There was a time when Israel, as a nation, had a right to apply Mosaic Laws, such as the use of the death penalty, to enforce them and adjudicate capital offenses. etc. 534-2 - 16-2

Genesis 49:1, “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” In part Jacob said to Judah, Genesis 49:8-9, “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?" Jesus was the Lion of Judah and in the line of David.
And Jacob continued with the important Genesis 49:10, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

With thanks to “The Restored Church of God:”

“Strong’s Concordance translates the Hebrew word Shiyloh as “tranquil” in English. Another word for tranquil is peace. Undoubtedly, this is referring to the Messiah soon to come. In Isaiah 9:6, He is given the epithet, “The Prince of Peace.” We find also, in Isaiah 52:7, a glorious description of the “Shiloh,” in this expression: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace.” In Isaiah 66:12, He promises to “…extend peace to her like a river…” This theme continues in the statement from Isaiah 54:13,”…great shall be the peace of your children.

Jesus Christ has many names: Savior, Prince of Peace, Counselor, Everlasting Father, and many more. Genesis 49:10 focuses on the epithet Shiloh, or Peace.”

In 7 AD Caesar Augustus appointed Caponius Procurator who in turn removed judicial authority from Judea. The scepter refers to tribal identity and self-determination when applying capital punishment, jus gladii, “The right of the sword.” So the temple leaders beat their breasts, etc. and cried that God broke His word in Genesis 49:10; that the scepter had departed Judah. One more verse is of interest, Genesis 49:11, “Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:” Was Jacob prophesying the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9? Perhaps "blood of the grapes" is a fore-telling of the Second Coming.

If the Sanhedrin had really believed God's Word they would have known that Shiloh had come and was a child living in Israel in 7 AD. By the time that child was a man sharing His ministry with the people and undermining the cash cow of the temple the Sanhedrin wanted Jesus dead!

Nevertheless, the legal power of the Sanhedrin was restricted so they had to build a case for the Roman authorities. However, Pilate saw through their transparent effort to eliminate Jesus and washed his hands of their scheming before giving them the legal right to kill Jesus.

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” What would Ezekiel say to this question? Are you and I our brothers’ keepers? 521-1 - 2-1

Like Ezekiel, we are called to be “Watchman on the Wall” and provide warning of coming judgment. I even have a “Watchman on the Wall” ball cap from the Hal Lindsey Ministry. A watchman warns but is not accountable for how those warned choose to react. Like the man on the corner with a sign saying “The end is near,” I warn of coming/ present judgment.

With thanks to CM, four cases of “Blood Accountability”:

1. The habitual sinner who is not warned v.18
2. The sinner who is warned but does not repent v.19
3. The righteous man who apostatizes but is not warned v.20
4. The righteous man who is warned and remains righteous v.21  

Ezekiel was held accountable by God to deliver God's message, however, he was not held accountable for its success or failure.

Ezekiel 3:17-19, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Hundreds of years later Jesus charged His disciples to bring people to faith by The Great Commission. Matthew 28:16-20, “16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

That said, Jesus understood that there would be unbelief, Matthew 10:13-15, “If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”  

"When the organized Church became anti-Semitic, it lost its Jewish roots." 534-2 - 16-4

To quote CM, “If you put your finger in the Bible at Genesis 12 and put another finger in the Bible at Acts 2 and pick it up, everything in between your two fingers is all about Israel.”

Decades before the followers of Jesus were called Christians they met in secret, in home churches and in the case of Rome, in the catacombs. Rather than the great media push of today the people of the "Way" likely heard about the teaching of Christ by word-of-mouth. If those in a gathering were really lucky they might even be taught by one of the apostles. Teachings would likely be very close to those of Jesus. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Or the simplicity of Paul 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

It wasn't too many centuries before the simplicity of what was becoming known as Christianity was perverted by the Nicolaitanes. It was as if the people were encouraged to forget that Jesus was an observant Jew. He was born in Israel to a Jewish mother from the royal line of King David. In keeping with the law he was circumcised on the eighth day. Hundreds of Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah were fulfilled by Jesus.

