- PEACE AT LAST IN THE HOLY LAND -
THE RESTORATION OF JERUSALEM
Zeph 3:13 -- “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”
At what time will the remnant lie down safely and none shall make them afraid? Let us read Hosea 2: 15 & 18.
Hosea 2:15, 18 -- “And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt..... And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.”
We see here, that after God gives the “Valley of Achor” (Joshua 7:26) as a door of hope for his church, then he makes a covenant of peace with man and beast and allows them to lie down safely. The Valley of Achor is just another way of expressing the Purification of the Church, or, the slaughter of Ezekiel 9.
Jer. 23:5-8 -- “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.”
This is one of the text used by the Jews in teaching that when the Messiah comes He would deliver them from Roman bondage enabling them to live in peace. Let us examine the following text of Scripture.
Acts 1:3, 6, 7. -- “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking things pertaining to the kingdom of God:... When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”
We see here that even after the resurrection, the disciples were still not too clear about this issue of the restoration of Jerusalem. When they asked Jesus when will He restore the Kingdom of Israel, Jesus did not tell them that they were misinterpreting the Scriptures. He simply said he would not tell them the times. They did not know that the Jews had to be scattered among the Gentile nations just as the other ten tribes, before they were to be united and become one nation. They did not understand that Jerusalem was to be trodden underfoot for another 2000 years until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Luke 21:24). Now the time has come for the Lord to “...perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.” Micah 7:20. God’s church today, instead of longing for, and praying for the Kingdom are relentlessly opposing it. Day by day even through the upheavals in the Middle East, the Lord is making it known that the time has come for the “Lord’s Prayer,” to be answered “Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.”
What is the time projected here, when this King shall reign and Israel shall dwell safely?
Hosea 3:4, 5 -- “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.”
Note: that the time of the reigning of this king when Israel shall dwell safely is in the latter days. This is surely an unfamiliar thought, but remember what we have been admonished. “New meaning will flash from the familiar text.”
Eze. 34:13, 25, 28 -- “And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.”
Jeremiah 31: 7- 10 -- “For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, [and] with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim [is] my firstborn. Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare [it] in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd [doth] his flock.”
The unbelieving Jews from all over the world who have been migrating to Israel since 1948 think that they are fulfilling these prophecies, but unfortunately they have never been able to lie down safely. This promise is for God’s Christian believing saints - Jews and Gentiles still scattered throughout the whole world. Strange it may sound, just keep reading prayerfully, and it will get clearer and clearer. Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good.
THE ENSIGN
Isaiah 11: 1- 5 -- “And there shall come forth a rod out of the steam of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and 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. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”
In this illustration there are three persons brought to view: Jesse (the father of David), the rod (David), and the Branch (Christ). The relationship shows that David (the rod) is not Christ (the Branch), for the “rod” sprang from the stem of Jesse, and the Branch from the rod–a fact which is born out in the cry of the multitude when Christ entered Jerusalem. They shouted: “Hosannah to the son of David.” Matt. 21: 15. Plainly, therefore, the “rod,” coming from the stem of Jesse, is symbolical of David; and the Branch, coming from the rod, is symbolical of the Son of David–Christ.
Upon this “ensign” (Branch and rod) “the Spirit of the Lord shall rest...the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and 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. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” Isa. 11:2-5.
So though the “ensign” emblematizes the connection of three persons (Jesse, the root; David, the rod; and Christ, the Branch), yet the power and wisdom of Christ is its underlying and controlling force. Wherefore says Christ: “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” (Rev. 22:16), bearing out that He is all and in all.”
No one will deny that verses 1- 5 is a prediction of Christ’s first advent. To collaborate with the many verses we have previously quoted concerning the peace of Jerusalem, let us continue by reading verses 6- 9.
Isa. 11:6-9 --“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
These verses do sound like the expected peace and tranquility in the earth made new. But after the saints have lived 1,000 years in Heaven, feeding from the Tree of Life, would we expect to have suckling children in the earth made new when there will be no births there?
“There are men today who express their belief that there will be marriages and births in the new earth; but those who believe the Scriptures cannot accept such doctrines. The doctrine that children will be born in the new earth is not a part of the “sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19). The words of Christ are too plain to be misunderstood.” 1 Selected Messages, pg. 172.
With the present controversy over who control Jerusalem, the world’s attention is now being drawn to the Holy Land. This is the Lord’s doing. This is just a prelude to what the Lord is about to do to bring back his remnant people from the four corners of the earth back to the land of their fore fathers.
Furthermore, Isaiah 11: 10 says; “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.”
It is God’s intention to use this peaceful Edenic situation in the promised land to be an ensign to the nations who will in turn seek this ensign and find rest therein; [in probationary time]. This then could not apply to the earth made new. If we continue to read the rest of the chapter, it will be seen that the whole chapter is to be fulfilled before the second return of Christ.
Isa. 11:11-16 “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off, Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.”
These verses need no explanation they mean just what they say. There is to be a second Exodus, not just from Egypt, but from the four corners of the earth. Millions and millions of people will then be brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, but not until God manifest His mighty power in the land where they crucified him and where the gospel started and there bring an end to the controversy as to who owns Jerusalem, and at which time there will be only one EMBASSY there, that of the LORD JESUS CHRIST – THE LORD OUR RIGHTIOUSNESS.
