Posts tagged ‘history’

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September 4, 2024

Glory in the Highest – He Reigns

by Gordon Graham | Updated Sep 4 2024

The living, active word of God brings continual refreshment and renewal to our understanding as we seek to perceive its meaning in the historical context so as to rightly determine the application looking forward from there.

“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. –Matthew 16:27

In his commentary on this passage, Adam Clark wrote:

This seems to refer to Daniel 7:13-14:

“I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” [NASB]

This was the glorious Mediatorial kingdom which Jesus Christ was now about to set up, by the destruction of the Jewish nation and polity, and the diffusion of His Gospel through the whole world… It is very likely that the words do not apply to the final judgment, to which they are generally referred; but to the wonderful display of God’s grace and power after the day of pentecost.

-Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible | Adam Clarke, LL.D., F.S.A., (1715-1832) | Published in 1810-1826; public domain.

The context is the Lord’s “take up your cross and follow Me” teaching. Jesus encouraged His disciples to self-denial through sufferings, by comparing worldly afflictions with eternal life (cf Romans 8:18), and associating material gain with loss of immortal soul.

Then He foretells that He is “about to” [μέλλει / mellei] ascend to His throne in heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father to “repay every man according to his deeds” as He did with the “days of vengeance” judgment on apostate Israel via the Roman armies in 70AD; and He continues to judge the world throughout His millennial reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. (cf. 1 Cor. 15:25).

Psalm 2 tells of the Messiah’s triumph and kingdom (note that in verse 6, by Zion is meant the church of God, especially in the gospel age under the New Covenant (cf. Heb. 12:22).

Gary DeMar’s analysis is helpful:

When these soon to take place judgments happened, God’s judgment was neither postponed nor stopped. They serve as warnings as Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 10:11: “Now these things happened to them [Old Covenant Israel] as an example [τύπος/type], and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have arrived.” The “our instruction” refers to the people in Paul’s day related to the upcoming judgment on first-century Israel that took place in the lead up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem that happened in AD 70. All generations can learn from Israel’s moral mistakes as well as the moral mistakes of Rome, the French Revolution, the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and modern-day United States. No one is exempt from God’s judgment.1

Understanding Matthew 16:27 as referring to our Lord’s glorious ascension up to the heavenly Session of His millennial reign better reconciles the historical context with ongoing future application than does considering it solely in reference to either the days of vengeance now past, or to the future 2nd Coming at the end of time.2 In Acts 1:9, Jesus is described as being taken up into heaven on a cloud, which parallels the imagery in Daniel 7:13.

The inauguration of the resurrected, glorified Christ’s reign in heaven at His ascension takes into account the “already / not yet” aspect of fulfilled prophecy, while also recognizing that God’s judgment was not only in 70AD but is continuous throughout time and history until the consummation of all things.

Here’s additional insight from Gary DeMar:

It is important to note that the noun “preterism” has been squeezed too far back as if it is about nothing more than what is past, about completed action in the past with no future application. The New Testament does address the issue of preterism and acknowledges that certain prophetic announcements—such as Christ’s Olivet Discourse—have been fulfilled in the past. But there is more to consider. There is an important nuance that needs to be spelled out.

Let us get at it this way: Per the Greek, which verb tense best expresses what preterism is as the New Testament understands it? Is it merely the way the noun “preterism” is defined in a standard dictionary as simply referring to the past tense or is it the way the New Testament defines it? Only referring to the past tense and nothing more than that is not the best way to define what Biblical preterism is. The most accurate verb tense in the Greek to render what Biblical preterism really is [is] the perfect tense.

What is the difference between the standard past tense and this perfect tense? Like the standard past tense, the perfect tense also speaks of completed action in the past, BUT the perfect tense has much more nuance to it: The perfect tense in Greek speaks of completed action in the past whose consequences continue into the future by way of application. This is what true Biblical preterism is. It is very important to grasp this distinction. True preterism does not pit the past against the future. Rather, Biblical preterism organically unites the past and the future.3

In his commentary on Luke 19:13, And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, “Occupy till I come”, Benson insightfully brings out the perfect tense structure of the passage covering past, present and future application:

And said unto them, occupy till I come — till I return to take an account of the use you have made of what has been intrusted to your management. The spiritual sense is, use your endowments, gifts, and graces, with all your privileges and advantages, for the good of your fellow-creatures, and the glory of God, till I come to visit the nation; to destroy Jerusalem; to execute judgment on my enemies, and on those of my people in successive ages; to require your souls of you by death, and to judge mankind in the day of final accounts.

-Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

The coming and kingdom of Christ are not facts of of the future only, but of the past, present, and future. The crafty deception that messianic prophecy remains unrealized and ever looming in our near future opposes the biblical truth of fulfillment in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. False teachers feed the expectation of a fleshy messianic kingdom yet to be established on earth in accordance with the plague of scofieldian dispensationalism which has infected the church at large, even as it is both exegetically absurd and spiritually apostate.

