Moriel News - Harpazo (~3.4 MB)

Transcription

First Quarter 2015
Issue No. 60
Feature Article:
Harpazo
Preview
TABLE OF CONTENTS
American News & North
American Itiner ary....................3
Harpazo Preview..........................4
Overview of Harpazo................8
First Quarter 2015-Issue 60
How to Discern, Test and
Judge Rightly...............................13
Published By Moriel Ministries
International
www.moriel.org
An Update From Sandy
Simpson............................................17
Moriel International Director
James Jacob Pr asch
Men of Faith Comparison.....18
Administr ator
Thailand Update........................19
David Lister Phone: 1-142-321-6154
Moriel Austr alia, New Zealand
& Singapore
Margaret Godwin National Administr ator
P.O. Box 112 Tr afalgar Vic 3824
Phone: 61 03 5633 2300 Fax: 61 03 5633 2300
MOB: 0416 138 008
E-mail: [email protected] alis.com.au
Moriel South Africa
Isr ael Update................................21
Philippines Update.....................24
Moriel CD Inventory..............25
Moriel DVD Inventory...........27
David Nathan
PO Box 1075 The Falls Benoni 1522 South Africa
Phone: +27 11 849 4963 MOB: +27 84 470 6995
Moriel United Kingdom
Allison Dodd
PO Box 201 Maidenhead Berks Sl6 9FB
England
Moriel Isr ael
Elon Moreh
PO Box 249 Nahariya, Isr ael 22102
E-mail: moriel.isr [email protected]
Moriel USA
David Lister
PO Box 100223 Pittsburgh, PA 15233-0223
Phone: 1-412-321-6154
E-mail: [email protected]
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First Quarter 2015 ~ ISSUE 60
American News
JACOB’s ITINER ARY
FOR NORTH AMERICA
We are back!
So after a long interruption we are back. While we are still working to
get back to regular publication dates we ask for your prayers. We lost
back to back our volunteer that puts together the Quarterly and our
sermon transcriber and copy editor. It was a real one-two punch. We
are working on the next transcription and hope to get the next Quarterly out close to on time.
No dates planned at this
time, check www.moriel.org
for up to date information.
Jacob Asks for Prayer
Jacob has long suffered from an accident some 20 years ago and has left
him with a lot of pain in his neck and arm as well as other health problems. So he asks for prayer for his health. Also, he is asking for prayer
for his family, mainly Pavia and his son Eli. If you want to write him a
note of encouragement, send them to the PO Box in Pittsburgh and I
will be forwarding them to him once a month with other correspondence.
The Persecuted Church
Jacob is considering a tour so some areas of some countries where there
is persecution of the church. While we won't be making a formal
announcement of this tour or the countries he is going to but we do ask
your covering in prayer. We do have local contacts and local support.
But a trip like this, during this time of rising persecution of Christians,
has to be done by the Lord's guidance and hand. But there is great need
for sound teaching in these areas as the compromising money church is
dominant and is a hindrance unless they get their 30 pieces of silver.
Moriel TV on Roku and New Website Soon
Moriel will soon have a new advanced website that will have many
more capabilities to move Moriel forward to our goal of Moriel TV.
Also, Moriel will soon have a Roku channel. There are many unnamed
volunteers working towards this goal. So we ask your prayers for them
as well as some professionals we have hired to help with this effort. We
thank all of you who donated toward Moriel TV as we are trying hard
to make sure this gets done right and sets Moriel up to do more live
broadcasts of Jacob as well as, hopefully, more regular updates and Q
and A sessions from Jacob.
Thank You
Moriel and all of its workers would like to offer a big thank you for all
of your generous gifts, offerings and tithes. These offerings do allow us
to continue on in the work that the Lord has called us into. We continue to expand missions and as you will see in the Quarterly. Again, we
are most appreciative of what you give. On a personal note I want to
thank you as we could not do what we do without you. Please continue
to pray for this ministry and for the ever expanding work we are all
called to perform.
May The Lord of all Truth and mercy bless you all and Moriel.
Come Quickly Lord Jesus!
3
Chapter 1: We Shall Be Changed As They Have Been Changed
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 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. (1 Co. 15:51-52)
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. (Mt. 17:2)
Events Preceding the Transfiguration
In all three synoptic Gospels we see the phase of Jesus’ upper Galilee ministry following His return from the Syro-Phoenician
areas of Tyre and Sidon. It is here He first explicitly foretells His death and challenges the god of this world at Caesarea-Philippi where
Pan in Greek mythology was a god pretending to be man worshiped in a Greek temple, while Caesar Augustus had been a man
pretending to be god worshiped in the same location in a Roman temple. It was here also that Jesus identified Himself as the “Rock”
and made reference to the gates of Hades. (Mt. 16:13-20)
The gates of Hades were a cascade inside of a cave, which is still visible to this day on the western façade of Mt. Hermon. In
the pagan Pan worship, sacrificial goats, after copulation with the pagan Greek priests, were sacrificially tossed into the whirlpool at
the base of the cave where the suction would draw the goats under the surface, drowning them and retaining their carcasses. If the
whirlpool failed to suck the goat into the underlying crevices, it meant the sacrifice was not accepted in the pagan thinking of Pan
worshipers. It was here Jesus arrived, not as a man pretending to be a god nor a god pretending to be man, but rather as the Jewish
Messiah who was both fully human and fully divine. These gates of Hades have become a popular Jewish metaphor for biological
death. Hence Jesus’ teaching that because He was the Rock of our salvation (1 Co. 3:11; 10:4) upon which His Church would be built,
biological death would no longer have power due to the life He would give.
By Resurrection and Harpazo it is no coincidence that the Messiah as the “scapegoat” (“Seir Azazel”) as we read in Hebrews
9, would instead become the sacrificial goat dying in our place. And this immense boulder upon which the temples were built would
be replaced by the Church, the same boulder from which the living waters flowed in direct typological correspondence to the water
coming from the rock struck by Moses, referred to by Paul in 1 Corinthians 10.
Much can be said about the events that took place here at Caesarea-Philippi, but it lies beyond the scope of this book except
to say that it was before ascending to the Mt. of Transfiguration that Jesus here first spoke of His own death, but also because of the
victory He would claim over it, there would be both Resurrection and those who would never die—that is, Harpazo.
What would be unique about Christ as our scapegoat is that unlike the pagan goats which were either sucked under to the netherworld
never to be seen again or else were not, rendering them an unacceptable offering, Christ as our scapegoat would indeed depart to the
netherworld—that is, to Hades, revealing Himself to the Old Testament saints and rising again from the dead. It would be as if one
of the goats at Caesarea-Philippi had been sucked below to the depths but then rising again from the rocky tomb that had no power
over it; nor would the grave have power over Christ or those who trusted Him as the Rock of their salvation. Hence it is here He first
speaks of the Resurrection and Harpazo.
The concept of Hades was simply a placing into Greek terminology and cultural familiarity the existing Hebrew concept of
“Sheol”, which like Hades, was comprised of two sections separated by an uncrossable chasm. One was the “bosom of Abraham” where
Old Testament saints rested with the Patriarchs awaiting the sacrifice and Resurrection of the Messiah by which both they and we are
saved. It was to here Jesus descended after His Crucifixion in a partial fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, “bringing release to the
captives” in the Isaiah 61 Jubilee theme. The opposing section across the chasm was the holding tank of damnation. Unfortunately,
translational inaccuracies in certain English versions of the Scriptures conflate the two as “hell”.
The Transfiguration
Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold,
Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will
make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud
overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to
Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched
them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man
has risen from the dead.” And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” And He
answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not
recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples
understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist. (Mt. 17:11-13)
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Harpazo Preview
Contrary to some much later traditions in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic communions, the Mt. of Transfiguration could not have been Mt. Tabor on the northern side of the Valley of Jezreel, but was certainly Mt. Hermon where the preceding
text says Jesus and His disciples had been at that particular time. Although they could have reached Mt. Tabor by foot within six days,
the earliest manuscripts tell us the Mt. of Transfiguration was exceedingly high, which Mt. Tabor is not but Mt. Hermon certainly is.
(Mk. 9:2)
It was here on Mt. Hermon where Galilee, the Golan Heights (then known as Bashan) and Lebanon converge where one of
the most diabolical episodes in human history took place according to the Book of Jerash and extra-biblical Jewish historical sources.
It was here in the days of Jabesh that the Nephilim came to earth procreating demonoids with human women referred to in Genesis
6 and in the Epistle of Jude as well as being alluded to more nebulously in other passages such as 1 Corinthians 11. Where these
demons came down, the Son of Man went up.
He is again using geographic symbolism as He did at Caesarea-Philippi to demonstrate His challenging the gods of this world.
Mt. Hermon is approximately 10,000 feet high and snowcapped over seven months of the year on its highest peak. It is not infrequently shrouded in cloud cover and would also appear to match the brightness described in the Transfiguration narratives with a natural
light and cloudy backdrop. Taking only Peter, James and John as witnesses, Jesus is transfigured. The term is the same used by Paul as
“we will be changed”, aptly meaning “metamorphosized”.
We have three synoptic accounts of these events in Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9. The gleaming nature of His face would
speak to Jews of the prophecy of Moses in Deuteronomy 18:18 that the Messiah would be a prophet like Moses. As Moses came down
from the mountain with the Shekinah glory reflecting from his face, so too the Messiah would present the same experience. The gleaming radiance of His face, features and garments described as brighter than the sun and white as light would again be experienced by
John in Revelation 1 on the Isle of Patmos where the whiteness and glowing effect with His face shining like the sun are once again
described in acute detail. (Rev. 1:14-16) John knew Jesus as a man, but on at least two occasions before being caught up to heaven
himself in Revelation 4:1, saw that same Jesus in His divinity and required supernatural strengthening to behold Him for who He
actually is, even though he knew Him as a man with no former comeliness about His natural human appearance. (Is. 53:2)
Moses and Elijah appear to the Apostles speaking with Jesus. The subject of that conversation was His coming departure and
what He would accomplish in Jerusalem. In actual fact, Luke 9:28 tells us that the purpose of the ascent was not to be transfigured,
but to pray.
The climb would have been arduous and the Apostles, understandably tired, were overcome with sleep. This would also take
place in the Garden of Gethsemane where, taken with Him to pray, they would once again fall asleep, requiring a sudden awakening.
(Mt. 26:45-46) Again, drawing on the background of the Song of Solomon, Jesus speaks of the virgins both wise and foolish as
drifting off to sleep and requiring a sudden awakening when the bridegroom comes. (Mt. 25:5) This recurrent phenomena points to
the future state of affairs when He returns.
The Scriptures speak of working while we have the light because the night will come when no one can, (Jn. 9:4) and with the
return of Jesus as the time of the Resurrection and Harpazo when there will be a sudden awakening. Some will sleep, but we shall not
all sleep. (1 Co. 15:51) Once awakened suddenly, however, we will see Christ in His glory. And it was in this awakened state that Peter,
James and John witnessed the encounter with Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets. This is the clearest picture we
have of the Parousia—that is, the Resurrection and Harpazo.
Moses and Elijah
Represented by Moses, we have a faithful servant of God who died biologically—that is, “slept” in the Lord. Because of
beating the rock more than once typologically illustrated multiple crucifixions of Christ, he was unable to enter the land and died on
Mt. Nebo. Ironically, churches adhering to the doctrine of the mass where Christ dies again sacramentally repeat the same sin as
Moses, striking Jesus again and again when He died once and for all. (1 Pe. 3:18; Heb. 7:27, 9:12, 10:12, 14)
Moses represented the Law and the Law could not save but only teach for our need for salvation. Hence, because of his sin,
and because of his representation of the Torah which could not save but only teach of our need for a Savior, it was impossible for Moses
to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, a figure of entering into the Millennial Reign of Christ and the eternal kingdom. Once
the Messiah arrived, however, it now became possible for Moses to enter the land. Before when he petitioned God that he might enter,
the Lord instructed him to seek the Lord no more on that matter. (Dt. 3:26) The Old Testament saints of Israel who died faithful to
God under the Torah enter the Messianic Kingdom only through recognition of the Messiah. Hence in Moses we see a man who died
but is now alive in Christ.
Elijah, however, was a man who never died but who was raptured. He was simply snatched away and caught up to heaven (2
Ki. 2:1-14) after an ugly conflict with the wicked woman Jezebel. (1 Ki. 18) Jesus in fact would use this horrible woman Jezebel as a
metaphor for the spiritual seductress personifying false religion in Revelation 2:20, beguiling the Lord’s servants to eat food sacrificed
to idols (a prophetic reference to Eucharistic transubstantiation in Thyatira, which in Greek means “the church of continual sacrifice”,
as in Jesus dying repeatedly, much as the sin of Moses). Thus in Elijah’s conflict with Jezebel before he dies, Elijah excoriates those who
eat at Jezebel’s table. (1 Ki. 18:19) Without doubt, Eucharistic idolatry, responsible for the blood of so many martyrs in the aftermath
of the Protestant Reformation who refused to engage in it again becomes a horrific issue eschatologically which relates to Jeremiah’s
prophecy of sacrificing cakes to the queen of heaven in the last days of Judah (Jer. 44:17-19), which prefigures the last days of the
Church having the same themes of Babylon and Babylon the Great, respectively.
What is remarkable is that Moses—the one who died in the Lord, and Elijah—the one who never died but was raptured, appeared the
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Harpazo Preview
same as Jesus. As the Scriptures say, we shall be as He is. (1 Jn. 3:2) It is also remarkable that these Old Testament saints were identified
by the Apostles. At the Resurrection and the Harpazo we shall automatically know who Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, Mary, Peter, Paul,
James, John and Ruth all are, and they shall know us. As the New Testament tells us, He brings His saints with Him. (1 Th. 3:13)
So it is here on Mt. Hermon, the highest mountain in Israel, they met the Lord in the air. This is undoubtedly the clearest
picture we have of the Resurrection and Harpazo. It will matter not if we are asleep in the Lord in the character of Moses or alive,
having escaped the woman Jezebel who runs amok once again in Revelation in the form of false religion in league with the Antichrist
in the manner Elijah escaped her; it will only matter if we are in Christ. We shall all appear the same with Him. As St. Paul writes,
whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. (Rom. 14:8)
The Greater Meaning
We have at least three direct and unambiguous reasons to understand the Transfiguration as a picture of the Resurrection and
Harpazo and a preview of our future with the coming of the Lord at the Parousia.
