Rev 12:13-17 Israel Persecuted

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Who are the main players in the end time events? John Ankerberg Show Published on Sep 17, 2018 – From the series “Revelation: The Last Words of Jesus” featuring very special guests Dr. Ron Rhodes, Dr. Ed Hindson, and, Dr. Mark Hitchcock. To obtain this entire series, please visit
https://www.jashow.org/resources/the-…”
From the series, “Revelation: The Last Words of Jesus” featuring very special guests Dr. Ron Rhodes, Dr. Ed Hindson, and Dr. Mark Hitchcock. To obtain this entire series, please visit https://www.jashow.org/resources/the-…

I. Opening video details.

In the previous article, we discussed the subject of, “A Shout From Heaven,” which was accompanied by the video, “Who is the child mentioned in Revelation 12??” John Ankerberg Show – Published on Sep 10, 2018. The video that accompanies this article is titled, “Who are the main players in the end time events?

The credentials of each of the video speakers can be found by clicking onto the following link. https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/sources-of-information/

II. Sources Of Information.

The comments in this article come from the writings of Drs. Charles Ryrie, John Walvoord, David Jeremiah, and John MacArthur, and will be preceded only by their capitalized last names. The credentials of these men, as well as other credible sources, can also be found in the above link.

III. Preface To Article

As was stated in the previous article, the church will not be present on earth during the time of these events that we are studying, which will take place during the tribulation. Let’s consider a few of the reasons for such an exclusion: (1) John 3:3 says, “you must be born again,” with the result of the Presence of the Spirit of “Father/Son/Holy Spirit” dwelling within the spirit of each person whom has been born again (John 14:16,17,20), which is an eternal and securing presence (John 10:27-31). The new birth is also mentioned in the Old Testament (Ezek 36:24-29), where the subject is addressed to the “whole house of Israel,” (587 B.C.). (2) The words of Christ in John 3:3, “you must be born again,” were spoken to Jews, and had a promise that the new birth would be accomplished by the Holy Spirit (John 3:8), with the conditions that Christ spoke in John 3:16, 18 (If you believe, you have been born again. if you have been born again, you believe.). To not believe in Christ/to not be born again, has the promise of Judgment (Rom 8:1), which comes from Christ, whom will not condemn those whom have been born again (Rom 8:34). (3) The Apostle Paul spoke of the new birth to the church at Corinth (2 Cor 5:17, 56 A.D.), whether they were Jews or Gentiles, whether they were born again, or not. (4) Each person whose spirit has been born again, has a new Holy spirit dwelling within them, with the old corrupt spirit no longer present in the life of the believer (2 Cor 5:17), and with the new, born again spirit, being as righteous as the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). (5) At the time of the rapture of the church, the following types of people will not be taken to heaven by Christ: (a) those whom have not been born again; (b) those not having the eternal Presence of the Spirit of “Father/Son/Holy Spirit” within their spirits; (c) those not having spirits as righteous as the righteousness of God. (6) Only the “dead in Christ” (1 Thes 4:16), and those alive in Christ (1 Thes 4:17), will be taken by Christ to Heaven (John 14:2,3,6). (7) Only those whom are raptured will be given immortal, perfect, resurrection bodies and souls (to join their born again spirits) at the time that they are caught up by Christ (1 Cor 15:51-53). (8) Only those whom have not been born again, and are known as “earth dwellers,” will remain on earth at the time of the rapture, to be subject to the judgments of God, and the oppression of the anti-christ (Rev 3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, 13:14, 17:8). (9) Many earth dwellers will continue to defy God throughout the tribulation. However, some of those whom have been left behind from the rapture, will come to saving faith in Christ during the tribulation. (10) Anyone denying Christ will have no place in Heaven,” Luke 12:9, John 14:1-3, but will suffer from the wrath to come, 1 Thes 1:9-10, with the wrath occurring during the tribulation, Rev 6:16 (RYRIE). (11) Unbelievers, known as “the dead,” as opposed to “the dead in Christ,” have “The Great White Throne Judgment” awaiting them (Rev 20:10-15).

IV. Article Details

The Persecution of Israel in the Great Tribulation (12:13-16)

The Persecution of the Godly Remnant of Israel (12:17)

Revelation 12:13-17 New King James Version (NKJV)

War On Earth – The Woman Persecuted

13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.

WALVOORD. 12:13. Satan immediately turns his anger toward Israel.This apparently is the beginning of the great tribulation of which Christ Warned Israel in Matt 24:15:22, which at the time of this writing is yet future. The Walvoord commentary links this time of tribulation with Christ’s judgment of the sheep and goats in Matt 25, which relates to the Gentiles’ treatment of Israel as the nation (Israel) undergoes this persecution (Matt 25:31-40). These gentiles are those that missed the rapture, but came to saving faith in Christ during the tribulation, and gave support to Jews during the tribulation.

JEREMIAH. 12:13. Satan’s assault is anti-Semitic — he persecutes “the woman,” a symbol of Israel. Satan has persecuted Israel as God’s chosen people throughout their entire existence (Zechariah 3:1).

14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

THE DETAILS OF REV 12:14 ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND. It is important, also, to understand that not all theologians have the same understanding of this scripture. However, the scholars that I have chosen as references for my study of the end times, are in great agreement with the critical areas of scriptural interpretation.

RYRIE. 12:14. Persecuted Israel will flee quickly as if on wings of an unspecified place in the wilderness where she will have protection and care.

WALVOORD. 12:14. There is some supernatural care of Israel during this period. Whether natural or supernatural means are used, it is clear that God does preserve a godly remnant, though according to Zech 13:8, 2/3 of Israel in the land will perish. The time element of Israel’s suffering is described as “a time, and times, and half a time.” This again seems to be a reference to the three and one-half years, the mention of time being one unit, the second reference to times, being two units, which the addition of one-half a time would make three and one-half units. A parallel reference is found in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7 referring to the same period of great tribulation. Though Rev 12:6,14 referred to the refuge as a desert, and the Synoptic passages referred to the mountains, this is no contradiction as both desert and mountains are in the same area. The flight of Israel to a place of safety was also indicated in Matt 24:16, Mark 13:14, and Luke 21.21.