In the fourth century Constantine legalized Christianity, however, Christianity with a touch of paganism. With the rise of The Roman Catholic Church and its thirst for power the believers became subservient to the clergy. Bibles were printed by hand and not available to the laity; actually reading scripture was limited to the clergy. The people were told what to think. Little surprise there was little knowledge of the richness of the Old Testament in the population.
The church blamed the Jews for the death of Jesus and slandered and murdered them. There were believers pre-dating Martin Luther who wanted to get back to the teachings of Jesus; they were destroyed. Martin Luther and the Reformation did much to free the laity from the clergy but the anti-Semitic mind-set was still pervasive.

A few days ago Shavout began, a Jewish feast! Most Christians will correctly point to the book of Acts Chapter 2 as the Day of Pentecost; however, it goes far back in Jewish history, to the Torah itself. Passover is celebrated by Christians as Easter, an approximation to the name of a pagan goddess. The church did its utmost to remove any vestiges of the Passover as prophetic of the Crucifixion of Jesus. The Jewish wedding is analogous to the coming Rapture of the Church, however, most Christians have not heard of the Rapture much less the Jewish wedding. 

The hand of God was upon Ezekiel for him to separate himself. What does that mean for you? 521-1 - 2-3

Years ago I was employed at an aerospace company during a time of employee cutbacks. While I was not in danger of losing my job I saw a number of good people laid off and I often became ill in advance of the weekly layoffs. I asked for a voluntary layoff and my manager told me to think about it. I still wanted out.

Several years before I had worked week-end in real estate so I moved up to the Arizona high desert and sold real estate. The office politics were even worse there so I dropped out and bought a house off the power grid and nearly 25 miles off paved roads. It was located on 20 acres of God’s country on the edge of Black Canyon. For about $5,000.00 I bought enough solar with a backup generator to run both the house and my workshop.

This was a very creative and spiritual period in my life. I would stand on the edge of Black Canyon and take in the magnificent creation of God. The isolation was healing and I stayed there for two wonderful years. After two years I sold my off-the-power grid home and moved back on the power grid and have been on it ever since. However, I couldn’t completely break the spell of that high desert area and bought five acres on the other side of the canyon. I can close my eyes and visualize standing on the edge of the canyon and being transported there in my eye’s mind.

Now I’ve lived in Quartzsite, AZ for more than a decade interrupted by being a part-time care-giver for my mom in Southern California. I have two close BAC friends who hold a winter Bible study here in the desert in Arizona in a tent. I’m feeling a call to add to their work with “A Dinner and a Movie” evening meeting; first a meal followed by a commentary possibly by CM or Ray Vander Laam and then having a follow-up discussion.

The Lord has laid on my heart for a couple of years to retreat again to the desert where somehow I feel so much closer to Him. So along with a call to be more proactive in sharing His Word, I’m drawn to spending next season living on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land here in Arizona. I have a very comfortable RV with some solar, a generator and large storage tanks and the goodies that go along with decent RV. While I'm not ready to once again go totally off the power grid I'm thinking of keeping my trailer in town and buying a season membership in the BLM. This way I can spend time living off-the-grid in the desert while having a backup when I wish to get back to the grid for a few days. Perhaps another year I will feel that I'm ready to once again make the complete transition to living off the grid.

What is the significance of “wheels” in Scripture? 521-1 - 1-5

Ezekiel 1:1, “In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” With these words Ezekiel begins his description of his vision of the “Throne of God.” Ezekiel's vision was of the throne of God and not a UFO as is often alluded to.

It sounds like the throne on the wheels was possibly using something like an anti-gravitational effect to move around it was always facing forward and could go from side to side without turning. Either the wheels within wheels engaged independently depending on direction or the throne was hovering. When I was working for the McDonald Douglas Helicopter Company I observed that the Apache helicopter always seem to be pointed forward when flying. Unlike fixed wing aircraft, the helicopter's rotor blades can be tilted side to side or front to back relative to the helicopter. As the blades would be tilted up in front the helicopter would move back even while appearing to be aimed straight ahead.

Wheels are interesting things. The wheel is a circle and analogous to a ring that has no beginning and no end and are exchanged when pledging eternal devotion one to another. Just as a ring/ circle or wheel has no beginning or end, God always was and is and always will be; no beginning and no end.

There are other mentions of the Throne of God in the Bible. Daniel 7:9, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.”

