Posted by William Bell on December 11th, 2009
But of That Day and Hour>
But of That Day and Hour Who Knows? This is a common response by those who yet believe Jesus’ second coming is future. This is a brief response to demonstrate why that reasoning does not follow. The view addressed here comes from a study citing Luke 21:34-35, as a day of uncertainty. The writer maintained that since those verses followed Luke 21:32, which clearly delineated the A.D. 70 fall or Jerusalem, then they must of necessity be speaking of a yet future unknown coming of the Lord. The following is a partial reply.
Not Knowing the Day and Hour
Luke does not mention the phrase, “but of that day and hour no man knows” as does Matthew and Mark. That does not mean that the idea is not present in the text. Clarke correctly deduces the idea from the language of surprise suggested by the Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by William Bell on December 10th, 2009
Land Therapy for Christian Zionists>
“Land Therapy” for Christian Zionists? What does this mean? It’s a kind of therapy that we recommend for those who do not believe God kept His word to give Israel the land promised to them in the Abrahamic Covenant. God made a promise to Abraham that he would give to his descendants the land of Canaan for a possession. He describes the land as follows:
“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates– “the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, “the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, “the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”(Gen. 15:18-21)
The time in which God promised the fulfillment of the promise names the fourth generation of Israel’s descendants. That brings us to the time of Moses and Joshua. “But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Gen. 15:17).
God in his long-suffering and forbearance refused to remove the nations from the land undoubtedly hoping they would repent. However, their continued transgressions filled their “cup of iniquity.” By the time of the Exodus when the promise drew near, he Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by William Bell on December 6th, 2009
The Temple Destroyed in 70 AD
Caught between a temple rock and a hard place? This best describes the campaign of “Christian Zionists” who support the rebuilding of a Jewish temple in Palestine. Tracing its history before 1948, the idea of rebuilding a temple in Jerusalem met opposition from Christians and Jews. Thomas Ice and Randall Price write: “It is a legitimate enterprise for the fulfillment of the Jewish religious hope and an important steppingstone to the realization of the Christian destiny.” (1)
This statement implies that the Jewish hope and Christian destiny (i.e. Christian hope) are not the same. Paul’s defense before Agrippa affirmed that his Christian hope rather than being different, was identical to that of the Jews. Yet, they wanted to kill him because he claimed that hope was already being fulfilled in Christ! (Acts 24:13-15). See also Acts 26:6-8; 28:20).
God’s decree and the prophecies of Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, made clear that not one stone of the Temple would be left standing upon another, Matt. 24:2. The Romans carried out the details of burning the Temple to the ground in A.D. 70, (Lk. 21:20-22). Thus, God’s Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by William Bell on December 4th, 2009
Ham, Put, Somalia, Libya and Yemen
Is the New Covenant only for Judah and Israel? Some believe so. They base their reasoning on the bible text which says God would make a new covenant.
“Behold finding fault with them, He says: “Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” (Heb. 8:6). Quoting from Jer. 31:31, Paul affirms the fulfillment of this prophecy in the soon to be completed New Covenant and consummation of the Old. By virtue of the new, the Old Covenant was becoming obsolete. The time for its “vanishing away” drew near, (Heb. 8:13). It ended in 70 A.D., (Matthew 5:18; Lk. 21:20, 22, 32).
The backdrop of God’s promise to establish a new covenant with the houses of Israel and Judah, involved the cutting off of Israel (10 northern) tribes in 721 B.C. They committed idolatry under King Jeroboam. God cast them out of his sight, 2 Kings Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by William Bell on November 24th, 2009
Egyptians to worship in Mt Zion
Do the Egyptians belong in Mt. Zion? From the beginning of Covenant Israel’s history and quest for nationhood, a mixed multitude traveled with them from Egypt. Moses was married to an Ethiopian. In the latter days Egypt and Israel’s relationship once again unite, not as master and slave but as brethren in the new temple keeping the Feasts of the Lord.
In the prophetic imagery of Zechariah 14, the nations share in the post parousia (coming of Christ) blessings of Israel.
