fill the whole earth and people’s hearts. “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.” (John 18:36; Dan 2:44) Make no mistake (as did the Jews) that this kingdom is NOT of this world, it is not a physical, visible kingdom as previously experienced in the time of David and Solomon. The physical kingdom will not be in this time dimension, but only in the new heaven and new earth and only for his people. Jesus came to establish a new mind
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in us who believe - awesome. Jesus should know, after all it was he that gave the Law on Sinai to Moses through angels! But more than this, as a man Jesus fully obeyed the Father’s will on earth for us to imitate, a new and living way. Paul declares this glorious truth in his letters, but we see it especially announced in Colossians: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, Did Jesus win? triumphing over them in it. Let no man So then, returning to our original theme therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in we must ask ourselves; did Jesus achieve respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of this purpose, did he win and fulfil all things? According to Jesus YES he achieved the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” this purpose. He himself became the (C ol 2:9-17) ‘living sacrifice’, the ‘Lamb of God who takes By obtaining the salvation promised by the away the sin of the world’ and he did this by Law and the Prophets we see that Jesus completely fulfilling the whole Law of completely fulfilled ALL the prophecies Moses and the Prophets in it’s entirety, for the Messiah’s first visitation to earth as thus disabling Satan, because the power of the suffering servant. He is the only way sin is the Law (1 Corin 15:56). to overcome sin through the circumcision Jesus defeated sin and death, the enemy of the inward heart (human spirit) by faith of us all, because he ‘takes away sin’ and in Christ as the new High Priest, of heaven the power of sin is death (Rom 5:12; Heb itself. John came to baptise in water, but 1:3) he literally paid for sin to be forgiven Jesus came to baptise with the Spirit (Jesus which spoke of the kingdom to come, to finish the ‘old kingdom’ paradigm and introduce the ‘new kingdom’ revealing how to get into it by faith! This world and the earth is a corrupted sinking ship that will ultimately bring judgement back upon the wicked of history ending in its total destruction (2 Peter 3:10). Just think what John the baptist said to those ‘officials’ who came to test him: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matt 3:7) John was trying to persuade and encourage repentance so that they could see the saviour, because there was a ‘wrath’ or judgement coming upon Israel - their total destruction! As it turned out from the time of Christ there would be just a 40 year window to repent and escape Jerusalem, just one generation.
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never baptised anyone in water! (see John 4:2). Water symbolises the washing of sins by repentance (death to self) and the Spirit baptism signifies acceptance and power to live a holy life pleasing to God and both these together guarantee salvation into the Kingdom to come! (Mark 1:4-8; Acts 1:5; Eph 1:6). This is why Jesus sacrificial covenant is called ‘new’ because this ministry was not previously known, the previous ‘conditional’ covenants (under the patriarchs & Moses) were outward, of the physical flesh only, sins were not taken away but only ‘covered’. Very few managed to keep the Law perfectly (some did and are commended of God (Luke 1:6; Heb 11). God did not ‘permanently’ dwell inside them (the promise Acts 2:33), but only influenced them for a time! Now however, Jesus (God the Son incarnate) is able by the Holy Spirit (God the Spirit invisible) to permanently dwell in us who believe. He fulfilled this purpose so that His presence now defeats sinful thoughts (Accusation of the Law) as we cooperate with him. This leads to holiness in spirit and body (cleansed of sinful actions see Gal 5) and we can know peace with the Father because our conscience (mind) is cleared of all guilt. This brings true freedom from Satan’s corrupted world philosophies and religion of works as well as Judaism which becomes outdated (according to Jesus). This is surely the good news we preach: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27) This proves, beyond question, that Jesus fulfilled ALL the promises given to the Jews for their salvation and redemption,
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God paid them back in full and ended the covenant giving them a new one, a better one. Jesus body became ‘Spirit’, transformed so that God once invisible made himself visible for us. When you meet God it will be Jesus, they are one! The mission for us now as the body of Christ (i.e. Christ in us) is to preach the Kingdom of heaven and gather all those who will believe in him and then the end will come. He returns a second time to reward his faithful and judge the wicked for their stubborn allegiance to Satan and rejection of the gospel. Once confirmed by the Spirit in us we have a guarantee of resurrection and by living continually in a spirit of repentance and thankfulness Christ intercedes for us to be kept pure. Jesus returns to give his true disciples ‘rewards’ for the obedience they have shown in spreading the Kingdom message and not to judge us for our sins which have been cleansed by his blood sacrifice. Those who refuse Jesus, as he himself said, have already been judged and remain in darkness (John 3:18). The true ‘nation’ of Christ and God has always been those with the indwelling Spirit and not by the flesh, because ‘flesh cannot inherit the Kingdom of God’, because it is heavenly (1 Corin 15:50). This means that your human descent or genealogy, rituals and traditions have no relevance or value before God the Father (even Jewish ones), the only thing that counts is faith in Christ who fulfilled his mission as the servant King of heaven and earth who gave himself for us. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days