MAC ARTHUR. 12:14. wings of a great eagle. Not actual birds’ wings, but a graphic depiction of God’s providential protection of Israel (cf. Ex. 19:4). Wings often speak of protection (cf. Deut. 32:9–12; Ps. 91:4; Is. 40:31). Eagles—probably vulture-like griffins—were the largest birds known in Palestine. a time and times and half a time. Three and one-half years; the second half of the Tribulation (cf. v. 6; 11:2, 3; 13:5).

My Note. The duration: Time, 1 year. Times, 2 years. Half a time, six month, which equal 3 1/2 years. The persecution condition. Matthew 24:14: “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.” The conditions of Matt 24:14 have not happened in past history, and are not occurring at present time; they will only occur during the future time of the great tribulation.

15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.

JEREMIAH 12:15. Some interpret the “water” literally, suggesting there will be a massive flood in Israel during the Tribulation. However, it is more likely that the water symbolizes an aggressive assault by Satan to destroy the Jewish people through their enemies (Isa 59:19).

16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

WALVOORD. 12:16. The flood is the total effort of Satan to exterminate Israel, and the resistance of earth is the natural difficulty in executing such a massive program. Satan strives with all of his power to persecute and exterminate the people of Israel. By divine intervention, both natural and supernatural means are used to thwart the enemy’s program and carry a remnant of Israel safely through their time of great tribulation.

RYRIE. 12:15-16. In an attempt to dislodge the Jews, Satan will bring a flood. God will then cause the earth to open and swallow the water.

MAC ARTHUR. 12:16 earth opened its mouth. A great army will come against Israel like a flood (v. 15; cf. Jer. 46:8; 47:2), only to be swallowed up, perhaps in conjunction with one of the numerous earthquakes that occur during that period (6:12; 8:5; 11:13, 19; 16:18; Matt. 24:7).

17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

WALVOORD. 12:17. The godly remnant of Israel is identified by their faith in Christ (“have the testimony of Jesus Christ”).

RYRIE. 12:17. Satan will then attack those who did not flee to the place of assylum.

MAC ARTHUR. 12:17 rest of her offspring. Satan will turn his frustrated rage against every follower of the Lamb he can find—Jew or Gentile. commandments of God…testimony of Jesus. The revealed truth from God and Christ contained in Scripture. Obedience to God’s Word always marks a genuine believer. Cf. John 8:32.

JEREMIAH 12:16-17. Satan’s rage during the Tribulation is toward Israel (the woman) as the people of God and toward the remnant of Israel (the rest of her offspring) – the 144,000 who refuse to take the mark of the beast. Along with an earlier verse (12:14), these verses detail how God will safeguard His own from Satan’s attacks: by protecting them during the later part of the Tribulation (the final three and a half years; for a time and times and half a time.). This is much like the way He protected Israel from the Egyptians at the time of the Exodus.

My note. Look around the world today, and you will find it easy to identify many people, and groups of people, that are waiting to join in the persecution of Israel. Consider BDS: Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions.

https://www.wrmea.org/2019-march-april/ten-us-churches-now-sanction-israel-to-some-degree-and-with-caveats.html
https://www.jewishvoice.org/read/article/what-you-need-know-about-bds-movement

The Role of Antisemitism in the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Decision to Support Divestment

https://bdsmovement.net/tags/religion
https://www.adl.org/what-we-do/israel/anti-israel-activity-bds
https://forward.com/fast-forward/428179/congress-bds-aoc-tlaib-omar/

Consider the warning that is given to those “whom would not” bless Israel…Genesis 12:1-3
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gen+12%3A1-3&version=NASB

V. Closing Video. The Day Of The Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 (NASB). For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

WALVOORD. The day of the Lord will stretch all the way from the rapture to the end of the millennium.

Dr. Renald Showers (Deceased) What does “the day of the Lord” mean?

Please follow this blog (“See you in seven days”).

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Revelation 12:10-12 A Shout From Heaven

Click onto the image. Then, click onto the arrow. This procedure will allow you to see the text of the article and the opening video that accompanies the article, “Revelation 12:10-12, Satan’s Wrath Announced, The Ultimate Victory Of The Saints.”

I. Opening video details follow.

In the previous article, we discussed the subject of, “Satan Thrown Out Of Heaven,” which was accompanied by the video, “Who is the dragon described in Revelation 12?” John Ankerberg Show – Published on Sep 10, 2018. The video that accompanies this article is titled, “Who is the child mentioned in Revelation 12?” The Child of Revelation Chapter 12, as was stated in the video is, “Christ, our Lord and Savior.”

From the series, “Revelation: The Last Words of Jesus” featuring very special guests Dr. Ron Rhodes, Dr. Ed Hindson, and Dr. Mark Hitchcock. To obtain this entire series, please visit https://www.jashow.org/resources/the-…

The credentials of each of the video speakers can be found by clicking onto the following link. https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/sources-of-information/

II. Sources Of Information.

The comments in this article come from the writings of Drs. Charles Ryrie, John Walvoord, C.I. Scofield, J. Dwight Pentecost, and John MacArthur, and will be preceded only by their capitalized last names. The credentials of these men, as well as other credible sources, can also be found in the above link.

III. Preface to article.

With Chapter 12 being the approximate mid point of the book of Revelation, this is a good place to bring some key things into focus which relate to the presence of key players. It will also be good to identify a key player of scripture that is not present. The players that are present will be identified by the verse, and will have the NKJV identity.

v1, woman v2, child v3, dragon v4, dragon, Child (notice the capital C) v5, She, Child, God v6, woman, God v7, Michael and his angels, the dragon and his angels v9, the great dragon, devil, Satan and his angels v10, God, His Christ, “accuser of our brethren and his angels” v11, Lamb v12, inhabitants, devil v13, dragon, woman, male Child v14, woman, serpent v15, serpent, woman v16, woman, dragon v17, dragon, woman, God, Jesus Christ.

