Publishing Salvation to Zion - Isaiah 52:7 A ministry of Jewish Awareness Ministries

Transcription

1 Publishing Salvaion o Zion - Isaiah 52:7 A minisry of Jewish Awareness Minisries

2 Ocober 16-25, 2013 Firs Class 10 Days Call for pricing from JFK Airpor in New York (Based on double occupancy) Tour Hoss: Rev. Mark Robinson & Rev. San Rosenhal For more informaion or o regiser Israel s Messenger or online a

3 Mission Saemen Israel s Messenger is a quarerly publicaion of Jewish Awareness Minisries, a Chrisian minisry proclaiming he Messiah o Jew and Genile, preaching he Word of God, and praying for Israel. Minisry Personnel: Jeff and Arlene Berg, Pisburgh, PA Dan and Lois Bergman, Cleveland OH Moshe and Shoshana Gold, Israel Mark and Cheryl Robinson, Raleigh, NC San and Marlene Rosenhal, Raleigh, NC Ken and Joyce Symes, Asheboro, NC Missionary Appoinees: Chris and Tina Eisbrenner, Raleigh, NC Board Members: Phil Golden, Chairman, Pasor Keih Megilligan, Businessman Mark Robinson, Execuive Direcor Ron Scarborough, Businessman Jeff Vaughan, Businessman Duane Wa, Businessman Edior Mark Robinson Design Dolores Teserman Posal Informaion POSTMASTER: Please send address changes o P.O. Box 1808, Angier, NC Subscribe To subscribe o Israel s Messenger, please wrie o Jewish Awareness Minisries P.O. Box 1808, Angier, NC Call Subscripion rae $9.95 per year Conens Elijah and he Passover by Mark Robinson Passover, Easer and he Early Church by Moshe Gold From Abraham s Lamb o God s Lamb by San Rosenhal Apples of Gold by Moshe and Shoshana Gold Sowing he Seed......Reaping he Harves by Dan Bergman by Jeff and Arlene Berg Shadows of he Tribulaion by San Rosenhal From he Direcor s Desk by Mark Robinson Copyrigh 2013 by Jewish Awareness Minisries No maerials conained in his magazine may be reproduced wihou he permission of Jewish Awareness Minisries, Inc. For all permissions wrie Jewish Awareness Minisries, P.O. Box 1808, Angier, NC All Scripure quoaions are aken from he King James Version. Cover Abraham s willingness o sacrifice Isaac sars a progression of God providing His Lamb. I coninues hrough he Passover o Messiah, who is...our Passover sacrificed for us 1 Corinhians 5:7b. Israel s Messenger 3

4 From he Direcor s Desk Dear Friends, Jewish Awareness Minisries has a grea need for a faciliy ha will mee his growing minisry s needs. God has ouched hears and people have given sacrificially o see his happen. I is a blessing o repor ha he funds have come in ha will allow us o build! Praise he Lord! We anicipae being able o build our new 4,500 square foo adminisraion / minisry building wih very lile indebedness. Afer meeing wih our General Conracor, I esimae we have abou 90% of he cash needed o complee he building. The general conracor esimaes we can build for abou $404,000. This price is based on our doing some of he labor as well as savings we expec from differen rades who have eiher cu heir coss or are donaing heir work. When he building is complee, esimaed o be summer, 2013, we will need addiional funds o furnish he offices, kichen, and meeing room. In early February we had our ground breaking. Please see pages 8 and 9 for picures of his special day, and pray ha God would coninue o provide so we have no deb a all when he building is compleed. Our nex our o Israel is scheduled for Ocober 16-25, 2013 deparing from JFK airpor in New York. A rip o Israel can be a highligh of a Bible believing Chrisian s life. We would be blessed o have you join San Rosenhal and myself on his our. Please call or wrie us and we will send you a our brochure. We have limied spos, so ge your deposi in early. This issue of Israel s Messenger focuses on Passover. San Rosenhal has wrien an aricle iled From Abraham s Lamb o God s Lamb. He looks a he evens of Genesis 22 wih Abraham and Isaac and shows he parallels o wha would ake place some 2,000 years laer when God he Faher gave His Son as a sacrifice for he sins of he world. You should find i an ineresing read. challenge your hinking. I have conribued an aricle on Elijah and Passover. I is cusomary for paricipans a a Seder o have a child open he fron door o he home expecing Elijah o join heir Seder. Why is his done? And, wha amazing prayer is read ou of he Passover Haggadah in he Elijah secion? I hope you find my aricle ineresing. Two of our personnel have conribued accouns of heir sharing Messiah wih Jewish and Genile people. Dan Bergman coninues a repor he firs gave in he Summer, 2012 issue abou Boris. Don miss his updae. Jeff and Arlene Berg share abou Helen, a 99 year old residen a he Jewish Home in Pisburgh. Wha a blessing o read abou Helen acceping he Lord! One is never oo old o come o a saving faih in Jesus. Moshe and Shoshana Gold ell abou an ineresing opporuniy o share Messiah wih an Israeli our guide in heir Apples of Gold column. Their faihful esimony for he Lord is opening up doors o share Jesus wih many Israelis of differen backgrounds. Doris is a our guide ha heard abou Moshe being a believer in Messiah. Her undersanding of Chrisians is Caholics and Orhodox Chrisians, and her guiding of hese groups has reinforced her hinking ha Chrisians hae Jews. Ye, she saw a difference in Moshe! Don miss Moshe and Shoshana s column abou his encouner. San Rosenhal akes a look a he Exponenial Growh of Technology in our lifeime and how i is seing he sage for he coming Tribulaion period. The rapid developmen of new echnology is cerainly preparing he world for evens of he Tribulaion. Read San s houghs in our Shadows of he Tribulaion column. Moshe Gold akes a look a he place of Passover and Easer in he early church. The shif from he celebraion of Passover, in relaion o he Lord s resurrecion, o Easer is informaive. Unforunaely, many churches and Chrisians don see any purpose for Passover oday, embracing Easer as he correc way o remember Jesus resurrecion. Moshe s aricle will Please pray for us and our personnel as we serve Him. We live in exciing imes! In Messiah, Mark Robinson 4 Israel s Messenger