“The language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed.” The Great Controversy, p. 599.
“Among earth’s inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law.” Prophets and Kings, pp. 188, 189.
Let us now return to Jeremiah 23: 2- 8 and see how abundantly clearer this subject becomes.
Jer. 23: 2- 8 -- “And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.”
Can we now see what is God’s plan for the remnant in these last days? Let us listen to the God of Heaven reiterate this most vital point.
Jer. 16:13-15 -- “Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, the Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.”
Zech. 8: 1-8 -- “Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; 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. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in mine eyes? Saith the Lord of hosts. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”
These prophecies have never been fulfilled and the time has come for the Lord to perform His strange act. We will now continue with verses 20-23:
Zech. 8: 20-23 -- “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”
These promises are not for the unbelieving ZIONISTS that have been returning to Palestine. They have never been able to dwell safely since 1948. It is logical to conclude that the ten men who take hold of all the languages of the nations in the time of this great ingathering are figurative of a group of people (the church freed from tares in the harvest time), just as the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1) are figurative of the church while the tares are still commingled with wheat. The ten servants (Luke 19:13), and the ten horns (Rev. 12:3, 17:3) are numbers of universality. These ten men will speak all the languages as did the Apostles on the Pentecost.
Why should God speak so much about the restoration and yet not bring it to pass?
This is the clearest Bible doctrine and is least spoken of. It was so clear to the disciples and in eager anticipation they could not contain themselves, they could not but ask;
Acts 1: 6, 7 – “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”
For two millenniums Christian have repeating the Lord’s prayer , not knowing what they are praying about. Please give keen attention to the following statement.
“Thy kingdom come.” – Matthew 6:10
“The disciples of Christ were looking for the immediate coming of the kingdom of His glory, but in giving them this prayer Jesus taught that the kingdom was not then to be established. They were to pray for its coming as an event yet future. But this petition was also an assurance to them. While they were not to behold the coming of the kingdom in their day, the fact that Jesus bade them pray for it is evidence that in God’s own time it will surely come.” – Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 107.3
1 Peter 3: 9 – “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness.”
PLEASE UNDERSTAND BRETHREN GOD CANNOT LIE!
Mark 13: 30- 31 – “Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
Micah 7:18 - 20 – “Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth [in] mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”
What did God swore to Abraham?
Psalm 105: 8 - 11 “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word [which] he commanded to a thousand generations. Which [covenant] he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, [and] to Israel [for] an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.”
Genesis 15: 18 – “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”
Strange enough only a hand full people a midst the multitude of theologians, who understand these prophecies.
Amos 3: 7 – “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
Luke 10: 21 – “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.”
Let us now quote from the Spirit of Prophecy for a splendid vision of the future evangelistic crusade.
“It is with an earnest longing that I look forward to the time when the events of the day of Pentecost shall be repeated with even greater power than on that occasion, John says, (Revelation 18:1).
Then, as at the Pentecostal season, the people will hear the truth spoken to them, every man in his own tongue.” Review and Herald, July 20, 1886.
“There is nothing that Satan fears so much as that the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so that the Lord can pour out His Spirit upon a languishing church and an impenitent congregation. If Satan had his way, there would never be another awakening, great or small, to the end of the time. But we are not ignorant of his devises. It is possible to resist his power. When the way is prepared for the Spirit of God the blessing will come.” Review and Herald, March 22, 1887. Brethren, this is God’s plan. A great multitude of souls that no one can number from all nations, kindreds and tongues and people just prior to His coming will be saved. 20 million SDAs world wide today is nothing in comparison to what God is about to do.
How will God’s people get to Palestine from all over the world?
Isa. 11: 15, 16 -- “And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.”
Do you believe that God divided the Red Sea? He plans to divide the seven (7) streams this time (eg Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Sea ) . God will not bring this earth to an abrupt end OR RAPTURE without some major manifestation of his power.
Take note of the expressions used in the following Bible texts.
“The Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people.” Isa. 11: 11
“I will bring them” Ezekiel 34:13
“I will take you from among the heathen.”
“I will bring you into your own land.” Ezekiel 36:24
“I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen... I will gather them on every side.” Ezekiel 37: 21
“And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.” Zechariah 8:6
“The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the North country.” Jeremiah 23:8
From the evidences produced it is clear that God says He will ultimately take His people to Palestine. He also says that He will divide the seas just as He divided the Red Sea and led the Israelites through on dry ground. Do you believe that our God is capable of taking us to Heaven, a distance which cannot be imagined? Why then, can He not take His people to Palestine just a few thousand miles away? Isaiah chapter 60 gives us a clue as to how God may also take the saints to Palestine.
Isa. 60: 5- 9 -- “Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar, shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.”
Isa. 60: 10- 12 – “And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that [men] may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and [that] their kings [may be] brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, [those].”
ALL ROADS SOON WILL LEAD TO THE HOLY LAND
Isa. 66: 16 - 20 – “For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one [tree] in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD. For I [know] their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, [to] Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, [to] Tubal, and Javan, [to] the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren [for] an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.”
