Posted on 01/10/2012 3:33:22 PM PST by GiovannaNicoletta
Did God mention paragraph markers?
;)
You’re right, these prophecies have not been fulfilled. But guess what? They WILL be fulfilled at the SECOND COMING. It is ok to speak of them in the past tense (He fulfilled them all) because they are as good as fulfilled. WIth God, prophecy is past history!
Too often Christians today mix the OT and NT and are mislead. The Old Covenant was abolished in it’s entirety and completely replaced with The New Covenant in Christ, The New Testament.
Since Christ’s coming, the Jews are just like everyone else to God. They are no longer elevated above any others. They have the same opportunity to come to the Father through the Son that everyone else does. It defies common sense (& the Scriptures) to maintain that those who deny the Son and thereby deny the Father would then be favored by God.
"It is impossible to not have a deep, inexplicable love for Israel and the Jewish people and truly be a born-again believer in Christ"
Amen to that!
The opposite is true also,at the very bottom of anti-semetism is the fact these people,the Jews, are special to God and subconciously they are a constant reminder and condemnation to all them that believe not that God is.
It is impossible for the flesh to love Israel.
Amos 9:14 I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
Amos 9:15 I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.
This was written around 766 BC. New International Version
Nowhere in Scripture is it written that the death of Jesus Christ voided both the Old and New Testament promises He made to His people. Nowhere is that found.
We have proof of the holiness and faithfulness of God with the fact that He promised to bring His people from around the world back into their own land and re-establish their nation. He fulfilled His promise to give them back their nation on May 14, 1948, and He is continually bringing His people back to Israel, thus fulfilling that promise as well.
And all His promises that He made to His people will be kept - including the fact that the tiny sliver of their land will explode into the Jews having several present-day nations during the Millennial Kingdom when Jesus gives them all the land He promised them.
So, there is nothing in Scripture which tells us that Jesus has broken His promises to His people, and nothing in Scripture that says they ceased to be His chosen people and the apple of His eye. And rest assured, the promise He made to them in Genesis 12:3 is still very much alive and in effect.
I've read a couple of studies over the years about the seven churches (apart from obviously being seven churches in seven locations) also representing seven distinct time periods or ages during the church age.With the sixth and seventh church existing side by side at the end of the church age.
With that in mind it's interesting that the church in Philadelphia,which is commended for having "...a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." (Rev 3:8) has before it "an open door"
On the other hand the church of the Laodiceans has before it a closed door("I stand at the door and knock")possibly because in direct contrast to the church that has a little strength,this church thinks "...I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing..."
I think it's entirely possible that the door in this instance is representing the rapture of the true church.That body of believers who have kept His word and not denied His name.Verse 10 almost comes right out and says it "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
The church that stands before the closed door is counceled to "...buy of me gold tried in the fire..."(Rev 3:18)
ping to #32
At the end of the Millenial Reign of Christ, Satan is “loosed for a little season” at the close of the millenium. Satan will deceive many and gather an army together against Jerusalem at this time. But before his soldiers can even begin to fight, fire from heaven will devour them. And Satan himself will be cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:7-10).
I agree with this Thank You smvoice
I believe that Peter and the 11 (the Apostles of the circumcision, Israel, who will sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel during Christ's Millenial Reign) were inspired to write Heb. through Revelation for a future day, the fulfilling of the prophecies of the Bible. Those going through the Tribulation, the tribulation saints.
The Bible is actually divided between Prophecy, concerning the Nation Israel, and Mystery, concerning the Church the Body of Christ. The Mystery was revealed to Paul and that is what Romans through Philemon is all about. (Rom. 16:25,26; Eph. 3:2,3,5,6,9). It was hid in GOd until revealed to Paul, and concerned a BODY OF BELIEVERS, the Church the BOdy of Christ. That age ends when the Body of Christ is complete and is raptured, at which time Prophecy, concerning the Nation Israel, is resumed. Which is where Heb. through Revelation picks up.
The last nine books of the Bible (Heb. - Rev.) look toward the "ages to come" and focus on the final stage of Israel's prophetic program. They are for the "last days" saints. Read John 14:25,26; John 16:12,13; and Daniel 12:4. The body of information He promised would come to equip them to handle the last days and judgment are found, where? Hebrews through Revelation. It shows the wisdom of God in writing these books WHEN and HOW He did!
The focus in these books is on THE AGES TO COME. Heb.. 2:3-5;James 5:7-11; 1 Peter 2:9; Exodus 19:5,6; 2 Peter 1:10; 2 Peter 3:1-4; Jude 17-18, 24-25; Rev. 1:1-3,9,10.
The emphasis is on the FINAL FULFILLMENT OF ISRAEL'S EARTHLY PROGRAM.