5 Elijah and he Passover by Rev. Mark Robinson Wih anicipaion he young children look oward he door of he home. I is he ime of he Passover Seder when a child goes o he door of he house, opens i, and looks ouside o see if Elijah will join us for his Seder. The hope for many of he children is very real. I led one Seder a which he young girl came back wih a dejeced sigh and proclaimed, He s no here, all he ime anicipaing ha he would be a he door. I is hoped ha Elijah will come o he Passover, so preparaions are always made for him. A place seing is pu on he able. An empy chair is placed in fron of he seing. His wine cup is filled in anicipaion of his presence. Finally, he door is opened. This radiion is cenuries old. Today, i is more of a quain riual empied of all meaning raher han he expecan even i porrays. As many Passover Haggadahs (he book read during he Passover service) poin ou, i is no he coming of Elijah, in and of iself, ha is he focal poin of his annual Passover rouine. Raher, i is ha Elijah will come before Messiah, and he is he herald of his One who will bring peace and redempion o he world. Wha If Elijah Came? Unforunaely, many Jewish people oday have los he hope of he Messiah. For hose sill clinging o his belief, here is confusion and misundersanding on he idenificaion and purpose of Messiah. Elijah s purpose in coming a he Passover is o inroduce us o he Messiah, o prepare, as i were, he way of his coming. Through he years many false Messiahs have appeared on he scene. Some religious leaders have rumpeed heir Messiah as he hope of Israel, only o be disappoined in heir Messiah s failure. The hisory of Israel is liered wih Messiahs who lef heir followers leaderless and disillusioned. One of hese was Shimon Bar Kochba who led an unsuccessful revol agains Rome from A.D. and died a he bale of Bear. He was acclaimed as he Messiah by Rabbi Akiba, he leading rabbi of he day. Anoher, David Alroy, proclaimed o he Jews of Babylon ha he was he Messiah in 1147 A.D., bu was laer killed by his faher-in-law. Shabbeai Zvi, born in Smyrna, Turkey, acquired housands of followers hroughou Europe by He was evenually imprisoned by he Turkish sulan, convered o Islam, and died in exile in The Rebbe, Menachem Schneerson, was he acclaimed leader of he Chabad Lubavich sec of ulra-orhodox Judaism. He was born in 1902 and died on June 12, 1994, a he age of 92. Living for many years in Brooklyn, NY, Schneerson never se foo in Israel. Ye, billboards in Israel, paid for by his followers, were plasered wih he message proclaiming he was King Messiah. Many of his followers, some o his day, believed he was he promised Messiah. Afer cenuries of being misled, Israel ruly needs an auhoriaive voice o speak o his issue. Even more, we are all in need of an impeccable source whereby we can subsaniae he claims of he one assering he is he Messiah. How would Elijah accomplish his goal if he appeared a he Seder? How would he poin us o he Messiah? I believe he answer o his is clear. He would poin us o he wriings of he Hebrew prophes and heir prophecies of he Messiah. The Jewish Bible has many Messianic prophecies ha allow us o examine any Messianic claiman and deermine if he fulfills he crieria laid down by he prophes of Israel. For example, Elijah could menion ha Micah said he Messiah would be born in Behlehem. Bu hou, Behlehem Ephraah, hough hou be lile among he housands of Judah, ye ou of hee shall he come forh uno me ha is o be ruler in Israel; whose goings forh have been from of old, from everlasing, Micah 5:2. Or, he could reference he Hebrew prophe Daniel who foreold wih precise accuracy in Daniel 9:24-27 he ime of he Messiah s coming. And afer 62 weeks shall Messiah be cu off, bu no for himself: and he people of he prince ha shall come shall desroy he ciy and he sancuary..., Daniel 9:26. Daniel 9:25-26 saed ha he ciy of Jerusalem and he Temple would be rebuil, and he Messiah would come during his same ime period - he period of he Second Temple. I is ineresing ha his prophecy also old us ha he second Temple would be desroyed afer he coming of he Messiah, by he people of he prince. This was accomplished in 70 A.D. when General Tius, he son of he Roman emperor Vespasian, led his people (he Roman armies) in he desrucion of Jerusalem and he Temple. Messiah had o come before he desrucion of he Temple in 70 A.D., according o Daniel. Addiionally, Elijah could menion Isaiah s prophecy ha Messiah would be born of a virgin. Therefore he Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, Isaiah 7:14. The Hebrew word used in Isaiah 7:14 for virgin is almah. Almah is used seven imes in he Jewish Bible (Genesis 24:43; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 68:25; Proverbs 30:19; Song of Solomon 1:3, 6:8; and Isaiah 7:14) and always refers o a young woman who is Coninued on page 6 Israel s Messenger 5