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spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” (Heb 1:1-4) Jesus is in heaven right now ruling and reigning over mankind’s affairs, awaiting the set time when all the saints are gathered. However this does not prevent him from visiting earth in secret or through angels to save those being persecuted, he remains omnipresent. It may surprise many to know that Jesus is no longer Jewish in appearance, in fact he never really was, because as he said to the Pharisees, “before Abraham was I AM” (Exod 3:4; John 8:58). He pre-existed creation and although his physical body was partly of Jewish origin (on the female side) Paul says that we should no longer view him in this human way, because he has ascended back to heaven (2 Corin 5:16). This explains why the apostles and Mary did not fully recognise him when he revealed himself in his resurrected body, because it had been changed and no longer looked like the Jewish Jesus they grew up with (John 20:14-20). However they believed when they saw the scars in his transformed body. That’s why Jesus kept the scars! Surely if they had recognised Jesus and he looked identical to before this would not have been necessary!
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No more animal sacrifices! Paul preached that Jesus was the total fulfilment of God’s promise to Israel and that this was their opportunity to receive the good news or to reject the blessing and be judged. He and the first apostles always went to the Jews first to tell them that this had happened as the doctor Luke recorded in Acts many times. “Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.” (Acts 13:26-33) Now because Jesus completely fulfilled the Law and the Prophets and the promise to the fathers (Abraham, Isaac etc.) it means that from God the Father’s perspective there is absolutely no need for animal sacrifice of any kind, to atone or cover sins. It also means that any attempt to use animal sacrifice or keep Jewish rituals will be viewed by the Father as an ‘abomination’ and the works of man (iniquity), who wants to use the law as an accusation against men of faith. Keeping of the Law to overcome rebellion and avoid God’s wrath has been completely done away with by Jesus Christ! To say less is to undo the complete work of Christ on the cross! (Gal 2:21; 2 Corin 1:20) The work of the cross is even more amazing than many realise it to be. This is why Jesus allowed Satan to destroy the Temple.
Ancient prophecy fulfilled The end of sacrifices was prophesied by Daniel 400 years before, just as Abraham was also told (Gen 15:13), indicating that the holy temple services and sacrifices would one day be completely done away with. This must have seemed a strange idea to Daniel and the Jews, but this would be o
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yet another absolute proof that the work of the Christ would be perfect and complete fulfilling ALL prophecy and promises since the creation: “And after threescore and two weeks (3.5) shall Messiah (Jesus) be cut off (killed), but not for himself (for us): and the people of the prince (Titus and Roman armies) that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood (war), and unto the end of the war (Roman/Jewish) desolations are determined (destruction of all life in Israel came by 135AD). And he (Jesus) shall confirm the covenant with many for one ‘week’ (7 years): and in the midst of the week (3.5 yrs) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (Temple vail torn in two - crucifixion), and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation (last resurrection), and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate (rebellious Jews).” (my brackets) (Dan 9:26-27, Luke 11:51; 21:32). Jesus was sent at just the right time to be crucified by the Romans and Jews halfway through an intended seven year ministry (3.5 yrs) when he was betrayed by Judas Iscariot (son of perdition) as prophesied (Psa 41:9; Matt 20:18). The gospels record that the vail in the temple was torn from top to bottom exposing the holy of holies thus making it unclean - forever. Despite this, for many years the Jewish leaders continued to carry out atonement rituals which God now saw as an ‘abomination’ as these were no longer required as Isaiah had prophesied: “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required
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this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:11-20)