It is very noticeable that there are repeated words and names above. But, in keeping with the time from the Day of Pentecost until the time of the rapture, there is a significant word that is missing; that word is “church.” The church is never mentioned in the Book of Revelation, nor is it present on earth, after the end of Chapter 3. The focus of the Book of Revelation, however, relates to the attack of Satan, through the forces of the anti-christ, on Israel and Jews everywhere (consider the world today, and the overwhelming number of opponents of Israel and Jews). The reason for the absence of the church, after Rev Chapter 3, is that it has been removed from the earth by way of the rapture, also known as the catching up of the saints. At the closing of this article, in Paragraph V., there will be a discussion on the rapture of the church and the tribulation.

IV. Article Details.

Revelation 12:10-12 (NKJV)

A Shout From Heaven

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

SCOFIELD. The Dispensation of the Kingdom (2 Samuel 7:16 refs.) begins with the return of Christ to the earth, runs through the “thousand years” of His earth-rule, and ends when He has delivered up the kingdom to the Father. (See Scofield “1 Corinthians 15:24”).
SCOFIELD. (Scofield 1 Corinthians 15:24. “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.” Kingdom (N.T.), Summary: See “Kingdom (O.T.)” Genesis 1:26-28. (See Scofield “Zechariah 12:8”). Kingdom truth is developed in the N.T. in the following order (Scofield note).
MAC ARTHUR. accuser. See note on v. 9. Satan will no longer accuse believers before the throne of God because he will no longer have access to heaven.
WALVOORD. 12:10-12. Beginning at this point in Revelation, Satan and his hosts are excluded from the third heaven, though their temporary dominion over the second heaven and the first heaven continues. Satan’s defeat in heaven, however, is the occasion for him to be cast into the earth and explains the particular virulence of the great tribulation time. Note that even as Satan accuses the brethren before God day and night prior to his being cast out of heaven, so the four living creatures of 4:8 cease not day or night to ascribe holiness to the Lord… Though the events of this chapter deal in general with the end of the age, it is clear that they do not come chronologically after the seventh trumpet. Rather, the fall of Satan may be predated to the time of the seals in chapter 6, or even before the first seal. His fall begins the great tribulation.
PENTECOST. The word, “brethren,” relates to Israel.
My note. Both, here in Rev 12:10, and in Matt 25:40, the word, “brethren,” relates to Israel, as follows:
Bible Hub note. Lexicon, Strong’s concordance: “of our brethren ἀδελφῶν (adelphōn) 80: a brother”.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

MAC ARTHUR. blood of the Lamb. No accusation can stand against those whose sins have been forgiven because of Christ’s sacrificial death (see Rom. 8:33–39).

12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

MAC ARTHUR. he has a short time. Knowing that his time is limited, Satan will intensify his efforts against God and mankind, and specifically target Israel (v. 13, 17).
WALVOORD. 12:10-12. The short time or season (Gr., kairos) refers to the time of the great tribulation after which Satan will be bound for the duration of the millennial kingdom. Though many of the judgments of God inflicted on the earth during the great tribulation “originate in divine power” rather than satanic influence, the afflictions of the inhabitants of the earth spring largely from the activities of Satan, resulting in the martyrdom of countless saints and in widespread human suffering of every kind.

V. The rapture and the tribulation. Persecution by anti-christ. Judgments of God. God is in control.

The following discussion is necessary for an understanding of the absence of the church after Revelation Chapter 3.

Key to understanding God, during the tribulation, is His focus on drawing unbelieving Israel to belief in Christ as Messiah. There will also be gentile unbelievers whom will have missed the rapture and will remain on the earth with the unbelieving Jews. The oppression of the anti-christ, and the judgments of God, will fall on all of those “who dwell on the earth” (Rev 3:10) during the tribulation (“ALL OF THOSE LEFT ON THE EARTH; NO EXCEPTIONS.”). Both of those groups of unbelievers can come to saving faith in Christ, and enter into the Kingdom Age at the end of the tribulation (Matt 24:40-41, righteous Jews are “left” to enter the Kingdom. Matt 25:34, righteous Gentiles are allowed to enter the Kingdom). During the tribulation, The forces of the Anti-Christ will persecute and kill the Jews (consider the world today), as well as anyone else, who will not follow the anti-christ (Rev 13:15-18).

It is important to understand that the church is not present on earth from Revelation Chapter 4, forward. So, where is the church? The answer is simple. The church, to include small children, will be caught up in the rapture, and taken to heaven. Consider the words of John 14:2-3, “2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” These words were spoken by Christ to His disciples on the night before He was crucified. The disciples were born again, and are an example of the church. They were told that Christ was going to prepare a place for them in Heaven, and that He would return to earth and take them to Heaven with him. In 14:6, Christ explained the way that the disciples (and all believers) would be taken to Heaven. “6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Many people have used this verse (6) to prove that only through belief in Christ, can a person be saved. The words of vs 6, actually say that Christ will return to earth and take His believers to Heaven with Him, and that only He can take his born again believers to Heaven. Therefore, v6 is an action statement. Included in the rapture of believers will be small children. God does not have a problem with small children, or with born again believers in Christ. Christ has a problem with people that have refused His offer of salvation through belief in Him (John 3:16-18).

Rev 12 is a key example that shows that the focus of the Book of Revelation is on the Jews; that is why there is no mention of the church in that chapter (12), or anywhere else after chapter 3. God is in the process of fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant with Israel (Gen 15:18-21), which will be fulfilled after the end of the tribulation, when Israel possesses the promised land of the Kingdom, “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth” (Matt 6:10). The promised land extends eastward, from the Nile River in Egypt, to the Euphrates River in Iraq. As of yet, Israel has not possessed that promised land.

The raptured born again believers in Christ will spend seven years in heaven with Christ while the tribulation is taking place on earth. A promise was made to believers in Christ, that wherever Christ would be, His believers would also be also (John 14:3, 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Consider the seven years of tribulation.

My note, from competent sources. Seven years equal one week, which is the length of the tribulation.

Daniel 9:27, “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.”