6 Coninued from page 5 a virgin. Even Rashi, he highly-revered French Talmudic scholar of he hireenh cenury, believed his verse indicaed a virgin birh. He said, Behold he Almah shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. This means ha our Creaor shall be wih us. And his is he sign: he one who will conceive is a girl who never in her life had inercourse wih any man. Upon his one shall he Holy Spiri have power. 1 Convincingly, Elijah could appeal o he pinnacle of Messianic prophecies, Isaiah 53. Among many deails of he life of Messiah, Isaiah said he Messiah would die, be buried, and rise from he grave for he sins of he people, vs These and many oher prophecies are how Elijah would poin us o he Messiah of Israel. Elijah and he Wrah of God Many Passover Haggadahs have a prayer in he secion of he Haggadah where Elijah is inroduced whose origin and purpose is uncerain. I seems o be ou of place wih he enire evening. Passover is a fesival of rejoicing, singing, and praises o God for His goodness and mercy. This prayer comes from Bible verses and calls for he presen desrucion of he heahen. Here is he prayer. Pour ou hy wrah upon he heahen ha have no known hee, and upon he kingdoms ha have no called upon hy name. For hey have devoured Jacob and laid wase his dwelling-place (Psalm 79:6-7). Pour ou hy indignaion upon hem, and le hy wrahful anger ake hold of hem (Psalm 69:24). Persecue and desroy hem in anger from under he heavens of he LORD (Lamenaions 3:66). Chaim Raphael in his book A Feas of Hisory: The drama of he Passover hrough he ages commens on he prayer of wrah a his poin in he Seder. There is a momen in he Seder ha no one is quie sure abou. The banque is over, bu before resuming he ceremonies, wih he songs in he offing, here is a break. The fron door of he house is opened for Elijah, and wih he door sanding open, a prayer is recied, enirely ou of keeping wih everyhing else a he Seder. The res of he Seder is joy and hankfulness, bu hese hree senences - all from he Bible - are like a burs of anger: Pour ou hy wrah upon he heahen ha have no known Thee... 2 Alhough his prayer migh be incongruous wih he res of he Haggadah, i is very consisen wih he eaching of he Word of God. If Elijah would show up a he door of oday s Seder, he would no be proclaiming a suffering Messiah as Isaiah 53 old us abou. He would no be proclaiming Messiah as he Servan of God. Nor would he be proclaiming Messiah as he Lamb of God. The Bible eaches wo comings of he Messiah! The firs coming is when He appears as he Savior of he world. The One who dies for he sins of Jew and Genile alike. The second coming is when He reurns as he King of kings and Lord of lords. A His second coming He will esablish he long awaied Davidic kingdom on earh. When Elijah appears again, i will be before he coming of he grea and dreadful day of he LORD, Malachi 4:5. Messiah will come no as he suffering Messiah, bu he Lord of glory. He will come no as he Savior, bu as he Sovereign of he universe. He will come no as he Lamb of God, bu as he Lion of Judah, he King of kings. When Messiah comes again He will do exacly as hese verses sae. He will pour ou his wrah upon a world who has rejeced Him. He will desroy he ani-semiic world who have all come ogeher o wipe he Jewish people and Israel off he map (Zechariah 12:1-3, 8-10; Revelaion 12:13). The final, climaic Tribulaion period will ake place and he heahen naions of he world will be desroyed by God, jus as his prayer requess. Elijah s Challenge Elijah s challenge abou he Messiah would be he same challenge made by Bible believing Chrisians oday. The Word of God is he key ha unlocks he ideniy of he Messiah. Believe he wriings of he Hebrew prophes, no he eaching of Rabbis or oher men. Elijah would proclaim, based on he Word of God, ha Messiah has come! And, He is coming again in judgmen! His name is Jesus! Jesus challenged he Jewish people of His day in he following way. Search he scripures; for in hem ye hink ye have eernal life: and hey are hey which esify of me, John 5:39. The only Scripures a his ime was he Hebrew Bible, or wha Chrisians refer o as he Old Tesamen. The Messianic prophecies found from Genesis o Malachi (he Jewish Bible) clearly idenify Jesus as Israel s Messiah and he Savior of he world Passover is abou redempion. For he naion of Israel, yes. Bu, also for you as an individual. Bu only if you heed he proclamaion of Elijah. Jesus is he Lamb of God which akes away he sin of he world. Believe on Him and you will find redempion hrough God s Passover Lamb! Endnoes 1. Rashi, Mikraoh Gedoloh, Isaiah 7:14, from The Prophe Isaiah, Vicor Buksbazen, page Chaim Raphael, A Feas of Hisory: The drama of he Passover hrough he ages, pg. 136, Gallery Books, Israel s Messenger

