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PART II
OUR HISTORY IS OUR FUTURE
The Bible’s record of history gives every insight to the events of our future, as Paul illuminated the history of Israel to be our best source of prophetic education: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” I Cor.10:11. In light of this principle, in order to understand the character of Christianity leading to the 2nd Advent of Christ, we merely review the character of religion at the time of His 1st Advent. Having an understanding of Bible history and the constantly repeated lessons is key to know what is to come in our day as Solomon said in no uncertain terms (Eccl.1:9).
Of the 1st Advent of Christ it is written, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.” Matt.3:1,2,7,8.
To the Jews of Christ’s day, the Pharisees and Sadducees stood as the best-educated and most pious men of the realm. Their scholarship included the memorization of entire passages and even books of “the law and the prophets.” Their tone of voice was caring; their written words embellished on all that appeared righteous in their profession to serve GOD. They did many works that were flawless in their public display of sanctity to the GOD of heaven, as the Apostle Paul said when he stood among them: “touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Phil.3:6. So, when John the Baptist came on the scene, most of the people were unaware of the grotesque perversion of GOD’S truth being carried out by these religious leaders. In a nutshell, the people were Biblically illiterate. Jesus declared that this illiteracy extended to the scholars themselves as He said, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matt.22:29). But the common, uneducated class of men entrusted their leaders for truth, guidance—and their salvation. And the religious hierarchy relied on this illiteracy to maintain their leadership over the flocks (Eze.34). They betrayed their trust as GOD’S stewards by smothering the true lessons of GOD’S Word with a thousand laws outside of Bible guidelines—three hundred rules for Sabbath keeping alone. What a burden was placed on the backs of men that GOD never called for (Matt.23:4,5).
And yet, the Jewish people saw their leaders as wise, disciplined servants of GOD, whose motives were unquestioned. For who would dare have the gall to go against the will of GOD while claiming His implicit service? (The same deception has been carried forward throughout the modern era, just as it is written of the great Antichrist of Christian history: “Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” Rev.13:4.) But John the Baptist declared to them, (which includes the beast of our generation), “O generation of vipers.” Due to the contrast between John’s declaration and the pious appearance of the church leaders, many were led to believe: ‘John does not understand the sincere desires of our leaders to serve God;’ ‘He’s been out in the wilderness a little too long;’ ‘He’s had no formal education in Rabbinical Judaism;’ ‘I don’t see a Ph.D. after his name;’ ‘He’s just a hermit who’s jealous of the power and possessions of others.’ Hence, the religious upbringing of an entire nation was paving the way for its rejection of Jesus Christ and its utter destruction within a generation, [as Jesus gave the prophecy of Jerusalem’s devastation to His disciples and to those women weeping for Him on His path to Calvary (Matt.24:15-20; Lu.23:28)].
But, at long last, then came to the world’s view the “Saviour of all men” (I Tim.4:10), “the LORD” Who is Jehovah, no less than His Father (Jn.8:58, 10:30; Phil.2:6), who became “the Son of man,” with “his name JESUS.” In His life is seen the most beautiful story in the history of Earth: the infinitely marvelous knowledge that “Jehovah,” “the Son of God” became “the Son of man!” The One who spoke to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; the One who spoke with Abraham promising the safe passage of his nephew Lot before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra (Gen.18); the One who spoke to Moses to deliver the children of Israel from the slavery of Egypt (Ex.3); the One who gave to the world the Ten Commandment Law (Jn.8:58); the One who sat on “the mercy seat” of the most holy apartment of the Hebrew sanctuary (Ex.23:20); the One who stood before Joshua as “Captain of the LORD’S host” (Josh.5:13-15); the One who said, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Ex.25:8); the One who said, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt.28:20). The Creator, GOD, who became the Christ, presented the pure message of His coming Kingdom. Every word He spoke were the words of the Father Himself (Jn.16:13), as Christ acknowledged this in His Grand Prayer (Jn.17:14).
In the perfect vocabulary, in the perfect countenance, in the perfect timing, in the perfect tone of voice, the Gospel of GOD’S salvation could not have been carried out any more thoroughly than the method demonstrated in the life of Jesus Christ (Isa.5:3,4). His absolute power over the elements of the Earth; His compassion, united with heaven’s authority, delivered people from every affliction, whether of stormy seas, demons holding men in suicidal insanity, hunger, the torments of disease—and even death itself. And these powerful displays of His deliverance He left for His disciples to continue (Jn.5:20; 14:12). His attributes and achievements, united with His message of the Father’s compassion and deliverance of His children from all affliction, available for the whole human race to receive (Rom.5:18) was made known throughout the whole region of Judea. Entering different towns, He often stayed awake throughout the night, and “healed them all.” Matt.12:15.