MC ARTHUR Daniel 9:27, “He shall confirm.” “He” is Antichrist who comes in the latter days.
RYRIE Daniel 9:27. The prince of verse 26, the anti-christ previously introduced in 7:8, 24-26, who will make a pact with many (of the Jewish people) at the beginning of the tribulation period. But “in the middle of the week” (i.e., 3 1/2 years later) anti-christ will break his covenant and desecrate the Temple by demanding worship of himself in it (Matt 24:15, 2 Thes 2:4). At Christ’s second coming, anti-Christ and his false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 19:20).
WALVOORD Daniel 9:27 The final period of seven years begins with the introduction of a covenant relationship between the future “prince that shall come” (anti-christ) and “the many,” the people of Israel. This covenant is observed for the first half of the future seven-year period; then the special liberties and protections granted Israel are taken away; and Israel becomes persecuted in their time of great tribulation. The beginning of the last three and one-half years of the seventy sevens of Daniel is marked by the desecration of the future temple, the stopping of the sacrifices, and the desolation of the Jewish religion.

Forces of the anti-christ will persecute anyone who will not follow the anti-christ, Rev 6:1-11, 13:16-18. In Rev 6:12, and forward, we see the judgments of God coming on the whole earth, which will affect “those who live on the earth (Rev 3:10).” From Rev 6:1, forward, God’s wrath is shown in all of the judgments, as well as in the persecutions of the anti-christ. God is in control of all that is described in Rev 3:10, which will begin with Rev 6:1. The anti-christ is a tool of God.

Please remember: The raptured born again believers in Christ will spend seven years in heaven with Christ while the tribulation is taking place on earth. A promise was made to believers in Christ, that wherever Christ would be, His believers would also be also (John 14:3, 1 Thes 4:17, Titus 1:2).

VI. Closing Video

Does the rapture take place before the Tribulation?

Dr. Renald E. Showers (Deceased)

Please follow this blog.

Revelation 12:7-9 War In Heaven

Click onto the image. Then, click onto the arrow. This procedure will allow you to see the text of the article and the video that accompanies the article, “Who is the dragon described in Revelation 12?”

I. Video details follow.

In the previous article, “Who is the woman described in Revelation 12?” (Rev 12:1-6), we determined the identify of the woman as being Israel – John Ankerberg Show – Published on Sep 10, 2018). In this article we will determine the identify of the Dragon (Rev 12:7-9).

From the series, “Revelation: The Last Words of Jesus” featuring very special guests Dr. Ron Rhodes, Dr. Ed Hindson, and Dr. Mark Hitchcock. To obtain this entire series, please visit https://www.jashow.org/resources/the-…

The credentials of each of the video speakers can be found by clicking onto the following link. Scroll down past the list of sources, and you will see biographical data of each of the speakers.
https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/sources-of-information/

II. Sources Of Information.

The comments in this article come from the writings of Drs. Charles Ryrie, John Walvoord, and John MacArthur, and will be preceded only by their last names, capitalized. The credentials of these men can also be found in the above link. Additionally, many years of end times study have helped me to develop a personal philosophy on the end times, which has also led me to follow key theologians whom are highly regarded for their knowledge of the end times (Please check the above link.) As a personal note, everyone should have a MacArthur Study Bible, as it contains extremely great data and detail in its comments.

III. Preface to article.

Most of the events of the book of Revelation show an earthly place of happening. However, as you read through this article, you will understand that it is simply, “out of this world!” It is important to know that the time of this event is midway through the tribulation, at the beginning of the “great tribulation” (RYRIE Note. Tribulation is Matt 24:4-28, vs 15-28 is Great Tribulation RYRIE Note).

The details of this article go back to the time prior to the time of Adam and Eve. The following piece of information is provided by Got Questions, and is an excellent “lead-in” to this post.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Satan-fall.html

Question: “How, why, and when did Satan fall from heaven?”

Answer: Satan’s fall from heaven is symbolically described in Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-18. While these two passages are referring specifically to the kings of Babylon and Tyre, they also reference the spiritual power behind those kings, namely, Satan. These passages describe why Satan fell, but they do not specifically say when the fall occurred. What we do know is this: the angels were created before the earth (Job 38:4-7). Satan fell before he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:1-14). Satan’s fall, therefore, must have occurred somewhere after the time the angels were created and before he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Whether Satan’s fall occurred hours, days, or years before he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, Scripture does not specifically say.

Consider the parallel verse to Revelation 12:9: Ezekiel 28:17, “I cast you to the ground.”

IV. Article Details.

Revelation 12:7-9 New King James Version (NKJV)

War In Heaven – Satan Thrown Out of Heaven

Revelation 12:7-9 New King James Version (NKJV) – Satan Thrown Out of Heaven
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

WALVOORD. Though the conflict of the end of the age is primarily on earth, attention is directed in this section to the war which will be waged in “heaven.” Michael and his angels (that is, the holy angels) fight against the dragon (identified in verse 9 as the devil, Satan) and the wicked angels associated with him, with the result that Satan and his hosts are cast out of heaven. The concept that there is a spiritual warfare in the very presence of God “in heaven” has been resisted by some expositors, preferring to regard this war as being fought in the atmospheric or the starry heaven rather than in the very “presence of God.” The event here prophesied was predicted by Daniel the prophet in Daniel 12:1, where it is recorded that Michael shall “stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people.” This event marks the beginning of the great tribulation defined in Daniel 12:1. It is undoubtedly the same event as in Revelation 12.
MAC ARTHUR. A state of war has existed since the fall of Satan. Something will intensify that warfare—possibly the raptured saints passing through the realm of the prince of the power of the air.

9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

WALVOORD. The devil, Satan, and the wicked angels associated with him, are cast out of heaven.
RYRIE. 12:9-11. Notice two of Satan’s activities in these verses to deceive the world and to accuse the brethren. The believer’s defense against Satan is (1) to bank on the merits of the death of Christ, (2) to be active in witnessing, and (3) to be willing to make any sacrifice, including death (v 11). 12:9. Several judgments have and will be passed on Satan: (1) his removal from guarding the throne of God (Ezek 28:14, 16); (2) the prophecy in the garden of Eden (Gen 3:15), (3) his defeat at the Cross (John 12:31); (4) his being barred from Heaven (here in v 9); (5) his confinement in the abyss (20:3); and (6) his torment in the lake of fire forever (20:10).
MAC ARTHUR. dragon was cast…to the earth. Satan and his demons were cast out of heaven at the time of their original rebellion, but still have access to it (cf. Job 1:6; 2:1). That access will then be denied, and they will be forever barred from heaven. Devil and Satan. Cf. 20:2. “Devil” comes from a Gr. verb meaning “to slander” or “to falsely accuse.” He is a malignant liar (John 8:44; 1 John 3:8). His accusations against believers (v. 10) are unsuccessful because of Christ our Advocate (1 John 2:1). Satan, meaning “adversary,” or “enemy,” appears especially in Job and the gospels. deceives the whole world. As he has throughout human history, Satan will deceive people during the Tribulation (cf. 13:14; 20:3; John 8:44). After his temporary release from the bottomless pit at the end of the Millennium, he will briefly resume his deceitful ways (20:8, 10).