7 Passover, Easer and he Early Church by Moshe Gold Iremember being asked by a pasor, who was looking for an innovaive way of celebraing Easer, how I celebraed i. I old him ha for me, Passover was Easer. For alhough I have paricipaed in Easer Sunday celebraions, for many, like myself, who were raised in a Jewish culure, Passover provides he same sense of commemoraing he resurrecion as does Easer for ohers. He quickly suspeced ha perhaps I was becoming sympaheic owards he Messianic Jewish movemen which insrucs is followers ha hey mus keep only he Jewish fesivals. Afer reassuring him ha my saemen was no a validaion of his movemen, which I believe o be hereical and divisive, he became curious abou my choice of celebraions. The Resurrecion and Passover The Scripures are clear ha he Las Supper was in fac he las earhly Passover ha Jesus celebraed. A is core he celebraion is conduced in an orderly manner, called a Seder, using riual food iems as symbols ha ell of he deliverance of Israel from Egyp. In he 2nd Temple days, Passover, which is celebraed on he 14h of Nisan, had become an eigh day celebraion ha included he Feas of Unleavened Bread (beginning he 15h) and he Feas of Firsfruis (16h). 1 In ha day (as oday) he Seder was filled wih messianic references and i was hoped ha he Messiah would appear a ha ime. These references amplify he propheic porion of each of hese feass concerning wha is called in Judaism he greaer redempion - he spiriual redempion. Looking beyond he physical hisoric deliverance of Israel, he feass were a reminder ha reinforced hope in he glorious expecaion of he resoraion of he people of Israel o heir God. The Passover began o represen spiriual righeousness and he coming of he kingdom; Unleavened Bread, an emblem of sancificaion or being se apar by and for he Lord, represened he new beginning; while Firsfruis, as he guaranee of a harves o follow, prefigures he resurrecion of he righeous. All of which find realiy in Messiah Jesus who offered His body as he final sacrifice for sin. His resurrecion proved he accepance of ha sacrifice and hrough i he New Covenan could be esablished. He is he One who has gone before us o open he way for he greaer redempion o begin; and for hose who believe in His subsi- uionary sacrifice, His deah, burial and resurrecion 2, He has become our Passover, our Sancificaion and He is he Firsfruis. 3 The crucifixion of Jesus ook place on he firs day of he Passover week, he 15h of Nisan, which is also he firs day of Unleavened Bread. Like he mazah He broke he nigh before, His body was broken so ha we migh be made whole! Laer ha day, a abou he ime ha Jesus died, he firs frui of he barley, he firs of he Firsfruis offering, was cu off. A abou he ime ha He was laid in he omb he firsfruis of he barley were gahered ino he Temple. The nex day an omer 4 of fine flour made from he barley was offered before he Lord, which opened he way for oher firsfruis o be acceped by God and marked His guaranee of a harves o follow. Jesus remaining among he dead for hree days is proof ha He was ruly dead. During ha ime He declared freedom o hose who had died in faih and, in effec, He led capiviy capive when, on he hird day of Passover, He rose from he dead. The early church, following he insrucions of he Lord 5, used he afikoman and hird cup from he Passover Seder o commemorae he deah, burial and resurrecion of Messiah Jesus, His insiuion of he New Covenan, and His promised reurn. This was done as ofen as a church chose. However, once a year a special celebraion of hese evens was held on he day of Passover regardless of which day of he week ha happened o be in any paricular year. This was he radiion handed down by he Aposle John and aesed o by Phillip he Evangelis and several of his daughers 6. I may have also been he eaching of Paul since he alludes o he Corinhians keeping he feas of Unleavened Bread (Passover) 7. I was cerainly he radiion followed by he majoriy of churches in he eas including hose in he area of he Levan (he counries bordering on he easern Medierranean Sea from Turkey o Egyp) Turkey, and Greece. The Resurrecion and Sunday In ime anoher radiion, observed wih equal reverence and joy, became popular among he churches of Europe and Norh Africa. Those who promoed i believed i o be more scripural han he aposolic radiion of a Passover commemoraion. The resurrecion of Jesus occurred on he hird day of Passover, he firs day of he week - Sunday. Desiring o show deference o he acual day of he resurrecion and consisen wih heir weekly worship, hese churches chose o celebrae on he Sunday Coninued on page 10 Israel s Messenger 7

