Joseph Emmanuel Mahabir's Blog

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?

Dr. David Jeremiah

Dr. David Jeremiah, host of the television ministry Turning Point and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California, in his book, makes many false statements.

We will discuss a few of them.

Dr. Jeremiah - “Not until the Millennium will Israel occupy all the land the Lord gave her in His promise to Abraham" ( pp. 10 - 11).

SCRIPTURE - "And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River (Euphrates) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt "(1 Kings 4: 21) (italic - mine).

COMMENT - Dr. Jeremiah’s statement is false. During King Solomon’s reign, he possessed all the land that was promised by God to Abraham. Dr.Jeremiah’s teaching of a millennium following the second coming is also false. When our LORD Jesus Christ returns he will judge all nations, the righteous will go into eternal life and the unrighteous into eternal punishment (Matt. 25: 31-46).

The thousand years recorded in Revelation 20: 1-7 cannot follow the second coming, they must precede it, since God will interrupt and terminate time when our LORD returns and usher in eternity. The thousand years (millennium) are now in progress.

Dr. Jeremiah - "Followers of Christ who are raptured will be spared the trauma of death and the coming disasters that will occur when the Tribulation breaks out upon the earth … “ (p. 99).

Dr. Jeremiah - teaches a pretribulation rapture

COMMENT - Our LORD taught that the resurrection of all those that the Father has given him will take place at the last day, thus making the last day the time of the resurrection and the rapture.

SCRIPTURE - "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day" (John 6: 39) (italic - mine).

Dr. Jeremiah - "God has certainly kept his promise to Abraham. He has blessed him and the nation that has come from him; He has multiplied his seed as the sands of the earth and stars of the sky; He has made him a blessing to the whole world; those who have blessed him have been blessed, and those who have cursed him have been cursed" (p. 6).

SCRIPTURE - "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say 'and to seeds,' meaning many people, but 'and to your seed,' meaning one person, who is Christ" (Gal. 3: 16) (italic - mine).

SCRIPTURE - "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3: 26 - 29) (italic - mine).

Dr. Jeremiah - teaches that Israel and the church are two distinct entities. He believes that when Christ returns, the Jewish nation will continue and possess the land that God promised to Abraham.

SCRIPTURE - "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 3:6) (italic - mine).

COMMENT - In teaching that Israel and the church are two distinct entities, Dr. Jeremiah minimized the significance of our LORD's death and resurrection and ignored "the mystery of Christ."

SCRIPTURE - Both the apostle Peter and our LORD taught that at the second coming, the judgment will take place and God will usher in eternity (Matt. 25: 31-46; 2 Pet. 3: 3-13).

COMMENT - There will be no nations and no land to posses or repossess after the judgment. Dr. Jeremiah's teaching that Israel will exist as a nation after the second coming is false.

SUMMARY - Dr. Jeremiah is deceiving his readers by teaching a pretribulation rapture, a millennial reign following the second coming of our LORD, the restoration of Israel as a nation, possessing the land that God promised to Abraham along with a number of other unscriptural concepts.

COMMENT - There will be a consequence for rejecting the word of God. Each believer is responsible for checking scriptural concepts in his/her own Bible.

Tue, Sep 6th - 10:23AM

PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THIS BLOG. IT WILL HELP THEM TO DETECT FALSE TEACHING ESPECIALLY ON THE END TIMES.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE AND ANSWERS FROM THE WORD OF GOD

God speaks to us through his Word. When we reject his Word, we are disobedient. There will be a consequence for disobedience. Remember Moses!

We read concerning Scripture:

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16).

"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1: 20-21).

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2: 15).

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1) Will the saints be exposed to the rule of the Antichrist? Certainly!

a) The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time (Dan. 7: 25).

b) The Antichrist will make war against the saints.
"He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. ..." (Rev.13:7).

c) "... And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ an thousand years" (Rev. 20:4).

2) How long will the tribulation last?

   There is scriptural evidence that the tribulation will last for three and a half years or forty-two months.

a) "He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time" (Dan. 7:25).

b) "The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months" (Rev. 13:5).