Let’s consider the “lead-in” words of Revelation 12:7 again, “War broke out in heaven.”

Let’s consider the affects on earth of Revelation 12:9, that are provided in the notes above.

The time of Revelation Chapter 12:7-9 is midway through the tribulation. The following video will provide an idea of what life will be like on earth during that time. The tribulation is discussed in Revelation Chapters 6-19, where the oppression of the anti-christ and the judgments of God are described. It is important to know that the cataclysmic disturbances that will take place during the tribulation are not caused by “Mother Nature,” or by “global warning.” As it is written in the tribulation chapters, God is in charge of every oppressive act of the anti-christ, and every judgment that will take place. As you watch the video, you may see small children present, which will not be the case during the tribulation. The scenes in the video show things that may take place at various times during the tribulation. That which is shown in the video is the situation that awaits those whom will be left behind when Christ catches up His believers at the time of the rapture, prior to the tribulation (John 14:2, 3, 6; 1 Cor 15:50-54; 1 Thes 4:13-18). God will unleash His judgments on the earth during the tribulation, to include the oppressive acts of the anti-christ. The purpose of the tribulation is to bring unbelievers to saving faith in Christ (Rev 3:10). The rapture has nothing to do with small children, or with those whom have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, prior to the rapture taking place (John 14:2,3, 6; 1 Cor 15:50-54; 1 Thes 4:13-18). When the rapture takes place, all born again believers in Christ are taken from earth to heaven, by Christ.

Click on the image, and click on the arrow, to see “End Time Events – Seals, Trumpets, Great Tribulation, Antichrist, Rapture” – OTG Ministry – Published on Jul 23, 2017

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Pre-Trib Research Center

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Why is the rapture such an important topic? John Ankerberg Show -Published on Jul 3, 2017
From the series, The Biblical Case For the Rapture of All Christians https://www.jashow.org/resources/the-…

Click onto the following link to read bios on each of the video speakers.
https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/sources-of-information/
Scroll down past the video, and the names of sources, to the links that provide the biographical information of the video speakers. Bios of other theologians, that I use for support in my articles, can also be seen in this area of the article.

Consider the following passage of scripture that explains the comfort that believers in Christ have from an understanding of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the church.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Those Who Died in Christ

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Consider the importance of verse 18: “comfort one another with these words”

Consider the following valuable tool, the “Pre-Trib Research Center,” for researching scriptures that relate to:
(1) the rapture of the church, for Christ to take His saints to Heaven prior to the tribulation.
(2) the second coming of Christ to earth, with His raptured saints.
(3) other related end times subjects.

Pre-Trib Research Center

Ephesians 4:12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
“for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ”

The Pre-Trib Research Center is truly an Ephesians 4:12 place of equipping. The site has an abundance of highly credible information that has helped me in my own research of end times matters. I recommend the Pre-Trib Research Center to anyone desiring such Biblical expertise for their particular studies and creative works. The significance of the following verse of scripture is found in the works of the Pre-Trib Research Center: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3). The link to the Pre-Trib Research Center Web Site is: https://www.pre-trib.org/

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Differences Between The Rapture Of The Church And The Second Coming Of Christ

Click onto the image to see the text. Click onto the arrow to see the video.

Does Matthew 24 teach the rapture and the second coming are tied together as one single event? John Ankerberg Show – Published on May 9, 2018 – From our special 1 hour question and answer session on the book of Revelation featuring very special guests Dr. Ron Rhodes, Dr. Ed Hinson, and, Dr. Mark Hitchcock. To obtain this entire series, please visit https://www.jashow.org/resources/the-…

Click onto the following link to read bios on each of the video speakers.
https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/sources-of-information/
Scroll down past the video, and the names of sources, to the links that provide the biographical information of the video speakers. Bios of other theologians, that I use for support in my articles, can also be seen in this area of the article.

Consider the following Rapture and Second Coming scriptures.

The Rapture Of The Church

John 14:2-6 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Second Coming Of Christ

Zechariah 12:10-12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
10 “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. 11 In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves;

Zechariah 14:1-15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
1 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4 In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. 5 You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!

6 In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. 7 For it will be a unique day which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light.

8 And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.

9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.

10 All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. 11 People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.

12 Now this will be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. 13 It will come about in that day that a great panic from the Lord will fall on them; and they will seize one another’s hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. 14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance. 15 So also like this plague will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps.

Matthew 24:29-31 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Mark 13:24-27 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

Luke 21:25-28 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
25 “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Revelation 19:11-21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”

19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

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Israel 22 – Joshua 1 – Onward To The Holy City

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Video by Cindyork HongKong. Published on Jan 11, 2016. A song from the movie Exodus. Exodus is a soundtrack album by Ernest Gold with the Sinfonia of London from the 1960 film Exodus directed by Otto Preminger.

I. Israel statehood 1948.

Israel birthed in one day. May 14, 1948 – when “the world” briefly felt sorry for the Jews and returned Israel to them and they were able to declare independence for Israel as a united and sovereign nation for the first time in 2,900 years.
https://www.therefinersfire.org/israel_born_in_one_day.htm

Zionism. A Definition. Its general definition means the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel.
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/a-definition-of-zionism

U.S.A. recognizes Israel as a nation. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognized the new nation on the same day https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/creation-israel

Israel attacked by Arab nations. On 14 May 1948, Israel proclaimed its independence. Less than 24 hours later, the regular armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded the country, forcing Israel to defend the sovereignty it had regained in its ancestral homeland.
https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/history/pages/history-%20the%20state%20of%20israel.aspx

The opening video is from the movie, “Exodus,” which tells of Jews whom had survived the Nazi Holocaust, and have returned to their covenant land of Israel. It is amazing how well the video fits in so nicely in this article, as it relates to the Jews in their God-ordained return to their promised land of the Abrahamic Covenant (see below).