First, we have two clear Scripture references connecting the eschatological passage of 1 Corinthians 15 dealing with the Resurrection
and Harpazo—that is, the Parousia or revelation of Christ, with the Transfiguration of Christ. The same word employed by Paul for
what will take place as “will be changed” (“metamorphoo”) is the same term used by Matthew to describe how Jesus was changed in
the Transfiguration.
Secondly, Peter’s mistaken desire to build three booths can only be understood as his misunderstanding that the eschatological fulfillment of the Feast of Booths (known as Hag Sukkot) was taking place. As Jews, Peter, James and John knew that with the
establishment of the Messianic Kingdom (the Millennial Reign of Christ), the Feast of Booths would be celebrated based on the
prophecies of Zechariah 14, which follows the return of Christ described in Zechariah 12 and 13.
Thirdly, the Transfiguration narrative is preceded in Mark 9:1, Matthew 16:28 and Luke 9:27 by the words of Jesus that some of His
disciples would not taste biological death, which is exactly reiterated in the resurrection chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 by St. Paul, “We
will not all sleep”. (1 Co. 15:51)
The direct links of these three factors indicate unmistakably that the Transfiguration of Jesus is a typological foreshadowing
of the Resurrection and Harpazo events predicted by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 and alluded to in 1 Thessalonians 4:15.
The Wrong Supposition
In wanting to build three booths, Peter’s supposition was the Messiah had now been revealed in His glory. Moses was with
Him and so was Elijah whom the Apostles, like all Jews of the day, understood was in some sense to come before the Messiah, based
on the prophecy of Malachi 4:5. It was Peter’s expectation that the Messianic age was at this time to be inaugurated.
At the same time, Luke 9:34 tells us that a cloud formed over them which they entered, and out of the cloud came the voice
of God stating, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”, reconfirming a similar pronouncement at the baptism of Jesus in
Luke 3:22, Matthew 3:17 and Mark 1:11, and prophesied in Isaiah 42:1. It was to beholding this splendor that Peter would give later
attestation.
For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic
Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven
when we were with Him on the holy mountain. (2 Pe. 1:17-18)
The descent of the cloud on the mountain would, again, ring familiar with any Jew of the Shekinah glory descending in the
pillar of the cloud as it did with Moses. Due to the altitude, the natural whirlwinds swirling about would have also rung familiar with
the whirlwind that saw Elijah raptured. (2 Ki. 2:1) Thus all three persons of the Godhead were present in the Transfiguration. The
Parousia also will involve all three persons of the Godhead—the Father issuing a decree, the saints both resurrected and raptured meeting the Lord Jesus the Son in the air, and these being engulfed in the Spirit of God.
In Luke’s account, Jesus was in the cloud as the Son of God, corresponding to His presence within the Shekinah, from which
the voice of the Father was heard. We have a counterpart resemblance here to the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7:55 where we are
told, being filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen had a visual revelation of the relationship between the Father and the Son while
suspended between life and death at the moment of his martyrdom and reception into glory. It has rightly been contended by many
that only a partial comprehension of the tri-unity of the Godhead and the oneness of the Father and the Son together with the Holy
Spirit is possible in this temporal life. The apprehension and comprehension of it took place for Stephen upon entering eternity from
which we may extrapolate that the same will be true for other believers who fall asleep in the Lord—that is, die in Christ. We shall
not all sleep, however, according to 1 Corinthians 15, hence that same revelation of the nature, unity and interplay of the three Persons
of the Godhead were demonstrated at the Transfiguration just as they will be at the Episunagoge—that is, at the time of the Harpazo
when the dead in Christ will be risen first and we meet in the air. (1 Th. 4:17) The Son will be in the cloud, yet combined with the
presence of the Father, and it is something those who are raptured will at that point likewise behold. This transfiguration experience
probably accounts for why the Apostles did not see a need in their writings to devote much time to explaining the tri-unity, as to Peter,
James and John it was not a complete mystery as it will not be to those who are raptured any more than it was to Stephen.
In a sense we may think of the Transfiguration narratives as what in Great Britain is called a “movie trailer” or in America a
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Harpazo Preview
“coming attraction”. It should so captivate us that it makes us look forward to what we are actually going to see, hear and experience
when we join Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James and John in the air.
The theme of meeting Jesus in the air on a mountain was not a new one to either Elijah or Moses. When God appears in
human form, it is always the Son, never the Father or the Holy Spirit. This is co-equally true in the Old Testament. As no one can see
God and live, (Ex. 33:20) God would therefore appear in a human form as a “Christophany”, often as “the angel of the Lord” or “Ha
Malach Adonai” (known as the “Metatrone” in Judaism). This is the Lord Jesus.
The angel of the Lord—that is, Christ—appeared to Elijah on Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God, not eating for forty days or
forty nights before and had a direct conversation with God the Son, and the Lord passed before him. (1 Ki. 19:7-11) So, too, Moses
had his forty days and forty nights and, ascending to the mountain of God, likewise conversed with the Lord. Both of these Old Testament figures—Moses and Elijah, again corresponding to the Law and the Prophets, had met on a mountain with Jesus before. The
Transfiguration was not the first time, only this time it would be witnessed by the Apostles and related by them to us.
It is curious that when Peter, whom the text describes as “terrified”, saw Elijah and Moses departing, that he wanted to build three
booths or tabernacles, not realizing what he was saying. It was not yet the establishment of the long-awaited Messianic Kingdom for
the Messiah had to first die and raise from the dead; thus the instruction of Jesus to them not to make this vision known to any until
after His Resurrection. (Mt. 17:9; Mk. 9:9) They had not yet understood the concept of “resurrection”. (Mk. 9:10)
It is also immediately following this that Jesus engages in a mini-discourse of the prophecies concerning the coming of Elijah
before the coming of the Messiah. (Mk. 9:11-13) Although Elijah is to come again in some way before the return of Christ, Jesus taught
that Elijah did come in the sense that the spirit of Elijah rested on John the Baptist; yet on the Mt. of Transfiguration it was not John
the Baptist but Elijah himself who actually and literally did come. These two aspects of Elijah having come both in spirit through John
and actually having arrived himself will prove crucial in understanding the manner in which Elijah is to come again prior to the
Second Coming of Jesus. In fact, John the Baptist himself had already been murdered by Herod (a type of the Antichrist) in Matthew
14 and Mark 6, an event to which Jesus made reference in Mark 9:13.
The Wrong Supposition Yet Again
This, however, would not be the only time in the New Testament when confusion surrounds the celebration of the Feast of
Tabernacles, thinking it has had an ultimate Messianic fulfillment. We indeed see a partial fulfillment of it in John 7 with the
rituals of “Simchat Beit Ha Shoy’iva”, with the pouring of water drawn from the Pool of Siloam onto the Temple Mount platform at
which Jesus said, “I will give you living water”. (Jn. 7:37-39) At the Triumphal Entry the temple liturgy known as the Machzor for
Passover required the ritual singing of Psalm 113-118 with its climactic chorus, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”.
This was to be sung again, however, at the Feast of Booths in Autumn with palm branches known as “lulavim”.
The messianic expectation of the people at the Triumphal Entry singing hosanna to Jesus and shouting, “Blessed is He who
comes in the name of the Lord”, was that He would depose the Romans as the Maccabees had deposed the Greeks and establish His
Millennial Kingdom. Instead of attacking the Pagans and setting up His kingdom, He attacked the money changers who corrupted
the faith of His own people for whose sin He was preparing to die. Thus in Matthew 23, in weeping over Jerusalem, Jesus states they
will not see Him again until they say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” despite the fact this is what they had said
to Him a few short days earlier waving palm branches when they expected Him to depose the Gentiles and proclaim the Messianic
Kingdom. This kingdom, however, was not to come with a sign to be recognized; it was rather to come by His death in our place
followed by resurrection and Pentecost which would not be a kingdom of this world; it is His Second Coming when the Feast of
Booths is to be celebrated and He establishes His earthly Davidic Messianic Kingdom.
Again, in the Triumphal Entry, the mistake of Peter on the Mt. of Transfiguration is now played out by the entire nation
who arrived as pilgrims for the Passover in Jerusalem. And it was these events in Jerusalem, where Jerusalem is specifically
mentioned, which Jesus discussed with Moses and Elijah (Lk. 9:31). It is therefore obvious that for His coming to establish the
kingdom, the Jews must be back in Israel with Jerusalem as their capital. (Mt. 23:39; Lk. 21:24; Zech. 12:1-10) When these events
are concluded the Israelites and the nations together will indeed celebrate the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. (Zech. 14)
It is this that Peter and the other Apostles, as well as the people generally, did not understand—it was “one Messiah, two
comings”: the first time for the atonement for sin, the second time as the Davidic conqueror. These events are explained at length in
our earlier book, The Final Words of Jesus and Satan’s Lies Today where we address the two pictures of the Messiah in Jewish
thought: the Messiah as the “Son of David” who was the Conqueror, and the Messiah who was the “Son of Joseph” who was the
Suffering Servant, also known in Judaism as “Ben Ephraim”.
Conclusion
The importance in understanding the Transfiguration as a paradigm to properly grasp the Resurrection and Harpazo
cannot be overstated. It is on the words and teachings of Jesus provided in the Transfiguration narratives which furnish the basis of
Paul’s later teachings in the Epistles of the return of Jesus and our destiny in the Resurrection and Harpazo in his Epistles both to
the Corinthians and the Thessalonians.
It is in essence from here where Paul derives his own Resurrection and Harpazo eschatology, which under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit he relates and deciphers it for us. In any consideration of the subject of the Resurrection and Harpazo, our concepts
must be framed by the Transfiguration narratives and the doctrinal principles derived from them, mainly by St. Paul. END
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Overview of Harpazo
Overview of Jacob’s Latest Book
Jacob’s latest book, titled “HARPAZO: The Intra-Seal Rapture of the Church” has been a work in progress for more than
three years. It is no secret that Jacob’s technology and typing skills are so marginal that it gives us hope that he’s human after all, so
we have come up with a system tailored to Jacob’s needs when it comes to writing his books, mainly that he temporarily relocates to
my town for weeks at a time, literally dictating every word of every chapter to my furiously little typing fingers. Many within Moriel
have expressed their envy that I have been present for every word, version and associated discussion that has gone into The Dilemma
of Laodicea, Shadows of the Beast, and now Harpazo. As Jacob’s “stenographer”, so to speak, I have derived more benefit from this
process than anyone else by literally typing and copy-editing these manuscripts over and over again. So I thought that those who are
most familiar with Jacob’s teachings may appreciate an insider’s view of some of the things to expect from his latest and much anticipated work.
From the very outset, we purposely decided not to write this book using the usual format which it seems nearly all works on
eschatology employ. Typically such books spend far too much of their time reviewing the eschatologies which its author does not
support and devotes a tremendous amount of textual real estate in refutation of those things belonging to those “isms” which he/she
does not believe to begin with. The reader is most often guided through an almost endless referral to various charts of competing views,
not to mention having to know each eschatology well enough to set them apart from each other where appropriate, and at the same
time understand how to keep them in alignment when they are congruous with the author’s particular view. An example I often cite
is Marv Rosenthal’s Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church, a seminal work on the Pre-Wrath position originally published in 1990. If it
were pared down to contain just those pages exclusively devoted to the author’s eschatology, the book would probably only be about a
third of its current size. This is typical of most treatments of eschatology.
Frankly, it is an overall bad teaching technique to focus more on what one does not believe versus what they do, and can probably be successfully argued that this is not a great approach if one’s goal is more oriented toward Bible exposition and discipleship. So
we decided from the outset that the book would be written in two “halves”: the first half would be something akin to someone sitting
down across the table from Jacob as he opens his Bible and simply teaches the doctrine of the Harpazo and Resurrection, completely
focused on explaining Scripture; the second half would be devoted to a more academic refutation of the various competing eschatologies and address the more technical issues which are more the domain of scholars, scribes and professional critics.
The problem is that as the first “half” of the book began to exceed 500 pages, we saw how unrealistic it would be to include a
second “half” which would have required publishing something like a “Volume 1, 2 & 3” in order to avoid a single 1,000 page book.
And would such a voluminous work actually provide the benefits we wanted to impart of plain Bible teaching? Jacob is considering
following up with a book specifically addressing the academic and scholarly perspectives most often associated with seminary-level and
above discussions, but such will not be found in this book. While there are occasional and sparse references to these positions and the
technical terms most associated with eschatology, they are very scarce overall. In fact, we are most proud of the fact that this may be
very first book on eschatology ever which has absolutely no charts and is written for the benefit of the average believer, not the so-called
expert.
What Does “Intra-Seal” Mean?
Every eschatology is first and foremost defined by its proposed timing of the Rapture in relationship to the Tribulation. We
will find individual exceptions and nuanced positions, but in general, “Pre-Tribulationism” believes the Harpazo takes place before the
entire final seven-year Tribulation, “Post-Tribulationism” asserts it occurs at the end (most usually transitioning from the Tribulation
to the Millennial Reign), and “Pre-Wrath” that it takes place between the 6th and 7th seals. Eschatology books still give a passing nod
to “Mid-Tribulationism” which believes it takes place at the exact midway point, but in truth it’s been a very long time since I met
anyone actually holding this position, as they mostly seem to have migrated to the “Pre-Wrath” camp.