As the wickedness of the modern day Zionist state of Israel is being exposed, awareness of the satanic conspiracy known as the ‘New World Order’4 is increasing. Scales are dropping from eyes. A “red pill” antidote compiled to counter Zionism’s long-term, pervasive brainwashing is available here.

Let us speak truth to power as the Light of the world shines unto eternal day.

1 Gary Demar, Does Isaiah 13 Predict the ‘End of the World’?, Jan 9 2024

2 Gorphilus DeJesus, Eschatology Between the Extremes, Dec 11 2022

3 Gary DeMar, So What Do We Do Now?, Jan 3 2024

4 Makia Freeman, Is the New World Order a Jewish Conspiracy? No, it’s a Satanic Conspiracy, Oct 14 2019

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Gordon Graham is a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and Clerk of Session at Auburn Road Presbyterian Church in Venice, FL. Husband of one wife, father and brother of two each, and brother in Spirit of many, he also writes under the pen name of Gorphilus DeJesus.

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April 12, 2024

Discerning the Times

It has been said that we must know where we have been in order to understand where we are going. The canon of Scripture provides us with a God-breathed historical record of His covenantal decree from creation to consummation. Exhibit A below visualizes this:


Biblical scholars have recognized distinct periods in the life and times of God’s people as chronicled in holy writ. The timeline shown below (Exhibit B) delineates fifteen historical periods:


As our understanding of time and history continues to grow, even as we grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the historical periods of the Bible may be expressed thusly, with sixteen historical periods leading to the eternal state, as per Exhibit C:


Exhibit B omits the historical period from the Lord’s ascension to the “days of vengeance” (cf. Luke 21:22) which is distinctly identified in the Scriptures (e.g. Daniel 9:26-27), and is the particularly frequent subject of New Testament prophecy. The omission of this period ignores the Lord’s prophetic focus on the generation then living. Dispensationalist / sensationalist influence may have led to extending those last days throughout the entire church age (millennia) up until the second coming, with the end of them somehow being continually imminent.

Exhibit C properly distinguishes the last days of the old covenant age with its animal sacrifices, etc., that finally passed away with the destruction of the temple in 70AD. The new testament corpus is irrefutably clear on this: the last days were then, as the end was at hand. Not the end of time as written of in 1 Corinthians 15:24 which takes place upon completion of the church/gospel age; but rather, the end at hand was the passing away of the “heaven and earth” of the old covenant age (cf. Isaiah 51:15-16).

Applying “last days” to the church age is more and more problematical as sensationalist predictions have failed to materialize for almost two millennia so far; besides which the Lord Jesus Christ, who is reigning now, must reign until all His enemies are under His feet (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:25) before the end comes.

This historical interpretation does not represent a novel understanding, and in no way denies or sets aside the creedal doctrines of the second coming of Christ at the end of time for the universal resurrection of bodies and eternal judgment for all who ever lived.  As the church continues to shuffle off the “we are now living in the last days” paradigm, the words expressed by astute theologians are beginning to gain traction towards this biblical understanding:

Here’s Albert Barnes from his commentary on Hebrews 6:5: …and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come…:

the powers of the world to come – Or of the “coming age.” “The age to come” was a phrase in common use among the Hebrews, to denote the future dispensation, the times of the Messiah…

Here it evidently refers to that period, and the meaning is, that they had participated in the special blessings to be expected in that dispensation – to wit, in the clear views of the way of salvation, and the influences of the Holy Spirit on the soul.

The word “powers” here implies that in that time there would be some extraordinary manifestation of the “power” of God. An unusual energy would be put forth to save people, particularly as evinced by the agency of the Holy Spirit on the heart. Of this “power” the apostle here says they of whom he spake had partaken. They had been brought under the awakening and renewing energy which God put forth under the Messiah, in saving the soul. They had experienced the promised blessings of the new and last dispensation; and the language here is such as appropriately describes Christians, and as indeed can be applicable to no other.

Here’s John M. Buttrey II from his brief commentary on Revelation:

The last days are not a future period of time leading up to the rapture of the church and the end of the world. Nor are the last days describing the full contemporary Christian era. It hardly seems consistent to associate the term “days” with two millennia of years! A closer look at the New Testament usage of the term will reveal that the last days represented a now historical period of time. It was a fitting description of the final days of the Old Covenant, a period lasting a little over forty years. The first century earthly ministry of Jesus ushered in these last days. In this way, the “last days” of the New Testament were actually the “first days” of the New Testament church.

And here’s Milton Terry, excerpted from Biblical Apocalyptics:

The period which preceded the coming of the Messiah was spoken of as this age; that which followed His [first] coming was the age to come.