II. Text – Israel 22 – Joshua 1 – Onward To The Holy City

Joshua 1:1-4 Lexham English Bible (LEB) God’s Charge to Joshua
1 After the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, Yahweh said to Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, saying, 2 “My servant Moses is dead. Get up and cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. 3 Every place that the soles of your feet will tread, I have given it to you, as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and the Lebanon, up to the great river, the river Euphrates, all of the land of the Hittites, and up to the great sea in the west, will be your territory.

MacArthur study note. 1:4 Borders of the Promised Land are: west, the Mediterranean seacoast; east, Euphrates River far to the east; south, the wilderness over to the Nile of Egypt; north, Lebanon.

Consider the land mass of Israel, as it is written above. Also consider the shrunken land piece that most of the world today says that should be the borders of the nation of Israel.

After the fall, and resulting curse, that took place in the garden, God began revealing a course of redemption for His fallen world and people, which is shown in these, and other, scriptures of prophecy: Genesis 3:14-15, Job 19:25, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 5:2, Matthew 1:23. The completion of God’s plan is described in the following verse of scripture: “Behold, I am making all things new,” Revelation 21:5 (NASB). It is only through the elect bloodline of Israel that God’s plan for redemption will be completed.

In order for the redemption of mankind to be accomplished, the redemption of Israel must also take place.
The emphasis that is placed on Israel in this, and other related articles, is due to the promise of God to Israel in the Abrahamic Covenant, as formed in Gen 12:1-3, and confirmed in Gen 13:14-17; 15:1-7,18-21; 17:1-8, and has three main aspects. The third aspect of God’s covenant with Abraham relates to non-Jews. (Details taken from Scofield Study Bible).

Abrahamic Covenant notes.

1. Gen 12:2 (NASB). 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;
2. Gen 12:3a (NASB). 3a And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse.
3. Gen 12:3b (NASB). 3b and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

It is important to know that the Abrahamic Covenant has not yet been fulfilled. A key passage of scripture that relates to the promises of God to Israel tells of the land that is identified in that promise, as follows:

Genesis 15:18-21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land,
From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite 20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim 21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.”

MacArthur study note: 15:18–21. river of Egypt to the…Euphrates. Scripture records both general (Ex 23:31; Num 13:21; Deu 11:24; 1 Kin 8:65; 2 Kin 14:25; Isa 27:12) and specific (Num 34:1–12; Josh 15:1, 2; Ezek 47:15–20; 48:1, 28) descriptions of the Promised Land, centering on the ancient land of Canaan. Such precise geographic demarcation will not allow for any redefinitions which would emasculate God’s promise of its specificity. The river of Egypt was most probably what became known as the Wadi El Arish, the southern border of Judah. Kenites…Jebusites. The various peoples who inhabited the land are named. Such precise detailing of the nations in the land of Canaan attests again to the specificity of the Promised Land in God’s promises.

My note. The promise of the land to Israel includes the land that extends from Egypt to Iraq. Such a land mass of Israeli possession has never come to fruition. Therefore, the Abrahmic Covenant has not been fulfilled. Therefore Israel, and Jews everywhere, are still living under the promises of the Abrahamic covenant, and will be under the Abrahamic Covenant until the fulfillment of the following prophecies: Isaiah 66:8; Zechariah 14:12; Matt 24:29-31 (the elect are Jews, Deu 14:2); Rev 19:11-21). The covenant land, which God has promised to Israel through the Abrahamic Covenant, will be realized after the second coming of Christ to earth occurs. When Christ returns to earth at the end of the tribulation (Zechariah 14:12; Matt 24:29-31; Rev 19:11-21), He will set up His millennial Kingdom (Matt 6:10, thousand years) in the covenant land of Israel. The church will have been raptured prior to the tribulation (John 14:2,3,6; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-19), and taken to heaven by Christ, and will have nothing to do with the coming of the Kingdom. However, those raptured saints will return to earth with Christ at His second coming to earth. Consider the Scofield comment on Isa 66:8 (of vs 7-9).

Isaiah 66:7-9 New Living Translation (NLT)
7 “Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. 8 Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin, her children will be born.
9 Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it?” asks the Lord. “No! I would never keep this nation from being born,” says your God.

Scofield note. 8. A repentant remnant of Israel, “a land,” will be “born in one day,” AT THE TIME OF THE LORD’S RETURN TO EARTH.

As this study of Israel continues, and shows God’s chosen people (Deu 14:2) crossing the Jordan River, and entering the promised land of Canaan, a prophetic course in the study of Israel will be followed. The Bible has been said to be a story about a journey from a garden to a City, with a cross in between. We will follow Israel, in its travels, as she is being drawn from the four corners of the world (Matt 24:31), to the land which God has promised her (Ezekiel 36:28). The church has not replaced Israel for the Covenant promises that God has made to Israel. The church is the church, and Israel is Israel. The Jews were chosen to bring a Holy and Righteous Messiah into the world. We, in the church, have received salvation through faith in the Jewish-born Messiah. As we are born again, we are “one in Christ,” whether we are Jew or gentile (Galatians 3:28). At the end of the Kingdom Age (thousand year millennial reign of Christ, Rev 20:4), all of whom, “are one in Christ,” will spend eternity in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:2), in the Presence of the eternal God-head (Rev 21:3).

The Abrahamic Covenant was a promise that was made to His chosen people, the Jews. The promise of John 3:16 was spoken to His chosen people (John 1:11). The message that was spoken to born again Jews (John 3:3) had a promise that, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will seize them out of my hand” (John 10:28). The words of Hebrews 13:5, of the New Testament, are the same as those that God made to His chosen people, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Gen 28:15, Deu 31:6,8; Josh 1:5; 1 Chr 28:20). Just as born again believers in Christ can be sure of the promises that God has been made to them in the above verses, Jews can also be sure of the promises that God has made to them through the Abrahamic Covenant. God can not lie (Titus 1:2).

To say that Israel has been become insignificant is refuted by the following passage of scripture that describes the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. Consider the significance that is afforded the twelve tribes of Israel, as well as the twelve apostles of Christ.

