Monthly Archives: February 2021

The Kingdom of Glory: Jesus Decides the Boundaries of Nations, to what purpose? 9 of 15

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We should always remember the general statements God makes about nations and sin and righteousness.

“Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.”
Prov 14:34

“Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh,
The people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.”
Psa 33:12

Yes, the Son does rule the nations

“7 I will tell of the decree.
Yahweh said to me, “You are my son.
Today I have become your father. …
8 Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance,
The uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron.
You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Psa 2:7-9

And the purpose … what is the purpose?

“that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”
Acts 17:27

God raises up nations and lowers nations, seeking for His eternal purpose that as many men as possible might be delivered from their sins! Paul does treat this as if it should be natural thing, seeking God and drawing close to Him.

“‘For in him we live, and move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’”
Acts 17:28

You see, God really desires that we repent of our sins and turn to Him.

God Himself has said it.

“For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord Yahweh: therefore turn yourselves, and live.” Ezek 18:32

There are three wrong ideas
we may fall into here.

Sometime we are willfully blind. Our distorted theology may blind us to God working in history to both help the righteous and punish the wicked. Some are so focused on God’s love that they cannot see that God both can and does punish men in history. Often even US !

“But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”
Heb 12:8 KJV

On the other hand many have so distorted the message of Scripture the other way, that all that they can see is vengeful, wrathful, God. This also is a misconception.

Then comes the third distortion. Sometimes we see all the evil in the world and do not understand that God IS working in the world, and we wonder why God does not do something?

So why doesn’t God do something about all the wickedness in the world?

“The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient WITH US, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2Pe 3:9

This is a short period of amnesty.

God is going to bring both us and them to account for our sins. In between God is giving both us and them time to think through our situation, and repent, before it is eternally too late.

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

The Kingdom of Glory: Jesus Decides the Boundaries of Nations, Using Whom He Pleases, 8 of 15

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The prophet Amos makes some general statements of how God operates.

“Are you not like the children of the Ethiopians to me, children of Israel?” says Yahweh. “Haven’t I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?”
Amos 9:7

David calls on God to punish wicked nations.

“You, Yahweh God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Rouse yourself to punish the nations.
Show no mercy to the wicked traitors.”
Psa 59:9

Further, if you look at the context in Psalm 59, David included the wicked among God’s people to also be destroyed for they are plotting to murder David for no valid reason. In this psalm the wicked among God’s people are counted as among the nations (Psalm 59 introduction, and verse 5, etc.

God uses even the wicked, to wipe out evil nations

God’s very own people had sinned against Him, and turned to wickedness, deceit, adultery and blood shed. God’s own people now deserve judgement and punishment. So how does God act in these things.

“For, behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that march through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs.”
Hab 1:6

The Lord speaks at length about the strength and wickedness of the Chaldeans / Babylonians.

“9 All of them come for violence. … 10 Yes, he scoffs at kings, and princes are a derision to him. He laughs at every stronghold, for he builds up an earthen ramp, and takes it. 11 Then he sweeps by like the wind, and goes on. He is indeed guilty, whose strength is his god.”
Hab 1:8-11

When mankind deserves to have nothing
but an animal rule over them,
how will God act?

God Himself will raise up the “beast” Revelation. God Himself will give this animal authority.

“It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.”
Rev 13:7.

God helps this monster deceive the entire world, because they reject the truth of God.

“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:”
2Thes 2:11.

And when the prophet Zechariah speaks of this “beast,” calling him “the foolish shepherd,” or “the idol shepherd,” he specifically says that God is the one who will raise him up.

“For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces.”
Zech 11:16 KJV

The word “land” here is the Hebrew word eretz and can mean either a land, or the earth (as in Genesis 1), and probably should be translated “earth” here. This foolish shepherd will be killed, but not by men, but will have some sort of resurrection, by God’s allowance.

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB),
a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

The Kingdom of Glory: Jesus Rules and Decides the Boundaries of Nations, 7 of 15

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Jesus rule is not just “pie in the sky” heavenly things. It is also down to earth every day things also, and the massive changes in history also. As has been demonstrated, all of God’s rule and authority has been handed to Jesus, Mtt 28:18. So what is this power, and to what ends does it work?

Paul gives a good summary in speech to the scholars at the Areopagus in Athens

The Areopagus could be called the ancient “University of Athens.”

“Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.”
Acts 17:21

Paul soon in his speech gets to the point:

“The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands,”
Acts 17:24

The images of the so-called “gods” are pointless and worse are deceptive. Of the true God Paul says,

“neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.”
Acts 17:25

The true and living God does NOT need us. Rather we need Him. Then Paul makes a biological point about men.