Many of you familiar with Jacob’s teaching, as you read the above, may have nodded your head knowingly with the notion
that Jacob teaches the Pre-Wrath position. Actually, he does not. The problem is that while the timing of the Rapture is the major
defining event which gives each position their name, there are many, many, many other End Times events beside the timing of the
Rapture which they all define differently. While Jacob is in fundamental agreement with the Pre-Wrath position as to its definition of
“the day of the Lord” and the placement of the timing of the Harpazo between the 6th and 7th seal, there are a significant number of
Pre-Wrath interpretations on a wide variety of other things with which he does not, and some of them result in important doctrinal
distinctions. As Jacob overtly states more than once in the book, he shares common points of agreement to a degree with brethren
holding each of these competing views, but at the same time experiences disagreement on many other issues, and such sometimes
matter significantly to the point of shaping other areas of doctrine and theology. Eschatology is not only limited to the timing of the
Rapture but embraces many related issues and events as well.
For instance, as but one example, while Jacob provides that the Restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2 is the Holy Spirit, it’s hard to
find Pre-Wrath advocates who do not alternatively maintain that this is instead the archangel Michael. In other words, because of a
8
Overview of Harpazo
large attraction to the Pre-Wrath position by many holding to Cessationism, there is a fundamental dissimilarity in theology when it
comes to the Holy Spirit which, in our opinion, is no small thing. Likewise, there are those subscribing to other eschatologies who
affirm that the Restrainer is the Holy Spirit, who subsequently speak of the Holy Spirit “returning” to heaven (which is impossible for
a member of the Godhead) and yet asserting that in the Holy Spirit’s absence there will be those who somehow get saved without Him.
This is but one example where a position on eschatology undermines the more fundamental doctrines associated with pneumatology
(the Holy Spirit) and soteriology (salvation).
So the intention of identifying the book as “Intra-Seal” is to call attention not just to the sole, singular issue of where the
timing of the Harpazo falls within Jacob’s overall teaching, but to serve as a platform to establish the scriptural basis for all the
elements related to the doctrine of the Harpazo and Resurrection, or more specifically what Scripture refers to as the “Parousia”—Christ’s appearing wherein “anastasia” (“resurrection”) of those asleep in Christ and “harpazo” of those alive at the time equals
“episunagoge”—our gathering together with Him. If the only thing each eschatology addressed was the timing of the Harpazo, it
would make the overall discussion much easier, but the fact is that each view proceeds from there to engage contrasting interpretations
not just of the identity of the Restrainer, but of nearly every element of the Last Days such as the Two Witnesses, the role of Israel, the
144,000, the identity of the Antichrist, and on and on and on.
All the Other Stuff
“From six troubles He will deliver you, even in seven evil will not touch you. — Job 5:19
Those familiar with Jacob’s teachings on the Harpazo have long known Jacob’s position that the Harpazo takes places
between the 6th and 7th seals, the 7th seal being the initiation of what Scripture prolifically describes as the onset of “the day of the
Lord”. Jacob selected Job 5:19 as the main theme for the book because it describes the fact that the seals are very different in character and execution from the trumpet and bowl judgments unleashed by the 7th seal. The “six troubles” of the first six seals are
judgments which everyone on earth experiences, believer and non-believer alike, all replaying the same kinds of judgments used by
God repeatedly in the Old Testament for everyone. With the trumpet and bowl judgments, however, these all come about through
angelic agency through divine direction and are no longer judgments to get mankind’s attention and possibly turn us back to Him,
but become the wrath of God poured out on the kingdom of Antichrist. From this point on, things are very, very different both
spiritually and doctrinally.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that
whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. — 1 Thessalonians 5:9–10
While one popular eschatology asserts believers will escape all the seal judgments and the whole of Revelation, another
asserts we will go through the entire thing, but in yet another a distinction is made within the overall sequence between “judgment”
and “wrath”. Here is but one example of what results from different interpretations of the biblical term “the day of the Lord”. There
is near universal agreement that this describes the final outpouring of God’s wrath, and that Scripture specifically promises that
although believers will be judged they will never experience wrath, but great disagreement as to when “the day of the Lord” takes
place as well as its overall definition. In this case, Pre-Trib insists that the whole final seven years and “the day of the Lord” are the
exact, same thing while both Pre-Wrath and Intra-Seal see the 6th seal (Rev. 6:12-17) as literally fulfilling the oft-repeated descriptions in Scripture of what takes place on “the day of the Lord”. This is no small point of difference.
But this is but the beginning. The fact is that each major side brings to the table certain presuppositions which we cannot
confirm when examining them on the sole basis of Scripture alone, especially as they are taught in the many types and patterns of
these things provided throughout the whole of God’s Word.
Part One: Harpazo Rescues & Their Typology in Scripture
The first third of the book explores the types and patterns which confirm the fundamental doctrine and theology of the
Harpazo and Resurrection. The chapters in this section are:
1 • We Shall Be Changed As They Have Been Changed 2 • Them & Us 3 • The Rescues in the Old Testament
4 • The Rescues in Daniel 5 • The Rescues in the New Testament 6 • The Historical and Cultural 7 • Summary of Part One
As Jacob has often stated and does so again repeatedly in this book, type and pattern can only illuminate doctrine, it can never
serve as the basis for it. But Scripture has much to teach not just about how the Harpazo will take shape and be executed, but of the
greater doctrinal purposes behind it. Even those familiar with Jacob’s teachings are going to encounter quite a bit of material in these
examples they have not heard him exegete previously in this sizable list of examples.
Part Two: The Elements & Components of the Harpazo & Parousia
The middle section of the book contains some titles very familiar to long-time followers of Jacob’s teachings, but there are also
things never previously and formally taught.
8 • The Great Church Robbery 9 • Parousia 10 • The Vector 11 • The Ten & the Forty
12 • The Harpazo & Ministry of Elijah 13 • The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 14 • The Interlude Marking 15 • Interludes
16 • Prelude to “The Day of the Lord” 17 • What is “The Day of the Lord”? 18 • Summary of Part Two
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Overview of Harpazo
While there is new material interspersed throughout, entirely new ground is covered where interludes and the Two Witnesses
are concerned. It is very enlightening to understand the important scriptural connection between particular things which some might
say, at least initially, do not have a direct bearing on the Harpazo, but most certainly and exegetically do.
Part Three: The Sequence of Prophetic Events Climaxing with the Harpazo
This last section concentrates on the event itself and where it falls within the overall eschaton.
19 • The Apostolic Perspective of the Harpazo 20 • Daniel 9 and the Timing of the Harpazo
21 • These Are Those Who Have Come Out 22 • Immanency & the Harpazo 23 • Events Leading to the Harpazo
24 • The Sequence of Events 25 • Summary of Part Three
One of the biggest points of contention in the field of eschatology is called by many the “Doctrine of Immanency”, and one
of the most significant chapters in this book is Jacob’s exposition of 1 & 2 Thessalonians to show, exegetically, that one of the biggest
problems associated with the Last Days is a prevailing false doctrine of immanency. This final section, as well, is filled with material
Jacob has not directly covered in previously published sermons.
Additional Materials
There are several addendums as well as an “Epilogue” and “Appendix”, but the closing chapter is actually: 26 • The Anti-Climax. This chapter is devoted to explaining what is to take place of major importance in the wake of the Harpazo, which is an incredible eschatological interpretation of the Book of Esther, and the figure of Mordecai in particular, which Jacob only realized in the final
weeks working on the book. (I wouldn’t be surprised to hear him teaching this as a standalone sermon in the very near future.)
But What Did I Learn?
At the risk of launching into a full-blown sermon, I am going to pass along what I believe to be the most important and lasting
lessons I’ve taken away from these past three years’ of work, and that has to do with hermeneutics.
In researching all of the alternative positions and measuring Jacob’s interpretations against those arrived at by others, I kept coming
back to the question, “Why does everyone seem to be wrong at some point? Why are Bible expositors who are right when it comes to
most other doctrines so askew when it comes to eschatology?” I have come to believe that one of two things most commonly take place:
errors come from so-called “experts” who have never really taught the whole Word of God but make an attempt to specialize only in
certain aspects of prophecy, or those who are regular preachers of God’s Word who make exceptions to their own rules when it comes
to prophecy.
I believe that those within the Church who will take issue with Jacob over this book will try to make the argument about his
hermeneutics, claiming that Scripture cannot be interpreted this way. In fact, we should all be prepared to hear this coming from many
who have shared the teaching platform with Jacob over the years, and not just the usual suspects who are always antagonistic. There is
going to be those who previously held Jacob’s hermeneutics in high regard when it came to non-eschatology teachings such as “Kashrut
and Famine”, “The Rite of Ordeal”, “Simchat Torah”, or many other such signature sermons. But all of the sudden those who approved
of previously of Jacob’s handling of Scripture are going to cry, “Foul!” when it comes to this book, because they themselves suffer from
the problems I just identified most often having to do with changing their own hermeneutics when it comes to eschatology. They
would never handle the Greek in the way for which they make an exception when it comes to an End Times interpretation, they would
never normally lift a verse out of context in such an egregious manner, they would normally be able to identify when a presupposition
is reading into Scripture (eisegesis) instead of drawing out what is actually there (exegesis), and a number of other similar things.
Although they approved of Jacob’s hermeneutics in other areas of theology in the past, they will now make an exception for eschatology because they are in the habit of making such exceptions themselves.
I consider this to have been my most important function, to constantly test Jacob’s hermeneutics to verify their consistency
not only where eschatology is concerned, but that there is no conflict with any other teaching in which he has employed them. Regular
readers and listeners of Jacob’s sermons are going to feel very comfortable with the book, but I predict angst, particularly among the
“scholars” and self-proclaimed “experts” whose handling of Scripture overall is often found to be irregular at best.
The Lesson of Synonyms
However, to drill down ever more specifically, this was a great, multi-year exercise reaffirming the right hermeneutic where
synonyms are concerned.
Human writers know that they will lose a reader’s attention if they keep using the same word or phrase over and over again.
The great writers make a name for themselves as wordsmiths who manage the most colorful and descriptive substitutes. I would get a
failing grade if I turned in to my English teacher something like, “My really big nose, feeling a really big itch, experienced a really big
sneeze, ejecting a really big booger.” Human writers know that they have to replace all the repeated uses of “really big” with much
better synonyms to keep the writing interesting. I’d get a much improved grade if I wrote, “My Pinocchio-sized nose trembled at a
rumbling itch in anticipation of a hurricane-like sneeze, catapulting into space a capacious booger.” (I don’t care who you are, that’s
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Overview of Harpazo
good writing.) Because there is such an emphasis in Western churches on grammatical-historical exegesis, Scripture is often handled
just like any other literature. The problem is that the Bible isn’t “any other literature”, and in particular, the Holy Spirit does not employ
synonyms like this.
For instance, “sin” means “to fall short of the standard”, “transgression” means “to rebel against the standard”, and “iniquity”
means “to twist the standard”. These are three completely different words in the original languages that have an overall general
relationship to sin, but they are describing three independent situations. The Holy Spirit did not simply get tired of overusing the word
“sin” and, like a human writer, decide to change it up and occasionally switch to “transgression” or “iniquity”. Bible translators would
be doing us a great injustice if they did not literally translate each word exactly as given so we can understand the right and proper
context. These are not synonyms which can be exchanged at will for each other, but unique descriptions of different actions with
alternate motivations.
Now as Jacob has pointed out in the course of many of his sermons, when the Holy Spirit uses what appears to look like a
synonym, it is actually to highlight a different aspect of the same thing. Just as “sin”, “transgression” and “iniquity” differentiate
between different actions taken toward “the standard”, an easy example to understand is when God calls His people “Israel” versus
when He calls them “Jacob”. When He calls them “Jacob” in Scripture, He sees them in the character of their unsaved forefather before
he wrestled with the Lord, coming into a face-to-face relationship with Him and forever changed going forward. “Jacob” is what He
calls them when they act in the character of the backslidden conniver; “Israel” is used when they act as the saved person who has come
into a right relationship with the Lord and received a new name in the character of a regenerate believer. They both refer to the same
people group, but to completely different spiritual states. The same thing occurs in Scripture when it comes to “Jerusalem” versus
“Zion”; one is the corrupt earthly version of the more perfect heavenly counterpart. The point is that we cannot simply alternate
between what appears to be synonyms or terms which, on the surface, appear to be addressing the same thing. The Holy Spirit is
communicating something very specific and unique in each term He repeatedly inspired many authors to employ in all areas of theology including eschatology.
Seven Textual Terms & Eight Expressions of Math
I have come to believe that no one’s eschatology can hope to be error free if they have not mastered this concept of synonyms
and applied it to the key terms associated with Scripture’s explanation of the End Times. Specifically, there are seven textual terms
which many expositors, more or less, all too often treat as synonyms and subject to interpretation in the light of human presupposition
rather than according to God’s Word alone:
•
Daniel’s 70th Week
•
Tribulation
•
Great Tribulation
•
The Day of the Lord
•
The Time of Jacob’s Trouble
•
The Time of the Gentiles
•
The Fullness of the Gentiles
Even before the first chapter, Jacob provides a basic definition for these terms and then builds upon it throughout the book.
Scholars and experts too freely switching in and out among these terms is, I believe, at the root of so much of the theological disagreement and resultant error, not to mention all the really bad and inaccurate charts graphically depicting the eschaton.
But sometimes connected to these textual terms, along with other notable End Times milestones, are eight mathematical expressions
of time:
•
“7 years”
•
“time, times, and half a time” (3-1/2 years)
•
“42 months”
•
“1,260 days”
•
“1,290 days”
•
“1,335 days”
•
“2,300 evenings and morning”
•
“three years, six months”
It is remarkable how often many of these terms are exchanged for one another as if they are synonyms for each other, or
assumed to be equal because of the biblical use of a lunar calendar, when actually they are not. And even if they were, the Holy Spirit
would still be using them to describe something spiritually unique and not merely employing synonyms which can be exchanged, one
for the other.
Yes, 3-1/2 lunar years could theoretically equal 42 months and 1,260 days, but in reality that is never the case. A lunar month
may be 30 days, but it is very often 29 from moonrise to moonrise. So much so that when the Jewish Temple had to calculate such
things in order to conduct the new moon sacrifices and keep the festal calendar, the Talmud explains that a lunar year was never calculated as having more than 10, nor less than 4, 30-day months. That means that a lunar year actually only had 350-356 days, not 360.