Revelation 21:12-14 Lexham English Bible (LEB)
12 It has a great and high wall that has twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on the gates which are of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel— 13 on the east, three gates, and on the north, three gates, and on the south, three gates, and on the west, three gates. 14 And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Israel is called the wife of God.

Isaiah 54:5-6 Lexham English Bible (LEB)
5 For your husband is your maker, his name is Yahweh of hosts; and your redeemer is the holy one of Israel, he is called the God of all of the earth. 6 For Yahweh has called you like a wife forsaken and hurt of spirit, like the wife of childhood when she is rejected, says your God.

MacArthur note. 54:5 husband…Redeemer. The basis for forgetting past failures is Israel’s relationship to the Lord as her husband (62:4, 5) and Redeemer (41:14).

Conclusion: Consider the following love note that was made specifically to Israel, and Jews everywhere.

Jeremiah 31:3 New Living Translation (NLT)
Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

Jeremiah 31:3 New International Version (NIV)
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

Note. NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible. 31:3 everlasting love . . . unfailing kindness. Covenantal terms that express God’s continued care for his bride (“you” is feminine singular in Hebrew).
Note. NIV Study Bible. drawn . . . with unfailing kindness. The Hebrew underlying this phrase is translated “Continue . . . love” in Ps 36:10 (see note on Ps 6:4).

Yes! Israel is very significant in the eternal plans of God.

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21 Israel – The Promised Land – Looking Ahead

The Old Testament Told in Only 5 Minutes – Dan Hait – Published on Mar 28, 2014 – This is a brilliant and very quick review of the Old Testament. What’s most shocking (but accurate) is the depiction of the fall of Israel and its’ people due to disobedience to GOD. Thank you RiverGlen Christian Church for putting this together, and allowing me to share it.

We have just completed a timeline study of Israel, which had a beginning date of 5000 B.C.; the ending date was 1405 B.C. (The referenced dates are provided by the Ryrie Study Bible).

We are now entering into another timeline study of Israel, which has a beginning date of 1406 B.C.; the ending date will be 586 B.C. (The referenced dates are provided by the Ryrie Study Bible).

“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 14:2. NASB77).

Beginning with “1 Israel – A Pagan Breeds A Nation,” through “19 Israel – Honoring The Seventh Day – Keeping The Law – A Discussion,” we have studied the nation of Israel, going back to the time of the flood, with the sons of Noah (Shem, Ham and Japheth) leaving the ark to repopulate the earth (Genesis 9:18-19, 5000 B.C.). We followed the timeline of Shem, through whom his seed resulted in the birth of Abram (Gen 11:26). We followed Abram’s timeline until the time of God’s covenant promise with Abram, known as the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:1-3). We saw God changing Abram’s name to Abraham (Gen 17:5). We saw the covenant seed of Abraham flowing Isaac, not Ishmael (Gen 17:19-21). We saw the covenant seed of Abraham flowing through Isaac’s son Jacob (Gen 28:13-14), not Esau. We saw God changing the name of Jacob, to Israel (Gen 35:10). We saw the children of Israel entering into, and leaving out of, Egypt (Gen 37:28-Exodus 14:21-22; a 430 year’s stay, Ex 12:40-41). We have studied gifts of God, only to Israel, e.g., the Sabbath and the Law. We have seen God’s presence in the Tent of Meeting (the tent of Moses, Ex 33:7-23), where He would speak with Moses, where Joshua was present too. We saw God’s command to Moses to build a Tabernacle in the desert, where God’s presence was so strong that the following experience was realized: “34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Ex 40:34-35. NASB77. Note that the Tabernacle in the desert was also called the tent of meeting).

Beginning with this timeline study of Israel (21 Israel – The Promised Land – Looking Ahead), we will see God’s covenant people leaving the Sinai desert, crossing the Jordan River, and entering into the promised Land of Canaan. The Ryrie Study Bible shows the end of Israel’s wilderness wanderings as being 1405 B.C.

As the children of Israel, God’s chosen people (Deu 14:2), begin another chapter of their life, other areas of dynamics will face them, and can be broken down into the following periods of time: Pre-Exile, Exile, Post-Exile and Diaspora. Jewish prophets also enter the scene, and act as God’s spokesmen to the Jews. However, the book of Jonah shows that God also has concerns for the whole world (Ryrie Study Bible). The timeline date, of this phase of our study of God’s covenant people, begins in the year 1406 B.C. (Joshua Chapter 1), and ends in the year 586 B.C. (2 Kings Chapter 25/2 Chronicles 36) (Ryrie Study Bible dates).

The Jewish prophets spoke God’s truths to the divided kingdoms Of Israel and Judah. Israel is the name of the land where the ten northern tribes settled under the Kingship of Jeroboam in 931 B.C. Judah is the name of the land where the two southern tribes of Israel settled under the Kingship of Rehoboam in 931 B.C. (Jeroboam and Rehoboam were not related). Jewish prophets were active during the follow timeline periods of Israel and Judah:

Pre-Exile, Exile, Post-Exile, Diaspora (described, as follows).

Pre-Exile

The Pre-Exile is a period of time that preceded the 586 B.C. expulsion of Jews from Judah/Jerusalem to Babylon.

Exile

The term “exile” is normally used in relation to the deportation of the Jewish tribes of Judah and Benjamin from the southern kingdom of Israel to Babylon. The forces of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar used three deportations to remove the Jews of the area that was better known as Judah, which lasted from 605 B.C. to 586 B.C. (2 Kings 24:1-25:21; 2 Chronicles 36:5-20; Jeremiah 53:27-30). The period of Jewish exile was prophesied by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah to last for seventy years (2 Chronicles 36:21; Jeremiah 29:10). In 597 B.C., the prophet sent a letter to the exiled Jews in Babylon. The letter told of God’s prophecy to him of the seventy year period of exile. The exile of the Jews lasted until they were allowed to return to their home land.