Note that after the Lord cleanses His church, (see also Mal. 3:1-4, Isa. 7 : 1-4) those who escape or survive this judgement of the living (see GC 483 – 490) — the 144,000 first fruits servants of God, they will be sent to all nation to gather the faithful remnant and take them to the Holy Land. This the time of the LOUD CRY of the Third Angel’s Message. We anticipate that during this time they will be operation like Philip and the eunuch.
Acts 8:37 - 39 – “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”
Our sons and daughters in the faith shall come as a storm by air and by sea. They shall come because the Lord will glorify all His people. The call, “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4), shall indeed along with the wealth of the Gentiles bring out “a great multitude which no man can number.” (Rev. 7:9).
“The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close.” The Great Controversy, pp. 611, 612.
The 144,000 being sealed, will be immune to death during this international glorification of the saving grace of God.
“The living saints, 144,000, in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake. When God spake the time, He poured on us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God as Moses’ did when he came down from Mount Sinai. {RH July 21, 1851, Art. B, par. 2}
“The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus’ new name. At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us into prison, when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they would fall helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan knew that God had loved us who could wash one another’s feet and salute the brethren with a holy kiss, and they worshiped at our feet.” – Early Writings p. 15
My dear brethren, God is here declaring that the gospel of the Kingdom is to close at the very same place where it began - in the land of Palestine.
“Satan has ability to suggest doubts and to devise objections to the pointed testimony that God sends, and many think it a virtue, a mark of intelligence in them, to be unbelieving and to question and quibble. Those who desire to doubt will have plenty of room. God does not propose to remove all occasion for unbelief. He gives evidence, which must be carefully investigated with a humble mind and a teachable spirit, and all should decide from the weight of evidence. God gives sufficient evidence for the candid mind to believe; but he who turns from the weight of evidence because there are a few things which he cannot make plain to his finite understanding will be left in the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and questioning doubts, and will make shipwreck of faith.” – Testimonies, Vol. 5 pgs. 675-676.
“The same trials have been experienced by men of God in ages past. Wycliffe, Huss, Luther, Tyndale, Baxter, Wesley, urged that all doctrines be brought to the test of the Bible and declared that they would renounce everything that it condemned. Against these men persecution raged with relentless fury; yet they ceased not to declare the truth.
“Different periods in the history of the church have each been marked by the development of some special truth, adapted to the necessities of God’s people at that time. Every new truth has made its way against hatred and opposition; those who were blessed with its light were tempted and tried. The Lord gives a special truth for the people in an emergency. Who dare refuse to publish it? He commands His servants to present the last invitation of mercy to the world. They cannot remain silent, except at the peril of their souls. Christ’s ambassadors have nothing to do with consequences. They must perform their duty and leave results with God.” The Great Controversy
pg. 609-610.
Many have claimed that all these promises of the restoration of Israel were conditional upon their obedience. Since Israel failed in their commitment of obedience to God, He has forsaken these promises. Why don’t we hear from God Himself concerning this matter.
UNCONDITIONAL PROMISES
Jer. 31: 7- 10, 35- 37 -- “For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
“Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. Thus said the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord.”
Do we need a clearer declaration that God will not disannul His promise of the restoration of Jerusalem because of ancient Israel’s misdeeds. There has just been a delay so that the Gentiles could be grafted in and share in the promised blessings.
“That which God purposed to do for the world through Israel, the chosen nation, He will finally accomplish through His church on earth today.” Prophets & Kings, p. 713.
Romans 11: 24- 28 -- “For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grated into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer. And shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.”
Hosea 1:10 -- “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.”
Romans 10: 11, 12 -- “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.”
How privileged are we, and how glad ought we to be living when these long anticipated prophecies are to be fulfilled, and to have the grand privilege in partaking of this glory.
Let us examine further evidences:
Eze. 36: 16-23 -- “Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them,
These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”
WHERE WILL GOD DO THIS?
Eze. 36:24 -- “For I will take you from the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.”
Ezekiel makes it clear that for God to sanctify His great name, He must take His faithful people from the four corners of the earth and take them back to the Promised Land and from there the final call will be made to mankind to return to God. Instead of bringing this world to an abrupt end, intention is to sanctify His Great Name that has been profaned (disgraced) among the heathen. He plan to sanctify His name through the remnant (144,000) before the eyes of the heathen. To do this, He says:
Eze. 36: 25- 27, 33- 35 -- “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean, from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statues, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.”
As is stated in Isaiah 11 that the lamb and the lion will be feeding together, Ezekiel 36 is describing the same Edenic condition that will exist only in that part of the world when the Lord makes Jerusalem a city of praise.
Unfamiliar as these things may sound, that is the plan of the Lord. These verses need no interpretation or explanation, they mean just what they say.
Counsels to Writers & Editors pg. 37 tells us that we will have many lessons to learn and many many things to unlearn. “We have many lessons to learn, and many, many to unlearn. God and heaven alone are infallible. Those who think that they will never have to give up a cherished view, never have occasion to change an opinion, will be disappointed. As long as we hold to our own ideas and opinions with determined persistency, we cannot have the unity for which Christ prayed.”