New beginnings Fifty days after His resurrection Jesus established His new ‘holy priesthood’ with the first apostles, the Twelve and other believers, at Pentecost (outpouring into approx.120 people Acts 1:15). This new people or ‘holy nation’ of the ‘Spirit’ were formed by Jesus (the branch) in one day! (Isaiah 66:8) These first fruits would escape the coming destruction of Judea, Jerusalem and the Temple. As Jesus had prophesied 37 years earlier, and after being surrounded by Roman armies,
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Jerusalem was indeed desolated by Titus, the son of Vespasian, between AD 66-70, a total of 40 years from Jesus death to the Temples’s destruction and the end of the Levites as God’s ‘holy’ priesthood, never to return. The final judgement of all Israel came upon those who did not believe in the Christ or in the apostles teaching. As the curse of the law testifies God pursued the Israelites in whatever land they fled to and they suffered desolations and persecutions - even to this day! His Word is true! Some find it hard to accept these historical and Biblical facts and this is due to minimal knowledge of recorded history, but also erroneous teaching introduced when the apostate ‘Roman church’ emerged out of the fallen Roman empire (also prophesied by Paul and others). However the early apostles and all believers fully accepted the end of Judah, Israel and of the Law for justification because Jesus himself spoke of it and even warned them when to escape from the city (when it was surrounded by the armies Luke 21:20). The total destruction of Jerusalem is also documented by recognised historians, including Josephus, and it’s also engraved in stone on the Arch of Titus in Rome to this very day! Jerusalem and the whole of Israel was annihilated and desolated like never before, it was literally ploughed over and every trace of its Judaic religion removed. This fulfilled Jesus prophecy in Matt 24:21 (see below): “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth
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her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” (Matt 23:37-38) (FULFILLED!) “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you,There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matt 24:1-2) (FULFILLED!) “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: For then shall be great tribulation (upon Israel), such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matt 24:15-21) (FULFILLED!) “ And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea 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.” (Luke 21:17-22). (FULFILLED AD 70!) This last sentence is very conclusive! For the remaining Jewish people (of all tribes) this was indeed an horrific time o
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and unprecedented destruction and desolation where hundreds of thousands were crucified and women and children murdered or starved to death. It was as if God was dead and just as Jesus said ‘such as was not since the beginning of the world’. No city of God had ever been ploughed over and utterly removed to be replaced by a completely new pagan city built by Caesar Hadrian in AD 75 which was called Aelia Capitolina in honour of the god Jupiter in which was a pagan temple (on the previous Temple site) where they sacrificed pigs to the goddess Venus! The abomination of desolation was established! (see also Micah 3:11-12). If this had happened in our day it would be the biggest news story ever on CNN or the BBC! All this is historical fact and not a future desolation to come as futurists are claiming.
The devastated journalist and historian Josephus writes: “No stranger who had seen Judea of old, and the lovely suburbs of its capital, and now saw this devastation, could have restrained his tears and lamentations at the hideous change. For the war had turned all that beauty into a wilderness. And no man who knew these places of old and suddenly saw them again could possibly have recognised them.” All Jews and Christians were forbidden to enter and were dispersed across the known world. And so was fulfilled Jesus words to them when he said: “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets,
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and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” (Matt 23:34-36 FULFILLED!) David’s Jerusalem was gone forever. Israel was gone. Cut down like a great oak tree with only one spiritual branch remaining from the roots - Jesus Christ’s body - his remnant messianic church.
The abomination of desolation
The Roman abomination of desolation continued on the old temple mount through many centuries. In our present day the anti-christ Islamic dome of the rock and the Al Asqa mosque currently cover the site of the old Temple to prevent the re-emergence of sacrifices. Jews and Christians are not officially allowed on the site and probably never will be again. This is God’s doing as a sign to the whole world that what he did in Christ is permanent. After saving his remnant (church of 120 people), and giving them plenty of time to escape the coming destruction (37 years), Satan took his vengeance upon the faithless rebellious Israel and Judah once and finally. All this destruction and tribulation really did come upon that generation and as mentioned over 500,000+ died and the rest were scattered around the known world, never to return for nearly two thousand years (approx 1,878 years).