…by this age they meant and could mean nothing else than the current period in which they were living, the then present age. The question of the disciples, as recorded [in Matthew 24:3], could therefore only refer to the pre-Messianic age, and its consummation was, as we have seen, associated in their thought with the overthrow of the temple. But even were it admitted that their notion of “the consummation of the age” was erroneous, the teaching of Jesus was emphatic beyond all rational question that that generation should not pass away before all those things of which they inquired should be fulfilled.

The age to come, the Messianic time, would accordingly be the period that would follow immediately after the termination of the pre-Messianic age. That time had not yet come when Jesus spoke. According to the whole trend of New Testament teaching that age and the Messianic kingdom were near or at hand. Christ’s ministry fell in the last days of an aeon.

Lastly here’s Ralph Bass, from his commentary on Revelation:

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” The phrase, behold, I am making all things new (Rev. 21:5) is interpreted by most as the beginning of the eternal state. We posit a millennium, which moves the world increasingly toward this eternal state with the increasing victory of the Church, but does not ultimately confuse the one with the other. Symbolic language pictures our spiritual victories and looks forward to material benefits in earthly prosperity and health. But the earthly millennium is never to be confused with heaven itself.

The effectiveness of biblical apologetics as well as the fruitfulness of Christian cultural engagement efforts will be greatly enhanced by our increased discernment of the times, and our corresponding faithful witness to the truth of what has been, is now, and is to come; that the last days as written of in the New Testament are in our past, and that our commission as “the church militant” advancing the gospel under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, is clear.

The long haul to triumph will likely extend beyond the relatively short lifetimes of those of us alive today; there’s no time to waste. Let’s get busy using our talents in good and faithful service to our King (cf Matthew 25:23), leaving an example for future generations to follow. Keep the faith. Stand strong in the Truth.

~

Also see: Scripture References: The Gospel Age and The Eternal State

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November 12, 2023

Time, History and Eternity

The above graphic depicts an understanding of the phrases “this age” and “the age to come”, in their biblical/historical context. This understanding underlies the proper perception of our present situation, and affects our eschatological outlook. Satan is NOT “the god of this age” that we are in now. He was “the god of this age” when Paul wrote 2 Cor. 4:4; Gal. 1:4; Rom. 16:20, etc. Jesus crushed Satan’s head and bound him in the first century, cf. Matt. 12:29; Luke 10:18; Rev. 20:2; etc. Not to say that the evil one is not still active other than in wholesale deception of the nations the way he was before, but the Lord Jesus Christ is reigning now! cf. Ps. 2; Ps. 110; Dan. 7:13-14; 1Cor. 15:25; etc.

An “age” is a period of time. There is no other age that will follow the present age of Christ’s mediatorial reign (what the New Testament, written prior to the termination of the Old Covenant age with the destruction of the temple, refers to as “the age to come”). We are now in the final age of time and history, as the ascended Lord Jesus Christ reigns in majesty on high at the right hand of the Father. 

Premillennialists claim that there will be another age after Christ’s Second Coming, when He will reign upon the earth for 1,000 years prior to the final judgment, with a variety of flavors espousing a rebuilt temple, multiple mass physical resurrections, etc., etc. which is all patently unbiblical. An older version of postmillennialism taught that there will be a separate “golden age” in time and history after the present age and before the Second Coming; proponents of that view may have acquiesced to the lack of scriptural warrant for it.

Against “the age to come” as eternity

Ephesians 1:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age (aion) but also in that which is to come.* 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (NKJV)

*Note: the age “which is to come” in Ephesians 1 can hardly refer to eternity without conflicting with 1 Corinthians 15:

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.
*28Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

The Ephesians passage presents the ages of time/history; the passage in 1 Corinthians presents the end: eternity. Jesus’ ascension took place in what were the last days of “this age” for the writers of the New Testament. In this final age now present (the “age to come” for the N.T. writers), Jesus is still reigning from on High and by His Spirit indwelling His people, living stones in a living temple, His body. He also rules over the nations with a rod of iron. This being the situation decreed for “not only in this age but also in that which is to come”, neither age can refer to the hereafter, as by contrast, in eternity, we shall eat and drink with Jesus Himself (cf. Matthew 26:29)! Our Forerunner will no longer be “far above”, having put an end to all rule and all authority and power; and we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2)! The position of Christ the head and his body/bride the church will, at the end (in the eternity of final glory), be manifestly changed from that of the here and now, the age of the church militant (referred to as “the age to come” in Ephesians 1).

Paul wrote in the last days of the old covenant age when the temple was still standing. The “age to come”, which was then at hand, is fully here now: the gospel age, the “millennium” of the mediatorial reign of King Jesus.

In those same last days of the old covenant age when the temple was still standing, shortly before He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; rose again from the dead; and ascended into heaven, Jesus said to the high priest: “I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matt. 26:64) The hereafter our Lord foretold is the termination of the old covenant economy with the destruction of the temple in AD 70, the final end of that age, the outworking of AD 30 when Christ made the once-for-all sacrifice of Himself; which was also foretold by the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel:

“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation*, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” (Daniel 9:26-27)

*i.e. the consummation of the ages, the transition from the Jewish to the Christian: the mediatorial kingdom of the gospel age, the final age before the end, the millennial reign of the risen, ascended Lord Jesus Christ as written of in Ephesians 1.