8 To God Be he Glory! For wo years Jewish Awareness Minisries has prayed, waied on he Lord, and looked forward o His provision for a new headquarers for his minisry. People and churches have sepped forward in suppor of his need. God has provided abundanly and on Saurday, February 9, 2013 we had our ground breaking for our new building. God has provided over 90% of he cash needed o build our adminisraion/ minisry faciliy. Our prayer is ha God migh provide 100% of he funds needed before he building is compleed so as o have no deb. Lord willing, we anicipae being in our new faciliy by he end of he summer. Please pray wih us ha he res of he finances will be provided and he building will be compleed o His glory! If you would like o help wih he remaining financial need please use he envelope in his magazine or call us o use a credi card. San Rosenhal, Field Direcor of Jewish Awareness Minisries, Clayon Bogard, General Conracor of LARC Design and Build, Ron Scarborough and Jeff Vaughan, Board members, Phil Golden, Chairman of he Board, and Mark Robinson, Execuive Direcor of Jewish Awareness Minisries. Prayer of dedicaion of he propery and building process o God God gave us a grea day, fellowship, and food for our ground breaking. Mark Robinson, Phil Golden, Pasor of Bible Bapis Church in Carnegie, PA, R. Jay Waggoner, Pasor of Fellowship Bapis Church in Willow Springs, NC, and San Rosenhal. Their churches gave generous gifs o he building fund. Mark Robinson sharing a devoional hough from 2 Chronicles 6. 8 Israel s Messenger

9 Jewish Awareness Minisries land where he adminisraive/minisry faciliy will be buil. Close o 50 people joined us for he ground breaking ceremonies. Thank you for helping us do he work of he Lord! On he righ is he archiec s rendiion of he finished building. Above is he floor plan of he building. Israel s Messenger 9

10 Coninued from page 7 following he beginning of he Passover. This radiion found a champion in he Bishop of Rome. Afer he desrucion of Jerusalem (AD 70) he Jerusalem Council began o lose is auhoriy as arbier of he faih and guardian of church radiion. Power began o shif wesward, evenually o Rome, he capial of he Empire. This process was compleed in he afermah of he failed Second Jewish Revol agains Rome (AD ) ha ended he long line of Jewish- Chrisian leadership in he eas. During his ime here arose a conroversy ha pied he wesern churches agains hose of he eas. On which day was i mos appropriae o commemorae he resurrecion? In AD 155 Polycarp, AD , Bishop of Smyrna, he disciple of he Aposle John, me in Rome wih Aniceus, Bishop of Rome, o resolve his maer. Neiher would budge from his posiion and i is repored by Eusebius 8 ha Irenaeus (ca. AD ), Bishop of Lyon and a suden of Polycarp, implored boh men o par in peace as brohers, respecing each oher s radiion. This hey did, even paraking of communion ogeher. Wih he final collapse of Jewish influence in AD 135, he subjec was again raised by Vicor, he Bishop of Rome, who was vesed wih he auhoriy ha once resided in Jerusalem. Around AD 190 Vicor aemped o sandardize he celebraion of he resurrecion. He addressed a leer o Polycraes, Bishop of Ephesus and disciple of Polycarp, arguing ha all easern churches follow he wes by adoping, as a closer link o Scripure, he Sunday during Passover cusom. The easern churches refused, indicaing ha hey would keep he Passover radiion of he Aposles, and Vicor aemped o excommunicae hem. This led o a proes from many wesern bishops and a fragile uniy was resored. In he end, Vicor failed and he desire for a universal Sunday celebraion would no be resolved unil he days of Emperor Consanine (AD ). The Resurrecion and Easer In he years beween Vicor and Consanine more churches began o adop he Sunday radiion espoused by Rome and by now called Easer. Those who mainained he Passover evening celebraion were mainly he original churches founded by he Aposles. Where he olerance for diversiy of commemoraion once preserved he uniy among he churches, now his diversiy was seen as a hrea o uniy under he leadership of Rome. This schism and conenion beween he churches refleced he division wihin he Empire iself. In he days of Consanine, he Roman Empire was ruled by four people, wo Emperors and wo Caesars, one pair in he eas and one in he wes. Over ime Consanine was able o unify he Empire under his sole conrol and sough o bring ha same uniy o he Chrisian church, which he had elevaed o privileged saus 9. In AD 325 he called for a council of church bishops a Nicaea 10, locaed in norheas Turkey, where eas mees wes, o solve he major issues separaing he churches. The major resoluions of he conference concerned he deiy of Chris and he essence of he Godhead, along wih a formula o sele he Easer/Passover dispue. Perhaps he bes known edic of he council concerned he naure of God and is known as he Nicene Creed. Less known is he decree ha all churches in he Empire were o celebrae he resurrecion on Sunday, and no on Passover. However, i would no longer be he firs Sunday afer he 14h of Nisan (he beginning of Passover). Easer was officially removed from is radiional place as par of he Passover. The council made he celebraion of Easer he firs Sunday afer he full moon following he vernal equinox. Consanine elevaed his o an official decree of he Empire. In a leer o he churches he encouraged he oal separaion of Chrisianiy from Judaism. He referred o Jewish people as beyond salvaion, in league wih darkness, and as he killers of he Lord 11. Wha began as a difference in radiion became legislaed as a rule, ha in ime produced a new se of cusoms, bu never produced uniy beween he easern and wesern churches. I also helped o furher fracure he relaionship beween Chrisians of Genile and Jewish heriage. The Resurrecion and You I do no sugges some new way of celebraing he resurrecion nor do I sugges a reurn o he radiion of he Aposles. I sugges we agree ha here are wo ordinances given o he New Tesamen Church, Bapism and he Lord s Supper, and ha anyhing beyond hese is radiion. Once his is undersood here will be less judging and aemps o legislae radiional pracice according o personal or culural preference, knowing ha here is freedom o wisely choose how one celebraes (Romans 14:5-6; Colossians 2:16). More imporan han daes or symbols is remembering why you commemorae he resurrecion. The resurrecion is proof ha he sacrifice Jesus made for you was acceped. When you rus in Him as your savior, you can know ha your sin is forgiven. Because He rose from he dead you can have a new and beer life where even deah canno separae you from God. Someday when He reurns you will rise o mee Him! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Endnoes: 1 Leviicus 23: Corinhians 15:2-4 3 I Corinhians 5:7-8; 15: omer = 5.1 pins 5 1 Corinhians 11: The Ecclesiasical Hisory of Eusibius Pamphilus, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1982, V:XXIV 7 1 Corinhians 5:5-8 8 The Ecclesiasical Hisory of Eusibius Pamphilus, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1982, Book V Chapers XXIII-XXV 9 Council of Milan 313 AD 10 The Ecclesiasical Hisory of Eusibius Pamphilus, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1982, Appendix: Hisorical View of The Council of Nice 11 The Ecclesiasical Hisory of Eusibius Pamphilus, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1982, Appendix H: Anoher Leer of Consanine, pages Israel s Messenger