Wheels and cherubim’s are often seen together such as in the temple’s furnishings. 1 Kings 7:27-30, “And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it. And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim’s: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.”
Ezekiel 1:24, "When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels." What the relationship was between the cherubims and the wheels moving I cannot begin to imagine; a dimension too far for my limited mind. 

Line up the timelines between the captivity prophets major milestone “visions” and experiences. Do you see patterns 521-1 - 1 - 4

Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel are known the “Captivity Prophets.” The period of time between the First Siege and the Decree of Cyrus is known as the "Servitude of the Nation" and lasted 70 years. The period of time between the Third Siege and the Decree of Artaxerxes was known as the "Desolations of Jerusalem" and also lasted 70 years. The Decree of Artaxerxes was the triggering event that started the "70 Weeks of Daniel."

The Babylonian captivity actually took place in three sieges, but it had been extensively prophesied as in Jeremiah 25:8-12, Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord, and will make it desolate forever.”

· 606 BC: The Babylonians began the 1st of 3 deportations of the Jews; the teen-ager Daniel was in this group.

· 597 BC the second deportation group was taken in 597 BC and included the 25 year old Ezekiel.

Ezekiel was called to be a prophet in 592 BC while living in Tel-aviv a few hundred miles from the city of Babylon. Concurrent to Ezekiel being called to be a prophet while in captivity, Jeremiah was an old man and still in Israel warning the people of the destruction of Jerusalem to follow six years later. Daniel would be in the city proper and in high office. Daniel was aware of the prophecies of Jeremiah and mentioned then in Daniel 9. Ezekiel likely heard Jeremiah speak while still in Jerusalem.

Three “Captivity Prophets” ministering to three difference groups of people; Daniel was in the King’s court, Ezekiel was with those tilling the land and Jeremiah was with the remnant in Jerusalem and would not leave for Egypt until later.

While in exile Ezekiel warned the people to accept their captivity just as Jeremiah warned those still in Jerusalem. The prophets said that God was using Babylon as judgment for Israel’s sins. As the temple was still standing and Jerusalem had not been destroyed the false prophets were still telling the people that they were God's people and they would go back home, wrong. These horrific events would not happen until seven years after the group of second siege captives arrived in Babylon.

Added Later:

The following well-known prophecy and its fulfillment after the third siege required the virgin birth of the seed of the woman. Ezekiel 12:13, "My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there." This prophecy was fulfilled Jeremiah 39:6-7, "There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon."

 Daniel knew the 70 years prophesied by Jeremiah was coming to an end and was in prayer when Gabriel disclosed the Seventy ‘sevens’ to him. Daniel 9:24,”Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish[b] transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.”

Then came the amazing prophecy of the arrival of the Messiah, Daniel 9:25, “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
Daniel 9:26, “After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.” For nearly two thousand years the world has waited upon the 70^th week of Daniel.

Glimpse of the Dark Side 522 - Session 12-7

Actually the "Glimpse of the Dark Side" provided by Daniel 10 is in line with Issachar I601 course work. I601 takes trans-humanism from science fiction to science fact. Add to that the war the dark side is continually waging is being updated as alluded to in the commentary "The Hybrid Age, Pandemonium's Engine." Though this teaching I became a fan of Tom Horn. After reading Tom Horn’s books “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” sounds rather familar.
While The Book of Enoch is not included in the Bible, it contains very interesting information about angels. Archangels included are Uriel, who rules the world and Tartarus; Raguel, who takes vengeance on the world of the luminaries; Michael, who is set over the most part of mankind and over chaos; Saraquael, who is set over the spirits; Gabriel, ruler of paradise, the serpents and the cherubim; Ramiel, whom God set over those who rise; and Raphael, who rules the spirits of men.

Then there are the Fallen Angels. Genesis 6:2, “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.” Continuing in Genesis 6:4, “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.”

The Book of Enoch states that 200 of the Benei Ha'Elohim married human women and they were divided into groups with the following leaders and talents:

Kasdeja "Taught the children of men all the wicked smitings of spirits and demons, and the smitings of the embryo in the womb, that it may pass away AKA abortion." Smitings is to inflict a heavy blow on, with or as if with the hand, a tool, or a weapon. An evil teaching indeed.