During a typical 3-1/2 year period, therefore, in order to adjust for the actual solar years to keep the calendar straight, an additional
leap month of Adar was thrown in to make things balance. This not only means that 3-1/2 lunar years in this situation is not usually
“1,260 days”, but neither is it usually “42 months”—it’s actually 43 months! (“1,290 days” might simply just be a 3-1/2 year period
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Overview of Harpazo
with a leap month of Adar—1,260+30=1,290.) In other words, these are probably not all time periods starting and stopping at the
same time but instead are used to communicate different aspects of the Last Days. (This brief synopsis does not do justice to what is
more fully explained in the book, but I don’t want to permanently side-track us here.)
Correcting Ourselves
This all came about because one day, as I sat here taking Jacob’s dictation, he said something he has said a thousand times, I
have said a thousand times, and probably all of us have said a thousand times: “…the 70th Week of Daniel, which is comprised of two
halves of 1,260 days…” At the end of the day after Jacob left and I began to edit the text and insert the appropriate Scripture references,
I went to look up the “1,260 days” in the Book of Daniel and, to my great dismay and distress, could not find it! Get your concordances
out, kids, Daniel never uses either “1,260 days” nor “42 months”—they are exclusively used by John. And not only are they exclusively
found in Revelation, but it turns out they are used only for very specific things.
It turns out that John only used “1,260 days” with Israel’s escape from persecution in Revelation 12:8 (the woman in the
wilderness) and the Two Witnesses in Revelation 11:3; he only rendered “42 months” in conjunction with the Beast in Revelation
13:4-7 and the Times of the Gentiles trampling Jerusalem in Revelation 11:2. When I showed this to Jacob, and after he’d picked
himself off the floor after realizing our mutual error of using synonyms, he immediately saw something very significant that had eluded
me completely: “1,260 days” is used only with “good” guys (Israel and the Two Witnesses) whereas “42 months” is only used with “bad
guys” (Antichrist and the nations).
As we did further research, we quickly discovered the common teaching that “42” is the number most often associated with
apostasy. It was 42 youths taunting Elisha over the rapture of Elijah whom the bears came out and snacked on, 42 places the unfaithful
generation stopped at in the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land, 42,000 apostate Benjamites whom the whole of Israel
came against and killed, 42 sons of an unfaithful king of Northern Israel whom Jehu, God’s assassin, killed. “42”, derived at by multiplying the number of man (“6”) times the number of perfection (“7”) so as to represent spiritual corruption is assigned exclusively in
Revelation by John to the Antichrist and rebellious nations’ trampling of Jerusalem. There is something very spiritually significant not
only when these mathematical quantities overlap and stand apart between Daniel and Revelation, but are teaching us something
worth paying attention to far more than just trying to make a calendric chart of the End Times balance out.
If we are going to teach an eschatology devoid of biblical error, I believe it begins by no longer treating as synonyms these
terms and quantities which were never actually synonyms to start. This hermeneutic replays itself throughout Jacob’s book not just in
the area of these critical terms and expressions of time, but in almost every related area over and over again, but I nonetheless embrace
the notion that this is a kind of litmus test we can employ to determine who is/is not properly exegeting Scripture.
Oil In Our Lamps
Ultimately this confirms the importance of the Olivet Discourse teaching of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. (Mt.
25:1-13) Hopefully what this book will inspire is the desperate need for each individual believer to seek an ever-deepening understanding of Scripture by the anointing of the Holy Spirit—the greater meaning to the oil in the lamps. This book is not intended to address
the esoteric arguments of the scholars and scribes, but hopes to generate within each rank-and-file believer the greater need to be ever
more immersed in God’s Word so that the Apokalypsis—“the unveiling” will not merely be about timing, but take root in our most
basic Christian behavior.
In Him,
Danny Isom
[email protected]
See Elsewhere in the Newsletter for Details on
Ordering Harpazo or visit the Web Site at
www.moriel.org
for this or more books.
12
How to Discern, Test & Judge
Rightly
In running a web site with thousands of articles, 1-2
million hits per month from all over the world, and hundreds of
e-mails per week, I have come to realize, with time, that there is a
terrible problem in Christendom today. The problem stems from
an existential subjective view of the world that has filtered into the
church from secular society, but also from the teachings of heretical wolves who have taught an entire generation of churchgoers
completely unbiblical methods of discernment or to get rid of any
discernment altogether.
Let me start out this article by telling you what methods
are being used for "discernment" today that don't have biblical
support, then I will move on to the ways in which the Bible does
tell us to test teaching, prophecy and actions.
The following criteria are what many people who call
themselves Christians are using to test reality and truth today:
(1) Experiences, manifestations
(2) Feelings, emotions
(3) Numbers of followers
(4) Numbers of people who claim to be saved
(5) The size of a church or movement
(6) Signs and wonders, purported miracles (whether real or false)
(7) Subjective testimonies
(8) Hearsay and rumors
(9) How successful and rich a teacher is
(10) If a person speaks with authority
(11) The atmosphere of a meeting
None of the above criteria being used by many churchgoers today are cited in the Bible as ways we are to test, discern and
judge rightly.
Experiences
Experiences and manifestations can be from many sources; physical, emotional, mental, paranormal/demonic, or from the
Lord. ALL experiences need to be tested against the testimony and
teachings of the tried and true written word of God. "Slain in the
spirit" is an occult technique imported into Christianity, and has
nothing to do with what we are taught in the Scriptures. The
prophets, Apostles and Jesus Christ did not do it or teach it as
something that should be done. If you have an experience, you had
better check the source. Think twice before you submit to people
laying hands on you for whatever reason.
Feelings
Mormons made the "burning in the breast" standard fare
for their followers, but now a large cross section of Christendom
has been taught to judge everything by similar criteria. Modern
Christians are, for the most part, not being taught to submit to the
Word of God -- but rather to the way they feel emotionally. The
phrase "I think" has been replace by the phrase "I feel". This is
partially due to influences from the New Age through movies like
Star Wars. But in the last twenty years teachers in the Church have
taught a whole generation to rely on their feelings.
Emotions are a part of the realm of the flesh and the mind
(soul). Emotions can be used by God, but often they are a way for
the enemy to get Christians away from the truths of the Bible and
gain a foothold in their lives.
Numbers Of Followers
Many leaders have large numbers of followers, including
cultists and other religious "gurus". In fact some of the most popular leaders, who have the most followers, are not Christian. Numbers of followers is not a good test of the authenticity of a leader or
his ministry.
Numbers Claiming Salvation
Ultimately, only God knows who is saved. Believers can
certainly tell if people are false prophets and heretics and must be
rejected, but we are not the ultimate judge of their salvation. One
fact is certain. When someone claims to be saved they will
evidence the fruit of the Spirit, believe in and teach sound
doctrine, and not make false prophesies.
Church Size
Church size means nothing in the realm of discernment.
God looks for quality over quantity, regardless of what "apostles"
like C. Peter Wagner claim: "... we ought to see clearly that the end
DOES justify the means. What else possible could justify the
means? If the method I am using accomplishes the goal I am
aiming at, it is for that reason a good method. If, on the other
hand, my method is not accomplishing the goal, how can I be
justified in continuing to use it?" (C. Peter Wagner, "Your Church
Can Grow - Seven Vital Signs Of A Healthy Church", 1976, pg.
137. - emphasis in original)
Quantitative judgments are of men. The size of a church
could be due to God blessing a ministry and people being truly
saved or due to the oratorical skills of a preacher. Big clubs are not
necessarily good clubs. Church size is no way to test a ministry.
Signs And Wonders
Signs and wonders are a dime a dozen today and have just
as many evidences in false churches the occult as they do in
biblical Christianity. Jesus did state that those who saw him
perform miracles should have believed, though for the most part
they did not. They couldn't even tell the signs of the times (Matt.
16;1-4). People today love to be able to claim they saw or experienced a wonder or miracle from God. Perhaps this is because they
want to feel like they have been touched by God personally, are
holy, or simply want to be accepted by their peers. If you are going
to claim you have seen or experienced a miracle from God, then
that miracle must be held up to biblical criteria to prove it is a
biblical Divine healing as opposed to many other forms of healing.
I cover this subject later on in the chapter called "Test Everything".
True believers are careful not to use deceptive methods, to lie
about experiences and signs, in order to gain converts.
2 Corinthians 4:2 Rather, we have renounced secret and
shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the
word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly
we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of
God.
Subjective Testimonies
Testimonies are nice and can even be an inspiration (if
they are true), but they are also inherently subjective. In other
words, they are hard, if not impossible, to prove objectively,
unless incontrovertible proof exists. Don't allow testimonies,
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How to Discern, Test & Judge Rightly
uplifting as they may be, to get in the way of biblical methods of
testing. Don't rely on testimonies to shape your belief system. Just
as you would test a cake to see if it is done by manually inserting
a toothpick, instead of relying on the good smell of the cake and
the feelings you get from it's aroma, don't use subjective methods
to test stories--use the objective Word of God.
Hearsay
Most stories are being passed along today as hearsay. They often
gain a little here and there until they have been blown all the
way out of proportion from the original account. Don't pass
along rumors, gossip and stories unless you check them out
thoroughly. In this day and age of the Internet, that has become
a much easier task, so there is no excuse to avoid researching
claims from all angles. Don't just take people's word for it. Do
the math yourself.
Success Of A Teacher
Anyone can be successful given the tools, the gifts, the
right connections and the right circumstances. Some of the most
godly men and women in the church have been dirt poor. Don't
be swayed by rich televangelists. They have often raised their
money off the backs of the less fortunate, the naïve, the hopeless,
the poor, the fatherless, the widows. True success is not measured
by money, power, number of followers, or any of the criteria of the
"American Dream". Man looks on the outside, but God looks on
the heart. We can get a pretty clear picture of the heart of a
person if we test what they say and what they do against the
Scriptures.
Apparent Authority
Many men and women are capable of speaking with
authority. It can be a natural gift, a demonic gift or a gift from
God. But it is no way to test whether a person is a true or false
teacher. Authority can be put on, learned, acted. True authority
from God is accompanied by true teaching, true prophecy and
the fruit of the Spirit.
Atmosphere
Benny Hinn claims he needs an "atmosphere" to do his
"miracles".
Interviewer: If Benny Hinn is real, he'll go into the
hospitals and cure everyone there.
Benny Hinn: "I've been told that many times. What I
tell them is quite simple. Healing most times needs an atmosphere of faith. I have gone to hospitals. I've done it actually many
times or people's homes and pray for them. Most times, they
cannot get healed. … God's people make it happen; bring this
atmosphere of faith ..." (Benny Hinn, interview by Marla Weech,
of WFTV , "Inside Central Florida")
When did the Apostles need an atmosphere to heal?
Beware of testing meetings by the atmosphere created
there. Like and Amway meeting or halftime at a football game,
an atmosphere can be manipulated. God does not need an stadium full of screaming Benny Hinn fans burning with fleshly
passion to move. What He requires is simple obedience to His
Word.
BIBLICAL DISCERNMENT
There are three important biblical ways in which we are
to use discernment.
(1) Test all teaching for sound doctrine, and especially against the
core doctrines of the Faith as laid down in the sixty six books of
the Bible (see the chapter "Know What You Believe").
(2) Test all prophesies to see if they are biblical and if the predic-
14
tions of a prophet all come true.
(3) Test their lives, words and actions for the fruit of the Spirit.
TEST THEIR TEACHINGS
The Church and individual Christians, are commanded
by the Lord to reject false teachers -- heretics.
Titus 3:10 A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject; (KJV)
A heretic is defined by Peter as one who lays error alongside of
truth, secretly introducing destructive heresies.
2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just
as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce
destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought
them-- bringing swift destruction on themselves.
Christians are to reject those who preach a false gospel because
they are condemned by the Lord..
Galatians 1:8-9 But even if we or an angel from heaven should
preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be
eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If
anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let
him be eternally condemned!
Even Paul, a foundational Apostle, encouraged his listeners to test
his teaching against the written Word of God, and he stated that
those who teach must not "go beyond what is written.".
Acts 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the
Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and
examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
1 Corinthians 4:6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to
myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the
meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you
will not take pride in one man over against another.
Believers are to be discerning.
Phil. 1:9-11 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more
and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able
to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day
of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through
Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God.
Proverbs 15:14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth
of a fool feeds on folly.
Proverbs 17:24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's
eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the
ears of the wise seek it out.
Proverbs 28:7 He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a
companion of gluttons disgraces his father
Proverbs 3:21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;
Why do we test teaching against the Scriptures? Because
we are commanded to remain in sound doctrine, to keep the faith
and to follow the teachings of the prophets, Apostles and Jesus
Christ.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up
with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will
gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their
itching ears want to hear.
Titus 1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has
been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and
refute those who oppose it.
Titus 2:1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.
False teachers are liars and do not remain in sound doctrine.
1 Timothy 1:10 for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and
liars and perjurers -- and for whatever else is contrary to the sound
doctrine
TEST THE SPIRITS
We are warned by the Lord to test every spirit because
many false prophets have gone out.
1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets
have gone out into the world.
How do we test the spirits? By comparing what they are teaching and
prophesying to the Scriptures, and if they are living in the fruit of the
Spirit. How do we do that? First we must be a believer in Christ to
test anything rightly.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and
perfect will.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the
faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?
Then we test our own words and actions to be sure we are in the
Faith and in sound doctrine.
Galatians 6:4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take
pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else,
How much are we supposed to test? Everything.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.
JUDGE RIGHTLY
Are we to judge? Certainly. We are not to judge hypercritically (Matt. 7:1) -- in other words, judging someone while
doing the same thing ourselves. We are not the final judge of
anyone's salvation. But we are to judge what people teach and
prophesy. Paul commanded those who listened to him to judge
what he was saying.
1 Corinthians 10:15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves
what I say.
We must learn to judge rightly, now, because someday
we will judge the earth and the angels with Christ.