3) Will there be more than one future coming (appearing) of our LORD? No!  (Matt. 24: 29-31, 36-41; Matt. 25: 31-46; Col.3:4; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:27-28; 2 Pet.3; Rev. 1:7).

4) Will there be more than one future resurrection? No! (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15).

5) Will there be more than one day of judgment? No!  (John 12:48; Acts 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 9:27; 1 Pet. 4:4-5; 2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 11:18).

6) What is the rapture?

The word rapture is not found in the Scriptures. It is derived from the Latin verb "rapio" which means seize, snatch or catch up. The rapture is:

a) The gathering of people before Jesus (Matt. 25:32).

b) The gathering of people to Jesus (2 Thess. 2:10).

c) The catching up of people in the clouds to meet Jesus (1 Thess. 4:17).

d) Appearing with Christ in glory (Col 3:4).

7) When will the rapture take place?

Since there will be only one future resurrection of all the dead (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15), therefore, the rapture will take place when the resurrection occurs.

8) When will the resurrection happen?

a) On the day of the LORD, after the man of lawlessness (NIV), (the Antichrist), is revealed (2 Thess. 2:1-4).

b) At the last day (John 6:39-40).

c) At the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:50-52).

d) On the day of restoration (Acts 3:21).

e) After the seventh angel sounds his trumpet (Rev. 11:18).

f) On the day of judgment ( the day of the LORD, the day of God (2 Pet. 3:3-13). (see 1 Cor. 15:20-23; 1 Thess. 4: 16-17).

9) What is the day of the LORD?

The day of the LORD is not an extended period of time, as some teach. The day of the LORD is a moment in the future known only by God the Father. "No one knows about  that day or hour, not even the angels in haven nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matt. 24: 29 - 31; Mark 13: 32 ).

When that moment arrives, God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will interrupt and terminate time and usher in eternity.

"But the day of the LORD will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid  bare. ... But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Pet. 3:10,13).

10) When will the thousand years be fulfilled?

  The apostle Peter informs us that there will be one future coming of our LORD. It will occur on the day of judgement (the day of the LORD- the day of God), when God will restore  everything by creating a new heaven and a new earth (2 Pet. 3:3-13).

We read: "But the day of the LORD will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be  laid bare. ... But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Pet. 3:10, 13).

Since God will create a new heaven and a new earth on the day of judgement at the second coming of our LORD, therefore, the thousand years (Rev. 20:1-7) cannot follow the  second coming. THEY MUST PRECEDE IT.

11) Are the thousand years literal?

The thousand years are not literal. They are symbolic and cover an extended period of time.

12) Are both thousand years of the same duration (Rev. 20:2; Rev 20:4)?

Both thousand years are of the same duration, since our calculation of the length of our LORD's ministry will be shown to be three and a half years long and the tribulation period will be three and a half years long (Dan 7: 25; Rev. 13:5-8).

   The events of the end times are presented in the following diagram.

The calculation shows that our LORD ministered for three and a half years.

  13) When did the thousand years begin?

In the case of Satan, the thousand years began at the commencement of our LORD's ministry ( Rev. 20: 2; Matt. 12: 29), and they will end when he is set free for a short time ( Rev. 12: 12; Rev. 20: 3).

   Regarding our LORD, the thousand years began at his ascension ( Rev. 20: 4; Acts 1: 9 - 11), and they will end when he comes again  (Matt. 25: 31; 1 Cor. 15: 22 - 23; 1 Thess. 4: 16 - 17; 2 Thess. 1: 6 - 10; Heb. 9: 27 - 28; 1 Pet. 4: 4 - 5; 2 Pet. 3: 7 - 10).

  14) When will the eternal reign commence?

Our LORD, Jesus Christ, "must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything" ( Acts 3: 21; NIV). We learn from the apostle Peter that God will restore everything on the day of judgment by creating a new heaven and a new earth ( 2 Pet. 3: 7 - 13).
  When our LORD, Jesus Christ, comes on the day of judgment, at the last day, at the last trumpet, the resurrection of all the dead will occur and he will judge all nations (Matt. 13: 36 - 43; Matt. 25: 31 - 46; John 5: 28 - 29; John 6: 39 - 40; 1 Cor. 15: 22 - 23; 1 Cor. 15: 50 - 52; 1 Thess. 4: 16 - 17; 1 Pet. 4: 4 - 5; 2 Pet. 3: 4, 7, 10, 13; Rev. 11: 18).