[click image to enlarge]

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April 23, 2023

Fallacious Notions – Temporal Displacement

What if the same controligarchs behind the gaslighting of the general populace have intentionally corrupted the Church’s understanding of the word of truth — the Holy Scriptures? Their objective being the establishment and popularization of distorted theology towards the advancement of their globalist agenda and neutering the church militant. It was largely achieved via the publication of a Bible with explanatory notes presenting delusory interpretations of the text:

“…Cyrus Scofield, a forger, felon and trained lawyer, had been hired by the Rothschilds to write this dispensational reinterpretation of biblical events and Christian doctrine.” …

”The writing and promotion of “Scofield’s Reference Bible” was a massive effort to subvert true Christianity to serve Zionist/NWO interests…

“Throughout the 20th Century and with incredible support from the Rothchild controlled Oxford Press, various editions of Scofield’s Bible would actually create a new religion, Christian Zionism (Judeo-Christianity), altering words and meanings through deceptive footnotes.”

– Merlin L. Miller1

First published in 1909 and still available today, the Scofield Notes have systematized a fanciful, invalid exposition of Scripture, serving the agenda of wicked globalists the likes of which are now being exposed more and more as the great democide of the 2020s unfolds.

One minister who broke with Scofieldism described it as a “subtle, intriguing heresy”.2

Thankfully, the unscriptural teaching of a literal, earthly Jewish kingdom, with all the associated temporal deceptions (e.g. inserting a “gap” of time in to the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27) has come to be largely rejected. Even so, erroneous understandings of Bible prophecy, exacerbated by dispensational seminary teachings and media sensationalism, remain ingrained in the church at large, to the detriment of the gospel’s advancement.

Not rightly dividing the Scriptures in their historical context has led to a general “temporal displacement” in the understanding of eschatology, typically manifested by removing passages from their native context, i.e. the time period when they were written, and interpreting them as if they are written contemporaneously to the generation presently living.

Thus, in the minds of many, near-at-hand prophecies which were fulfilled accordingly in that 1st century generation, have remained unfulfilled and somehow continually imminent for almost 2 millennia now.

“The End is Near”

 “The end of all things” which was at hand when the apostle Peter wrote of it (1 Peter 4:7) refers, in its proper context, to the passing away of the old covenant as per Hebrews 8:13: In that He says, “A new covenant,”  He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. The civil state of the Jews, their sacrifices, temple, city and nation would soon be gone. Of course, physical death, which is indeed the end of all things in this world, is always near at hand to any particular person, but the literal end of the physical world was clearly not near at hand nor in view in this passage.

Neither can the apocalyptic language of the book of Revelation prophesying the days of vengeance on the Harlot (apostate Judaism) and the Beast (Rome) be rightfully construed as foretelling an end of the cosmos at the end of time, since the events were foretold shortly before they were to take place (Revelation 1:1; 22:6). Just like the apocalyptic imagery of judgment in 2 Peter 3:10-13, the prophesied events were near-at-hand then.

Furthermore, the end of time is not near now. In this gospel age, the present millennial reign of our ascended Lord will continue until He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:24-25). We rightfully expect that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14) before the end.

“Heaven and Earth will literally pass away”

The Bible teaches that, at the end of this church age, the presently bound Satan will be released for a short time (Rev. 20:3) to deceive the nations again and mount a rebellious army which is crushed as, in the apocalyptic language of the vision, “fire from heaven came down and consumed them” (Revelation 20:9). This does not mean that the creation itself will be destroyed by being burned up! The creation itself is being redeemed from the curse, not headed for dissolution, as it is written:

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 8:20-21)

The crafty deception that the earth will be destroyed at the end of time is perhaps the most critical of all fallacious eschatological notions, and is at the root of many others.

Jesus’ statement that “Heaven and earth will pass away…” (Matthew 24:35) cannot be interpreted to refer to the physical cosmos without violating the analogy of faith, i.e. there can be no essential contradictions in the Scriptures. To wit:

The literal earth is determined to not pass away. In Psalm 104:5 David said that God “laid the foundation of the earth, that it shall not be removed forever.” And in Ecclesiastes 1:4 Solomon said, “One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but the earth abides forever.”

“And He built His sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which He has established forever.” (Psalm 78:69).

“Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens… “He has also established them for ever and ever: He has made a decree which shall not pass” (Psalm 148:4,6).