11 From Abraham s Lamb o God s Lamb by Rev. San Rosenhal Prevalen wihin his soryline of Genesis 22 is he coninued promise vocalized by God in he Garden of Eden. I was here ha God made he firs promise of a coming redeemer for los mankind (Genesis 3:15). This promise was no only reieraed o Abra- One of he mos amazing biblical narraives leaping off he pages of he Hebrew Scripures perains o he grea friend of God, he pariarch Abraham. Some 4,000 years ago, Jehovah Almighy plumbed he very dephs of Abraham s faih. God ried he very limis o which Abraham s commimen would exend. He did so in order o verify if, indeed, he was he choice servan He was seeking. Was he willing o make God preeminen in his life (Genesis 22:1-19)? Previously, Abraham had revealed he was ready o cling o and follow he one and only rue living God. He lef behind his pagan idolarous background, his counry and even his faher o ravel o an undisclosed desinaion (Canaan/Israel) in obedience o God (Genesis 12, 15, 17). Bu now he supreme es confroned Abraham. Would he go as far as urning his only son Isaac, whom he loved, ino a sacrificial lamb o be offered o God? Furhermore, would he be ha obedien o God ha he himself would acually sep up o he alar and carry ou such an overwhelming and disasrous command? The answer is a resounding yes! And as a resul, Abraham is found o be very consequenial in he New Tesamen. In fac, he is menioned some 250 imes wihin 230 verses highlighing his imporance. I is imperaive o recognize ha he, Abraham, was no only known as he faher of he Jewish people, bu is also biblically designaed as he faher of faih for all (Jew and Genile alike) who individually place heir rus in God by personally embracing Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus he Messiah). One only need review he Episles o he Church in Rome, specifically chaper 4 and Galaians chaper 3:28-29 o appreciae he value of he Genesis 22 narraive. Marvelous Truhs Foreshadowed There are numerous passages in he Tenach (Hebrew Scripures/Old Tesamen) ha can be idenified as ypological in naure, in ha hey prefigure, parallel, or porray personages or evens ye o ake place. For he mos par, hey look ahead o grea redempive ruhs spelled ou in he New Tesamen. The specifics ied o his hisorical even of Abraham s sacrifice of Isaac resonaes wih anyone who has knowledge of God s sacrificing His own Son on he cross of calvary approximaely 2,000 years laer. The abundan number of parallels ha spring from his sory is sriking. There are leas 14 similariies ha can be deeced. For his reason, we will only garner a few o examine for now. However, here is a char provided lising hese similariies on page 12. Comparisons Abound The hear of he maer under examinaion has o do wih God s reinforcing His redempive program for mankind. Before he foundaions of earh were esablished, God knew ha mankind would need o be bailed ou from heir errible and horrendous dilemma called sin. The volunary choice of mankind o disobey God would bring abou eernal separaion from heir creaor; hence, he inervenion of God o remedy he siuaion by purchasing back hose whom He creaed in His image. The paymen price for his bail-ou had o be definiive in grandeur if i were o be efficacious. I had o be able o saisfy he righeousness and holiness of a jus God. There was one and only one possibiliy o accomplish his monumenal ask. I demanded none oher han Deiy o ac in humaniy s behalf since hey are incapable of ransoming hemselves. This aonemen or reconciliaion process manifesed iself in he vicarious subsiuionary sacrifice of God he Faher s only Son. One of God s references o his precious gif o mankind was he Lamb of God. I is only from his background ha one can absorb and appreciae all of he nuances found hroughou Scripure relaing o he significance of his specific Lamb. This ruh of he Lamb of God is revealed from Genesis o Revelaion. Isaac a Lamb and Jesus he Lamb While he hrus of Genesis 22, which occurs before he dispensaion of Law, is abou he faih and rus ha Abraham exhibied oward God, i does so by preparing he reader for he coming Lamb of God. Moses shares wih his readers ha Abraham was insruced o place Isaac, his son, on he alar and here slay him as a sacrifice, a burn offering o God (vv. 2, 9, 10, 12). Furhermore, and of grea imporance, Isaac recognizes ha he sacrificial offering is o be a lamb. Noe ha in verse 7 he asks where is he lamb for he burn offering? In verse 8, his faher Abraham confirms ha he sacrificed offering is o be a lamb. He declares God will provide himself a lamb for he burn offering. Approximaely 2,000 years ino he fuure, a similar declaraion is made abou Jesus, who is acually he rue Son of God (John 1:18, 34). He is pronounced o be he Lamb of God who akes away he sin of he world (John 1:29, 36). Peer minced no words when he acknowledged ha for los humaniy, redempion could only be accomplished when i is hrough he precious blood of Chris, as of a lamb wihou blemish and wihou spo (1 Peer 1:18-19). Coninued on page 12 Sons of Promise Israel s Messenger 11