The righteous will go into eternal life in glorious bodies in their new home, the Holy City, the new Jerusalem and the unrighteous into eternal punishment, in the fiery lake of burning sulfur ( Matt. 13: 36 - 43; Matt. 25: 31 - 46; Rev. 11: 18; Rev. 14: 14 - 20; Rev. 21: 1 - 8).

THE NEW JERUSALEM

“ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. … ‘ “ ( Rev. 21: 2 - 3).

  " ... The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him" ( Rev. 22: 3).

  15) What about God's eternal day?

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the LORD Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” ( Phil. 3: 20 - 2

“ … Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime - a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light. … The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name” ( Zech. 14: 5 - 7, 9).

  16) What is the mystery of God ( Rev. 10: 7).

Is it the resurrection of all the dead?

Is it the transformation of the bodies of believers into glorious bodies?

Is it the descent of the Holy City, the new Jerusalem?

Is it the creation of the new heaven and the new earth?

Or is it all of the above?

   A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH ( 2 Pet. 3: 13; Rev. 21: 1 - 4)

  We are informed in Scripture that God will create a new heaven and a new earth on the day of judgment ( 2 Pet. 3: 7, 11 - 13). When that occurs, God will interrupt and terminate time and usher in eternity. Believers will enter God’s eternal day in glorious bodies.

THE THOUSAND YEARS ( Rev. 20: 1 - 7)

Since eternity will commence on the day of judgment at the second coming of our LORD as shown previously, therefore, the thousand years cannot follow the second coming. THEY MUST PRECEDE IT. Both thousand years ( Rev. 20: 2, 4) are symbolic. They cover an extended period of time.

   THE FIRST RESURRECTION

Since there will be only one bodily resurrection of all the dead at the coming of our LORD ( Dan. 12: 2; John 5: 28 - 29; John 6: 39 - 40; Acts. 24 : 15; 1 Cor. 15: 23; 2 Tim. 4: 1; Rev. 11: 18; Rev. 20: 13 - 15), therefore the first resurrection must be spiritual.

“The souls came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years” ( Rev. 20: 4).

As believers in our LORD Jesus Christ die, their souls/spirits go to heaven and they join our LORD in his millennial reign along with departed believers ( Phil. 1: 23; Eccl. 12: 7).

    THE MILLENNIAL REIGN

Since our LORD is reigning at the present time ( 1 Cor. 15: 25), and since he will commence his eternal reign after the seventh angel sounds his trumpet ( Rev. 11: 15), therefore, his present reign must be his millennial.

“For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” ( 1 Cor. 15: 25 -

   THE ETERNAL REIGN

  When our LORD returns on the day of judgment, he will bring those souls/spirits who are in heaven ( 1 Thess. 4: 14). When the resurrection occurs, the souls/spirits will be housed in glorious bodies ( Phil. 3: 20 - 21; 1 Cor. 15: 51 - 53). Our glorious bodies will have a new home, the Holy City, the new Jerusalem.

After the judgment, our LORD will hand over the kingdom to God the Father and God will reign for ever and ever ( 1 Cor. 15: 24; Rev. 11: 15; Rev. 22: 3).

“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever’ “ ( Rev. 11: 15 ).

“ … Come, Lord Jesus” ( Rev. 22: 20).

NOTE
   Since there will be only one future coming of our LORD, therefore, the second coming and the coming down from heaven for the rapture must be the same event ( 2 Pet. 3: 3 - 13; Matt. 25: 31; 1 Thess. 4: 16 - 17).

We conclude that the rapture will take place on the day of the Lord ( the day of judgment - the day of God ); thus proving unequivocally that the pretribulation, midtribulation and prewrath rapture theories are false.

Since God will create a new heaven and a new earth on the day of judgment, at the second coming of our LORD, therefore, the thousand years recorded in Revelation 20: 1-7 cannot follow the second coming. THEY MUST PRECEDE IT.

"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright c 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers".