God promised after the flood that He would never again “strike down every living creature as I have done.” (Genesis 8:21). This, it is thought, does not rule out God’s destruction of the entire world by fire someday, and that 2 Peter 3:10 teaches this. But no, with the phrase “as I have done” the LORD attests to His power and majesty in His manner of declaration, not to give Himself a “loophole” to smite everything living again but in a different manner, which might be a laughable consideration if not so irreverently preposterous.

It would be a blatant contradiction if God was to burn up the elements, meaning atoms & molecules according to the literalistic misinterpretation of the prophetic language of 2 Peter 3:10.3  Besides, the apocalyptic destruction Peter wrote of was near at hand when he wrote in the last days of the old covenant.

Thus in light of the full counsel of Scripture, our Lord’s statement that “heaven and earth will pass away” cannot be interpreted literally in the context of Matthew 24:35. Rather, especially in consideration of the prophetic idiom being used, the reference is to the old covenant and its temple system (the house left desolate) just as it is in 2 Peter 3:10.

Jesus had also said “…assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18). The ceremonial ordinances were finally abrogated when the temple was destroyed, the Lamb of God having fulfilled all of the sacrificial typology.

Conclusively, the reference to the “passing away of heaven and earth” must be considered in light of the establishment of that same “heaven and earth” in Isaiah 51: 15-16:

”I am the LORD your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared — The LORD of hosts is His name. And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”

The LORD was not depicting the original physical creation 3,000 years previously, but rather the establishment of the old (Mosaic) covenant upon bringing His people out of Egypt. (cf. Jeremiah 31:32).

“The Great Tribulation is Yet to Come”

Great tribulation may indeed be expected for present and future generations, especially as God’s people stand for the truth of God’s word in a culture of decadence and tyranny. Even so, Jesus’ prophecy that then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be (Matthew 24:21) was declared in no uncertain terms to take place before the generation then living would pass away.

The book of Revelation, which apocalyptically presents the undiluted wrath of God poured out on that wicked generation, was written by the apostle John as a fellow partaker in that tribulation with the original hearers of the letter (Rev. 1:9). From our historical perspective, the events which happened then manifestly align with the things signified to John in the Apocalypse shortly before they were to take place as per the “temporal bookends” of Rev. 1:1 and Rev. 22:6.

The works of Jewish historian Josephus document the events of the great tribulation which took place in the time leading up to and including the destruction and desolation of the old covenant temple in 70 AD.

For a concise, highly readable record of those now historical events see George Halford’s The Destruction of Jerusalem. Judgment fell heavily upon that generation in those “days of vengeance” in vindication of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“No one knows the day or hour”

When predicting His coming in judgment (via the Roman armies) on apostate Judaism, the Lord stated, “But of that day and hour no one knows…” (Matthew 24:36). This He declared not in reference to His Second Coming at the end of time, rather, in context, the reference is to the day and hour of His near coming in judgment of which He was prophesying.

No one knew exactly when the Temple would be utterly destroyed and the Jewish age of sacrifice finished. But they were given warning signs:  when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near (Luke 21:20) and more importantly, the general time by when it would take place: within that generation!

While it is true that the day and hour of the Second Coming of Christ (cf. Hebrews 9:26-28) remains unknown to mankind, the temporal markers in the text of the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 (and parallels) do not authorize direct application of the saying to that great, final, end-of-time event which Christians ought to hopefully expect in accordance with God’s timetable, when all His enemies have been put under His feet, which may not happen within the lifetimes of anyone reading this now.

Not to dare prognosticate on this matter, but it looks like a long term proposition, as God gathers in the multitudes of His elect. Let us hasten the day by advancing the gospel that it may flourish in ours and future generations towards the final consummation of all things.

“Satan is the god of this age”

An “age” is a period of time. There is no other age that will follow the present age of Christ’s mediatorial reign (what the New Testament, written prior to the termination of the Old Covenant age with the fall of Jerusalem4, refers to as “the age to come”). We are now in the final age of time and history, as the ascended Lord Jesus Christ reigns in majesty on high at the right hand of the Father.

Satan is NOT “the god of this age” that we are in now. Satan was the god of an age that was passing away. He was “the god of this age” when the apostle Paul wrote 2 Cor. 4:4; Gal. 1:4; Rom. 16:20, etc. Jesus crushed Satan’s head and bound him in the first century (cf. Matt. 12:29; Luke 10:18; Rev. 20:2; etc.).

Not to say that the evil one is not still active other than in wholesale deception of the nations the way he was before, but the Lord Jesus Christ is reigning now and in the process of putting all His enemies under His feet (cf. Ps. 2; Ps. 110; Dan. 7:13-14; 1Cor. 15:25; etc.) and we are instrumental in the process.