Azazel "Taught men to make swords, knives, shields, breastplates, the fabrication of mirrors and the workmanship of bracelets and ornaments, the use of paint, the beautifying of the eyebrows, the use of stones of every valuable and select kind, and of all sorts of dyes, so that the world became altered." Sounds like products desired by prideful people and God hates pride!

Barkayal "Taught the observers of the stars." Monuments that are an assist in astrological observations are spread throughout the planet.

Penemue "Taught the bitter and the sweet, the use of
 ink and paper." I’m not sure what than is about except to bring to mind the expression, “The pen is mightier than the sword.”

Gadreel, who "Introduced weapons of war."
As an aside, the Islamic Qur'an mentions four archangels. Jibril/ Gabriel supposedly revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, Mika'il/ Michael, Azrael/ another form of Raphael the Angel of Death and Israfel, the Angel of Music.

Added Later:
 

I recently read the fictional book "The Ahriman Gate" by Tom and Nita Horn. I'm currently reading two non-fiction and well documented books by Tom horn and Cris Putnam;"Petrus Romanus: The Final Pope Is Here" and "Exo-Vaticana: Petrus Romanus, Project LUCIFER, and the Vatican's Astonishing Exo-Theological Plan for the Arrival of an Alien Savior." Talk about a Glimpse on the dark side; fallen angels, demons and ETS, the trifecta of nightmares Perhaps the "Fallen angels" being the real ETs is hinted at by Paul in the verse you quoted. Ephesians 6:12, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places".

List the three Archangels listed in Scripture. What are their apparent job descriptions 522 - 12-3

The three of primary Archangels are Michael, Gabriel and the fallen angel Lucifer. Generally Michael is the warrior and Gabriel delivers God’s messages. Lucifer is Satan and is the accuser agaist man.

Gabriel often delivers Messianic messages such as recorded in Luke 1:26, “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, messenger as when he appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce that she would be the mother of the Messiah.”

Gabriel also explained visions such as Daniel’s “Vision of a Ram and a Goat.” Daniel 8:15-17, “And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.”
The desolation of Jerusalem prophesized by Jeremiah was nearing an end so Daniel was in prayer when Gabriel appeared to him. Daniel 9:21-23, “21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision.” What followed was the teaching of the Seventy “Sevens.”

Gabriel appeared again to Daniel after being held up by an evil personage, Lucifer? Daniel 10:12-14, “Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
 

Gabriel was returning to aid Michael. Daniel 10:20-21, “Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.”

Added Later:

Luke 1:19, “And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings”

Daniel 12:1-3: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

Jude 1:8-10, “Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.”

Revelation 12:6-8, “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.”

Isaiah 14:11-13, “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:”

List and discuss the four unconditional covenants God has made with Israel and the challenges to each covenant.534-2 - 15-2

With thanks to CM, The Four Unconditional Covenants:
1. The Abrahamic Covenant is the basis of all our privileges and is being challenged by the world

2. The Land Covenant is being challenged by Islam

3. The Davidic Covenant is being challenged by most churches!

4. The Everlasting Covenant is with Israel and yet is being claimed by churches

The Abrahamic Covenant has seven “I will” statements by God:

1) And I will make of thee a great nation.

2) And I will bless thee

3) And make thy name great

4) And thou shalt be a blessing

5) And I will bless them that bless thee

6) And curse him that curseth thee

7) And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

The first four “I will” statements apply to Israel. “I will” 5-7 deals will those who bless or curse Israel. The United States has long been blessed by God due to our support of Israel. Each day it seems like our administration in the U.S. specifically and the non-Muslim world in general is becoming more anti-Semitic.

The Land Covenant is being challenged by Islam; however, non-Islamic countries are supporting their false claim. Even within the Christian community there is a call for a two state solution and a relinquishing of part of Jerusalem to the Muslims. All I can say is that God will not like this. God gave this land to Israel and it is theirs period, end of discussion.

The Davidic Covenant is being challenged by most churches mostly due to a weak Hermeneutics which leads one to an allegorical hermeneutic which in turn will tend one toward Amillennialism. No thousand year reign implies no Millennium Kingdom and therefore, no Davidic Covenant.