Copyright tⒸ 2021 by Joseph E. Mahabir (B.A. Hons.Psy. (York University, Toronto), M.Ed. Educ. Admin. (University of Toronto), M.A. Biblical Studies, MAGNA CUM LAUDE (Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA; USA).


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About Me

Name: Joseph Emmanuel Mahabir
ChristiansUnite ID: hpesoj
Member Since: 2022-08-08
Location: TOORONTO, Canada
Denomination: CHILD OF GOD
About Me: My passion is to uphold the truth of God,s word.

Nov. 2022

Wed, Nov 16th - 7:30PM

GOD'S PURPOSE FOR ISRAEL AND THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST

Dear reader, if you have Jewish friends or know Jewish people, I will be grateful if you give this link to them http://blogs.christiansunite.com/hpesoj It is necessary for Jewish people to confess their sins and repent of them and ask our LORD Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sins and receive him into their hearts as their Savior/Messiah. It will be then, and only then, that they will have the assurance of spending eternity with God, in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem.

GOD'S PURPOSE FOR ISRAEL

1) To create a people for himself

"I will say, 'They are my people', and they will say, 'The Lord is our God'" (Zech.13:9). (See also Psalm 33:12).

2) To bring forth the Messiah

God said to Abram:

"I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen. 12:2-3).

"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. "Scripture does not say 'and to seeds', meaning many people, but 'and to your seed', meaning one person, who is Christ" (Gal. 3: 16).

"It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith" (Rom.4: 13).

"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father' " (Gal. 4: 4-6).

3)To record the Scriptures

The entire Bible, with the exception of the Gospel of Luke and Acts, was written by Jewish authors. The Gospel of Luke and Acts were written by Dr. Luke, a medical doctor (Col. 4:14).

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2Tim. 3:16).

"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1: 20-21).

4) To expand the Kingdom of God

Israel failed to expand the Kingdom. As a result, the Kingdom was taken away from her. Jesus said:

"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit" (Matt. 21:43).

Jesus said to his disciples: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt. 28: 18-20).

5) To receive her Messiah

The religious leaders of the Jews and the majority of the Jewish people rejected our Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

"Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, 'Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?' But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God!' you have said so,' Jesus replied.' But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.' Then the high priest tore his clothes and said,' He has spoken blasphemy! why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think? 'He is worthy of death; they answered. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, 'prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you? (Matt. 26: 62-68).

"For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God" (John 5: 18).

Let us recall what God the Father said about Jesus.

"But about the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom' (Heb 1:8).

"Very truly I tell you," Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am!' At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds' (John 8:58-59).

"But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him." yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words" (Luke 19: 47-48).

"As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him they shouted, Crucify! Crucify!" (John 19:6).

THE FIRST COVENANT

The first covenant was made with the people of Israel. God gave Moses this message.

"This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel. You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation! These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites" ( Exod. 19:3-6).

Under the first covenant, Israel was God's chosen people.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance" (Psalm 33: 12).

God, through Moses, gave the Israelites The Ten Commandments and a number of laws and regulations. God also gave them feasts to celebrate, holy days and a Sabbath. During the wilderness wandering the Israelites worshiped in a Tabernacle (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). When Israel entered The Promised Land, Tabernacle worship was replaced with Temple worship.

THE TEMPLE - BUILT AND DEDICATED

King Solomon ordered the building of the temple for the Name of the Lord (2 Chron. 2: 1-2). When construction was completed, he dedicated it.

"When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the LORD filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the Glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, 'He is good; his love endures forever'" (2 Chron. 7: 1-3).

"... So the King and all the people dedicated the temple of God" (2 Chron. 7:5).

CALLED TO BE WITNESSES

God called the people of Israel to be witnesses. But the religious leaders did not heed the call. Instead, they tried to kill the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, 'and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no Savior (Isa. 43: 10-11).

Because of their unfaithfulness, God allowed the Babylonians and the Assyrians to take the Israelites into captivity.

The LORD says:

"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught" (Isa. 29: 13).

" Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: 'Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. ...' " (Jer. 25: 8-11).

"The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the LORD had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the LORD'S anger. They worshiped idols, though the LORD had said, 'You shall not do this!