Let us not let temporal displacement of the texts of Scripture be a rationale to expect defeat in time and history in the battle against evil, as we fight for and with the Way, the Truth and the Life.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (1 John 5:4)

~

1 Christian Zionism – Scofield Rothchild Puppet

2 Why I Left Scofieldism

3 Passing Away… – A Study of 2 Peter 3

4 Before Jerusalem Fell

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November 14, 2022

Reflections on The Holy Spirit


The Holy Spirit’s Pronouns


“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you…
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” – John 16:7;13 [NKJV]


 

“The Paracletic Version” 

paracletic: (adj.) relating to a paraclete or Paraclete

A paraphrase of the Scriptures called ‘The Paracletic Version (TPV)’ might reasonably render the apostles’ epistolary greetings as follows:


[emphasis for reference only: The Father/The Son/The Holy Spririt]

Romans 1:1-7

The Holy Spirit through Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.

To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Jonathan Edwards suggests that the Spirit is not usually mentioned by name in the standard apostolic greeting of “Grace to you…” because the Spirit – proceeding from the Father and the Son as the Nicene creed says – IS the grace…


1 Corinthians 1:2

The Holy Spirit to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours; Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


2 Corinthians 1:1

The Holy Spirit through Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


That the Holy Spirit spoke through the apostles is confirmed in 1 Corinthians 2:12-13: Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.


Galatians 1:1-3

The Holy Spirit through Paul, an apostle (not from men or through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The apostles spoke from God. …knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21); and not just prophecy – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness… That the Holy Spirit is the divine author of all Scripture is Self-attested to by the following Scriptures:

Mark 12:36 – “For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”‘.

1 Peter 1:12 – To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things which angels desire to look into.

Mark 12:36 – “For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”‘.

Hebrews 10:15-16 – And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”

To assure verbal precision, God, in communicating His revelation, must be verbally precise, and inspiration must extend to the very words. This does not mean that God dictated every word. Rather His Spirit so pervaded the mind of the human writer that he chose out of his own vocabulary and experience precisely those words, thoughts and expressions that conveyed God’s message with precision. In this sense the words of the human authors of Scripture can be viewed as the word of God. [LaSor, Hubbard, and Bush, Old Testament Survey, p.15]


Ephesians 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God , to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Philippians 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus  who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


Colossians 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


1 Thessalonians 1:1-2 / 2 Thessalonians 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


The Holy Spirit likewise speaks through Paul in his letters to individuals: Timothy, Titus, Philemon – all three ministers having commission and work much the same as that of the apostles – to plant churches, and water the churches that were planted. Timothy was instructed how to discharge his duty as an evangelist at Ephesus, to perfect the good work which Paul had begun there. The Holy Spirit also spoke through Paul to Titus in much the same way, as Titus was also a convert of Paul and his companion in labors and sufferings. The epistle to Philemon is placed the last of those with the name of Paul to them, perhaps because the shortest, and of an argument peculiar and different from all the others; even so, it is such as the Spirit of God, who indited it, saw would, in its kind, be very instructive and useful in the churches.

The epistle to the Hebrews, regardless of its human authorship, with its lofty strains of rhetoric, and many things hard to understand, contains a sweetness which makes abundant amends for all the pains we take to understand it. Indeed, if we compare all the epistles of the New Testament, we shall not find any of them more replenished with divine, heavenly matter than that of the Holy Spirit to the Hebrews.


James 1:1

The Holy Spirit through James, a bondservant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:

In this general epistle, the Spirit of wisdom puts forth many excellent and practical truths to exhort sincere and humble believers to patience under tribulations and oppression, to which He points the original hearers particularly, by minding them of near approaching judgment.


1 Peter 1 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.


2 Peter 1 1:1-2

The Holy Spirit through Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you…

The “fiery trials” through which the early church was passing during the latter years of Nero’s reign leading up to the “end of all things” in 70AD were foretold by the Spirit of prophecy. The saints, then and now, are exhorted to faith, obedience, and patience, in view of the truth of the gospel and the certainty of salvation in Christ.


2 John 1:1 / 3 John 1:1

The Holy Spirit through The Elder…

There is no greeting inscribed, nor did John put his name to the first epistle of the Holy Spirit through him, which confirms the great fundamental doctrine of Christianity. In his second and third epistles the apostle is “the elder”, being also a bishop or overseer of all the Asiatic churches. In the second epistle the Spirit testifies to the value of Christian love and belief through John’s regard for and exhortation to a certain pious matron and her children. The third epistle of the Holy Spirit through John to “the well beloved Gaius”, supplies us with valuable criterion for Christian life and character.


Jude 1-2

The Holy Spirit through Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ: mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

There can be no true mercy, peace, and love where there is not true Grace; and where Grace goes before, these will follow.


Revelation 1:4-5

The Holy Spirit through John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace  to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ….

The Divine blessing given in this greeting is in the name of God, of the Holy Trinity; it is of preeminent adoration. The Father is first named; He is described as the Yahweh who is, and who was, and who is to come, eternal, unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is referenced as the seven spirits, the perfect Spirit of God, in whom there is a diversity of perfect gifts and operations. The Lord Jesus Christ was from eternity, a Witness to all the counsels of God.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This expression occurs at the close of each of the epistles addressed to the seven churches in the book of Revelation (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) – the revelation of Jesus Christ to the apostle John. The Holy Spirit may be regarded either as speaking through the Savior, or as imparted to John, through whom He addressed the churches. In either case it is the same Spirit of inspiration.