And yet, even with this ultimate display of humanitarian effort, the religious leadership led the nation to declare, “We will not have this man to reign over us.” Lu.19:14. In the end, the church leaders stood naked in their egotistical pride and lust for power. And with satanic obstinacy against the pure logic of self-emptying love they stood condemned before the very GOD they claimed to serve. Their profession of service to GOD and their declarations of care for their fellow man were proven to be a sham, just as John the Baptist had warned everyone of their betrayal back in the beginning of his ministry. But they would not “hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev.2:7.17; 3:6,13,22; *Mk.3:29).
The destiny of pharisaical Judaism was now sealed. Another thousand years would not change that fateful decision welded to their pride (Isa.30:12,13). [And so it is with the Orthodox Jews today.] The moment of time had now come, a moment that has been repeated all throughout history. Looking back nearly 4,500 years, we see how the religious leaders in the days of our righteous father Noah followed the same course of self-righteous pride. In that extraordinary age, leading to the global flood, the whole world followed the insisted teachings of its leaders in their declarations of religion, law and science (masquerading in the guise of virtue). Despite their illusion of contribution, it is written: “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Gen.6:5.
Millenniums later, in the fall of Judah to the Babylonian captivity, the same rebellion against GOD’S Word occurred: “Then all the men…even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth.” Jer.44:15-17. These were men who came to Jeremiah asking him to inquire of the LORD for their well-being and course of action, and whatever the LORD would say in His counsel they promised to honor. But the drawing power of the Holy Ghost was quickly blasphemed: the enthusiasm of holy desire lasted for but a moment. And so it is today with multitudes who give false assurances: brief moments of sincerity.
Of this age when Judah fell to ruin, illustrating the eternal stubbornness of the sinful heart against the Word of GOD, the LORD said to His prophet, “Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.” Jer.7:16. The moment had come when every prayer of intercession would avail nothing. The people’s decision was made, and nothing would ever change their minds. GOD’S gift of a freewill was used to commit suicide, both here and forever. Unlike the devil and his puppets among men, GOD will never force the will of anyone (Isa.53:7). If the Truth of GOD’S Love cannot reach the soul all the bullying and mockery will avail nothing (I Jn.4:8).
But the most important example where men crossed the point of no return is seen in the public ministry of Jesus Christ. The Pharisaical system of Judaism crossed that same boundary, where a million years of life would not alter their decision for self-destruction. Jesus, with tearful, but authoritative voice gave a scathing rebuke, condemning the church leaders in their decision to never repent: “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” Matt.23:13. That entire passage of Christ’s words to the religious leaders were expressed in a deeply mournful tone; for the loss of so many would be required at the hands of so few who took it upon themselves the responsibility to lead an entire nation of GOD’S children to both national and eternal ruin. And when push came to shove, their power and authority was shown to be more important to them than the GOD they claimed to serve, and the Scriptures they claimed to be their rule of life. Their manmade religion had become their god in violation of the 1st Commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Ex.20:3). [And Bible prophecy declares an identical state exists within the church today where men only worship their own religion (Rev.13:4), not “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father.” Ja.1:27.]
For 3 ½ years Christ worked to illuminate the minds of the leaders through His testimony and that of the people who bore witness that no one but Jesus has ever demonstrated such power or love in the history of man! But the celebrated tutoring, strictly enforced by the Church, luring through pride the consent of all, was the very teaching that would compel the rape of the dignity of that Divine Life who stood among them.
Despite the perfect evidence of GOD’S salvation (Isa.5:4), the religious leaders had Christ crucified as a vile criminal and blasphemer by uniting as one with their utterly despised oppressors, the pagan idolaters of Rome.
And so, 3 ½ years after the crucifixion, in 34 A.D., at the stoning of Stephen, (a great disciple of Christ), the Jewish nation sealed their fate (Acts 7:55,56). Of their own free will the religious leaders led their nation to eternally sin against the very GOD they claimed to serve. At this moment “the heavens opened” and Stephen beheld the Father and the Son looking down on the scene: a scene of most solemn significance to the family of Abraham. Never again to stand as “His peculiar treasure” (Ps.135:4), the Jewish nation closed their probation forever as the LORD’S evangelist to the world (Dan.9:24-27; Acts 13:46). The “seventy weeks” prophecy of Daniel 9 came to a close [lasting 490 years (Num.14:34; Eze.4:6) from 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:11-26: Thompson’s Chain Reference Bible) to 34 A.D.]. Jesus gave the prophetic assurance of this being so: “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” Matt.21:43, 23:38.