1 Corinthians 5:12-13 What business is it of mine to judge those
outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge
those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."
TEST THEIR PROPHECY
We are to test prophecy to see if it comes true and is
biblical. A true prophet is 100% accurate because he worships
God in Spirit and in truth and speaks the truth. We must reject
false prophets and remove them from the assembly of believers.
Duet. 13:1-5 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears
among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and
if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says,
"Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us
worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or
dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you
love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the LORD
your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his
commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That
prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and
redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from
the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must
purge the evil from among you.
False prophets may have a good track record, but they
are never 100% accurate. However, they may be able to fool
people into thinking they do. That's where the teaching test
comes in, and why it is listed as the first test of discernment.
Some prophets can look really good, but if they are teaching
heresy you can be sure it is a test from God to see if you will "love
Him with all your heart". John tells us that if we love the Lord we
will obey His commands (John 14:21, 15:10; 1 John 5:2-3; 2 John
1:6). The Bible commands us over and over again to test, discern
and judge teaching, prophecy and fruit. We must reject heretics
who are unrepentant. If we do not obey the Lord in this, we are
proving that we do not really love Him.
Deuteronomy 18:20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my
name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who
speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."
We don't put false prophets to death today, but we are to remove
ourselves from their presence.
Deuteronomy 18:22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the
LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD
has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be
afraid of him.
The Lord is against those who give false prophesies.
Jeremiah 23:32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false
dreams," declares the LORD. "They tell them and lead my people
astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They
do not benefit these people in the least," declares the LORD.
1 Corinthians 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How Jeremiah 27:15 'I have not sent them,' declares the LORD. 'They are
much more the things of this life!
prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you
will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.'"
We are told by the Lord to judge those inside the Church
because God judges those outside. We are to reject heretics and Those who follow false prophets will share in their judgment.
expel wicked men from the assembly of believers because if they
are allowed to remain they will leaven the whole lump.
Jeremiah 5:31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their
own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do
15
in the end?
Jeremiah 23:31 Yes," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets
who wag their own tongues and yet declare, 'The LORD declares.'
Jeremiah 27:15 'I have not sent them,' declares the LORD. 'They are
prophesying lies in my name. Therefore, I will banish you and you
will perish, both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.'"
Ezekiel 13:9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false
visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor
will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the
Sovereign LORD.
tions, they do not have the fruit of peace or self-control. If they are
cocky mockers they do not have the fruit of gentleness.
Gal. 5:18-25 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity
and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits
of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness,
orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live
like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its
passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step
We are not to even listen to false prophecy.
with the Spirit.
The Lord will cut off anyone who does not bear fruit.
Jeremiah 23:16 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not This means anyone who does not have the fruit of the Spirit and
listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with has not been doing the will of the Father.
false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the
mouth of the LORD.
John 15:2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while
every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more
False prophets are often those who claim they had a dream or a fruitful.
vision of the Lord or from the Lord.
CONCLUSION
Jeremiah 23:25 "I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy
Finally, we must understand that those who are false
lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!'
teachers, false prophets, without the fruit of the Spirit are a blight
on true Christianity. We must separate ourselves from them.
False prophets are actually using divination and the delusion of Rom. 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause
their own minds instead of communicating with God.
divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned;
and avoid them
Jeremiah 14:14 Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are Eph. 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them darkness, but rather reprove them
or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divina- 2 Thess. 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord
tions, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.
Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that
Ezekiel 22:28 Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false walketh DISORDERLY, and not after the tradition which ye received
visions and lying divinations. They say, 'This is what the Sovereign of us 2 Tim. 3:5,7 Concerning the last days, he says that some will
LORD says'-- when the LORD has not spoken.
have "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. From such
turn away" for such people are "never able to come to the knowledge
TEST THEIR FRUIT
of the truth"
Matt. 7:15-20 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in 2 John 10:11 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine,
sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed For he
you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds"
figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad 2 Cor. 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye
tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree separate, saith the Lord, and touch no the unclean thing; and I will
cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut receive you
down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize Jude 1:12 These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you
them.”
without the slightest qualm-- shepherds who feed only themselves.
The final test is to compare the words and actions of any They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees,
teacher or prophet with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians without fruit and uprooted-- twice dead.
5:18-25. Notice that the passage above comes right after the We all were once in darkness. Now that we are in the light we must
passage most "Christians" quote today to try to make a case that walk in the light, rejecting darkness.
we are not to judge at all, namely Matt. 7:1. If you read on you Eph. 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the
realize that "judge not" is not to be applied to every situation. The Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all
Bible has specific criteria on how to judge and how not to judge. goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
In judging fruit, it is also helpful to look at the list of things in Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather
Galatians 5:18-25 that are the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit. expose them.
If a person falsely prophesies, even once, they are likely
using divination and false visions. Are they trying to build a This article is part of Sandy Simpson’s book and DVD series
following and promote themselves, gaining fame? Then they likely called “Discernment Toolkit”. You can learn more about these
have "selfish ambition". Do they promote "drunk in the Spirit"? materials at these links:
That's the sin of "drunkenness". If they are stripping the poor of
their money with crooked money-raising schemes, that's not the http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/toolkitbook.html
fruit of kindness. If their meetings are marked by wild manifesta- http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/toolkitdvd.html
16
Update From Sandy Simpson
Dear Friends,
I want to first of all thank you for your prayers and
support through our move from Oahu to North Carolina.
This was one of the most difficult moves I have ever made,
even more difficult than our move from Oregon to Guam in
1989 and our move from Guam to HI in 1999. It was a monumental task to make the arrangements for both ourselves
and my mother for new living arrangements, bank accounts,
utilities, flights, travel, vehicle shipping for us and finding a
way to unload my mother’s leased car, etc. We also had
concerns that the Bible study groups we started in HI and
have been teaching for 16 years would have a way to continue.
I am pleased to let you know that two of the pastors in our
studies volunteered on their own, without our prompting, to
continue to meet together as a mixed island group using our
Bible study materials (which are available on my Apologetics
Coordination Team site at http://www.apologeticscoordinationteam.com/biblestudies.html). The following pictures are
from our last get together as our
house was being packed up.
We had a lot of setbacks
on this journey including not
having our small container picked up on the day scheduled.
While we were enroute to NC the longshoremen on the West
Coast decided to strike and we were no longer able to get any
date for the arrival of our household items, which included
my computers, materials for sale, guitars, music and many
other things that were of great value to us. It was also stressful for us to go by faith to Los Angeles, hoping our van would
be there when we got there, having made a whole two weeks’
worth of scheduled plans. We had decided to ship the van to
Long Beach from HI because it was way cheaper to ship it
there and drive it across to NC, plus we had a number of
people we wanted to visit along the way. We were very thankful to the Lord that He made sure our van was there and we
could keep our schedule. The van actually arrived over a
week earlier (fortunately before the longshoreman strike
began) and we were looking at paying a storage fee or even
having the van towed to another location adding an additional towing fee. I called our shipper and she went to bat for me
and even got them to totally drop the storage fee charges. I
gave them a five star review on YELP.
We were very blessed to be able to visit with Pastor
Mark Quintana of Devore Community Church in CA and
also Jacob Prasch who was still there after filming some
promotion for his book at the church. We had good productive conversations and I offered my help in video editing for
Moriel when I got my equipment up and running again. We
also visited my uncle and aunt in Amarillo, TX, a couple in
Tulsa, OK who had attended our church in Hawaii and the
wife worked with Josiah on a number of drama presentations
there. Both of them wrote plays and acted in them. We also
got a surprise call from Rose’s brother Steve in Arkansas who
invited us to take a detour to visit him. It had been a long
time since we had seen him and it was really nice to finally
meet his boys and wife there. We then proceeded to drive to
Wadesboro. The house we had reserved and were paying rent
on for a few months (while still paying rent in HI) was everything we had hoped it would be. The only problem is that we
had very little in it. But Rose’s brother Roger and wife Marlene, who only live 5 minutes from our new home, helped us
by providing many necessities and the ladies from their
church also donated items so that we could make it.
It was bitterly cold
when we arrived and it
has been, I am told, the
coldest season on record.
Roger showed us a
storage facility that does auctions of items left in storage units
but also sells a huge amount of items in their warehouse
between auctions. We were able to pick up a number of
furniture items for $10-$20 dollars, many of them. We are
still getting our house together but the Lord has been
gracious to us all the way. Meanwhile we were awaiting any
news of our container which was originally scheduled to be
her on 2/10. Finally our stuff arrived on 3/1. It was pouring
down freezing rain and they only sent one man to deliver. He
brought it in an 18 wheeler which could not fit down our
rather long driveway. So I had to quickly call Rose’s brother
and we began to haul the stuff ourselves to the porch of our
house. Another man from their church came over and
brought his truck as well, so the Lord again provided.
Since that time we have been working on getting
things sorted and set up. I am gradually turning on my
equipment one piece at a time and have yet to test my video
editing equipment. But we continue to trust the Lord. I am
amazed that nothing got broken or stolen along the way. The
Lord knows I need this equipment to continue to keep in
contact with people, to do the apologetics ministry I have
been doing on the web since 1996, to be able to produce and
edit video and audio projects, to continue to produce Bible
study materials and books on relevant subjects, and to
perhaps be able to travel and speak at churches and conferences within the 48 states (something that I could rarely
afford to do before from HI). This move has been a test of
our faith and God has proven faithful at every turn. I have
learned again what David wrote about when he said: Psalm
27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for
the Lord. Sometimes the Lord allows us to wait but it is for
our benefit that we might be strong and take heart. That is a
lesson I relearned on this trip. Pray that well will be a blessing
here but that also the ministry of apologetics I am doing will
continue to have a ripple effect around the world.
We appreciate your continued prayers and support.
They have not been in vain.In His hands, Sandy Simpson &
family
17
Men of Faith Comparison
There are many kingly
prophecies about the Messiah, which the people expected their Messiah to fulfill.
These "Son of David prophecies," are for Jesus' second
coming, when He will reign
victoriously over the whole
world. In His first coming
Jesus nonetheless did typify
aspects of David's life, which
will be shown in the chart
after this one. But, there are
also the "Son of Joseph
prophecies,"
which
he
fulfilled in His first coming.
Jesus was the son of Joseph,
his earthly and legal father,
the husband of Mary. Being
the son of Joseph, he typified
many aspects of another
Joseph, the favorite son of
Jacob.
Based on the audio message "One
Messiah, Two Comings" by Jacob
Prasch
You search the Scriptures
because you think that
in them you have eternal
life; it is these that
testify about Me
John 5:39
18
Jesus
Joseph
Jacob loved Joseph more than all of his sons
(Genesis 37:3)
T he Messiah the son of Joseph (Jesus) was
the beloved of His Father (Matthew 3:17)
Joseph dwelt with his father and was sent by
his father to seek the welfare of his brothers
(Genesis 37:13 -14)
Jesus dwelt with his Father and was sent by
His Father to seek the welfare of his
brothers (Philippians 2:5- 7)
Joseph testified about the sins of his
brothers and they hated him (Genesis 37:2)
Jesus testified about the sins of His brothers
and so they hated Him (John 7:7)
Joseph foretold that he would rule and was
hated even more (Genesis 37:5)
Jesus foretold that He would rule and was
hated even more (Matthew 26:64)
Joseph was rejected by his Jewish brothers
and betrayed by them into the hands of the
Gentiles, but God turned it around and made
it into a way for all of Israel and the world
to be saved
Jesus was rejected by his Jewish brothers
and betrayed by them into the hands of the
Gentiles, but God turned it around and made
it into a way for all of Israel and the world
to be saved
Joseph was tempted, but did not sin
(Genesis 39:12)
Jesus was tempted to the utmost, but did not
sin (Matthew 4:1- 11)
Everything that Joseph did God caused to
prosper (Genesis 39:5)
Everything that Jesus did God caused to
prosper (Isaiah 53:10)
Joseph was falsely accused
Jesus was falsely accused
Joseph was condemned with two criminals
and prophesied that one would live and one
would die
Jesus was condemned with two criminals
and prophesied that one would live (go to
Paradise); and the other having rejected
Jesus would go to hell
Joseph was betrayed by his brother Judah
for twenty pieces of silver (Genesis 37:26 - 28)
Jesus was betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces
of silver (Matthew 26:14 -15)
Joseph had a servant's heart
Jesus had a servant's heart
Joseph was forgotten by those he helped
(Genesis 40:23)
Jesus was forgotten by those he helped
(Luke 17:17- 18)
Joseph was a wonderful counselor (Genesis 41:39)
Jesus is a wonderful counselor (Isaiah 9:6)
When Joseph told people the things of God
people told him he was out of his mind
(Genesis 37:19)
When Jesus told people the things of God
people told him he was out of his mind
(Mark 3:21)
Upon exaltation Joseph took a Gentile bride
Allegorically, upon exaltation Jesus took a
Gentile bride (the church)
Joseph went from a place of condemnation
to exaltation in a single day
Jesus went from a place of condemnation to
exaltation in a single day
The people were told to do what Joseph bid
them to do (Genesis 41:55)
The people were told to do what Jesus bid
them to do (John 2:5)
When Joseph was exalted every knee had to
bow to him (Genesis 41:43)
When Jesus is exalted every knee will bow
to him (Philippians 2:10)
Joseph was not recognized by his brethren
the first time
Jesus was not recognized by many Jews in
His first coming even though He was their
Messiah
His brothers recognized Joseph at their
second coming and wept bitterly
(Genesis 45:4;14)
Jesus will be recognized at His second
coming and the Jews will weep bitterly
(Zechariah 12:1-10)
Men of Faith Comparison
The following comparisons are adapted from:
http://www.bible-history.com/old-testament/types-joseph.html
Joseph's brothers conspired against him (Genesis 37:23)
They took counsel against Jesus (Matthew 27:1)
They stripped Joseph of his garments (Genesis 37:23)
They stripped Jesus (Matthew 27:28)
All things were laid into Joseph’s trust (Genesis 39:4-8)
God hath given all things into his hand (John 3:35; 13:3; 16:15)
Joseph was bound (Genesis 39:30 )
Jesus was bound ( Matthew 27:2 )
Joseph was 30 years old when he was exalted in Egypt and
ministered to people (Genesis 41:46)
Jesus was "about 30 years of age” when he began his ministry
(Luke 3:23)
The following comparisons are adapted from:
http://www.hannoveribc.com/clientimages/25727/chronological/extrasjanuary/
60similaritiesbetweenjosephandjesuspink.pdf
Joseph was a shepherd (Genesis 37:2)
Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10)
Joseph won the respect of his jailer (Genesis 39:21)
Jesus won the respect of a Roman centurion standing at the cross
(Luke 23:47)
Joseph was seated on the throne of another and ruled over Pharoah’s
house with his word.