Isaiah 11 said the lion will be eating straw like the ox. Ezekiel 36 is now saying that the land of Palestine will miraculously become like the Garden of Eden.
To show that all this takes place in probationary time let us take a look at the following verses of the same chapter.
Eze. 36:36-38 -- “Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord.”
Before God brings this world to an end, He will let the heathen know that He is God. To do this he will manifest a little of His creative powers to defy the evolutionists who have taken over the world. Notice also that when this Edenic state is recreate, probation is not yet closed. It will be the time for the Ingathering of the Great Multitude. All God's people will be protected and fed when the seven last plagues will be falling. Why do you think that when the 6th plague begins to fall that all the great men are being gathered at Armageddon to fight? The Spirit of Prophecy says that the wicked will blame the saints for the plagues that are falling on them.
Let us read carefully the following verses on the same subject of restoration and see what is common about them.
Eze. 37:15-22, 24,25 “The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in Thine hand. And when the children of they people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in Thine hand before their eyes.
“And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. ... And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statues, and do them.
And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.”
Hosea 3:4, 5 -- “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim. Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.”
Eze. 34:11-13, 23, 24 -- “For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. ... And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.”
Have you seen what is common about these Scriptures just quoted? Let us continue:
Jer. 30: 1- 9 -- “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.”
As we review Jacob’s experience we see where he stole Esau’s birthright, then fled to Padanaram, and after becoming rich the Lord instructed him to return to his father’s land. On his way back home, he was informed that Esau was before him and Laban was behind; He was in great fear. On his way back to Palestine he had an encounter with an angel who he thought was an enemy. He struggled all night with this supposed foe and finally realized it was the Lord. This struggle was called, ‘Jacob’s Time of Trouble.’ How perfect are the Scriptures! Here we are told that just before modern Israel returns to the promised land they too will have a Time of Trouble brought upon them by their uncle Laban and their brother Esau.
This represents persecution that will be brought upon the remnant people of God by their own brethren and also the civil authorities. But praise the Lord He has promised us deliverance from our anguish and pain. All these profound Scriptures are proclaiming far and near that the time is at hand for the restoration of the Davidic Kingdom.
During this short stay in Palestine, prior to going to Heaven, the Lord is to appoint a prophet– antitypical David. This will be a manifestation of God’s power and glory to the universe just prior to the falling of the seven last plagues and Christ’s coming. There are some who have the religious belief of this restoration but they put it in the time of the millennium. As we know the earth is void of human occupancy and activities during this 1000 years.
What prophecy are the Jews fulfilling in their returning to Palestine since 1948?
Let us hear from Zephaniah on this point.
Zeph. 2:1, 2 -- “Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you.”
Let us note that the nation in question is to gather itself together; that she is not desired; that the anger of the Lord is to fall upon her; and that she is to gather herself together before the decree brings forth and before the anger of the Lord falls upon her.
What makes this nation gather together? --
Certainly not the decree and not the Lord’s anger, for these are to come upon her after she gathers together. The “decree” certainly cannot be the beast’s decree, for there is not even a thought in the scripture that would so indicate; but it certainly points out that the decree is none other than the Lord’s decree -- the fierce anger of the Lord in the day that passes as chaff.
According to the verse that follows, this undesirable nation’s gathering together, is a sign post to God’s people, urging them to continue seeking Him so much the more:
Zeph. 2:3 -- “Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.”
When this Judgment-bound nation begins together then it is, if never before, that the meek of the earth needs to seek meekness.
The meek of the earth are those who have wrought the Lord’s judgments, who have proclaimed the message of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. They are His people, His church. The nation that is not desired, therefore, is one people, and the meek of the earth, the church, those who are hid in the day of the Lord’s anger are another people. The one is gathering together, the other is seeking meekness. Definitely, then, the “nation” of verses 1 and 2 is not His church, but the people of verse three are His people, His church.
Let us now read verses 1 and 2 connectively with verses 4 and 5, omitting verse 3, the verse which has reference to the church.
Zeph. 2:1, 2, 4, 5 --”Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you.... For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up. Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the Word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.” The fourth verse definitely implies that the “nation” is to gather together in the cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron, in the land of the Philistines, in the land of Canaan -- in Palestine.
In view of the fact that this Scripture is now being unfolded, and also the fact that there is but one people, one nation (the descendants of the ancient scribes, priests, and Pharisees who rejected the Lord and who have not even to this day accepted Him, that are hardly desired anywhere in the world) that is now doing all she can to gather together in Palestine -- in view of all this, the present-day Jews are that undesired nation. Upon her, therefore, the Lord’s anger is to fall if she continues to deny Christ. Yes, the universally hated Jew is the only nation that has been scattered throughout the Gentile world, and is the only one that is now gathering together in Palestine.
“At the time when Jerusalem was destroyed and the temple in ruins, many thousands of the Jews were sold to serve as bondmen in heathen lands. Like wrecks on a desert shore, they were scattered among the nations. For eighteen hundred years the Jews have wandered from land to land throughout the world, and in no place have they been given the privilege of regaining their ancient prestige as a nation. Maligned, hated, persecuted, from century to century theirs has been a heritage of suffering.” Gospel Workers, p. 397.
