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The
Reflections Newsletter
Monday, June 28, 2010
**In This Issue**
- The Prophets to
the Gentiles
- What Does the Bible Say About...?
Welcome to the
Reflections Newsletter from Reflect His Glory. RHG is a co-ministry
with Creation Science Ministries. Feel free to send this to your relatives
and friends.
The Prophets To The
Gentiles
Did you know that there are
at least three prophets in the Old Testament who were called specifically to
prophesy regarding the Gentiles? In
our studies, we see that most of the Bible deals with history,
both past and future, and through the "lens"
of Israel. However,
there are three short books
that focus on Gentile history, and each has a specific application to you and me
today.
The Biggest Miracle
Perhaps one of the biggest miracles in the Old Testament is found in the book of
Jonah. Now, I know
what you are thinking; however, the miracle
to which I am refering does not
involve a whale... Close, but no cigar.
God called Jonah to minister to Nineveh, which had served as the capital of the
world for several centuries. Nineveh was the bitter enemy of Israel, so instead
of obeying God by going to Nineveh, Jonah boarded a ship bound for Tarshish.
But, as you know, God had other
plans, and after some motivational
training, Jonah finally reached the great
city.
When Jonah arrived in Nineveh he did not present a polished, "seeker friendly"
sermon. God had declared that the
Ninevites were 40 days
away from being destroyed. Jonah went
through town proclaiming something like, "40 days and you'll get yours!"
He was hoping they would
get wiped out. Jonah's biggest fear was that God might spare them.
In fact, went up on a hill and pouted when God did spare them.
What I find interesting is that
Jonah did not preach repentance. He simply announced their
impending doom. Now here comes the miracle: within those 40 days, the king
of Nineveh
speculated that, just maybe, if they repented, God might change His mind.
They did repent, and There were not
destroyed. But we know
that God knew that they would repent, and He would let them live, for a time.
From the king on down, they put on sackcloth, the
traditional ritual for repentance, and cried out to God.
The king put on sackcloth and ashes, and he proclaimed that the people
also put sackcloth
on the cattle. The repentance of Nineveh is
astounding when you think about
it. It was perhaps one of the greatest miracles in the Old Testament.
When Nations Die
The book of Nahum comes some one hundred years after the prophecy of Jonah.
This
book tells the conclusion of the saga of Nineveh, where God spared
the city and population from
destruction for an entire century.
Nations and empires actually do have "life cycles." Many historians
have studied this throughout the years and they all have come to about the same
conclusion: the life cycle is about two centuries.
The populace all seem to go through
the same life cycle: "from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to
great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from
abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency;
from dependence back again into bondage." (Alexander
Tyler, 1750)
Where are we in this cycle? If you take a close
look at our history here in the United States, we, too, have gone from bondage to spiritual
faith; from faith to great courage which established our precious liberty,
which, in turn, has given us unprecedented abundance that has made us the envy
of the world. This abundance, however, has led to complacency and apathy. If
you were to ask the average person,
"What is the biggest problem in America? Is it
ignorance or is it apathy?" They will probably
answer you with, "I don't know; and I
don't care!"
This apathy will ultimately lead to dependency, and then return us to the very
bondage from which the founding of
this nation broke. Robert Bork was right
when he said that, "The only hope for America is a grass roots revival."
Is
America ripe for judgment? Billy Graham quipped many years ago, "If God doesn't
judge America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!" Thomas Jefferson
summed it up well: "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just;
and that His justice cannot sleep forever."
Israel's Enemies
Today, the enemies of Israel are on the front pages of every newspaper and newscast.
You
may be surprised to learn that they are also summarized,
and prophesied about,
in the shortest book of the Bible, the
Book of Obadiah.
Although specifically directed against Edom, the scope of the little book
of Obadiah may
surprise you. In fact, an
over-review of this book covers far more than simply some
ancient tribal animosities:
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What are the prophetic roles of Ammon, Moab, and
Edom (now known as Jordan)?
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Why does Edom escape the rule of the
Antichrist?!
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What is the purpose of the Great Tribulation?
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Where
does Jesus return? Is it on the Mount of Olives,
or in Bozrah?
Reading is fun... Don't you think so?
What Does the Bible Say About...?
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In this section of the
Reflections Newsletter we answer questions that have been asked.
If you have a question that you would like ask, and do not mind having
it printed in the newsletter, (your name will not be mentioned), feel free to
send your question in an email to me at
biblequestions@reflecthisglory.org. Of course, you may call me
anytime by phone at 801-302-1111.
The question for this issue is, "In
reading Scripture, one gets the impression that God has two 'wives', Israel
and the Church. Doesn't this illustration make God appear to be a
polygamist?" |
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While it is true that both Israel and the Church are
portrayed in this fashion, I hope the following will help to clear will up any
confusion.
In chastising ancient Israel, the Prophet Jeremiah conveyed
the displeasure of the Lord when he said:
Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband,
so have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, says the Lord.
Jeremiah 3:20 KJV ER
The love of a husband for a wife is also used to illustrate
the love that Christ Jesus has for the Church. The Apostle Paul said:
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave Himself for it; Ephesians 5:25 KJV ER
Despite the fact that God's love for both Israel and the
Church has been so compared, it is not accurate to refer to God as a polygamist.
Several things must be kept in mind. First, God transcends His creation.
His love is so deep and so wide that He can love a multitude of people with an
even deeper measure of love than we humans. Because of our
limitations, we can only reserve our love for one person. That being
said, there is a very important distinction between Israel and the Church.
Israel is called 'Wife', and the Church is called the 'Bride'. More on
this later.
Although polygamy was practiced by early man, and even
allowed by God, it invariably produced problems for those who practiced it.
Undoubtedly, this is why God encouraged monogamy for mankind. Look at
Genesis 2:24 and note that the word "wife" is used, and it is not plural.
Secondly, in the prophetic scenario, Israel and the Church
will eventually become one 'wife', as Israel and the Church are grafted into one
body:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor
free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28 KJV ER
When Christ Jesus returns, virtually all of Israel will
embrace Him as their Messiah.
And so all Israel shall be saved. Romans 11:26
KJV ER
Later, when we enter the eternal state, the New Jerusalem,
home of the saved of all ages, Jews and Gentiles alike, are described as the
'bride' of Christ', as well:
And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down
from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I
heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with
men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself
will be with them, and be their God. Revelation 21:2-3 KJV ER
One more statement about the Church being the "bride of
Christ:" Israel is not called the 'wives' of God. Likewise, the
Church is not called the 'brides of Christ." As Israel is considered
corporately as one, so is the Church. The bride of Christ is one entity,
comprised of all believers from all of time, Jew and Gentile, one bride to be
one wife.
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**MEMORY VERSE OF THE
MONTH**
Jesus
answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up.
John 3:19
KJV ER
We solicit your prayers and support of this ministry. God Bless.
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