It’s Been Two Days Since the Messiah—Are You Ready?

Two days ago, Jesus of Nazareth was born. Only a few moments ago his holy and short-lived life was snuffed out. He was crucified based on false charges at 30 years old. This was truly an astonishing tragedy!

God pronounced one and only penalty for ‘sin’, which is death. For individuals to be acquitted of past and present moral crimes, each person must meet God requirements. Like Jesus, we all must die. Ultimately, we will all suffer the eternal consequences of separation from God, but there is hope. In fact, the good news is that God regards Jesus’ death as having satisfied divine justice against all moral crimes of humanity. Thank God, Jesus paid the price. The catch is we must appropriate God’s gracious provision for the forgiveness of our legal and moral debt.

It is like being cited for breaking some law but not showing up in court. An unknown benefactor paid the fine, but before that payment can be applied to your crime; you have to appear in court and acknowledge the citation is valid. On then will the court apply acquit you of the crime by applying the payment, and by the grace of law expunge your crimes all court and police records.

So it is with God’s law.

More amazing than Jesus being raised from the dead--people are still being raised from the dead in his name--is eye witnesses reports of seeing Jesus carried into heaven like the prophet Elijah of old. Skeptics may doubt this. Paul, however, encountered the risen and glorified Jesus and so has many others since then. In fact, many people have encountered this same Jesus within the last 20 years. For example, a man crashed his plane; the fuselage exploded which caused the plane to burn. The fire raged all the way to the cockpit. Then, Jesus and an angel showed. Jesus assured the pilot that he was going to make it, after which Jesus blew on the cockpit until help arrived. Although I cannot recall his name, I did see photos of the pilot while he was still in the hospital. He bruise and swollen, but he was not burned. Another example of a modern visited by Jesus is an Egyptian government official who was angry that his daughter has converted to Christianity and was now in a European hospital dying, He had drawn up a legal plan to punish local Coptic Christians for some supposed crime. The night before his plan was to be implemented Jesus visited him. Thus changing his mind about Christians and their religion, he rescinded his previous orders and then left for Europe to be with his daughter. His daughter did not die. Instead, Jesus healed her; thus confirming his promise made during the visitation. A former Israeli officer crippled for life because of an accident also experienced healing by Jesus. So did a young Muslim Egyptian who was dying of a rare but severe form of shingles of the face, which was affecting his brain as well. He said he saw Jesus come into his hospital room and heal him.

Within the past 10 years, a number of well-documented resurrections have also occurred. An African pastor died and was three days later; he rose to life again. An Indonesian Buddhist monk died and was about to be cremated when he came back to life. While dead those 3 days, he saw Buddha while standing at the gate to hell. Later, he met by a man named Peter who told him about Jesus. After he came back to life, he told the crowd at his funeral that the Christian were right about Jesus being the only way to eternal life in heaven. Both of these resurrections have been investigated, collaborated, and found to be true.

What seems too incredible to be real is the fact that since Jesus' ascension until the present time all of these miraculous events have occurred in just two days. This may seem beyond belief to mere mortals but not to God. “For a thousands years is as one day, and a day as a thousand years” to the Creator. (Ps. 90:4; 2 Pe. 3:8)

This brings me to a problem requiring an explanation. We often hear prophecy teachers talk about the end time and the imminent return of the Messiah, about a millennial reign, and about a coming global peace. After thousands of years, these doctrines strike many as a lot of wishful thinking. Skeptics often scoff at such beliefs as myths or worse at childish make-believe. Yet, the warnings of prophets and apostles about such criticism must be heeded. Seemingly unfilled prophecy—hope against hope—is better understood in light of divine time rather than based on human conception of time. Based on God’s timetable, Rabbinical and Christian scholars believe that messianic end time prophecies will be fulfilled at the beginning of the seventh millennium or the seventh day of the creation of the habitable earth. Depending on the calendar followed, the seventh millennium should begin in either the next 50 to 1233 years. To the spiritual enemies of God, the time is short. To followers of Jesus the Messiah, it is not of utmost importance. What is crucial is being alert to what God is doing and aware of the progress of history towards the fulfillment of God’s promises. Jesus said, it is not for you to know times and seasons, but to be watching and always prepared for his coming, whether at death or at the rapture.

In the glorious realm of spiritual reality, time is short. Two days has passed, those beings who rule evil in darkness fearfully anticipate the dawning of the third day. While fear and anger grips the forces of God’s enemies, saints and angels both revel with joy in anticipation of that holy day when God shall rise from his throne to execute final justice. At God's right hand, Messiah Jesus also comes to administrate the eternal reign of God’s kingdom on earth. Vanquished to the abysmal prisons are the forces of violence and darkness, and filling their place will be the peace and righteousness that attends the presence of God. Amen.