Again a weak Hermeneutics leads to the claim by churches that the Everlasting Covenant God made with Israel has passed to them though Replacement Theology:

1. Israel forfeited her promises when she rejected her Messiah

2. The promises to Abraham passed to the Church

3. All the Old Testament covenants were conditional

The Bible deals with primarily with Israel so perhaps it's time that the mainstream clergy engage in an in-depth Bible study including the Old Testament. In my opinion, something dark is transpiring with the Roman Catholic Church as it moves towards an "understanding" with Islam. Add to the mix Protestant pastors such as Rick Warren hyping Chrislam; is a one church in the fairly near future? In the final analysis, God will have the last word. One distorts his Word at his/her own peril. And this is likely even more true of the clergy who are leading millions of people through the wide gate to destruction and marginalizing those going through the narrow gate.

Discuss the legacy of Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri. 534-2 - 15-1

When the Sanhedrin lost the right to inflict capital punishment they thought the scepter had departed from Jerusalem. In their prophesied blindness they didn't realize that Jesus was in their midst. However we read in John 12, “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God".

 

Acts 1:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” This would be a heavy load of guilt to carry on one’s soul. Luke 13:35, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Did Jesus in part blind Israel out of compassion for the guilt they would otherwise has experience, guilt likely buried deeply within Israel's sub consciousness? However, actions have consequences.

 

Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri was one of the most prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbis residing in Israel. The Rabbi lived to an unbelievable age of 108, passing in 2006! An example of how greatly he was held in esteem was the fact that over 200,000 attended his funeral. I wonder what the reaction of the attendees would have been had they known about the note the Rabbi had hand-written a few months before he died. He requested that the note remain sealed for a year after his death. As I understand one in not to speak against the departed after a full year of his/her passing. The note included “Yehoshua, or Yeshua (Jesus), is the Messiah.”

 

It sounds like in some cases Israel media bias exists as the Rabbi's revelation received little coverage and that was mostly via websites with some insisting it was authentic. The Hebrew daily Ma'ariv ran a story on the note but described it as a forgery.

 

It was not only a note Rabbi Kaduri left as a legacy, a few months before he died he told his followers that he had met the Messiah. He gave a message in his synagogue on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, teaching how to recognize the Messiah.

From the website http://s8int.com/phile/page57.html,“Israel Today was given access to many of the rabbi's manuscripts, written in his own hand for the exclusive use of his students. Most striking were the cross-like symbols painted by Kaduri all over the pages. In the Jewish tradition, one does not use crosses. In fact, even the use of a plus sign is discouraged because it might be mistaken for a cross.”

The Rabbi certainly left a very interesting and provocative legacy.

Explain the difference between Sanctification and Glorification 534-2 - 14-3

The quote by Dr. Earl Rademacher, “I have been saved, I am being saved, and I will be saved” is reminiscent of CM’s summation of The Tenses of “Salvation:

Past Tense: Separation from the Penalty of Sin Justification

 

Present Tense: Separation from the Power of Sin Sanctification

 

Future Tense: Separation from the Presence of Sin Glorification

 

Here I’m concerned with the present tense and future tense only.

With Sanctification we are a work in progress that follows justification by faith and requires a pro-active involvement by the believer with the workings of the Holy Spirit in him/ her. While we believers are still in the presence of sin, it has less power over us. As long as we are in our present incarnation we will be exposed to sin, however, working in tandem with the Holy Spirit we should be able to overcome sin and proceed down the road to sanctification.

 

Unlike justification which is a gift through faith, sanctification involves doing good works such as being a prayer warrior, helping those less fortunate and generally being an ambassador for Christ. I would also include being a prototype of behavior that would be appealing to God as an example to others rather than being a stumbling block.

Glorification will be that future and wonderful day when we are finally in the presence of the Lord. As believers we will be glorified by being resurrected and given a body like Christ as promised in 1 John 3:2, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."

 

We will stand before Jesus on the Bema Seat of Judgment and receive our rewards and inheritances based upon what we did while in during our lives. Some will have more rewards than others. Paul comes to mind as one who no doubt has received great inheritance and rewards as he most assuredly was a metachoi of Christ.