Matt. 27:20, 23-25 -- “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”
Moreover, in these verses, two truths stand out clearly: (1) that in vain the Jews seek to establish themselves in the Promised Land; (2) that we who are bearing the message of the great and dreadful day of the Lord are counseled to seek meekness and righteousness, for thus only shall we “be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger,” that is, merely to bear knowledge of the message will not save us, there should be corresponding deeds with it.
Let us now connect verse 3 with verses 6 and 7, the verses that are applicable to the people of God, the meek.
Zeph. 2:3, 6, 7 -- “Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.... And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.”
Now, the fact that the Lord is to destroy all the inhabitants in the land of the Philistines (Zeph. 2:5), and at the same time make it dwellings for “shepherds, and folds for flocks,” shows that He is first to drive out of the land all the wicked, all those who are not seeking meekness, then He is to set up the “house of Judah” in it.
Let us summarize some of the things we have been studying so far.
Since 1948 the Jews from all over the world have been gathering together in Palestine and have been occupying Arab lands which led to a continual bloody conflict in the region. According to Joel 3 a call is to be made to all nations to arm themselves.
The next great event is World War III that will be centered in the Mideast. The root of this war is the 2500 years of conflict between the seed of Jacob and the seeds Ismael, Isaac, Lot (Israeli and Arabs). This will spread until the whole world will be involved or affected. The United States alliance with Israel has, and will continue to provoke the Arabs.
By the USA and her allies allying themselves with the Jews, they will eventually share in the wrath of God that will be poured out upon them. In this war God is to intervene against Assyria to humble her and her allies militarily. This humiliation will thus draw Assyria to God. Many will be brought to repentance through humiliation and will be saved in God’s eternal Kingdom. During this war a final call will be made to God’s church (the SDA) for a “revival and reformation.” This will result in God’s sealing the 144,000 first fruits, then He will endow them with Pentecostal Power to proclaim the Loud Cry of the Third Angel’s Message to the rest of the world. According to Zechariah 14: 1, 2, Jerusalem will eventually be taken by its enemy. Immediately thereafter, God will interpose against the victors by bringing upon them a flesh consuming plague which will clear the land of those warring elements. This plague will also cause them to kill their own men.
Note: When we say “this war” we are not positively referring to the present war against the terrorists, although it may eventually lead up to the complete fulfillment of the prophecy; but instead we are referring to the war of Zech. 14.
God will then restore the land to an Edenic condition, and will gather all the saints from the four corners of the earth into the Holy Land. There they will live in peace for a short time before Christ’s return. Let us note at this point that the Promised Land, according to Genesis 15:18 stretches from the River Euphrates to the River of Egypt. That means, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, are also in the Promised Land.
Gen. 15: 18 -- “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”
The magnitude of what God is about to do we cannot comprehend or even imagine. The present war is just a precursor of these great events. In the midst of all this crisis God’s people who are proclaiming this unpopular message will incur the wrath of many in the church and in the world. This will bring upon them a time of trouble symbolized by “Jacob’s Time Of Trouble.” They are admonished by the Lord not to fear because God will deliver them.
GOG AND MAGOG
The nations that shall refuse to be converted to the Lord (Gog and Magog) will become jealous of the saints and shall marshal their forces together to launch an aerial attack (as a cloud) upon the newly established Kingdom, but little will they know that the saints have an invisible impenetrable protection.
Eze. 38:8, 11, 12, 14, 16 -- “After many days thou shall be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Therefore, son of man, prophecy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.”
We notice here that when the saints shall have returned to the Holy Land there will be wicked men who will want to launch an aerial attack (as a cloud) upon the place, not knowing that the saints will be under divine protection.
Isa. 31: 5 “As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.”
Zech. 2: 4, 5 “And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”
Further Proof Of The Peaceful Restoration: At the time that these rebellious nations choose to attack the restored Kingdom, God will manifest His power in a way that it will be felt world wide. This will bring us to the time of the plagues just prior to the saints being taken to heaven to spend the millennium (1000 years) with the Lord.
Ezekiel 38: 18- 23 -- “And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, [that] my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy [and] in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that [are] upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that [are] with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.”
We notice again that the Lord’s weapon against His enemies is to let them kill themselves as was seen in Gideon’s case and the forthcoming war in Jerusalem. Manifestly clear, He allows all these things to take place, so that the nations can acknowledge that He is the Creator and Redeemer. Wonderful indeed is God’s plan to finally glorify His name. No doubt you may be concluding that these are strange unpopular doctrines. The good news is that it is written in the Holy Scriptures. If we are wrong on these Scriptures, please give us some better explanation. Be reminded of the following quotation;
“There is yet much precious truth to be revealed to the people in this time of peril and darkness, but it is Satan’s determined purpose to prevent the light of truth from shining into the hearts of men. If we would have the light that has been provided for us, we should show our desire for it by diligently searching the word of God. Precious truths that have long been in obscurity are to be revealed in a light that will make manifest their sacred worth; for God will glorify His word, that it may appear in a light in which we have never before beheld it.” -- Counsels on Sabbath School Work p. 26
One may refuse to believe that men cannot live in peace on the earth before the earth is made new. I want you to carefully take note of the amount of times the Lord has repeated Himself concerning this subject. Let us now turn to Isaiah chapter 11 for more light on this subject.