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At the time of this destruction the first 12 apostles were mostly dead and buried having been brutally treated and martyred by Romans and other tribes with the possible exception of John who was on Patmos and then died in Asia Minor of old age. He would have heard of Jerusalem’s destruction, but by this time the heart of the church had been established in Asia Minor (Southern Turkey) in such places as Ephesus, Laodicea and Corinth in Greece and no longer in Roman Palestine/Judea. The Gospel of the Kingdom had spread to the known world, even to India and Britain by this time.
The remnant of grace Paul, apostle to the nations, tells us that the final remnant chosen by God from the Jews was fulfilment of God’s promises to that nation. Remember that Paul writes to those living before the destruction of Israel (as mentioned above). He never witnessed the end. “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. (old testament) Even so then at this present time (prior to the destruction of Israel) also there is a REMNANT (of Jews) according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more
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grace: otherwise work is no more work.” (Rom 11:1-6) When Paul says; ‘at this present time’ (AD 55) he is clearly referring to the early community, and specifically those Jews who believed prior to the destruction judgement (which had not yet come). He shows that as with Elijah in his time, hundreds of years previous, God had reserved those whose hearts were genuinely for him. It was John the Baptist (spirit of Elijah) who had prepared the way or hearts of the people whom God wanted (Luke 7:28-30). Paul also shares his passion to see his own people (according the the flesh) come to Christ and receive the Spirit, so that they become children of promise instead of children of wrath. “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 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 forever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but,‘In Isaac shall thy seed be called’. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise (Spirit) are counted for the seed.” (Rom 9:1-8). Paul clearly states in the above scriptures that God fulfilled His part of the covenant
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to Israel by choosing these remnant Jews by grace (also around 7,000 see Acts 2:41; 4:4; 6:7) from among the Jews in Israel at that time (around 40 AD), that remnant were those who truly repented at the preaching of the Kingdom and of faith in the Messiah Jesus, receiving the Spirit as promised to Abraham. These Jews understood that the Messiah is a complete and total end of the Law for justification and only those grafted into Messiah (by baptism and the Spirit) are grafted into the true inheritance of Israel which is the spiritual vine Jesus - the promise. Paul tells us that the Kingdom of God is now from another place - from heaven itself - the new Jerusalem that is above (Gal 4:24-25) even before the physical was destroyed! The holy priesthood has been changed by the Godhead and the Law has been changed to the ‘Law of Christ’. He brought the reformation that he planned from the beginning. As Jesus himself said: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 4:6) He also made it clear to the woman in Samaria that he was looking for the Spirit not the flesh: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24) The writer of Hebrews also confirms all this to us: “The Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all (heaven) was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was
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yet standing (Law on earth): Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building (earth); Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place (into heaven), having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Heb 9:8-12). This text makes plain the incredible truth that the way of the ‘flesh’, (a chosen ethnic group, being kept pure by breeding), no longer qualifies before God Almighty because he sent his Son as the last of that DNA chain, the last Adam. As it says in the scripture above, ‘not as though theWord of God hath taken none effect’. This means that the Word (Jesus) HAS taken effect and the effect is that of Grace, first for the Jew then for the nations, so that ALL men can call on the name of the creator simply by a prayer of faith! The writer above tells us that the Law was ‘imposed on them until the time of reformation’! That reformation was Christ - God himself in the flesh revealing the reality of the heavenly realm and the kingdom to come! (Most think of the reformation as the time of Luther in 1517, but this was not so much a reformation as a revival of Christian truth which had been suppressed by Rome’s anti-christ agenda). This grace was given by Jesus in person because the final countdown to judgement
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(upon the land of Israel) had begun and (like Noah) Jesus (the man of faith) came to rescue as many as possible before the ultimate end came upon the Jews (as described earlier). The Father did not have to do this, but it is his great love (and for the Patriarchs) that motivated him to serve us with his precious Son. This is the good news of the Kingdom of God - that he literally has saved us from the coming desolation of ALL THINGS and the end of this earth and this heaven. Hallelujah! “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.” (John 3:16). Notice he is saying that he is trying to save them from perishing in the judgements to come upon the Jews and upon the whole world. Being a Christian is not about being rich and prosperous in this life, but it’s about escaping the coming judgements! We have been warned that all things will pass away - ALL! including your church buildings!