36 years after the stoning of Stephen, in 70 A.D., Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus of Rome while the most devout Jews who had rejected Jesus as the Messiah were assembled there attending the feast (The History of Josephus). Long before the 1st Advent of Christ, nearly 500 years before His Incarnation, the Words of GOD proclaiming Babylon’s fall found their parallel application in the land of Judea: “God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it…Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” Dan.5:26,27. These same words will find their counterpart today in America, and for the same reasons (Rev.17).
How dreadful is the thought of men drowning in sin; and yet, they continually slap away the outstretched hand to pull them to safety, literally choosing to die rather than submit to the perfection of GOD’S Love displayed in His Sacred Law (Jn.17:4; Heb.4:15) and the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ (Rev.14:12, 22:14 KJV).
For anyone to assert that this history of men’s maligning of GOD’S Holy Word has not held sway throughout modern church history have not prayerfully compared today’s Christian beliefs and practices with the purity of The Apostolic Gospel. A thousand years after Christ, this theme of Bible illiteracy ruled throughout the history of the Roman Catholic Church when Papal Rome stood on the throne of Europe, promoting the most sadistic and Unbiblical superstitions. And with their unsanctified doctrines they employed the pagan system of religious blackmail [using the doctrines of Purgatory (eternal torment in hellfire), Indulgences (bribing GOD to allow for sin), the Eucharist (where the priests claim to create the literal flesh and blood of Christ at their command: corrupting the words of Christ (Jn.6:53), and the Confessional (where the priests usurp the authority of the only “one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ:” I Tim.2:5)]. By these methods, (which are still held today), they ruled the minds of kings and nobles, and through them the common people. Even today, in every particular, the traps of Satan hold tens of millions of professing Christians in the shackles of sin, disqualifying their entrance into the kingdom of heaven (Matt.7:14; I Pet.4:18) simply due to the betrayal of our religious leaders to the guidelines of salvation (Eze.34). Let us ask the simple question, Why? Satan has always and will always lead his Bible illiterate victims [who “received not the love of the truth” (II Thess.2:10)] with displays of the miraculous: visions of the virgin Mary showing little Catholic girls the tormented souls in the fires of hell, bleeding statues promoting the idolatry of bowing before “graven images” (Ps.97:7) that is so prevalent within the church (Ex.20:4-6), answered prayers of the dead saints (Isa.8:19), even counterfeit healing carried out by the devil that even in the days of Christ openly competed with Christ’s healing ministry (Jn.5:1-9). Of these demonstrations and the deceiving miracles to come (II Cor.11:14; Rev.16:14), the great Apostle Paul even warned, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8. Satan will pull out all the stops before the end, including presenting himself as Jesus Christ before the world‘s population (Matt.24:24).
Multitudes view themselves as saved when they stand condemned, simply because of unrepented sin (Isa.59:2; Jer.3:5; Prov.28:13; Matt.7:21-23). As usual, it is due to the select few who have taken upon themselves the power and authority over others, willingly taking to themselves a work for which they are unfit, yet are eager for its power and carnal rewards. It is the same evil lust that beclouded the minds of Christ’s own disciples on the night of the last supper: “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.” Lu.22:24. The Lord Jesus Christ, being moments away from His Gethsemane experience of literally sweating His blood [as the world’s weight of sin bore down on Him (Matt.26:38)], followed by His being tortured, scourged and crucified by the most vile union of church and state (where they nailed His hands and feet to a tree and left Him there to die)—those who Jesus had personally tutored for 3 ½ years stood in the mindset of a pathetically-cruel indifference to what He was about to face. Throughout their time together the Saviour had patiently worked with His disciples, to prepare them to face with faith and courage His death on the cross. This includes Judas Iscariot. [It is written that Jesus even washed his feet on the night of the last supper (Jn.13:1-5)]. But their egotistical pride and lust for power coupled with their religious upbringing (Pr.22:6) distracted them from the clear, ringing words of Jesus (Lu.24:23). In truth, their religious upbringing played the leading role to embolden their pride to reject the very Words Jesus spoke prophesying how His “kingdom is not of this world” (Jn.18:36) and how He had to die—so that man could live (Jn.12:32). And yet, Jesus could not have said it any clearer: “Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying. Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.” Lu.9:44-46.
The disciples views of the Messiah (His mission and character) trained from childhood stood in opposition to the very words of Jesus Christ whose every word gave honor to those timeless lessons of the Old Testament, never once stepping out of its bounds of instruction. |