DO NOT FORM AN ALLIANCE WITH THE WORLD
What stand should God’s people take when the nations are forming coalitions and arming themselves for war?
A Warning Comes To Us From Isaiah:
Isa. 8:9-13 -- “Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.”
With World War I we began to hear serious proposals for the associating of nations into a single league. Today the proposal is revived, and efforts are being made toward forming a strong and workable union of nations. Indeed, not only is the idea of international federation growing more and more prevalent, but in the minds of many great men, there is the positive conviction that the successful continuance of their nation’s way of life is utterly dependent upon the closest association and cooperation of all those nations which share their way of life.
The warning given in this chapter to nations and peoples is not to associate and gird themselves or take counsel together, as it would only come to naught.
Isa. 8:10 -- “Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word and it shall not stand: for God is with us.”
God’s people take a strong and independent attitude because they believe that God is with them. Most human beings are somewhat like Peter. We have great faith until we meet face to face a trial. When the trial here prophesied comes, though, God’s people must know that God is with them, and they must firmly stand on His side. Through this verse we are made to understand the real reason for the certain failure of the nations in their attempt to obviate the fulfillment of their fears. God is not with them. It becomes distinctly apparent, therefore, that it is the pressing duty of every God-fearing country and individual sincerely to seek God’s will and be with Him, if we are to survive and prosper.
Isa. 8:11, 12 -- “For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.”
God’s people are not only commanded not to participate in the confederacy, but they are to oppose it “to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy.”
“Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.” It is upon the root of some fear that the confederacy is formed. But that which constitutes their fear is not to constitute the fear of God’s people.
Isa. 8:13 -- “Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.”
God alone is to be revered; God alone is to be feared and dreaded. If there were no possibility for fear at the fulfillment of this chapter, there would be no need for this reassurance and instruction. It is indicative of the fact that God’s People will see themselves absolutely helpless, and they will appear helpless to all others. Then they will receive deliverance from God, and all will behold it.
Isa. 8:15 -- “And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.”
This prophecy declares that the confederacy will be a snare -- a trap -- and that many will fall and be taken in it. It will be a fearful trap and will separate God’s people. Thus is the Lord going to test all His people and let them reveal just how much faith each of them has. In the face of this warning, we must make the necessary preparation so that we will not fall into the snare. God has clearly forewarned His people so that they will not be taken by surprise.
All those who are not expecting the confederacy, but instead are expecting next the reassertion of Roman church supremacy or the battle of Armageddon or something else are going to fall into this snare, for it will appear to them harmless and perhaps even a good thing. But it will be their trap.
The nations have many fears. They fear Nuclear Bombs, Chemical and Biological Bombs, Financial Security, Terrorists Airplanes etc. Fear will be one of our greatest enemies as the crisis progress.
Luke 21:25, 26, 32 -- “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.” We shall now endeavor to show you that before the rise of ancient Babylon there was an empire called Assyria with its capital city, Nineveh along the River Tigris in Iran. This power collapsed before the rise of Babylon. Likewise, before the rise of antitypical Babylon of Revelation chapters 17 and 18 (the Image of the Beast), there is an antitypical Assyria that is to go down. As you meditate on these unfamiliar Scripture you will see that the mighty USA/England and their allies is to be brought low by God’s intervention and not by the hand of some mighty nation. All this God allows in an endeavor to save humanity from their sins, and like Nebuchadnezzar, they will be led to acknowledge God as the Creator and Redeemer.
Now let us get our Bibles and follow as we dig deep into the mine of truth to acquire some extra oil that the wise virgins will need to carry them all the way.
THE PREDICTED FALL OF ANTITYPICAL ASSYRIA
The Past
“Among the cities of the ancient world in the days of divided Israel one of the greatest was Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian realm. Founded on the fertile bank of the Tigris, soon after the dispersion from the tower of Babel, it had flourished through the centuries until it had become `an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.’ Jonah 3:3. PK, p. 265.
The Present And The Future
Isa. 31:5, 6 -- “As birds flying, so will the Lord of Hosts defend Jerusalem, defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it. Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.” God is calling for reformation in a people other than the ancient children of Israel who have deeply revolted against God.
Isa. 31:7, 8 -- “For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin. Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.”
The Assyrian will fall by a sword which God Himself shall send. Assyria will not fall by a mean man. His fall will come under circumstances that will clearly show that God caused it to happen.
When ancient Israel fell it was God who brought it; it was God who was responsible for it. So it will be also with Assyria unless she, too, turns to God. Moreover, it is a vain thing for them to look to some other nation for help. None can stay God’s punishment. Only God can help at such a time.
Isa. 31:9 -- “And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.”
As you will later see more clearly, this verse proves that the fall of Assyria under discussion is not talking about ancient Assyria. So far, there is no clear indication as to who this antitypical Assyria is. All we know so far is that, there is an antitypical Assyria to fall when God’s people cast away their idols.