Post-Exile

The term “post-exile” relates to the decree of the Persian King Cyrus that the captive Jews should be allowed to return to their homeland. Jews began returning to Judah/Jerusalem in 538 B.C. The walls of Jerusalem, and the Temple had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 25:9-10). The returning Jews rebuilt the temple, finishing it in 515 B.C. under the leadership of the Jewish prophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1-2; 6:13-14). Under the leadership of Ezra, the Jewish scribe and priest, and Nehemiah, the Jewish Governor, the rebuilding of the walls of the city was finished in 445 B.C. The prophecy of the exiled prophet Daniel (Dan 9:25; appx 538-534 B.C.), to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, found beginning fulfillment in Neh 2:3-8 (444 B.C.), when Persian King Artaxerxes commissioned Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. The prophecy of the seventy weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:25) found its starting point in 444 B.C. The seventy weeks are “weeks of years.” The prophecy provides a timeline that leads to: (1) the second coming of Christ in the air, to catch up born again believers in Christ and take them to heaven. (2) the tribulation (where God deals with unbelieving Jews; and judges sin). (3) the second coming of Christ to earth for judgment of unbelievers of the tribulation. (4) the 1,000 year Kingdom Age (millennium). (5) the battle of Armageddon. (6) the great white throne judgment (for unbelievers). (7) the new heaven, new earth, new Jerusalem.

Diaspora

Diaspora relates to the dispersion of Jews from their Northern and Southern homelands, beginning in 733-722 B.C.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_diaspora

The Jewish diaspora (Hebrew: Tfutza, תְּפוּצָה) or exile (Hebrew: Galut, גָּלוּת; Yiddish: Golus) is the dispersion of Israelites, Judahites and later Jews out of their ancestral homeland (the Land of Israel) and their subsequent settlement in other parts of the globe.

In terms of the Hebrew Bible, the term “Exile” denotes the fate of the Israelites who were taken into exile from the Kingdom of Israel during the 8th century BC, and the Judahites from the Kingdom of Judah who were taken into exile during the 6th century BC. While in exile, the Judahites became known as “Jews” (יְהוּדִים, or Yehudim)—”Mordecai the Jew” from the Book of Estherbeing the first biblical mention of the term.
The first exile was the Assyrian exile, the expulsion from the Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) begun by Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria in 733 BC. This process was completed by Sargon II with the destruction of the kingdom in 722 BC, concluding a three-year siege of Samaria begun by Shalmaneser V. The next experience of exile was the Babylonian captivity, in which portions of the population of the Kingdom of Judah were deported in three stages, from 597 BC through 586 BC, by the Neo-Babylonian Empire under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar II.

While Cyrus the Persian allowed the Judaeans to return to their homeland in 538 BC, most chose to remain in Babylon.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-diaspora

The book of Esther discusses the plight of the exiled Jews that remained in Babylon, which was overrun by the Persians in 539 B.C. In 549 B.C. The Persian King Cyrus United Persia and Media. The Persian empire lasted from 539-331 B.C. Persia became present day Iran in 1935. In Esther 3:7 (474 B.C.), there was a plot devised by a Persian (Haman) to kill all of the Jews residing in Persia. Queen Esther, a Jewess, intervened. Haman and his family were hanged to death by the King (Esther 9:24-25). The Jews were saved by the courage of a Jew, whom God put in the position of Queen of a pagan country (Esther 2:16-17, 479 B.C.)

During this timeline study of God’s chosen people we will see that they were under constant oppression by existing world empire nations. An outline of “Israel and world empires” is provided by Dr.John Walvoord, as follows:

World Empires Of The Bible In The History Of Israel (Every Prophecy of the Bible, Dr. John F. Walvoord (Dec), copyright 1990, 1999, Chariot Victor Publishing, formerly The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook.)

Egypt – Genesis 46 – Deuteronomy 34. Jacob and his family resided in Egypt until the Exodus
Assyria – 726 B.C.- 605 B.C. The northern ten tribes were taken into Assyrian captivity.
Babylon – 605 B.C. – 539 B.C. The two southern tribes were taken into Babylonian captivity.
Medo-Persia – 539 B.C. – 331 B.C. The captives in Babylon returned to Jerusalem and Judah. (Southern Israel) in 536 B.C.
Greece – 321 B.C. – 63 B.C. Israel was under the control of Syria.
Rome – 63 B.C. – 70 A.D. Israel was under the control of Rome. Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome in 70 A.D. The decline of Rome occurred during the church age. Rome will be revived after the Rapture.

Consider Daniel’s teaching on the world empires of Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Consider, also, Daniel’s teaching on the Messianic Kingdom of Christ, which will consist of a thousand year Kingdom Age. Immediately following the Kingdom Age will be the eternal state of the new heaven, new earth and new Jerusalem, which will be the dwelling place of believers of all times (Daniel 2:36-45; 7:1-28; Revelation 21:1-2) (See Scofield, Ryrie and MacArthur Bible notes).

Consider the books of Jewish prophets that were active during the following world empires of: 1. Assyria 2. Babylon 3. Persia.

1. Assyrian World Empire

Jonah (790-770 B.C.)

Joel (790-770 B.C.)

Amos (780-740 B.C.)

Hosea (760-720 B.C.)

Isaiah (745-695 B.C.)

Micah (740-700 B.C.)

Zephaniah (639-608 B.C.) .

Nahum (630-610 B.C.)

2. Babylonian World Empire

Jeremiah (626-586 B.C.)

Habakkuk (606-586 B.C.)

Ezekiel (592-570 B.C.)

Obadiah (586-583 B.C.) .

Daniel (606-534 B.C.)

3. Pesian World Empire

Haggai (520-516 B.C.)

Zechariah (520-516 B.C.)

Malachi (450-400 B.C.)

A study of each Jewish prophet will be provided at an appropriate time.

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20 Israel – Looking Back – The Holiness of God at Mount Sinai

Total Praise – Prestonwood Choir & Orchestra

Why do we offer worship and praise to God? It’s because He is worthy of our worship and praise.

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (Rev 4:11. NASB95).

Exodus 4:27 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
27 Now the Lord said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

The following links show verses that show the Holiness of God at Mount Sinai.

Exodus 19:1-3
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=EXODUS+19%3A1-3&version=NASB
Exodus 19:18-20
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=EXODUS+19%3A18-20&version=NASB
Exodus 20:18-21
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=EXODUS+20%3A18-21&version=NASB

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