“He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, …”
Acts 17:26a

Biologically we are ALL of the same descent. Further, God,

“… having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings,” Acts 17:26b

God determines the “seasons” of nations, that is to say their rising and their falling. It God who overrules the kingdom of men.

“He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings, and sets up kings; …”
Dan 2:21a

“7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; 8 if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.”
Jer 18:7-8

On the other hand, God may decide to build up a nation. However,

“9 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10 if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they not obey my voice, then I will repent of the good, with which I said I would benefit them.”
Jer 18:9-10

Some of this incredibly far ahead of time.

Some where around 1800 BC, God told Abram that his descendants would be slaves for four hundred years, and then He would give them the land of Canaan, because,

“In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.”
Gen 17:16

Further, it not just about God’s own people.

God rules the nations.

“Yahweh is King forever and ever!
The nations will perish out of his land.”
Psa 10:16

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

The Kingdom of Glory: Jesus Rules Over ALL Kings, Nations, Peoples, 6 of 15

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We are not really sovereign in ourselves. Paul says this pretty plainly, speaking of,

“14 … our Lord Jesus Christ; 15 which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and ONLY Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; ”
1Tim 6:14-15

“Ruler” in the WEB, is the Greek word dunastes which is about one who has power, might, and ability. The NASB, the NET, and the ESV translate the phrase as “ only Sovereign,” which is really pretty good. The NKJV translates it “only Potentate,” which is also pretty good. Any way you take it, the passage in 1Timothy 6 is saying that Jesus is the only one who really has the power to do anything He pleases.

Yes, we can, and do, make some decisions.

We are urged in Scripture to turn from our evil ways and make God our only master. John the Baptist tells men that “decisions” cannot be superficial things without us really changing our lives.

“Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance!”
Mtt 3:8

And John the Baptist speaks as if the decision to “bring forth fruits worthy of repentance,” as if it is something that can be done! Even so, Scripture also acknowledges how much trouble we may have really carrying out decisions. Paul writes,

“18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good. 19 For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice.”
Rom 7:18-19

In truth there many limitations on our “free will.”

We have been foolishly led to confuse
our limited decision making ability,
with omnipotence.

Many talk about “free will” as if it means that we can do anything we want. But free will really only means we can will / want whatever we want to.

And Jesus over rules us all.

You and I and every ruler and power broker on earth, can want, and do many things. Still, in the end we are all very limited beings. God in His blessings, or His mercy, or His wrath, may at any time either help, or obstruct, or even defeat us, as He may desire.

“… All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or tell him, What do you?”
Dan 4:35

Even the worst of bad men are subject to His influences.

The ten horns (rulers) and the beast himself of Revelation will destroy Mystery Babylon the Great within history.

“For God has put in their hearts to do what he has in mind, and to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.”
Rev 17:17

Jesus literally has the whole world in his hands.

And the time in between is to give us space to repent, if we will.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 5 of 5

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An audio lesson.

How the end of the world is in many ways like when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were going to the earthly promised land of Canaan, and we are going a heavenly promised land in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Isa 65:17, and Isa 66:22, and 2Pe 3:13.

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.

The basics of how Bible prophecy works is discussed in detail in Prophecy Principles.Available from you bookseller.

Psalm 22 makes an excellent example of how prophecy works, and it more fully discussed in “Prophecy Principles” in the section “Time and Image in Prophecy,” and in “Revealing the Christian Age” in the section “Balking at the Symbolism.”

The Kingdom of Glory has Territory, 5 of 15

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“38 the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom; and the darnel are the children of the evil one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”
Mtt 13:38-39

The owner of this “field” is the man who sowed good seed “in his field,” Mtt 13:24. Jesus said plainly that He was that man, Mtt 13:37 Further it is more than this present world, for once again Jesus said,

… “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
Mtt 28:18

For Jesus is source of ALL things

“For by him were all things created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.”
Col 1:16

Everything is “for him.” If we serve Him we have only fulfilled our original purpose, and He is the only source of life.

“3 All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.”
Jn 1:3

You see, sin is not just an earthly thing.

In fact it started in the spiritual world before it started in the material world. It was a powerful renegade from the spiritual world who first seduced mankind into sin. I am speaking of Satan himself. The angels are not perfect, as has been noted repeatedly in these blogs and in my books.

“Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones;
Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight:”
Job 15:15

Or again,

“Behold, he puts no trust in his servants.
He charges his angels with error.”
Job 4:18

The angels, although much more powerful than men 2Pe 3:11, are moral being like us. Evidently most of the angels are still faithful to God. When Revelation describing the war in heaven in symbolic terms, it puts it this way.