As Christ, the Son, spoke not of Himself in opposition to the Father, so the Spirit speaks not of Himself in opposition either to the Father, or the Son, but in perfect agreement with both; being, as of the same nature and essence, power and glory, so of the same mind, understanding, and will; and as they agreed and wrought jointly and harmoniously in the works of creation and providence, so in the economy of grace and salvation… whatsoever the Spirit shall hear, that shall He speak; as Christ Himself did; and such as ear has not heard besides; secretly transacted in the council and covenant of peace, and agreed upon by all the three Persons; things which concern the salvation of men, the Gospel church state, another world, and the glory of all the divine Persons. [John Gill on John 16:13]

This Paracletic perspective of Scripture, especially in this new covenant age, also recognized as the age of the Holy Spirit, helps preserve our perception of the divine dignity of God the Spirit, who, in the words of the Nicene creed, is the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear His voice…” -Hebrews 3:7

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. -2 Corinthians 13:14

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May 29, 2022

8 ‘C’s of Divine History


  • Creation – all “very good”

  • Corruption – the fall

  • Catastrophe – the flood

  • Confusion – tower of Babel

  • InCarnation – encompasses our Lord’s birth, ministry, suffering, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. The C in Incarnation is for Christ and all He accomplished as Immanuel.

  • New Covenant – in the blood of the Lamb of God — the once-for-all sacrifice, making the old covenant obsolete and leading to its conclusive termination by the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. During this present and final age our ascended Lord reigns from on High (Psalm 110:1-2) and through His Spirit indwelling His people – living stones in the new living temple, His body.

  • ViCtory – The triumph of the sovereign, enthroned Lord Jesus Christ and His church over all opponents in time and history is inevitable. “For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)

  • Consummation – “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts and end to all rule and all authority and power For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:24-26); and “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

[Hat tip: AiG’s Seven C’s]

~

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May 27, 2022

HIStory, the Here & How, and the Hope of Heaven

Sometime around 1,992 years ago the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ ascended with the clouds of heaven up to the Ancient of Days (cf. Daniel 7:13). Having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, He left the glories of heaven and came to this sin-cursed earth, took on flesh and lived a sinless life — obedient to the Father unto death, even death on a cross. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).

What a miracle of love: God became a man! That part of the blessed work of redemption, as determined since before the foundation of the world by intraTrinitarian Covenant (pactum salutis) was accomplished in the fullness of time, in accordance with divine decree. Christ came forth, to faithfully perform the atonement for the sins of His people, as typified in the Old Testament, by perfect righteousness and substitutionary propitiation; as He proclaimed upon the cross, “it is finished.”

The third day thereafter He rose from the dead, and that calls for a never-ending chorus of hallelujahs. It behooves us to rejoice as we faithfully meditate upon the blessed historical truth of the Holy Spirit inspired Scriptures. Worthy is the Lamb of God Who was slain. All praise and glory to God Who is blessed forever, amen.

With the glorified God-Man reigning at the right hand of Majesty on High, the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, regenerates sinners to new life in Christ Jesus; comforts, counsels and empowers His people, and seals us for the day of redemption. How then should we live? Never forget that we’re now spiritually alive and well, with the Spirit Himself dwelling within us. Therefore, not only are you a part of His body which is a living temple, but also your body itself is a temple! Mindful of being thus set apart as Holy, we pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. We are no longer slaves to sin, but rather bond servants of Jesus Christ. Let us go forth, not on our own strength, but abiding in Him, obeying His commandments. This indeed is a most gracious gift from above. For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

In light of all this, zeal for God’s glory ought to burn within us, as the Holy Spirit quickens us and fans the flames within our souls! Indeed, man’s chief end is to glorify God, and how better to effectuate that purpose than to bring every thought, word and deed captive to Christ. His kingdom is advancing on earth, and we are the instruments. Inaugurated in the 1st century, the kingdom of heaven has expanded by the millions in Africa and Asia and throughout the world. The Christian foundation of the American experiment may be crumbling, but we must think globally and long term. Besides, we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

So with our reigning Lord Jesus as the Head over all things, and us as the members of His body, the feet should be moving and the hands reaching out, the tongue speaking… we may not see it in our generation; even so, ours is not to sit back, wait, watch or complain about what Jesus is doing or not doing. We are what Jesus is doing!

After declaring “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” … the next word our Head says is “Go”… go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world” (Matthew 28:18-20). Amen.

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January 1, 2019

Is it Now the End Time of the American Idea?