Jesus shares the Throne with His Father and rules over the Father’s
household by and through His word.
Not many years after rejecting Joseph, his brethen had to leave their
homeland.
Not many years after rejecting Jesus their Messiah, his brethen,
the Jews, had to leave their homeland.
Jacob believed that his son was dead, not knowing that he had
been exalted over all the house of Pharoah.
Many Jews believe that Jesus is simply dead, not knowing that He
has been exalted as Lord over all the world.
Joseph became the sole distributor of bread to a perishing world
(Genesis 41:55)
Jesus is the sole distributor of the Bread of Life to a perishing world
(Acts 4:12; Matthew 17:5; John 6:35)
A New Earthling
Last month after almost eight years of marriage, our first child was born! It's so amazing to see
him in the flesh. Thank you God! Thank you all for your prayers, too. His name?...
--Micah (Who is like God?)
Micah was one of the pre-exile prophets at about the same time as Isaiah. The book of Micah
also has some great verses, such as: "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." (Micah 5:2) "He hath shewed thee,
O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8) --Berekiah (God blesses)
--Wycliffe
We like this name, because John Wycliffe gave the Bible to the common people and also stood against the false doctrines of Roman
Catholicism.
--Octavian
This is not after the emperor's name, but because this name means "the 8th." This was our 8th attempt at IVF, and also next month
will mark 8 years of our marriage.
--Noble (our last name)
Yes, all of these names (=! In Thailand they also use nicknames for everyone. Avian is his nickname (from Octavian), and maybe
Bear, too (from Berekiah).
A friend told me about how he gave each of his children a psalm. He would often read that psalm to this child when putting them to
sleep, when correction was needed, when encouragement was needed, etc. This sounded like a good idea. I've chosen psalm 81 for
our son to be "his psalm." Of all of the psalms that I've put to music, this is the one that Khae likes best. Our son took 18 months to
get here-- 9 months frozen, and then 9 months in the womb! And, 9 times 9 is 81, his psalm. Just an interesting math way to
remember this psalm.
Children's Classes
We see some definite improvements in some of the children's attitudes. Two of the boys who required a lot of attention before are now
coming to study with us with good attitudes. Some of the other children continue to be tempted away from our class by the online
game shop.
19
Thailand Update
Last Christmas we broke the old record of having 28 people in our truck-- the new record is 29.
That was on a Sunday when they had a Christmas drama at church. On Sundays the children get
about two hours of Bible lessons, so I'm surprised and thankful to God that they come in such large
numbers. Our regular attendance is lower than that though. Some children come for a short while
until the novelty wears off, and for the Shan people working construction they often have to move to
new locations, so sometimes we don't know where they move to, but we have a core group of regular
children.
Of these regular attendees one boy has made a definite decision that he wants to be a Christian and
become baptized. All of these children come from Buddhist backgrounds. Some of the other children believe in Jesus, but are not yet
ready to take a stand for Him. This young fellow is 13 years old and has already read through the entire book of John and Romans on
his own. The first time that we went to the Shan work camp in July of 2013, we met him. When I gave a gospel presentation using
balloons he volunteered to be Adam. There's a picture of him here from 2013.
Swimming Upstream
In Thailand there's a lot of peer pressure in the culture so that children and people in general will rarely do something
ALONE. Only if their friends come with them, they will go. This is true of our classes also. At each location where we pick children
up, if other children are not free that day, the others, even if they are free, will often choose not to come. This kind of behavior was
also very common at the university where I used to teach. Some people would pass by the opportunity to go to heaven, simply because
their friends were not interested. For this reason I've been impressed with the one boy in our group who wants to be baptized. He's
standing alone and is not ashamed of Jesus in a culture that rarely does that.
Last month Khae gave an extended version of her testimony for the children. The children listened
well and heard an example of someone coming from a Buddhist family, like themselves, but who now is a
dedicated Christian.
Parents of Children
At the end of January we went to talk with the father of one of the boys who had been skipping our
class in order to go to the online game shop. I told him about some statistics in America of children and
teenagers who played violent video games and then went out and actually acted out the violence in real life.
We told him we're concerned about his son. Since that time his Dad has been more supportive and insisting
that his son come study with us. This boy who usually was a trouble maker has become more polite. He
was sick one week and told me later that he prayed to God for healing. He also watched the video "Light of
the World," and had a lot of good questions afterwards.
Since talking with this one father, another set of parents at the same location also has started to
encourage their two sons to come to our classes.
Leviticus 19:17 "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour,
and not suffer sin upon him."
This quarter we started a Bible study for the parents of the children from several of the families also.
They are from Burma (Shan) and are construction workers. They've invited us into their one room home,
made from two-by-fours, plywood, and metal sheeting. We don't have time to reach out to all of the parents
of the children we teach (the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few), but teaching the classes for the
children is a witness to the parents already and sometimes we give the children tracts to take home. We
wanted to do more than that though, so we started visiting two sets of parents to teach them from the Bible.
Now we alternate between going to one camp one week and another camp another week to teach
the parents from the Bible, including the parents of the boy who wants to be baptized.
Women's Prison
At the beginning of 2014 one of our students became a Christian. Then, we did not see her for
many, many months. I saw her late in the year in passing through the hallway, and she said she was moved to a different area, but that
she's still reading the Bible. That was encouraging. At the end of the year we had about 35 students. They listened respectfully when
we taught the Bible, but only one of them has expressed real interest in giving her heart to Jesus. Maybe there are others who are
considering though, and we pray for them. And, we rejoice and pray for this one who is very close to being born-again. This year we've
been given a new group of 35 students.
Loy Grathong Festival
On November 6th, was the main day for the Loy Grathong Festival here. That's a festival where people put small floats into
the river, supposedly releasing their sins and negativity into the river, and also paying respect to the "goddess of water." For others it's
just a time of entertainment, and they don't think about the spiritual meaning. I went with Jallay to hand out tracts there. We gave
tracts to monks, soldiers, firemen, and ordinary folks. In total we gave out 300 Thai tracts and probably more than 300 Shan tracts.
We also stopped at an Israeli restaurant for a late dinner and gave out a couple of tracts there to some Israelis.
Getting used to our "new normal" here, gratefully. Peace in Christ, Scott, Khae, and Micah.
20
Moriel Isr ael Update
Political Developments
In another week or so, we have a general election here for
the Knesset. Some of the electoral campaign shenanigans are amusing in a twisted kind of way. Shas an ultra-orthodox party, put out
a poster which says (referring to the other parties) "Atem lo skushfim", meaning "You are not transparent". Shas is probably our
most corrupt party bar none, and their current leader Aryeh Deri
is a convicted criminal who did time for embezzling millions of
shekels of public money! The fact that a man like Deri is actually
allowed to run for public office, is pretty eye-popping, but this is
our Jewish state and sometimes our political process reads like a
purimshpiel. Deri's rank dishonesty and embezzlement was public
knowledge for years before his parliamentary immunity was lifted
and he was prosecuted. Perhaps they are trying to say that they are
transparently corrupt as compared to their electoral opponents.
Also on the political front, a quiet earthquake is taking
place. As you may be aware, the Arab parties in our Knesset are
notoriously anti-Israel, with some Arab MK's like Haneen Zoabi
openly avowing support for Hamas. In any normal country this
woman would be on trial for treason, but this is Israel. This alone
is bad enough, but this year all these Israel-hating Arab parties are
burying their differences to form a united bloc in order to grab a
larger share of the vote, and thus more Knesset seats, which is
worrying.
However, only last year, the government authorised the
creation of a new ethnicity. Now certain qualifying Arabic-speaking Christians can register themselves as Aramaeans and not Arabs.
This means that these Arabic-speakers can divorce themselves from
the whole anti-semitic Palestinian narrative clung to by many
(even Israeli) Arabs, and instead declare their loyalty to the state of
Israel. This change in status was due at least partly to the efforts of
Orthodox priest Gabriel Nadaf, who not only affirms his support
for the state of Israel, but does not mince his words about organisations like Musullakha and its founder Saleem Munayer, whom
Nadaf clearly states are hiding their pro-terror sympathies behind a
mask of "reconciliation" between Arab Christians and Messianic
believers. It is refreshing to hear our own concerns about Musallakha and its leader echoed in Arab voices.
Not only so; now some Aramaeans are wanting to run for
Knesset office on a Zionist ticket, as either candidates in the main
Jewish party lists, or form their own pro-Israel Aramaean parties.
But it doesn't even stop there, there are news reports of Muslim
Arabs who have come out in support of Israel, wanting their
children to serve in the IDF and even desiring to run for office on
a Zionist platform! This is completely staggering.
This tiny group of Aramaeans and pro-Israel Muslims, is
at the centre of a furore out of all proportion to their numbers. Of
course they are automatically unpopular with the those who
identify as Palestinian Muslims, but they are very unpopular with
Palestinian Christians as well, who despise them as being traitors.
Nadaf's son was badly beaten up not long ago, and death threats
and harassment are not uncommon. They may pay a high price for
their choice, and they need our prayers, not only for their protection and encouragement, but as they bless Israel that the LORD
would bless them with salvation.
away, time soon to break out the fans ready for the warmer weather. Winter is a time for doing indoor things, writing, reading and
such. So we have begun to translate a number of Yakov's videos
into Hebrew, by means of subtitles. At the moment we are concentrating on some short videos produced by GV247. These are
available on our Moriel Israel YouTube Channel, and should
eventually be embedded into the main Moriel Hebrew Web site as
well. Subtitles for each video are available in Hebrew or English.
For some time I had great difficulties in making the subtitles work
properly, the subtitling software I had was not intended to work
with Hebrew text and weird stuff kept happening! I have now
found a method that achieves passably good results so we should be
be putting up a number of these every month, but it is a time-consuming process. First I have to transcribe the sound track in
English for each one, after that it is sent off for translation, and
then the subtitles and annotations have to be added and
synchronised.
We now also have a presence on Google+ as well, where
we will post items of interest from time to time and updates links
to stuff etc. I have also connected a Blogger account to this where
I will be posting stuff, that I have lined up. Feel free to drop in.
What might be of interest to Moriel followers is that very many of
Yakov's tapes and videos are now freely available on YouTube. A
young lady called Hazel Allen has uploaded about 360(!) of them
to her YouTube channel, this is a great resource for Moriel materials.
Our Friends and Local Contacts.
We would always covet your prayers for the salvation of
our friends, and that our circle of them would grow, but at this
time particularly for D and T, our two friends who are asking most
of the questions. Please pray for them, that their seeking would not
stop at intellectual curiosity, but that the LORD would deeply
convict them of their need for Him, and awaken a hunger to know
the truth; and for us, that the LORD would grant us wisdom to
speak the right words in season to these precious people.
Another Round of Leafleting.
This spring we are continuing on with our leafleting
project in the Galilee area. Initially we plan to print another batch
of the current leaflet, but after this we would like to develop the
leafleting outreach more, partly by producing some new materials
and resources more suited to the Moriel perspective than the ones
we are using at the moment, but also to expand our field of operations. Please pray for us, that the LORD would guide and enable.
Theological Propaganda
The political events in the Arab community are not the
only astonishing thing. I could say the same about transcripts for
some recent editions of the "Berean Call" radio show that I read.
Now before I go any further, let me emphasise that what I am
about to write is about doctrines and hermeneutics, not people. I
testify from personal experience that Dave Hunt's books the
Seduction of Christianity and Beyond Seduction, were great helps
in awaking me personally to the errors of the Word of Faith Movement in the 80's; and Dave's book "What Love is This?" is a great
resource to people who are struggling with, or have been afflicted
by Calvinitis. It lays out very clearly what Calvinism is all about,
Local News
using Calvnistic authors own words; which is exactly why its oppoMoriel Israel YouTube etc.
nents hate and malign it so much. This was Berean Call at its best.
Well another winter is now over; with the longest cold
So it was particularly tragic to read these transcripts. Each
spell that we can remember. We have just put the paraffin heater of then was littered with scripturally unsubstantiated claims,(1)
21
which is bad enough, (however, I have read enough Pretrib material by now to become used to that): but, there were some
statements made, especially in the interviews with Thomas Ice(2),
that were particularly problematic.
Ice: You know, it’s amazing to me that no one articulated the substitutionary atonement of Christ until a thousand years in church history
with Anselm. Their view in the early church was closer to Benny Hinn,
you know? It was called the “ransom to Satan” theory. No one that we
know of articulated the doctrine of justification by faith until Martin
Luther came along for 1,500 years! And it led to a schism, you know,
within the church, thank God…
References to substitutionary atonement can actually be
found in early writers such as the 2nd letter to Diognetus, the
writings of Athanasius, Chrysostom and Eusebius etc. But
ultimately there is the testimony of Scripture.
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, THE JUST FOR THE
UNJUST, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." 1 Pet,. 3:18
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus: Whom God hath set forth TO BE A PROPITIATION
THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, to declare his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.
Rom. 3:23-25
But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that
raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who WAS DELIVERED
FOR OUR OFFENCES, and was raised again for our justification.
(Rom. 4:24-25)
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED
BY HIS BLOOD [substitutionary death], we shall be saved from
wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall
be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Rom. 5:8-11
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; . . . he was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are
healed . . the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all . . . . he
was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my
people to whom the stroke was due . . . it pleased the LORD to bruise
him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an
offering for sin, . . . by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous
servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities . . . . because
he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors.