“3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 4 His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth.”
Rev 12:3-4

We are told clearly that this great red dragon is “… is called the devil and Satan,. …” Rev 12:9. So Rev 12:3-4 is telling us that Satan was able to draw a third of the angels in all creation into his revolt. That means that two-thirds of them are still faithful to God.

Faithful … but not perfect beings!

And Jesus is not just reconciling mankind to himself.

“19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him; 20 and through him to reconcile ALL things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.”
Col 1:19-20

Jesus is the true Master of the Universe.

His territory includes ALL that exists, Mtt 28:18, both this universe and the one to come.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 3 of 5

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An audio lesson.

How the end of the world is in many ways like when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were going to the earthly promised land of Canaan, and we are going a heavenly promised land in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Isa 65:17, and Isa 66:22, and 2Pe 3:13.

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 3 of 5

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.

The basics of how Bible prophecy works is discussed in detail in Prophecy Principles.Available from you bookseller.

Psalm 22 makes an excellent example of how prophecy works, and it is more fully discussed “Prophecy Principles” in the section “Time and Image in Prophecy,” and in “Revealing the Christian Age” in the section “Balking at the Symbolism.”

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 2 of 5

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An audio lesson.

How the end of the world is many ways like when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were going to the earthly promised land of Canaan, and we are going a heavenly promised land in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Isa 65:17, and Isa 66:22, and 2Pe 3:13.

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 2 of 5

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.

The basics of how Bible prophecy works is discussed in detail in Prophecy Principles.Available from you bookseller.

Psalm 22 makes an excellent example of how prophecy works, and it fully discussed “Prophecy Principles” in the section “Time and Image in Prophecy,” and in “Revealing the Christian Age” in the section “Balking at the Symbolism.”

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt 1 of 5

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An audio lesson.

How the end of the world is many ways like when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were going to the earthly promised land of Canaan, and we are going a heavenly promised land in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Isa 65:17, and Isa 66:22, and 2Pe 3:13.

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 1 of 5

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.

The basics of how Bible prophecy works is discussed in detail in Prophecy Principles.Available from you bookseller.

Psalm 22 makes an excellent example of how prophecy works, and it is more fully discussed in “Prophecy Principles” in the section “Time and Image in Prophecy,” and in “Revealing the Christian Age” in the section “Balking at the Symbolism.”

4.The Kingdom of Glory: has Subjects, 4 of 15

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Often Scripture does not use the same rules for imagery or names of things which we use in modern times. For instance, in talking about the kingdom being established. On one hand it talks about the kingdom being established in the days of the Roman Empire in places like Dan 2:44. The passage is clear, but you have to look at the preceding context.

Then in the days of the Roman Empire, John the Baptist and Jesus came teaching that the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, was at hand, Mtt 3:2, Mtt 4:17, etc. This made a great deal of sense in terms of Dan 2:44, and other passages like the seventy sevens of years in Daniel 9.

Following the events in the gospels it speaks of the kingdom as being in existence. For example,

“who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;”
Col 1:13

That is clearly past tense, He has “translated us in the Kingdom.”

On the other hand, there are many passages
which speak of the kingdom as having
already been in existence.

For instance in Ephesians 2 it speaks of us Gentiles in the flesh, called “uncircumcised,” by those circumcised in the flesh, Eph 2:11. Before Jesus came it says of us gentiles,

“that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”
Eph 2:12

It talks about us Gentiles (those of the nations, from ethnos or nation) as being separated from “the commonwealth” politeia, which is the word for a citizenship, a community, and city or kingdom; which is of Israel ! The root word is polis which means a city or a town. We get our word “politics” from these words, and our word for city law enforcement, that is the “police.” This is talking about a political unit that Gentiles used to not be a part of. But now,

“… you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, …”
Eph 2:19

It includes all Jews and Gentiles in Christ. And there are many other passages like this.

So what is the answer?

The coming of the kingdom is talking about the reign of the Messiah, the special one who would bring a reign of peace. It is talking when the rule of the Christ would start. It started after Jesus death, so Jesus says,

… “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
Mtt 28:18

So the reign of the Messiah started in the first century AD. Now it is being fulfilled when it says to Him, “… Rule in the midst of your enemies,” Psa 110:2. He NOW rules in the midst of His enemies,

“For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ”
1Cor 15:25

That process is going on now, and will be completed at the Second Coming. Then the Messiah will deliver the Kingdom up to God, 1Cor 15:24

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901