So, the Body of Christ has been raptured, the middle wall of partition is back up, God is dealing with Israel as a Nation once again, and ALL propehcy is set to be fulfilled.
BTW: the "ages to come" come from Eph. Chapter 2. Please read it prayerfully to see that God does INDEED divide His plan for man into times, ages, dispensations. "Time Past", "But Now", "Ages to Come". The "But Now" in Ephesians is the dispensation of the grace of God, the mystery hid in God, the forming of the Body of Christ..all those things Jesus Christ revealed to Paul in Romans through Philemon. It's so wonderful that we can SEE and be a part of when "But Now" ends, so that "the Ages to Come" can begin!
If you guys want to go on with this, let me know.
As far as the 7 churches of Revelation, because this is part of the prophecy program, the last days, and the tribulation saints, I believe that those churches are LITERAL churches that exist during the tribulation. Remember, a church is a called-out assembly, not a building. I believe those words were written for future assemblies of people going through the tribulation. Regards to you both! smvoice
"If ye have heard of the DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD which is GIVEN ME TO YOU-WARD: how that BY REVELATION HE MADE KNOWN UNTO ME, THE MYSTERY..." Eph. 3:2,3,5,6,9. The age of grace began with Paul, when God revealed it unto him. Paul wasn't saved until Acts 9, so it could not have begun before then.
As to Peter and Cornelius..Acts 10. Just after the conversion of Saul in Acts 9..Peter hesitated to go to the Gentile Cornelius. Even after his dream, he doubted in himself what the dream meant..Even when he got to Cornelius Peter was still talking about it being "unlawful for a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation"...(Acts 10:28).
Now we know that Christ sent the Apostles to spread the gospel to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. So why did Peter hesitate to go to Cornelius? "Beginning at Jerusalem" is the key. Peter knew that FIRST the Nation Israel had to repent and accept Christ as Messiah before the gospel was carried to the other nations (Gentiles).
Peter was NOT out of the will of God when he hesitated to go to the Gentiles. He well knew the prophetic program, that the nations were to be blessed throught the RISE and SALVATION of Israel (Isa. 60:1-3). He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he knew that God had raised up His Son Jesus to bless Israel first, in turning them away from their iniquities, so that the Abrahamic Covenant might be fulfilled. And THEN the nations might be blessed through them. Israel must FIRST be brought to Messiah's feet.
But in Acts 10, Peter was sent by a SPECIAL COMMISSION to go to the Gentile house of Cornelius, "NOTHING DOUBTING." The others at Jerusalem later called him to account for this action, but after he had "REHEARSED THE MATTER FROM THE BEGINNING, and expounded it by order unto them" they, in turn, "glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life". Acts 11:4,18.
When Peter went to Cornelius' household it was NOT according to the prophetic program or the so-called great commission. He was NOT sent to these Gentiles because Israel had received Christ, but in spite of the FACT that Israel, as a nation, was REJECTING Christ. But what Peter had done on earth was bound in heaven and Paul's subsequent ministry was later recognized and endorsed by the Jerusalem church ON THE BASIS OF PETER'S ACTION TO CORNELIUS. Acts 15:1-18.
See the wonderful time line here? Paul is saved in Acts 9. He does NOT go directly to Jerusalem to confer with the 12, but Christ sends him into Arabia. Acts 10 shows God showing Peter to go to Cornelius. You can see the change in dispensations taking place here. From Law to Grace. From Israel first, to Israel in continuing unbelief, and God making this one step to Cornelius the proof to the 12 that Paul's revelations from the risen Christ and his commission to the Gentiles if TRULY FROM GOD.
Remember, before Peter was commanded by God to go to Cornelius, Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, had ALREADY BEEN SAVED and given his commission. Although the 12 were not aware of this yet, the story of Cornelius will come back to prove Paul's authority and commission as the Apostle to the Uncircumcision.
Just remember that Acts is a transition Book. From Law to Grace, from a Kingdom of believers to a Body of believers.
The 7 churches existing during the tribulation was totally new to me. I do not know but, Thank God, God knows. For now I am going to add your 7 church interpretation to the other types I love.
My Spirit tells me your age of grace timing and Book of Acts analysis is very wise and answers many of my questions.
The 7 churches in Revelation where real life churches at the time John wrote down what he saw.
But these 7 churches were chosen for more than the fact that they were real churches (there was lots more churches at that time )If you read carefully you will find that these churches also represent Christian history (if they were written in any other order they would not ) . These 7 churches are also representative of individuals who call themselves Christians today . (pay close attention to what Jesus says are wrong with each of the churches and how he promises some of the that if they don’t repent that he is going to cast them into tribulation)
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