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.
If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by William Bell on November 19th, 2009
Can end time beliefs lead to death? Unfortunately, this question has already been answered. Some years ago, Branch Davidian Seventh-Day Adventsist Leaders saw the June 1967 Israeli-Arab War as a sign of the imminent end. Ben Roden interpreted Isaiah 31:5, “As birds flying so will the Lord defend Jerusalem,” as Israeli Jets which rendered Arab planes inoperable.
Here is a prime example of lifting a text out of context. God speaks about Judah trusting and seeking Egypt and their “horses” to save them from the Assyrians. However, God saves Hezekiah by destroying 185,000 of Sennacharib’s army by the angel of the Lord. See chapters Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by William Bell on November 17th, 2009
Eschatology in Australia
On October 16th, Don Preston and I flew from the U.S. to Australia to share messages of fulfilled Bible prophecy. Don graciously invited me as a first time traveler to accompany him on his third trip. We arrived in Sydney on the 18th, spent a couple of days resting and adjusting to jet lag. I had the more difficult time adjusting managing to sleep only 6 hours straight through only 2 nights of the entire trip.
We started our speaking at Tabor college seminary where Don spoke to the class on “In the Glory of the Father” and where I spoke in the devotional on The Church – God’s Eternal Purpose. Both lessons were well-received by the students.
Our hosts were Al Persohn and Annette, his very organized and beloved companion who stretched themselves beyond measure in the Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by William Bell on November 12th, 2009
Christ-Centered Zionists
How do we define Zionism? It depends on our eschatology (study of the end times). For this post, we suggest three views of Zionism leaving the reader to choose which you find to be more in harmony with the Bible. Initially, Zion identified with the City of David, presumed to be the once Canaanitish city as it existed at the time of its capture by David in 1003 B.C.
After Solomon had expanded Jerusalem northward to include Mt. Moriah, the latter king, at his dedication of the Temple on this new site in 958 B.C., is said to have brought up the Ark of the covenant “out of the City of David, which is Zion” (1 Kings 8:1; 2 Chron 5:2). Only in post-Biblical times die the name Zion become erroneously transferred to the south western hill of Jerusalem.
Zion later came to signify the city of God, the city of the great King (Pss. 46:4; 48:2): a holy hill (Ps. 2:6; Joel 2:1; Zech 8:3 (the chosen place of God’s Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by William Bell on November 11th, 2009
Christ's Kingdom Mission
Did Christ promise an earthly kingdom? One of the big deceptions of Dispensationalism is its teaching that Christ came to establish an earthly political kingdom. They see the modern Zionist Israel as a key player in the fulfillment of kingdom prophecy. Here are reasons from the scriptures why Christ’s kingdom is present, spiritual and non-political.
Christ announced that his kingdom had drawn near. Citing Daniel, he preached the kingdom of God saying, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:14-15) Daniel prophesied God’s time for the kingdom as the “days of these kings”, i.e. during the ancient Roman Empire, existing in the days of Christ. John the Baptist, preached during the reign of Tiberius Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by William Bell on November 9th, 2009
What Is Zionism?
Does Dispensationalism mock human rights? Does it blindly support aggression against Palestinian Christians, Arab Muslims and Jews? Tim Weber writes that Dispensationalism emerged in the 1870’s having originated about four decades earlier (1830’s) in England in the teachings of John Nelson Darby. (Road to Armageddon, p. 13). Weber notes that the center of Dispensationalism is the belief that Jews would have to reestablish their own state in the Holy Land, (Palestine) before any endtimes events could occur.
This theological argument fit nicely with the Zionists Jews’ belief that because of persecution, they deserved special treatment and could therefore be safe only in their own land. Further, it likewise is consistent with America’s general commitment to national self determination.
Early evangelicals began to dabble in date setting. William Miller, a Baptist preacher from Vermont began teaching historicist premillennialism. He calculated Christ would return October 22, 1844. Instead of witnessing a great appearing of the Lord, they Read the rest of this entry »