The end of the Law As you might expect such a new radical change is not exactly what the religious people in Israel were prepared to accept (not even to this day). This is why they killed Jesus and the apostles and persecuted many others. Even some believers in Jesus today cannot accept that the Law and Judaism in all it’s intricacy is no longer required at all to be justified before the Father. It’s what Paul called his ‘liberty in Christ’ (Gal 2:4) and even calls adherence to the Law for justification as ‘the yoke of bondage’. Why would we want that? The apostle Paul encountered this
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error more than once during his ministry to the nations and wrote clearly about it in his letter to the Galatian believers. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Gal 5:1) It’s not that God does not recognise the genuine Jews and Israelites as his ancient people, but rather everything was done for them to enter the new and living way of Christ his Son - to receive the promise of the Spirit. That work was then extended out to all nations because the Father wants a large family of people, because he really loves us all so much to save us from the end to come! It takes a hard sinful heart to reject the love of Christ. The history and experience of the Israelites provide the ‘spiritual roots’ of the faith and a wonderful guide to the truth of God’s dealing with mankind prior to Christ’s coming. As we saw, in the quote of Isaiah and Hebrews, all aspects of the Law were only a shadow of the spiritual reality which is found in Christ and his church (supernatural body). Jesus is indeed greater than Moses and Solomon: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the o
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rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Heb 3:1-6) This all means that the Law is holy, but it is not a means to justification and salvation by outward effort. Keeping the Law to the letter is the only way it ever worked for the one obeying it. However, this is so difficult and totally impossible without the sacrificial system anyway! No-one can keep the Law. Only Jesus kept the Law perfectly and overcame it’s curse for us.
The epistle to the gentiles The final word regarding the end of Law as a means to justification is recorded for us by Luke in his book of Acts when an important letter (epistle) was drafted by the Twelve apostles, the elders and the church assembly in Jerusalem to the new Gentile believers. This came about in response to the question of whether Gentile believers in Jesus should have to obey any aspects of the Jewish Law in order to be saved and thus included in the church? Spearheading the argument for dropping ALL the requirements of the Law were Paul, Barnabas and Peter (Acts 15). Consider what they said: “And certain men (Pharisees) which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, ‘Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved’. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.” (Acts 15:1-2) So here is the challenge by the Pharisees from Judea (Jews) that salvation depends also on keeping the Law of Moses (circumcision, Sabbaths etc.), because if you keep one part of the Law you must
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keep ALL of it. The Pharisees tried to push this viewpoint in the discussion. “And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying,That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.” (Acts 15:5-6) Now we see the whole church comes together to consider the matter and the claim that keeping the Laws of Moses is required to be saved (justified). Notice these Pharisees are also called believers, but they did not want to separate from the Law or culture. So what do they all conclude after much disputing? First we hear from Peter considered the chief of apostles to the Jews in Jerusalem: “And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” (Acts 15:7-11) There is a lot of heated discussion about this issue (as today) but notice that Peter
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clearly states that receiving of the Spirit is what purifies the heart and saves by faith! He insists that the yoke of the Law should not be put on disciples of Christ. Next up we hear from Paul and Barnabas who share all the miracles of the Holy Spirit that came upon the nations during their travels (over many years) and everyone is amazed and encouraged that God is accepting these nations without the Law. Finally we hear from James the Just: “And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simon (Peter) hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,‘After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:That the remnant of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things’ (Amos 9:1112). Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God” (Acts 15:13-19). James also makes it clear that the Gentiles who turn to God are not to be troubled with keeping the Law! This is the conclusion of Peter and James, both of who were with Jesus on the mount of configuration! Could it be any clearer? The result of these two wise presentations was the drafting of an epistle (official letter) to go to ALL the believing Gentiles in the whole world, what we may call the
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‘epistle to the Gentiles’. “Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren: And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” Here we have it, a short letter, but utterly to the point and agreed by the whole church and confirmed by the Holy Spirit (God) that there is only need for Gentiles who believe to do 4 things, so as not to offend the gospel truth. 1. Abstain from food offered to idols 2. Abstain from eating uncooked blood (also associated with idol worship) 3. Abstain from eating things strangled o