The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:

'Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets! But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the LORD their God. ... They forsook all the commands of the LORD their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger. So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, and even Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced. ... So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there" (2 Kings 17: 9-14, 16-19, 23).

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Wed, Nov 16th - 4:50PM

GOD FOUND FAULT

God made the first covenant with the Israelites. The covenant utilized animal sacrifices, a tabernacle, a human high priest, laws, regulations, feasts, holy days and a Sabbath day. When the Israelites entered the promised land tabernacle worship was replaced by temple worship. The people were not faithful to the covenant and God promised to make a new covenant with them.

"For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: 'The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the LORD. This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the LORD. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'know the LORD; because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Heb. 8: 7-12). (See Jer. 31: 31-34).

WHO IS JESUS?

"For in Christ all the fulness of the deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. ..." (Col. 2: 9-10).

THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST

"This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 3:6).

THE NEW COVENANT

The new covenant was put into effect through the precious blood of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. Although God, through the prophet Jeremiah, announced the new covenant to the people of Israel and the people of Judah (Jer. 31-34), Scripture asserts that the new covenant is for the world.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3: 16).

Under the first covenant, the Israelites were God's chosen people (Exod. 19: 5-6; Psalm 33: 12), but under the new covenant, believers, both Jews and Gentiles are God's chosen people (Col. 3: 11-14; 1 Pet. 2: 9-10; Gal. 3: 26-29).

The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians.

"Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the LORD forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (Col. 3: 11-14).

The apostle Peter penned the following to believers " who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, ... " (1 Pet. 1:2).

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy" (1 Pet. 2: 9-10).

The apostle Paul informed the Galatians.

"So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3: 26-29).

WHEN JESUS DIED

When Jesus breathed his last, "the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matt. 27: 51; Mark 15: 38). As a result, the Holy of Holies was exposed. No longer was there a need for animal sacrifices and a human high priest. The exposure of the holy of Holies brought an end to Judaism and made the first covenant obsolete. The new covenant was then in effect. A believer in Jesus could now communicate with God the Father in the name of Jesus (John 14: 6).

THE TEMPLE’S CURTAIN

The curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place: Only the high priest was allowed to go into the Holy of Holies once a year. It was on the Day of Atonement, when he atoned for his sins and the sins of the Jewish people. The curtain was four inches thick. The tearing of the curtain from top to bottom when Jesus breathed his last was a supernatural act. It was impossible for the tearing to occur naturally.

JESUS AND THE FIRST COVENANT

The death of Jesus was relevant to Old Testament believers, those who functioned under the first covenant. We read:

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance - now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” (Heb. 9:15).

A GREAT HIGH PRIEST

“Therefore since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4: 14-16).

God said concerning Jesus:

“You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:6)

WHEN JESUS COMES AGAIN

When believers in our Lord Jesus Christ die, their souls/spirits go to heaven (Phil. 1:23; Eccl. 12:7). When our Lord returns on the day of judgment, he will bring those souls/spirits who are in heaven (1 Thess. 4: 14). At his coming the resurrection of all the dead will take place (Dan. 12: 2; John 5: 28-29; John 6: 39-40; Acts 24: 15). The judgment of all nations will follow the resurrection (Matt. 25: 31-46; 2 Tim. 4: 1; 1 Pet.4: 4-5). Believers will go into eternal life, in glorious bodies ( Matt. 25:46; Phil. 3: 20-21; Rev. 21: 1-4) and unbelievers into eternal punishment, in the “the fiery lake of burning sulfur” (Rev. 21: 8).

WHAT ABOUT ISRAEL?

The prophet Isaiah penned the following:

“The Redeemer will come to Zion to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD (Isa. 59: 20).

The prophet Zechariah paints a bleak word picture for the Israelites. He writes: “In the whole land,” declares the LORD, ‘two - thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one - third will be left in it. This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God' " (Zech. 13: 8-9).

Dear Jewish friends, please give heed to the following information. Remember that eternity in “THE FIERY LAKE OF BURNING SULFUR” is beyond human comprehension.

The apostle John wrote:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believers in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3: 16).

Dr. Luke informs us about Jesus.

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4: 8-12) (italic mine).

THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

God has appointed a day on which he will judge the world. God the Father is the only one who knows that day ( Mark 13: 32).

“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17: 31).

On the day of judgment, all those who have received salvation through Jesus Christ our LORD will live with God eternally, in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. What about people who believed in God before He made the first covenant with the Israelites? Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. All those who believed in God will be saved.

A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

The apostle John was given the privilege of seeing what lies in the future for believers and unbelievers.

“Then I saw a new heaven and ‘a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ …. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” (Rev. 21: 1-4, 8).

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22: 20).

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® CopyrightⒸ 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The “NIV,” “New International Version,” “Biblica,” “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.

CopyrightⒸ 2022 by Joseph E. Mahabir (B.A Hons. Psy. (York University, Tor.), M.Ed. Educ. Admin. (University of Toronto), M.A Biblical Studies, MAGNA CUM LAUDE, (Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA, USA).

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Sat, Nov 12th - 5:03PM

THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST

"For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:31).

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).

"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. … Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you" (1 Cor. 3:10-16).

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Heb. 4:13).

THE NARROW AND WIDE GATES

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matt. 7: 13-14).

"God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his ... (2 Thess. 1: 6-10).

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 'Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' ... Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life" (Matt. 25: 31-36, 46).

GOD'S CALL

If God calls you to do something, I would like to encourage you to do it. God will always enable you to accomplish whatever He has called you to do. I am speaking from my own experience and the experiences of others.

WHAT IS A COVENANT?

A covenant is a solemn agreement between God and man. God initiates the covenant. God made the first covenant with the Israelites. The covenant utilized laws, regulations, feasts, special days, the Sabbath, animal sacrifices, the tabernacle which was replaced by the temple when the Israelites entered the promise land, and a human high priest. God found fault with the people because of unfaithfulness and He promised them a new covenant (Heb. 8: 7-13).

THE NEW COVENANT

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3: 16).

All people, both Jews and Gentiles, who confess their sins and repent of them and ask our LORD Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sins and receive him into their hearts as their Savior/Messiah become children of God.

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - ..." (John 1: 12).

As a child of God, you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul made this known when writing to the Corinthians.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Cor. 6: 19-20).

Since the Holy Spirit is living in you, He motivates and enables you to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in your daily life. You can live a life that is pleasing to God by displaying the fruit of the Spirit.

" But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law" (Gal. 5: 22-23).

Or you can live a life that is displeasing to God by grieving the Holy Spirit.

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Eph. 4: 30).

As believers we are called to:

1) proclaim the death of our Lord by engaging in Holy Communion

"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Cor. 11: 23 - 26).

2) do the good works that God has prepared for us to do

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph. 2: 10).

3) live holy lives

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12: 14).

JESUS THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -yet was without sin" (Heb. 4: 14-15).

Under the new covenant there are no laws, regulations, feasts, special days, a Sabbath day, sacrifices, temple or a human high priest.

" ... Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard" (Gal.3: 2).

"All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written : 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.' Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith.' The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, 'The man who does these things will live by them.' Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.' He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit" (Gal. 3: 10-14).

"Therefore do not allow anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ" (Col. 2: 16-17). (italic mine)

ETERNAL SECURITY?

Many ministries and authors teach that when a person is saved, he/she is always saved. Is salvation permanent or is it conditional? Dr. Charles F. Stanley, in "HANDBOOK FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING," writes: "When you believe in Christ, you receive His life, and He forgives you of your sin debt. Christ's death was a permanent transaction. Because the transaction was permanent, so were the results: forgiveness and eternal life" (John 6: 39). Your belief in Christ's death on the cross as the payment for your sin assures you of eternal life" (p. 187).

We read in Ephesians:

" ... Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory" (1: 13 - 14).

As a believer, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you whether salvation is permanent or conditional.

We will now share with you what we find in Scripture concerning salvation.

Jesus answered his disciples saying: " ... Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved"(Matt. 24: 12 - 13).

Our LORD Jesus Christ said to the Church in Sardis:

' " ... I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. ... He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels" (Rev. 3: 3 - 5).

The author of Hebrews penned the following:

"We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first" (3: 14).

The apostle Peter states:

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1: 5 - 11).