And to this we could argue that the whole OT sacrificial
system teaches us about substitutionary atonement.
In addition, what Anselm actually articulated was not
Substitutionary Atonement per se, but the Satisfaction Theory of
Atonement, where he posited that the injury done to God's
honour and glory by mankind's sin was rectified by the death of
Christ, who paid the debt to God's honour that man owed.
Perhaps Ice is confusing this with the Penal Substitution Theory of
Atonement, where Christ suffers the punishment for every sin of
man.(3)
However regardless of the above; it is clear that Ice, by his
claim that certain Atonement Theories were not fully articulated
for a considerable time, would thus have us accept that there
22
should be no barrier to our receiving a Rapture Theory that only
appeared in the 1830's. However, he is here glossing over or omitting a fact of critical importance: whatever aspect of Atonement is
emphasised by any of the various theories; its substitutionary
nature is clearly and explicitly taught throughout the Scriptures in
numerous places, as shown above. The same can be said for the
doctrine of Justification by Faith, this can be found throughout the
Bible, and is most explicit of course in Paul's Epistles; indeed, it is
so ubiquitous in the New Testament, that it would be superfluous
to give references here. Both Substitutionary Atonement and
Justification by Faith, are explicit teachings of the Bible, derived by
exegetical method from in context statements of Scripture. We
must not forget this or allow it to be glossed over, because this is
the real issue that is at stake.
The Pretribulational Rapture on the other hand; never
was, nor is it now, in any shape or form, exegetically or contextually derived from any verse in the entire Bible; all of the verses it uses
as proof texts have to be severely contorted or quoted out of
context to arrive at a predetermined Pretrib conclusion. As we have
repeatedly stated, even its own proponents readily concede that it
is a doctrine based solely upon "inference",--which brings us to
another comment from the transcripts.
T.A. McMahon: Now, however, and I want to talk about this: now,
we believe in, you know, the objective Word of God. We believe in
literal interpretation. But when we look to Scripture, yes, we want the
verse. We want to see the verse clearly, objectively, and so on. But we
also believe in EXTRAPOLATION. In other words, a number of the
doctrines – you know, I think you mentioned this before we started
recording; we were talking about something like the Trinity and so on.
You can’t find that term. But we find so many other verses that we can
put together that form a clear doctrine.
Now, the part that we don’t want to go – we don’t want to go beyond
that to speculation. So we can accept, you know, what a verse says
clearly and distinctly, but we can also extrapolate a number of other
verses to put together a solid teaching, a solid doctrine of the church.
Now, it’s speculation where we draw the line. Would you agree with
that?
While admittedly, the teaching on the Trinity is more
scattered throughout Scripture, and it is less explicitly taught but
rather assumed as a "given" by the NT writers; nevertheless the
reasoning behind the doctrine can be inductively derived from
contextual exegesis of explicit statements or facts made in the
passages used to support it. Here are just a few samples;
Jesus undoubtedly claimed to be the YHWH and his
hearers understood that is what he was saying.
He accepted the worship of the disciples.
The angels are said to worship him.
He explicitly claimed to one with the Father.
He explicitly claimed to have glory with the Father before
the world began.
Many, many OT texts describing YHWH are explicitly
applied to Jesus.
The Spirit is revealed to be a personal being, who works in concert
with the Father and Son. Divine attributes are explicitly ascribed to
Him in numerous places. He shares a name with the Father and
the Son.
These things found in the very warp and woof of the New
Testament. Scripture does not have to be twisted to arrive at some
kind of Trinitarian conclusion.
Extrapolations and Self Contradictions.
The "extrapolation" statement is actually very revealing,
because in spite of Ice's claim that:
. . .if you remove pre-Tribulationalism from the New Testament epistles, it’s like trying to unravel a piece of cloth, or pull
a thread out of the cloth, you know? It just doesn’t work because
it’s embedded, and a lot of people just don’t take the time to
understand that later on in 1 Corinthians, it’s called a mystery,
meaning it’s a new revelation, see?
and McMahon's claim that:
" . . It was in the Bible all along" and "And there’s so many verses
that support that. And the thing that shocks me, . . . is that people
are saying, “Oh no, this is some kind of esoteric, secret…you know,
this isn’t there, they’re making it up,” and so on. it’s as clear as it can
be."
They actually admit that it is only obtainable by extrapolations. The question is then: If it is so "clear as it can be", not
"esoteric"or "secret" and so "embedded" why the necessity to
resort to "extrapolations" in order to arrive at it? This is completely
self-contradictory:--and why does this seem to be the only doctrine
in modern evangelicalism that is given special dispensation to
based on extrapolation/inference alone?
A doctrinal basis that is established upon exegesis and
honest handling of the biblical text, is what separates orthodox
biblical Christianity from the cults, and the likes of "Kenny and
Benny". The Pretribulational Rapture is indeed problematic, but is
it an outward symptom of an underlying malaise that is far more
disturbing; an indicator of how willing we are to bend the Word of
God to suit our wishes?
It is not biblical hermeneutics that we see in these radio
interviews, but theological propaganda masquerading as biblical
doctrine. The praises of literal interpretation are sung, and speculation is decried; but it is all too readily apparent that this is lip-service; for to do homage to the Golden Calf of Pretrib theory, literal
interpretation must be deposed, context summarily executed and
"extrapolation" usurp their place to provide an apologetic for a
doctrine which orthodox hermeneutical method can not. If this is
not in actuality "esoteric" or "secret" I don't know what is. Without the extrapolative tradition/magisterium of the Pretrib "elders"
this doctrine simply cannot be arrived at. Scripture warns us very
clearly about "making the Word of God of none effect through our
tradition."
When we try to create or sustain a doctrine with the kind
of methods exemplified in these radio interviews;--are we not in
essence saying that we love our favoured notion more than the
truth that God has explicitly stated? When we show an unwillingness to honestly handle God's Word, because to do so would deal
a death blow to our pet theories; are we not actually revealing that
we have at least in some measure departed from love of the truth
and prefer a lie? This is serious enough for us on a personal level,
but what for teachers of the Word? --are they not even more
accountable?
There has been quite a lot written on the "Apostasy equals
Rapture" teaching that is so enthused over in this interview. Its
utterly baseless nature has been well and truly documented (4); I
am astonished that this canard keeps being repeated by Ice, as he
does again in these broadcasts. The "Apostasy equals Rapture" is
way out beyond the speculation Ice claims to want to avoid, it is
pure fantasy; but such is the nature of spiritual deception, it will
take us to places, that if we escape it to look back from the outside,
we shake our heads in wonder that we actually ran with such
nonsense. I know, because I have been in that place myself.
Many years ago, when I was walking in the false doctrines
of the Word of Faith movement; there was a point when I began to
experience a sense of misgiving about the way WOF teachers were
handling Scripture; but at the same time the doctrine was very
appealing. Initially I tried to avoid listening to or reading anything
that would contradict it, but that internal disquiet would not go
away. One day a dear friend, who saw clearly WOF for what it was
and had been praying for me, handed me a copy of "Seduction of
Christianity". I really did not want to read that book! But at that
point I knew I was being presented with a choice: I could ignore
my misgivings and carry on in that which was exciting and pleased
my flesh; or I could read the book. The message of the book did
sting somewhat; but in its wake it brought great joy. New light
broke forth from the Scriptures as the deluding mists were blown
away, and this point in time marked the beginning of my understanding of what it means to "rightfully handle the word of truth".
Over time since then, a serious amount of theological demolition
went on, as ideas, practices and teachings that could not be exegetically substantiated were disposed of; but what I gained has always
been well worth the cost. The hermeneutical principles that I
began to learn at that time, when applied, have also been of
tremendous benefit in preserving and protecting me from the
Apostasy that has mushroomed in our midst since then.
These interviews worry me, because they may be a sign
that the Pretrib camp is simply ignoring calls to sharpen up on
their hermeneutic, and is instead closing its ears so that it may
blithely continue on with these cult-style interpretive methods.
Will we soon observe even sharper declinations from biblical truth,
of which this "Apostasy equals Rapture" claim is but an early
symptom? Will it come to pass that in a wilful refusal to return to
sound hermeneutics they will veer every deeper into error and
ironically, eventually be found fulfilling the prophecy of 2 Thess.
2:3 in themselves? I truly hope not, because I shudder to think
where I would be today if I had chosen other than I had;--if I had
not hearkened to the voice of the LORD. I thank God for that
woman who prayed for me and kept "getting on my case" about
Word Of Faith, even if I did not want to hear it, and who ultimately gave me the book that was such a life changer.
I heard recently, that some, even among Pretrib's big
names,--are beginning to entertain reservations about it. This is
very encouraging, it means that God is answering prayers for these
our brethren. We need to continue to pray earnestly for them and
for friends and associates who are ensnared by this doctrine, that
their hearts be soft to the truth, that they make the right choices,
even if it costs them dearly in prestige, finance and following. Let
us also pray for courage for all those leaders who know Pretrib to
be serious error, but are afraid to come out of the closet.
Many truly godly men preach this error in sincerity, I
count a number of precious friends among them. Let us in all
humility, lift these brethren up to the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion. Elon and Hadas Moreh
1. I intend to deal with some of these issues on the Blogger site, because there are too many of
them for this article.
2. The transcripts for the Radio shows in question can be found on the Berean call site under
the December 2014 boadcasts "What about the Rapture?".
3. I think it fair to say that substitutionary atonement is explicitly declared in the Scriptures,
and it appears that through Church history the differing views of atonement that arose, were
more to do with the details of what substitution actually entailed not over the fact of substitution itself. The Atonement is a multifaceted concept and it accomplished a number of different
things; while the New Testament is clear over what Christ's death has accomplished, the
question of how it did this is not really emphasised.
4. Yakov has dealt with this on a number of occasions, and this was also covered in a previous
Moriel Bulletin.
23
Moriel Philippines Update
Grace and peace be unto you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This month of March is the end of school year of our children who receive a regular assistance
from our Moriel Programs . We have Christian John Advincula who will graduate from High School
on March 27. Then we have four children who will graduate from Elementary - Marivic, Maricel,
Marites and Ramonaliza. On recognition day ceremony some of our children will receive awards honors and tops of their respective class.
We have already finished the repairs of the roof of the Sunday school room. We have transferred the
kitchen to a new area which is closer to the feeding room. We have constructed the generator
house and set in the generator machine. Since January 2015 up until now we are experiencing
weekly electric power interruption. Thank you so much, the generator set served us good in
times of Feeding sessions and on Bible Study sessions.
Let us pray for some of our young children. May the Lord grant them willingness to attend the
Christian Summer Camp this coming March 30 to April 3.
So far, some of our dump children gained weight which is a sign of good health, but some need
more attention and care.
Jason, Christian John, Joren, and Benben are the teachers who teach the younger children
every Saturday Children's Bible Study, while Loureanne and Angela are the teachers every
Sunday Bible Class. All of the children are always present in Saturday Bible Study, Sunday Bible
class and Chapel Hour.
Let us continue to pray that the generation of these children will become useful in the Lord's work.
Thank you so much for all your prayers and support for us. Please extend our gratitude to all
our supporters. May the Lord God continue to bless all of you.
Sincerely in Christ,
Ptr. Paul
24
Moriel CD Inventory
This is our master CD listing up to date. This reflects our current inventory. Should you wish to order any title on this list,
single CD’s are $5, 2-CD sets $10, 3-CD Sets $15 and so on. All titles are single discs unless noted in the description.
CDJP0001 Abraham’s Journey
CDJP0002 Simchat Torah
CDJP0003 Caveats of the Olivet Discourse
CDJP0004 Christian Cults
CDJP0005-6 Pop Psychology in the Church 2CD SET
CDJP0007-8 Who Do You Say I Am? 2CD SET
CDJP0009 Sold Out or Sell Out
CDJP0010 Mezuzot-The Doorposts
CDJP0011 When God Speaks
CDJP0012 The Birdcage
CDJP0013-15 Study of Timothy 3CD SET
CDJP0016 Babylon Revisited
CDJP0017 Fundamentals of Ecclesiology
CDJP0018 Israel, Islam in History & Prophecy
CDJP0019 What the Reformers Forgot
CDJP0020 What the Spirit Explicitly Says
CDJP0021 Jeremiah 51
CDJP0022 Spirit of the Antichrist
CDJP0023 Rose Between Two Thorns
CDJP0024 70 Weeks of Daniel
CDJP0025 Iron and the Clay
CDJP0026 The Theology of Conversion
CDJP0028 Cross Cultural Mission
CDJP0029 Fellowship
CDJP0030 Jesus in the Garden
CDJP0031-32 Hanukkah 2CD SET
CDJP0033 Men Not Like Other Men
CDJP0034-40 History of the Church in Britain 7CD SET
CDJP0041 Twin Pillars of Madness
CDJP0042 Reign of King Asa 2CD SET
CDJP0043-44 Devil’s Algebra 2CD SET
CDJP0045 The Burning Bush
CDJP0046 Hope for the Hopeless
CDJP0047 The Bride of Christ
CDJP0048 Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Error
CDJP0049 Jacob’s Trouble in the Last Days
CDJP0050 Phases to Freedom
CDJP0051-52 Fundamentals of Ecclesiology 2CD SET
CDJP0053-54 Jehu-God’s Assassin 2CD SET
CDJP0055-61 Thanatology-Death and Afterlife 7CD SET
CDJP0064 This Generation
CDJP0065 When God Writes
CDJP0066 Leviticus 18
CDJP0067 Those Who Drift
CDJP0068 Ephesus Autopsy
CDJP0070 Song of Solomon
CDJP0071 Who Killed Jesus?