Israel in a New World

When colonists settled the east coast, they sought to create a new world. In the new world, Puritan ideals were put forth. Puritans believed in the God of Genesis. Because God created the earth, they believed the new land across the Atlantic was given to them to build a new world. They patterned their new society partly on inherent forms of church polity and partly on the Mosaic model of society. It was a biblically dominated new world. Our Puritan ancestors identified their new world as a new Israel. It was a city on a hill from which the light of Hanukkah would shine across the vast sea of humanity. Like the ancient festival, the Puritan Hanukkah celebrated the miracle of deliverance from the oppressive corruption of false religion and the restoration of Christian purity and freedom. Unlike the ancient Jewish celebration, the Puritan’s light of the world was to shine every day of the year. It was a celebration of a new way of life in a new world.

To put some critics at ease, this is not an effort of replacement theology. Although later in Massachusetts Bay history, Puritans did adopt the view of Massachusetts as literal New Jerusalem where the Messiah could return to establish the divine kingdom on earth. Many others did not cross the allegorical line. Instead, they envisioned a parallel world—a new civilization founded on Torah principles. We might describe it as a daughter of Zion. Those were the reasons why Puritans were known as Hebraists. Yet, most Hebraic Puritans believed God would resurrect the dry bones of the Jewish people in the land of the eternal covenant.

What this rather odd introduction is meant to do is point to a necessary reality of the Jewish people. It is the wonderful heritage of Jews wrapped in the mantel of Exodus. It is beginning and end of the meaning of Jew and Israel. Its alpha and omega is the divine intention of a future restoration of the Jews in a new world--a world of genuine peace, prosperity, and the complete realization of the kingdom of God. The ancients did create a new world as God led them. The tragedy is they failed to remain completely faithful to God.

So has the descendents of the Puritans.

Though a vast fertile land filled with potential and abundant life, fear of big problems blinded their faith in a much more powerful deliverer. Nevertheless, the Jewish people did enter the Promised Land. The promises of the King of universe were established upon agreement. The Jews began to live a new life in a new world where God was their King. All they had to do was obey His laws, and He would provide a rich satisfying life. As straying sheep, they strayed into the snare of the ravenous enemy.

This too is the story of Americans.

God is still a good shepherd. He always sought them and brought them back into the boundaries of his gracious kingdom rule. At least until they refused to return … until they went too far in their evildoing.

And, America is heading in that direction.

What about Jews in the 21st century? The world has witnessed the return of the Jews to the land God promised to them. This is a fulfillment of prophecy. Israel once again exists as separate government among a many nations. This too is fulfillment of ancient prophecy. They have fought three major battles with surrounding nations and have won each and every time. This is fulfillment of prophecy as well. From news reports and commentary originating from Israel, the impression given is that around 80% of the people observe the Torah. If true, here is a bona fide supernatural miracle. In spite of the good news, Israel has three current problems hindering its progress to the new world of yet unfulfilled prophecy. One is their liberal leaders who are loyal not to the eternal covenant but to covenants with the United Nations and with the American-Arab coalition. The second is the apparent fear of the enemies. From a covenantal perspective, the enemies of Israel are both internal and external. They are pro-globalist Jews, Islamist fascists, and Western globalists, and their goal is legitimating the global power of the UN governance. It is certainly is not establishing real peace. The third problem Israel faces is the fact that the Messiah has not yet come. Therefore, the first two problems have not decisively been resolved. When the Messiah comes, he will not apologize to Muslim, Christians, or Jews. He will establish the kingdom rule of God. All those who did not like the divine rule prior to his appearing will not have to worry about it. They will no longer exist in kingdoms of this world that the Messiah will inherit. It is not very likely that they will inhabit heaven either.

The challenge of Joshua is as valid today as it was when he spoke it at Schechem. Joshua said,

“[The Lord] has given you the land…. Now, therefore, revere the Lord and serve Him with undivided loyalty…. Or, if you are loath to serve the Lord, choose this day which you are going to serve—the gods of the [globalists] or the [secularists]; but I and my house will serve the Lord.” (24:14, 15)

The Jews of Israel are not the only ones who must make this choice, so must Americans. Because the earth is the Lord’s and all of its fullness, He can give it to whom ever he wills. The Lord created the earth, not evolution scientists, not liberal politicians, not the Arabs, and not the UN. The Lord has already revealed who is to have the Promised Land. In fact, God has already determined who will inherit the earth.

The question then is when … when is the day that God restores the fortunes of Israel? When will Israel be one people? When will it be that God is Israel’s God and David is king again? When will Israel leaders make God king? When will Israel and all people realize the promise of a new world?