12 Coninued from page 11 ham, bu insiss ha i will pass hrough o his promised son Isaac. And he angel of he LORD called uno Abraham...and said, By myself have I sworn, saih he LORD, for because hou has done his hing, and has no wihheld hy son, hine only son, Tha in blessing I will bless hee...and in hy seed shall all he naions of he earh be blessed; because hou has obeyed my voice (Genesis 22:16-18; cf. Genesis 15:2, 4; 17:18-21). I is imperaive o undersand ha he promise of sociey s coveed prize, eernal life, mus come hrough he lineage of Isaac. The reason for his comes direcly from he Abraham and Isaac hisorical accoun. I is for his precise reason ha Abraham made he bold saemen ha God will provide himself he lamb (Genesis 22:8). I explains he lack of concern on Abraham s par hroughou he enire narraive. According o he auhor of Hebrews, Abraham believed ha should God no inervene and sop him from sacrificing his son Isaac, hen He, God, would by necessiy have o resurrec him from he dead. And his was because he believed unswervingly so, ha God could no, nor would no go back on His promise, ha all he naions of he world o be blessed hrough he lineage of Abraham which included Isaac, his son (Hebrews 11:17-19). Now noe he similariy. Jesus was also a promised son. Therefore he Lord himself shall give you a sign, Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). The Aposle Paul wroe o he church in Galaia using four verses of Scripure o emphaically explain ha he promises made o Abraham concerning his seed leading o Chris, would no be disannulled by he Mosaic Law which came 430 years laer (Galaians 3:16-19). Hence, Jesus was also a son of promise in he same manner as Isaac (Galaians 3:16-19). The Irony of he Sacrifices And he said, ake now hy son, hine only son Isaac, whom hou loves... and offer him here for a burn offering... (Genesis 22:2). I is hard o believe - i seems o be an oxymoron - an only beloved son volunarily being slain as a sacrificial offering. Ye ha is he scene for boh Isaac and Jesus. Upon examinaion of his ex, we find ha he Hebrew word yachid is a very poen choice by Moses o express ha Isaac was Abraham s only son. I carries he idea ha here is none oher, srongly negaing pluraliy. This word reflecs absolue singulariy, unlike echad which Moses uilized in wha is commonly referred o as he Shema from Deueronomy 6:4. Hear oh Israel, he LORD our God is one LORD which ofen involves a pluraliy wihin a oneness. I is imporan o clear up any ambiguiy ha one migh see here because of Abraham s son Ishmael which he fahered wih Hagar, Sarai s Egypian maid (Genesis 16:3-4). Genesis 17:18-21 clears he air on his maer. God underscored he fac ha Ishmael was no he promised son, bu Isaac was o be he coninuaion of God s covenan esablished wih Abraham. Isaac, he son of boh Abraham and Sarai (Sarah) would be he line hrough which he Messiah would come. He hen is undersood o be he only son, he son of promise; here is none oher o be considered. The heavenly scene of God he Faher willingly offering His Son as a sacrificial offering, no only parallels he sory of Abraham and Isaac, bu fulfills he ype. For God so loved he world, ha he gave his only begoen Son, ha whosoever believeh in him should no perish, bu have everlasing life (John 3:16). When John bapized Jesus, he heard God he Faher declare, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Mahew 3:17). The similariies jus keep piling up. As i was indicaed, Isaac was uniquely he only son, so i is wih God s Son. Jesus is he only unique Son of God who brings o fruiion he blessings promised o he whole world via His vicarious aonemen for our sins. The Scripure poinedly ells us, Neiher is here salvaion in any oher: for here is none oher name under heaven given among men, whereby we mus be saved (Acs 4:12). Moun Moriah in Jerusalem Genesis 22:2, 2 Chronicles 3:1 A Luke 23:33, Son of promise Genesis 22:2, Genesis 17:18-21 A Galaians 3:16-18 Beloved Son Genesis 22:2 A Mahew 3:17; Mark 9:7; 2 Peer 1:17 Offering of Son Genesis 22:2, 9, 10 A John 3:16; Romans 8:32 Only Son Genesis 22:2, 12, 16 A John 1:18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9 Neiher were lawbreakers deserving execuion Genesis 22:2 A Mahew 27:24 Willingness o offer Son wihou hesiaion Genesis 22:3, 6 A John 3:16 Deah & Resurrecion of he Son Genesis 22: 5, A Romans 6:4; 1 Corinhians 15:1-4 Passiveness of he Son Genesis 22:6-10 A Mahew 26:39; 27:12-14 Carried he Wood for he Sacrifice Genesis 22:6, 9 A John 19:17 Human Sacrifice Genesis 22: 8, 13 A Mahew 1:1-21; Hebrews 10:5 A Lamb is God s Choice of Sacrificial Offering Genesis 22:7, 8, 12 A John 1:29; 1 Peer 1:19 Subsiuionary sacrifice Genesis 22: 8, 13 A Romans 5:8 Redempion for he World Made Possible Genesis 22:16-18 A John 1:29, 3:16 12 Israel s Messenger