Why should the fall of Assyria be of importance to God’s people at this time?
Jer. 30:3-8 -- “For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him.”
Here is brought to view the antitypical Time of Jacob’s Trouble. Notice that God will deliver His people from this trouble by breaking His yoke from off their neck. Who is this person or power whose yoke will be broken to relieve God’s people during this terrible ordeal?
Isa. 14:24-27 -- “The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?”
It is from the Assyrian yoke that Jacob (God’s latter people) is to be made free. In freeing Jacob, let it be noted that God will break this antitypical Assyria in the Holy Land. Let us remember that the Land of Promise lies between the River Euphrates and the River Nile. (Genesis 15: 18- 21) Let us now turn to the prophet Zephaniah to see who Antitypical Assyria is.
THE FATE OF ASSYRIA’S CAPITAL CITY
Chapter 3 of Zephaniah is what we intend to study, but we will first go to a few verses from Chapter 2 (last part) to get some back ground information.
Zeph. 2:12, 13 -- “This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts. The Lord will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by My sword. And He will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.”
Zeph. 2:14 -- “And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her [in Nineveh], all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for He shall uncover the cedar work.”
Zeph. 2:15 -- “This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.”
The capital city of Assyria is to become a desolation. This Nineveh is evidently the antitype of ancient Nineveh, as is the Babylon of The Revelation the antitype of ancient Babylon.
Let us now turn to Zephaniah 3, and begin with the first verse.
A PREDICTION ABOUT ASSYRIA AND THE CHURCH OF GOD
Zeph. 3: 1 -- “Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!”
The antecedent of the pronoun “her” is found in the thirteenth verse of the preceding chapter. In it is seen that the “city” here pointed out is Nineveh, the capital city of ancient Assyria. Now to ascertain whether this Nineveh is actually the capital city of ancient Assyria or of some other Assyria, we shall study the remaining verses of the chapter.
Zeph. 3: 2 -- “She obeyed not the Voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.” This verse points out the fact that the city and nation here mentioned had the privilege of hearing the voice of Inspiration, of knowing God’s Truth, but has failed to take heed -- received not correction, trusted not in the Lord, drew not near to her God.
Zeph. 3: 3 -- “Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.”
Her princes, being like roaring lions, must be frightful persons who evidently think “might makes right.” Her judges are, as it were, evening wolves; that is, they are in business, not to execute judgment, justice, and righteousness, but to catch and tear, to fill their den with prey although they may have more than they know what to do with.
“They gnaw not the bones till the morrow.”
Zeph. 3: 4 -- “Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.”
In the language of today this verse would read, “Her teachers are light-hearted, not serious and sober-minded; they are trifling; they are of no account; they are treacherous persons. Her ministers, rather than having kept the church clean, have polluted it, and have done violence to the law” (have declared It void).
Thus far is seen that the Assyria of this chapter represents a people who have been well instructed in the things of God, the law and the sanctuary.
But instead of obeying the Lord and ruling justly and righteously, they have greatly transgressed, have gone down into sin as deep as any people can possibly go.
Zeph. 3:5 -- “The just Lord is in the midst thereof; He will not do iniquity: every morning doth He bring His judgment to light, He faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.”
In view of the fact that God is in the midst of them, they must be well informed in the things of God, well aware that in due season He makes known to them His judgment. In view of all these, the only possible conclusion one can come to, is that God’s church must be in their midst.
Zeph. 3:6-8 -- “I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. I said, Surely thou wilt fear Me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings. Therefore wait ye upon Me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all My fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.”
The Lord Himself warns that He has cut off nations, that He has made their towers desolate and their streets waste, that He has destroyed their cities and has left no inhabitants in them. He points out that all this He did as an object lesson for future good, so that they as a nation might fear Him and receive instruction, that their dwellings not be cut off. But in spite of these examples, they rise early and corrupt all their doings. So it is that at long last the Lord arises to the prey, gathers the nations, assembles the kingdoms, and Assyria gets her punishment.
From this we see that the Assyria under discussion exists in the time of the end, the time in which the great and dreadful day of the Lord takes place. This Assyria, therefore, is an antitype of ancient Assyria just as the Babylon of Revelation 17 and 18 is an antitype of ancient Babylon.
Assyria, charges Inspiration, is a rejoicing city that dwells carelessly, that says in her heart, “I am, and there is none beside me.” (Zeph. 2:15). Which nation or power in these last days speaks like this? There is only one super-power of the day.
At this point let us pause a moment and summarize the characteristics by which this modern Assyria is to be identified. (1) As man looks at things, she is so great that there is none like her. She is well instructed in the things of God. (2) She is oppressive, a hard ruling nation. (3) She has polluted the sanctuary and has declared the law of God void. (4) She has piled up wealth by going after it as an evening wolf goes after its prey. (5) She harbors the church of God. (6) She exists in the time the Lord is to manifest His power and destroy all the wicked nations. (7) She is an Assyria-like nation, widespread, a nation of conquests.
There is but one people under the sun that answers to all these descriptions, and that people is, of course, the English-speaking people, in whose midst is the church, and from whose midst the Gospel and the Bible flow out to all nations. As clear as language can make it, the burden of the prophet Zephaniah is for the English-speaking Christian world. (Chiefly the USA and England).