Again, from the author of Hebrews:

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace" (6: 4 - 6).

Our LORD Jesus Christ declared:

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (John 15: 5 - 7).

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy:

"Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme" (1 Tim. 1: 18 - 20).

Our LORD said to the Church in Thyatira:

"To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations - ... I will also give him the morning star" (Rev. 2: 26, 28).

Our LORD Jesus Christ promised that he will reward the Philadelphian Church.

"Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth" (Rev. 3: 10).

EXPOSING FALSE TEACHING

As a minister of the gospel, I am committed to "correctly handle the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2: 15; NIV). God's word is truth (Psalm 119: 160). Please remember that man's interpretation can never, never, never take precedence over the Word of God. I believe that there will be a consequence for rejecting the inspired Word and the consequence will be more severe for those who preach, teach and write influencing their hearers, listeners and readers to do the same. Remember Moses! If you preached, taught, wrote or believed unscriptural concepts concerning the end times, all you have to do is make a confession and ask our Lord's forgiveness.

BEFORE CHRISTMAS - THE STORY OF JESUS

Rev. Bill Crowder Rev. Bill Crowder, pastor, author and Bible College professor, made a serious error when writing "Before Christmas." I wrote him a letter pointing out the error but he did not reply. I sent a copy of the letter to the Canadian Office of OUR DAILY BREAD ministries requesting them to forward it to Rev. Crowder. The letter was sent and still he did not reply.

As a result, I decided to write this message so that those who have read the book or those who will read it, will not be lead astray by unscriptural teaching.

He writes:

1) "From all eternity-long before His birth-Jesus was equal to the Father (p.13).

2) "We see the eternal reality of Jesus's equality with the Father in John 17: 5 ..." (p.26).

The above statements are false.

Rev. Crowder went on to repeat the unscriptural concept on the following pages - 28, twice on 32, 36, and twice on 84.

In Matthew's gospel, Jesus said that all authority was given to him.

Who gave our LORD the authority? God the Father.

The one who gives the authority must be greater than the one to whom the authority is given.

In John's gospel, we are informed that God gave his only Son.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

The one who gave is greater than the one who was given.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said that he always did exactly what His Father commanded him.

"I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me" (John 14:30-31).

The one who commands must be greater than the one who carries out the command.

Our Lord Jesus Christ made an unequivocal statement concerning His Father and himself.

"You heard me say, "I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I" (John 14: 28). (italic mine)

God the Father is supreme. He is the only person in the universe who knows when this age will end and when eternity will commence.

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32; Matt. 24:36).

PRAISE TO GOD THE FATHER, PRAISE TO GOD THE SON, PRAISE TO GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT, BLESS JEHOVAH, THREE IN ONE.

HANDBOOK FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

Dr. Charles F. Stanley

Dr. Charles F. Stanley, pastor and author, in his book, HANDBOOK FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING, made many false statements in his chapters on the end times. I wrote more than five letters to his ministry pointing out the errors and gave the scriptural corrections. I was informed that Dr. Stanley believes what he has written.

Please remember that man's interpretation can never, never, never take precedence over the truth of Scripture.

Dr. Stanley - teaches a pretribulation rapture (p. 279).

SCRIPTURE - "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day" (John 6: 39).

COMMENT - Our LORD taught that the resurrection and the rapture will take place at the last day. Dr. Stanley's pretribulation rapture theory is false.

Dr. Stanley - used the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy to teach a seven-year tribulation period (p. 282).

SCRIPTURE - "He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time" (Dan. 7: 25). (see Rev. 13: 5,7).

COMMENT - A careful reading of Dan. 9: 24-26 will show that the Anointed One was cut off after the seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens'. He was cut off after the sixty-ninth 'sevens.' The Anointed One was cut off in the seventieth week. Daniel's seventieth week is fulfilled prophecy. Dr. Stanley's teaching of a seven-year tribulation period is false. The Scriptures teach a tribulation period of forty-two months or three and a half years.

Dr. Stanley - teaches that Israel and the church are two distinct entities. He believes that the Jewish nation will be restored-including the repossession of the ancient land when Christ returns to earth" (p.276).

SCRIPTURE - "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 3:6).