CDJP0072 Strength of the Ox
CDJP0073 Second Sin of David
CDJP0074-75 Shadows of the Beast 2CD SET
CDJP0076 The Day of the Lord is Near
CDJP0077 Dressed and Ready
CDJP0078 Noah and Lot Revisited
CDJP0079 Future History of the Church (Overview)
CDJP0082 Vow of the Nazarite
CDJP083 Children of the Harlot-Hosea 1&2
CDJP0084 Jehoida the Priest
CDJP0085 Amos 8 Past Present and Future
CDJP0086-87 What the Spirit Expressly Says Concerning the
Last Days 2CD SET
CDJP0089 Things Satan Wants You To Wrongly Believe
CDJP0090 Order of Melchizedek & The Royal Priesthood
CDJP0091 Reductio Ad Absurdum
CDJP0092 Leviticus 21-The Living and the Dead
CDJP0093 What the Spirit Expressly Says…Single CD
Version
CDJP0094 Kingdom Now & The Restoration Movement
CDJP0095 Jesus in the Talmud
CDJP0100 One Messiah Two Comings
CDJP0101 When They Burn The Scroll
CDJP0102 Chink in the Armor
CDJP0103 Judgment Day is Coming
CDJP0104 Do Not Be Deceived
CDJP0105 All That Can Be Shaken
CDJP0106 Attack on the Remnant
CDJP0107 Christ The Foundation
CDJP0108 Psalm 23 From The Hebrew
CDJP0109 Signs of the Rapture
CDJP0110 Deception in Evangelicism
CDJP0111 Deception About World Peace
CDJP0112 Jesus-A Prophet Like Moses
CDJP0113 What is Hanukkah?
CDJP0122 Typology of the Dietary Laws
CDJP0124 Who Are the Jews?
CDJP0125 Who Are the Palestinians?
CDJP0126 What’s Wrong With Judaism?
CDJP0127 False Prophets/False Teachers
CDJP0128 Death of Reason
CDJP0129 Upon This Rock
CDJP0130 Unity: Where Does God Draw the Line?
CDJP0131 Unless You Eat this Flesh
CDJP0132 Woman at the Well
CDJP0133 Nothing New Under the Sun
CDJP0134 When the Truth Becomes a Lie
CDJP0135 What’s Wrong with the Church?
CDJP0136 Who Doesn’t Support Israel and Why
CDJP0138 Antichrist 3CD SET
CDJP0139 Palestine: Fiction or Reality?
CDJP0140 Oil In Your Lamps
CDJP0141 Strange Fire
CDJP0142 Final Jewish Revolt in 2nd Century A.D.
CDJP0143 Jerusalem and the Coming Temple
CDJP0144 Jerusalem: The Dwelling Place of God
CDJP0145 The New Jerusalem
CDJP0146 Stars That Shine 2010 Update
CDJP0147-148 Current Events-Things Coming 2CD SET
CDJP0149 The Great Church Robbery
CDJP0150-151 The Seven Woes 2CD SET
CDJP0152 The Last of the Kings
CDJP0153 Iran and Prophecy
CDJP0154 2 John-In Love and Truth
CDJP0193 Appealing To Caesar-Peter
CDJP0194 Diligence in Holiness-Joshua 7
CDJP0195 Election of Israel
25
Moriel CD Inventory
CDJP0196 Typology of the Temple
CDJP0197 The Nut Shell
CDJP0198 Israel and the Coming Temple
CDJP201-207 Gospel in the Last Days 7CD SET
CDJP0208 Book of Ruth
CDJP0209 Jehu-God’s Assassin Single version
CDJP0210 Stars That Shine 2005 Version
CDJP0211 Road to Damascus
CDJP0212 Book of Esther
CDJP0213 The Grain Offerings
CDJP0214 The Prayer God Will Answer
CDJP0215 Day of the Lord
CDJP0216 Christ Crucified
CDJP0217 Dilemma of Laodicea
CDJP0218 Thanksgiving Message
CDJP0219 Ships of Tarshish
CDJP0220 David & Goliath
CDJP0221 End of the Road
CDJP0222 What is the Millenium?
CDJP0223 Will Israel Survive?
CDJP0224 What is the Day of Lord?
CDJP0225 The Approach of Day of Lord
CDJP0226 Aberrational Eschatology
CDJP0227 Come Let us Reason Together
CDJP0228 The Hallel Rabah
CDJP0229 When an East Wind Blows
CDJP0230 Those Who Will Be Ready
CDJP0231 The Last Revival
CDJP0232 Hope in Times of Suffering
CDJP0233 Sojourning in the Wilderness
CDJP0234 Parable of the Wedding Feast
CDJP0235 Right of Ordeal, Law of Jealousy
CDJP0236 Zeal of Phineas
CDJP0237 When Korah Rebels
CDJP0238 Lamentations
CDJP0239 Nehustan-The Anatomy of Idolatry
CDJP0240 The Plastic Bible
CDJP0241 Is It Nothing to You?
CDJP0242 Are There any Signs?
CDJP0243 Beware of the Wolves
CDJP0244 Ezekiel’s Scroll
CDJP0245 Gideon’s Army
CDJP0246 Understanding Judaism pt. 1
CDJP0247 Just as in the Days of Noah
CDJP0248 Understanding the Apostasia
CDJP0249 The Road to Emmaus
CDJP0250 Persecution is Coming
CDJP0251 Honest Questions for Muslims
CDJP0252 An Unjust Balance
CDJP0253 Prelude to Jude 10
CDJP0254 Devil’s Geometry
CDJP0255 Isaac Son of Promise
CDJP0256 John the Baptist
CDJP0257 Habakkuk-Judgment and Hope
CDJP0258 Biblical Demonology
CDJP0259 God’s Master Covenant & Dispensational
Theology
CDJP0260 Thou Shalt Not Ask!
CDJP0261 The Belt of Truth
26
CDJP0262 The Judgment of Satan
CDJP0263 The Nature of Laodicea
CDJP0264 Pedion ha Ben: Consecration of the Firstborn
CDJP0265 Death of Absalom
CDJP0266 God’s Will and Man’s Opinion
CDJP0267 End Times Vectors
CDJP0268 A Different Jesus, Spirit, Gospel
CDJP0269 The New Galatians
CDJP0270 The Theology of Revisionism
CDJP0271 The Furnace of Affliction
CDJP0272 Jeremiah 23: Synopsis of Old Testament
Eschatology
CDJP0273 Blow the Trumpet, Sound the Alarm
CDJP0274 Behold the Days Come Saith the Lord
CDJP0275 The Scarlet Cord
CDJP0276 Not Even A Minyan
CDJP0277 Hidden In Plain Sight-The Invisible Enemy
CDJP0278 Horses and Footmen
CDJP0279 Three Sons of Isaiah
CDJP0280 The Ninth Judge
CDJP0281 Children of the Light
CDJP0282 Roots of Babylon
CDJP0283 A Society Unaware
CDJP0284 Oholah and Oholibah
CDJP0285 Revivals That Went Wrong
CDJP0286 The One Way Conversation
CDJP0287 The Real “Lord’s Prayer” 2CD SET
CDJP0288 The East Gate
CDJP0289 The Boiling Pot
CDJP0290 The Devil is in the Details
CDJP0291 He is Risen!
CDJP0292 Marriage and Divorce
CDJP0293 Gray Areas
CDJP0294 The Ten and the Forty
CDJP0295 Tell the Many For the Sake of the Few
CDJP0296 Yoma: Day of Atonement
CDJP0297 Signatures of Satan
CDJP0298 Beelzebub: Master of the Flies
CDJP0299 Last Days: Danger to the Church 2CD SET
CDJP0300 Storga: Family Love
CDJP0301 Broken Cisterns
CDJP0302 Evidence for the Resurrection From A Jewish
Perspective
CDJP0303 The Woman and the Leaven-Zechariah 5
CDJP0304 Israel and the Choice of God
CDJP0305 Israel and the Covenant of God
CDJP0306 Euraquilo 2CD
CDJP0307 Play the Man
CDJP0308 The Silver Trumpets
CDJP0309 Year of Jubilees
CDJP0310 Elektos
CDJP0311 The Real Noah
CDJP0312 Red Heifer & The Reproach of Christ
CDJP0313 Kicking Against the Goad
CDJP0314 Pattern of Saul
CDJP0315 Charming the Snake
CDJP0316 The Perfect Bride
CDJP0317 A Good Jewish Lawyer, Doctor and Accountant
Moriel DVD Inventory
This is our master DVD listing up to date. This reflects our current inventory. Should you wish to order any title on this list,
single DVD’s are $10, 2-DVD sets $20, 3-DVD Sets $30 and so on. All titles are single discs unless noted in the description.
DVDJP0001 The Devil’s Algebra
DVDJP0060 The New Jerusalem
DVDJP0002 Abraham’s Journey
DVDJP0061 When and Why Babylon Destroyed Jerusalem
DVDJP0003 The Iron and the Clay
DVDJP0065 When God Writes
DVDJP0004 Reign of King Asa
DVDJP0066 Leviticus 18
DVDJP0005 Spirit of Truth and Spirit of Error
DVDJP0067 Those Who Drift
DVDJP0006 The Burning Bush
DVDJP0068 Ephesus Autopsy
DVDJP0007 Fundamentals of Ecclesiology
DVDJP0069 Christ the Foundation
DVDJP0008 Jehu – God’s Assassin
DVDJP0070 Attack on the Remnant
DVDJP0009 Phases to Freedom
DVDJP0071 Honest Questions for Muslims
DVDJP0010 The Last Revival
DVDJP0072 Why We Think the Way We Do
DVDJP0011 Sold Out or Sell Out
DVDJP0073 Future History of the Church
DVDJP0012 The Judgment of Satan
DVDJP0074 Upon this Rock
DVDJP0013 Caveats of the Olivet Discourse
DVDJP0075 Thanksgiving Message
DVDJP0014 Paul at Mars Hill–Truth About Binding and
DVDJP0076 Synagogues of Satan
Loosing
DVDJP0077 Come Let Us Reason Together
DVDJP0015 What the Spirit Expressly Says About the Last Days DVDJP0078 When Korah Rebels
DVDJP0016 David and Goliath
DVDJP0079 Show Me
DVDJP0017 Sons of Zadok
DVDJP0080 Ships of Tarshish
DVDJP0018 Second Sin of David
DVDJP0081 New Wine in New Wine Skins
DVDJP0019 The Grain Offering
DVDJP0082 End of the Road
DVDJP0020 Road To Emmaus
DVDJP0083 Shiloh
DVDJP0021 Nehustan-Anatomy of Idolatry
DVDJP0084 Ein Harod-Tel Dan
DVDJP0022 Book of Esther
DVDJP0085 Twin Pillars of Madness
DVDJP0023 Day of the Lord is Near
DVDJP0086 Psalm 23
DVDJP0024 Strength of the Ox/Amos 8
DVDJP0087 Roman Catholicism-Is It Biblical?
DVDJP0025-26 Shadows of the Beast 2DVD SET
DVDJP0089 Israel, Palestinians and Human Rights
DVDJP0027 Jewish/Arab Reconciliation in Christ
DVDJP0090 Christian Cults
DVDJP0028 Elijah-A Man Who Could Make it Rain
DVDJP0091 Paul At Thessalonica
DVDJP0029 Divine Aristocracy
DVDJP0092 Devil’s Geometry
DVDJP0030 Makshafut
DVDJP0093 Future of the Endtime Church
DVDJP0031 Jesus-A Prophet Like Moses
DVDJP0097 Right of Ordeal, Law of Jealousy
DVDJP0032 Israel, History and Prophecy
DVDJP0098-99 Paul and Philippi 2DVD SET
DVDJP0033 Death of Reason
DVDJP0100 Parable of the Wedding Feast
DVDJP0034 Judges 1 & 2
DVDJP0101 Understanding the Apostasia
DVDJP0035 Last Days of Saul
DVDJP0102 Rescuing Your Loved Ones From the Deception of
DVDJP0036 Hope for the Hopeless
Talmudic Judaism
DVDJP0037 Belt of Truth
DVDJP0103 Rescuing Your Loved Ones From Key Errors in the
DVDJP0038 Just as in the Days of Noah
Evangelical Church
DVDJP0039 One Messiah, Two Comings
DVDJP0104 Death of the Unsaved
DVDJP0040 Kashrut and Famine
DVDJP0105 Blow the Trumpet Sound the Alarm
DVDJP0041 Revivals That Went Wrong
DVDJP0106 The Great Church Robbery
DVDJP0042 Children of the Harlot-Hosea 1 & 2
DVDJP0107 Behold the Days Come Saith the Lord
DVDJP0043 Jehoida The Priest
DVDJP0108 The New Galatians
DVDJP0044 Death of Absalom
DVDJP0109 End Times Vectors
DVDJP0045 Jacob’s Trouble & The Last Days
DVDJP0110 A Different Jesus, Spirit and Gospel
DVDJP0046 Spiritual Warfare
DVDJP0111 Theology of Revisionism
DVDJP0047 Days of Deception
DVDJP0112 The East Gate
DVDJP0048 Psalm 23 From the Hebrew
DVDJP0113 The Real Lord’s Prayer 2DVD SET
DVDJP0049 Bible and False Interpretations
DVDJP0114 The Boiling Pot
DVDJP0050 Heresy and Biblical Authority
DVDJP0115 The Ninth Judge
DVDJP0051 The Scarlet Cord
DVDJP0116 Oholah and Oholibah
DVDJP0052 Stars That Shine 2010
DVDJP0117 Not Even a Minyan
DVDJP0053 What is the Day of the Lord/The Approach of the DVDJP0118 The Devil is in the Details
Day of the Lord
DVDJP0119 The Ten and the Forty
DVDJP0055-56 Things Coming Current Events 2DVD SET
DVDJP0120 Tell the Many For the Sake of the Few
DVDJP0057 The Final Jewish Revolt in 2nd Century A.D.
DVDJP0121 The Woman and the Leaven-Zechariah 5
DVDJP0058 Jerusalem and the Coming Temple
DVDJP0122 Israel & The Choice of God/Israel & The Covenant
DVDJP0059 Jerusalem: The Dwelling Place of God
of God
27

Moriel News - Harpazo (~3.4 MB)

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