 

As for me, and I haven't been called on to suffer for Christ through any persecution. I have had to stand up for my faith due to the occasional ridicule from family and friends, however, that would hardly be worthy of being a joint heir with Christ. In the final analysis, what Paul wrote will be reward enough for me. 1 Corinthians 2:9, "However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived' — the things God has prepared for those who love him—"

Discuss the difference between the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ. To which of these does the Doctrine of Imminence apply and why 522 - 11-1

According to “The Doctrine of Imminency” we can expect Jesus at any moment; there is nothing more required for the Rapture of the Church to occur. The Jewish Wedding is analogous to what will happen in the lead up to the rapture. Jesus, the bridegroom, ascended into his father's house to prepare a place for his bride, the Church, just as was done in biblical time. Just as the bride was to be ready as the bridegroom could come at any time, the Church should eagerly anticipate the coming of Jesus for his Church. Part of waiting on the Lord to call us home is to be as righteous as humanly possible befitting the bride of Christ. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 4:8, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

 

The Church will have been caught up to the Lord in the "Blessed Hope" before the Second Coming of Christ. There are many names for the Second Coming of Christ such as “Day of the Lord” and as “The Day of Vengeance of our God” in Isaiah 61:2.

A preview of the Second Coming of Christ is detailed in Isaiah 63:1-4 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.”
 

While the rapture can occur at any time, the Second Coming of Christ will be predictable once future events have set it in motion. The seven year tribulation starts with the signing of a covenant between the Antichrist and Israel. Horrific as the first 3 1/2 years will be, the last half of the tribulation will be the time of Jacob's troubles with a Holocaust unlike anything ever occurring before. The Second Coming of Christ will bring the tribulation to an end.
 

Thankfully, the Rapture of the Church will occur before the tribulation, however and in my opinion, we should each be doing our utmost to be bring more into the Kingdom while there is still time.

Explain, using Scripture, why the Rapture of the Church must precede the Great Tribulation. 522 - Session 11-2

Rapture & Second Coming Passages with thanks to CM and his Rapture Commentary:

Rapture John 14:1-3 Romans 8:19 1 Corinthians 1:7-8 1 Corinthians 15:1-53 1 Corinthians 16:22 Philippians 3:20-21 Colossians 3:4 1 Thessalonians 1:10 1 Thessalonians 2:19 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 1 Thessalonians 5:9 1 Thessalonians 5:23 2 Thessalonians 2:1 (3?) 1 Tim 6:14 2 Tim 4:1 Titus 2:13 Hebrews 9:28 James 5:7-9 1 Peter 1:7, 13 1 John 2:28-3:2 Jude 21 Revelation 2:25 Revelation 3:10

Second Coming Daniel 2:44-45 Daniel 7:9-14 Daniel 12:1-3 Zechariah 14:1-15 Matthew 13:41 Matthew 24:15-31 Matthew 26:64 Matthew 13:14-27 Matthew 14:62 Luke 21:25-28 Acts 1:9-11 Acts 3:19-21 1 Thessalonians 3:13 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 2 Thessalonians 2:8 2 Peter 3:1-14 Jude 14-15 Revelation 1:7 Revelation 19:11-20:6 Revelation 22:7, 12, 20

The above Rapture Scriptures imply that the Church will be removed prior to the Tribulation. However, much as I’m praying for a pre-trib Rapture I have a question concerning Revelation 12:5-6, “She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.”

The woman is Israel fleeing after the desecration of the Temple as the Son of Prediction breaks his covenant with Israel after 3 ½ years. The Son of the woman/Israel is Jesus and if His ascension to the Father represents the Church, could this be mid-trib rapture? A problem with a Mid-trib rapture is that it goes against The Doctrine of Imminency where we are we are to expect Him at any moment; this counters The Doctrine of Imminency because the countdown to the rapture would start with the covenant.

Daniel also prophesies this as the time of Jacob’s troubles. Daniel 9:27, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

Explain the difference between Justification and Sanctification

 Two views in the seemingly eternal question about Eternal Security are the Arminian who denies that “the true child of God is eternally secure” while the Calvinist “insists that, if he does not persevere in holiness, he was never regenerate in the first place.” With thanks to CM who further adds; “Can a man lose his salvation? Yes, if it depends on him; our eternal security is a gift of mercy through faith.
 