COMMENT - In teaching that Israel and the church are two distinct entities, Dr. Stanley minimized the significance of our LORD's death and resurrection and ignored "the mystery of Christ."

SCRIPTURE - Both the apostle Peter and our LORD taught that at the second coming, the judgment will take place and God will usher in eternity (Matt. 25: 31-46; 2 Pet. 3: 3-13).

COMMENT - There will be no nations and no land to posses or repossess after the judgment. Dr. Stanley's teaching that Israel will exist as a nation after the second coming is false.

Dr. Stanley - "the second coming of Christ will occur before (pre) the Millennium-the thousand-year reign of Christ" (p. 276).

SCRIPTURE - The apostle Peter informs us that there will be one future coming of our LORD. It will take place on the day of judgment (the day of the Lord - the day of God). Thus making the second coming and the coming down from heaven for the rapture the same event (Matt. 25: 31 - 46; 2 Pet. 3: 3 - 13; 1 Thess. 4: 16 - 17). When our LORD comes, he will judge all nations. The righteous will go into eternal life and the unrighteous into eternal punishment. Since eternity will commence after the judgment, therefore the thousand years recorded in Revelation 20: 1 - 7 cannot follow the second coming. They must precede it. The thousand years, the millennium, are now in progress.

COMMENT - Dr. Stanley's teaching that the millennium will follow the second coming is false.

Dr. Stanley - writes concerning the Antichrist: "He will bring great persecution on Israel (Dan. 7: 25) and even establish a center of worship in the temple in Jerusalem" (2 Thess. 2: 3 - 4) (p.283).

COMMENT - Dr. Stanley misused Daniel 7: 25 to teach that the Antichrist will bring great persecution on Israel. The scripture clearly states that the saints will be handed over to him (the Antichrist) for three and a half years or forty-two months. The saints will comprise both Jews and Gentiles.

The temple functioned under the first covenant. It was used for the daily sacrifice and once a year on the day of atonement by the high priest, when he entered the Holy of Holies to make atonement for his sins and the sins of the Jewish people.

There is no function for the temple under the new covenant, because there are no more sacrifices to be offered. Our LORD Jesus Christ made the final sacrifice. He offered up himself. The only sacrifices we have under the new covenant are a sacrifice of praise and a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

We read concerning the Antichrist: "He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God" (2 Thess. 2: 4).

Since there is no function for the temple under the new covenant, what does "... he sets himself up in God's temple" in the preceding Scripture mean?

The phrase may be used in a symbolic sense. Will the Antichrist be as despicable as Antiochus Epiphanes who, after he conquered Jerusalem, abolished the daily sacrifice and set himself up in the temple proclaiming himself to be equal to God.

"It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low" (Dan. 8: 11).

NOTE - The apostle Peter informs us about the apostle Paul: " ... His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction" (2 Pet. 3: 16).

Is the reference to the temple in 2 Thess. 2: 4 one of those hard things to understand?

Dr. Stanley - "During this explosive reign of the Antichrist, as demonic forces motivate kings and generals, the whole world will go to war. Because the saints of God had been raptured before all this, the restraining power of the Holy Spirit is gone" (2 Thess. 2: 6 - 8) (p. 267).

COMMENT - After his resurrection, our LORD Jesus Christ met his disciples in Galilee, as he had promised them.

SCRIPTURE - He informed them that he was given all authority in heaven and on earth. He instructed them to go out and make disciples in all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They were to teach the converts to obey everything he had commanded them. He assured them: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt. 28: 18 - 20).

COMMENT - Dr. Stanley's teaching that the rapture will take place before the reign of the Antichrist and that the restraining power of the Holy Spirit will be gone is false. Our LORD Jesus Christ assured his disciples that the Holy Spirit will be with the Church to the very end of the age.

SUMMARY - Dr. Stanley is deceiving his readers by teaching a pretribulation rapture, a millennial reign following the second coming of our LORD, the restoration of Israel as a nation, repossessing the land that God promised to Abraham along with a number of other unscriptural concepts.

COMMENT - There will be a consequence for rejecting the word of God. Each believer is responsible for checking scriptural concepts in his/her own Bible.

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