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(usually birds for idol worship) 4. Abstain from fornication (sexual immorality in all its forms - also associated with worshipping other gods) Sadly even today there are still many cultures which have primitive rituals involving the worship of idols (Buddhism, Islamism, Hinduism, Animism, Roman Catholicism etc.). When coming to Christ one would certainly expect that such behaviour (listed above) would cease in anyone who previously did such things. Plus it is also expected that individuals would also desire to follow the Spirit and not the flesh and stop any immoral sexual behaviour in order to be pure before Christ (see 2 Corin 6:15-18). This is the official letter to ALL non Jews by natural birth and has been in your Bible all this time! Notable by its absence is the demand that any aspect of the Law or traditions of the Jewish people including circumcision and keeping of the Law of Moses, the annual feasts, unclean food laws etc. need to be followed in any way whatsoever - James said, “we gave no such commandment”. This was signed by all the apostles and all the church in Jerusalem and the Spirit affirmed it - can it be any clearer than this! All glory to God. Now this is not to say that we do not now (by the Spirit in us) keep the ‘spirit’ of the Law, because in fact Jesus’ new commands often go deeper than the Law and challenge the heart and motives (conscience)! Living the holy Christian life is actually impossible unless his Spirit dwells inside you to equip and enable joyful obedience and love. The problem today is that by promoting obedience to any aspect of the Law in order to be saved (or justified) false teachers destroy faith and dishonour the COMPLETE work of
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the cross and in so doing are preaching what Paul calls ‘another gospel’ and this actually brings a curse upon those people - a falling from grace back to bondage (Gal 5:4). Beware the teaching of the Pharisees (who add to the Word of Jesus) and the Sadducees (who take away from the Words of Jesus) and avoid idols (even Christian ones like crosses, statues and trees etc.). Amen.
What about Israel today? With all this in mind it is reasonable to therefore ask, what about the State of Israel and Jews we see in the Middle East since 1948 and even those still dispersed in the wider world? Firstly, we must recognise that there are indeed many prophecies that speak of a reemergence of Israel (in part) as a testimony of God’s faithfulness to that nation’s patriarchs (Amos 9:13-15). However it must also be recognised that their ‘official’ stance on the Gospel is to reject it. The government currently forbids preaching in public and converting Jews is against their national law, so essentially it’s an anti-Christ society. It’s also important to note that they now have a democratic government and are not governed by a Sandhedrin, although one of sorts does exist today. It’s difficult to say who are ‘genuinely’ Jewish and who are just ‘Israelis’ by nationality. In many respects they are similar to most democratic nations with public services, an army and international trading etc. Many (ethnic or religious) Jews still live in other parts of the world and have no plans to go to Israel as their homeland, and Jerusalem although partly rebuilt is not just Jewish. The
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Temple has not been rebuilt and as such the nation has no way to have sins forgiven (although this is now not acceptable to the Lord anyhow, see above). They cannot be saved other than through the mercy of God and prayers of the church for them. Just as Paul pleaded with them it should be our desire to see them saved by Jesus, their own Messiah. The good news is that many more Jews are converting than at any other time in recent history and this is a sign that God is again beginning to open their eyes to see the truth. Israel is a sign of the end to come. The fig tree is blossoming again! Regarding Jerusalem itself, Paul clearly states that we should not get confused, but realise that the believer’s city is now the new (future) Jerusalem in heaven where God dwells. “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more
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children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” (Gal 4:19-31) We must conclude from this and also the preaching of Moses regarding Jesus Christ that those who are not ‘in Christ’ are not in the New Jerusalem or the New Covenant (book of Life) and as such are therefore not in the household of God, just as Moses himself declared: “And the Lord said unto me,They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” (Deut 18:17-18 see also Acts 7:37-43). Sadly like many pagan nations in the world today most Israelites are blinded to the Gospel by Satan, but through our prayers they can find repentance. By faith in that Word and power they can be grafted back into Christ the true vine, and it will be life from the dead! “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. (Luke 18:31-34)
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Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. ISAIAH 40:28-31
Omega Ministries The publications and website provide free access to the knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven. They are designed to encourage and empower you to fulfil your destiny in Christ Jesus. All materials are provided free of charge if downloaded in digital format. Feel free to print out send to friends, duplicate, but please no reselling or relabelling. Please donate. All donations go to special causes to feed the hungry, homeless and others in need. If we have blessed you please bless them! Give online. www.omega-ministries.org email: info@omega-ministries.org Based in Eastbourne UK. Š2016 All rights reserved
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