The simple message of the Gospel is provided by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"

CM puts the cookies on the bottom shelve; “The problem is the difference between justification (entrance) and sanctification (for inheritance).” Add to that is his summation of The Tenses of “Salvation”

Past Tense: Separation from the Penalty of Sin Justification
Present Tense: Separation from the Power of Sin Sanctification
Future Tense: Separation from the Presence of Sin Glorification

Here I’m concerned with the past and present tenses only and remember the lesson concerning tenses:

As past perfect means having been competed or passive voice where the subject receives the action (Justification) would imply that it is something that is done is for us (sinners). I would compare the present tense or currently continuing to the middle voice where there is an interaction of sorts between us and the Holy Spirit, something that is in us (Sanctification) that makes us (sinners) righteous.

Justification declares the sinner righteous and assures the believer of his/her entrance into heaven. Sanctification makes the sinner righteous.

Paul often spoke about justification by faith, Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Ask most people who call themselves Christians if they think they're going to Heaven and often the answer will be something like, “Oh yes I'm a good person” and they will continue to bloviate about all their good works. When I mention that our salvation or justification is a gift given to us free of charge through faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross usually I get “that look.”

As for good works, these should follow from the individual being justified. If one is truly a follower of Jesus, it is expected that really sinful behavior would no longer appeal to him or her. Also doing good works should follow such as supporting pro-life groups, Israel or perhaps blogging.

Jesus held the Jews responsible to know the time of thy visitation in Luke 19:44. Are we, as Christians, required to know the time in which we live 522 - 10-7

Luke 19:41-44 " As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” to the very day prophesied in Daniel 9:25, the Pharisees told him to “rebuke thy disciples.” Jesus replied, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”

Jesus most certainly held the Jewish people responsible for knowing the time of their visitation and less than 40 years later the temple was destroyed and the people were dispersed. There have been so many prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus that is really rather mind-boggling that the Pharisees didn't recognize Jesus for who he was, the son of God. Of course it's easy to be critical of their unbelief when we have so many information tools available to us today. There might have been a different outcome had the Pharisees been able to thoroughly scrutinize Jesus not as a Nazarene, rather as having been born in Bethlehem as prophesied in Micah 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."

To this day most Jews do not recognize Jesus as their Messiah. This link to “351 Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ” is a great resource in discussing Jesus with unbelievers.

http://www.accordingtothescriptures.org/prophecy/353prophecies.html

I would expect that as Christians we are required to know the time in which we live, to be like the Sons of Issachar. As followers of Jesus we are to be a witness to the world and in my opinion one of the most effective ways to witness is to be able to discuss fulfilled prophecies. By quoting Bible verses such as found in Matthew 24 and relating them into current world events is very effective. Also, we can refute the blasphemy of Replacement Theology.

What can we learn from Daniel's reading from Jeremiah What do we learn about God What do we learn about interpretation 522 - 10-4

1 Chronicles 12:32 “And of the Sons of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” would be a good description of Daniel.

Think of how today with the Internet, satellite TV and every possible form of instant communication, it is fairly easy to be Sons of Issachar should we desire to be. Compare that to the time of Daniel. All he could rely upon was the rare hand written scrolls. I find it interesting that he had access to these scrolls in Babylon. Or perhaps as a very astute teenager he could see the coming exiled to Babylon and may have researched the relevant scrolls in advance. In any event Daniel was very aware of Jeremiah 29:10, “For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.”

Knowing that the end of the exile of the southern kingdom was coming to an end, Daniel, ever the prayer warrior, prayed, Daniel 9:3 “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:” What followed was “The interrupted prayer of Daniel.”

Daniel 9:24 is a reiteration by Gabriel of the 70 weeks that were determined upon Daniel’s people to finish their transgressions, etc.

Daniel 9:25 was the amazing messianic prophecy of the time interval from when Nehemiah was given the authority to rebuild Jerusalem until Jesus would enter Jerusalem riding on a colt in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

Daniel 9:26 dealt with the crucifixion of Christ who died not for himself but for all of us as well as with the prince that would come in the final days. Daniel 9:27 would confirm a covenant with the people for a week of days and in the middle of the covenant would commit the abomination of desolation in the temple.

In His the Mount of Olives discourse Jesus warned the Jews of the end days and to flee when the abomination of desolation occurred. Matthew 24:15-17 “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand: Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house…..”

There is an interruption of nearly two thousand years to date buried within Daniel 9:26 as we wait for the “Fullness of the Gentiles to come in”. As for interpretation of God’s word and to quote CM, “God says what He means and means what He says.