Like the coming of the lawless one, Nero Caesar, in the 1st century A.D. when the Roman empire dominated old covenant Israel, deep state operatives and their army of haters in the world today proceed according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth… (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
The patriots’ hope and prayer for the here & now is that the unfolding exposure of the entrenched leftocrat government swamp, the Godless, lying Democrat party and their corrupted media mouthpieces, will be the beginning of our nation’s purging of deep state wickedness, and a return to the Christian values upon which it was founded; that the gospel will shine forth and flourish in our time, and that those traitors who have criminally schemed to overthrow the president of these United States will be prosecuted, convicted and punished.

et al.

As Star Parker has observed, in 2020 America must decide whether to be biblical and free, or secular and statist. Will we go forward as one nation under God, embracing the ideals of our heritage as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, providing for limited government; that all men (and women) are created equal, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Or will we succumb to the nihilistic ideology that by big government decree purposes to kill defenseless babies in the womb (or even after birth!), and destroy the deeply held values such as the rule of law, the sanctity of life and marriage, the critical importance of the traditional family, personal responsibility and free enterprise for a prosperous economy, etc; etc. that have made this the most exceptional nation of this age?

Irrespective of the fate of our present generation, the long term, ultimate triumph of the ascended, enthroned, sovereign Lord Jesus Christ and His church over all opponents in time and history is inevitable. For He must reign til He has put all enemies under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). May our time be a time of new awakening to the Truth!

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
-Habakkuk 2:14

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June 25, 2012

Best Laid Plans and Righteous Resources

In entering the blogosphere I am acutely aware of the Lord’s mighty hand on all things. Indeed He has brought about a confluence of circumstances leading me to establish this new blog, as I have become more and more zealous for the advancement of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ in the here & now, and being on the “other side of the hill” so to speak, while living in a country that has regressed so far from the soundness and respectability of its founding documents which are based on biblical principles. The FaithFacts website has an excellent section on The Bible and Government which delineates this relationship. It is absolutely crucial that Christian Americans be aware of the revisionist bastardization of history that has been ubiquitously propagandized so as to impugn the motives of the earliest settlers of this nation who were Christian evangelicals! The postmodern “progressive” (actually regressive) agenda would have us forget that the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence acted on behalf of their posterity, “and for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” Beloved, though our weapons are not carnal, and we fight not against flesh & blood, the kingdom of our Lord encompasses every area of life and we must be similarly dedicated, faithful and prayerfully confident to prevail.

To that end let me heartily recommend some resources to start. As victims of public schooling, many of us have been taught many erroneous things about the European explorers of the new world (Christopher Columbus et. al.), as well as the “Indians”, the Pilgrims and the Puritans, etc. so as to denigrate our nation’s founding, even to the point that the chief executive of these United States has stated that we are “no longer a Christian nation”. Do a phrase search of the Bible for “all the nations” to see how the regressives are going the wrong way…  (not only this nation, but Yahweh told Abraham that “…in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed…” [Genesis 22:18]).

Which leads me to the first recommended resource: Berean Bible Study Freeware, aka BerBible, available here. Get the Free Bundle with ESV, NASB, KJV, and other Bibles (about 10 MB).

Secondly, there is a 4-sermon series recorded by Pastor Joe Morecraft III in mp3 format that comes on a CD for only $5 titled “Ideas Have Consequences”, available here. The promo says it all:  Watching the news or observing the American culture begs the question, “What went wrong?”.  We were founded as a Christian nation, fleeing persecution, and now we cannot pray in public or speak out against wicked behavior without being persecuted or even prosecuted.  Listen to these lectures filled with historical facts and presentations of attitudes of another era and you will understand “what went wrong”.

Thirdly, a book titled “The Light and the Glory” by Peter Marshall and David Manuel, subtitled “Did God Have a Plan for America?”. Here is the editorial review: For those of us who, like the authors, have been exposed mostly to the secular accounts of this period of American history, the information presented becomes a revelation of very great magnitude. … This book is important. I would that every professing Christian read Gods Holy Bible and this book. There are, of a surety, better and more comprehensive histories than this, but I would recommend none more highly to introduce the student to our Christian American roots as pertains to our beginnings on these shores. — Christian Forum Book Review. This book is available from amazon.com. Also let me take this opportunity to advise that many books are available in Kindle format at significantly lesser cost, and they can be viewed on any computer with the free Kindle reading app.

Lastly, a new friend of mine has recommended “Paradise Restored” by David Chilton, available as a PDF for free online here. Not having read it yet myself, but familiar with Chilton’s work (“Days of Vengeance”), and with the subtitle of “A Biblical Theology of Dominion”, I recommend “Paradise Restored” unhesitatingly. I also highly recommend my new friend Publius Huldah’s blog, accessible from the blogroll at the right or here… and I close with this as stated there (extrapolated from Galatians 3:28):

“There is no such thing as Jew & Greek, slave & freeman, male & female, black person & white person; for we are all one person in Christ Jesus.”
—
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)

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