God is now saying to Assyria’s capital city, “Indeed, you are doing all these abominations, but you will not thus continue long. The time is at hand.” Put a stop to your absurdities.
Zeph. 3:9 -- “For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.”
Inspiration for certainty declares that after Assyria receives her punishment, and after the wicked are taken out of His church, then will the Gospel be proclaimed in a pure language (in pure Gospel Truth) that whosoever will, may call upon the name of the Lord, “to serve Him” with heart and soul. Then it is that “only those who have withstood temptation in the strength of the Mighty One will have a right to proclaim it [Third Angel’s Message] when it shall have swelled into the Loud Cry.” -- “Review and Herald,” Nov. 19, 1908.
THE FALL OF ASSYRIA
Nah. 2: 3, 4 -- “The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken. The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.”
Since this prophecy meets its fulfillment in the day when the chariots are with “flaming torches”; when they run like lightning; when they jostle one against another in the highways and in the broadways, and since the automotive traffic of today completely and perfectly answers the prophet’s description of it, then there is no other conclusion but that the day in which we are now living is the day in which Nahum’s prophecy is to be fulfilled.
Now, in view of the truth that we are living in such a period as described by Nahum, together with the fact that preparations for Nahum’s war are made during a time of such lightning-like travel, the evidence clearly stands out that Nahum’s prophecy is to meet its fulfillment in our day, and that the “Assyria” here in prophecy, therefore, is not ancient Assyria, but another widespread power that exists “in the time of the end” (Dan. 12:9, 10) the time in which its yoke is removed from God’s people. This yoke is not fully put on God’s people as yet, but the great fear that will evolve from the crises will lead to many rules and regulations that will affect and restrict the freedom of God’s people.
Moreover, since this antitypical Assyria’s fall liberates God’s people, and since from then on the wicked no longer pass through their midst, the time and the events are solidly clinched: All these predictions come to pass in the time of the purification of the church, in the Judgment day of the living, during the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
ASSYRIA FALLS BY GOD’S INTERVENTION
Isa. 30:30, 31 -- “And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones. For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.”
Nahum makes clear that in this conflict God interposes against Assyria, and that as a result she is unable to withstand him who “dasheth in pieces.” Having set Himself to humble her, He therefore strengthens the arms of her enemy. Accordingly, Assyria falls, not because she is weak and small nor because she is out-numbered and out-matched, but because God’s purpose determines her downfall. In other words, the coalition which may have the greater resources and man-power, and which from the human point of view may seem sure to win, is in this case sure to lose out finally.
Their safety, however, does not depend on fear and armament, nor on the man we elect for president, but on God, on Him Who holds the earth in space, and Who still rules the affairs of mankind. From the dawn of history till today the great nations that have fallen, fell when they were best armed and most independent of God. This should be a great lesson to all, but who realizes it!
Such is the ironic pattern of history. Always has God visited judgment upon enlightened nations or peoples who have become so self-righteous and self-sufficient that their lights have gone out and their works become wicked and hypocritical. Ever has He punished them by the sword of the unenlightened and outright wicked barbarian. This He does for two reasons: first, that they might see the folly of professing themselves to be a righteous people, when they are in fact worse than barbarians; and second, that while these hypocritical ones are thereby led to repent, their conquerors may thereby be led to see that their victory is not of their own strength. Thus both victor and vanquished are brought to a place where they may surrender to God and give glory to Him.
THE TRANSITION THE LAMB LIKE BEAST SPEAKING LIKE A DRAGON
In the days Christ Jerusalem was control by Rome, during which time it was referred to as PAGAN ROME. Rome later lost out militarily at hands of the BARBARIANS and she came back into power and influence by adopting a church and state system called the Papacy, which lasted for 1260 years, from 538 ad to 1798. Since then we are living in multi- sectarian world, with the USA now being the the number one super power acting as the world police. Prophecy is now predicting her military humiliation not at the hand of another more powerful nation but at the hand of God HIMSELF. After this experience she will institute a church and state system similar to the PAPACY in the dark age.
“When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with popery; it will be nothing else than giving life to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching its opportunity to spring again into active despotism.” --Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 712
“By the decree of enforcing the institution of the Papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with Spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and Republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan, and that the end is near”. -- Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 451
CATHOLICS AND LUTHERANS RELEASE ‘DECLARATION ON THE WAY’ TO FULL UNITY
October 30, 2015, WASHINGTON—
Drawing on 50 years of national and international dialogue, Lutherans and Catholics together have issued the “Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry and Eucharist,” a unique ecumenical document that marks a pathway toward greater visible unity between Catholics and Lutherans. The October 30 release of the document comes on the eve of the anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting the 95 Theses, which sparked the Protestant Reformation.
“Pope Francis in his recent visit to the United States emphasized again and again the need for and importance of dialogue. This Declaration on the Way represents in concrete form an opportunity for Lutherans and Catholics to join together now in a unifying manner on a way finally to full communion,” said Bishop Denis J. Madden, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Catholic co-chair of the task force creating the declaration.”
For more info check the links below:
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