13 Sowing he Seed Reaping he Harves A Mighy Tall Order for God by Jeff and Arlene Berg For years we have conduced a bi-monhly worship service a he Jewish Home. Since here are a good number of non-jewish residens, he rabbi, who is he Direcor of Pasoral Care, had asked us o coordinae a Proesan worship service. Throughou he years, several Jewish people have aended hese services and come o faih in heir Messiah. Helen, a 99 year-old non-jewish residen, has been aending he services for a couple years. She comes from a very liberal denominaion. God s grea love for her and Jesus deah for her personally were compleely new o Helen. Her mind is very sound, and she is a very inellecual person. She would lisen very inenly in he services, and one could see ha she was rying o grasp wha he Scripures said, especially he whole concep of he gospel. She looked very conemplaive and puzzled. We would ake Helen back o her room afer he services ended and challenge her o come o Jesus. Helen, God loves you so much ha He sen Jesus o die on he cross for your sins, for you personally. In he New Tesamen, John 3:16 says, For God so loved he world ha He gave His only begoen Son, ha whosoever believes in Him should no perish, bu have everlasing life. Helen, Jesus died for you personally, for your sins, so ha you can be forgiven and go o heaven. Helen, wih a quesioning look on her face, responded, Well, ha s a mighy all order for God! Helen, nohing is oo hard for God! When we visied her anoher ime, we read John 14:1-6 and emphasized abou having a home in heaven. Helen bowed her head and held i. She looked like she was disconneced spiriually and menally. I appeared as hough she was in grea menal pain. I can ake i! I feel like my head is going o explode! I s all oo much for me o comprehend! We visied Helen many imes, pleaded wih her o come o Jesus, and lef her gospel lieraure. Recenly, as usual, we visied Helen afer she aended he worship service. We noiced ha her spiri was sofer. Once again, we challenged her o come o Jesus. This ime she did no give us he same responses. She did no quesion Jesus deah on he cross for her. We saw ha her whole demeanor was changed. God s Spiri had been working in her hear! Helen, would you like o ask Jesus ino your hear and life o forgive you for your sins and make you ready for heaven? Helen responded Yes. God s Spiri had prepared her hear, and i was like ripened frui. We prayed wih her, and wha a hrill i was o hear her ask Jesus ino her hear o forgive her for her sins. She followed in prayer like a child. How we praise God for saving a 99 year-old lady! Since hen, we have seen a posiive change in Helen s aiude and spiri. No longer do we see he confused look on her face in he worship services. She aended he Chrismas Eve service and looked very joyful as she sang he Chrismas carols. No longer does Helen say, Tha s a mighy all order for God! To Russia Wih Love Coninued by Dan Bergman Wha began as an acquainance has ransformed ino a sincere friendship, and wha sared as a formal uoring session in he Russian language has become a weekly discussion abou he Bible. Boris is sill eaching me Russian, bu he language sudies have now aken a back sea o our discussions abou Judaism and Chrisianiy. Our discussions cover a range of opics, such as creaion versus evoluion, Bible prophecy, and mos imporanly, discussion abou he biblical eaching of Messiah. Boris is an Israeli born Russian Jew. There are many hings ha we disagree on during our alks. He isn very willing o accep wha I ell him, bu he is open o lisen. I am able o open my Bible and share wih him he ruhs of Scripure. There are many imes when Boris and I jus si down and alk abou life. Tha makes i real when I speak o him abou he Messiah. People can sense when we care for hem. If we do nohing bu preach a hem, we will lose he opporuniy o show hem Jesus. We mus show hem he ruh of he gospel wihou saboaging i wih our acions of unconcern and apahy oward hem. Boris has heard i from me, and he knows ha I am sincere. Tha is he opposie of wha he Jewish people have fel from Chrisianiy (mosly Roman Caholicism) hroughou he cenuries. He asks me o come back again and again. Please coninue o pray ha Boris will see Chris in me, accep wha I am sharing wih him, and rus Jesus as his Messiah. I believe ha here are many Jewish people in his counry who, jus like Boris, have never been shown rue biblical Chrisianiy. A godly life lived before hem and biblical ruh paienly presened o hem from he Scripures in a real and comprehensible way would likely see many more Jewish people come o a saving knowledge of he Messiah! Israel s Messenger 13

14 Apples of Gold A Panorama of Time by Moshe and Shoshana Gold Inasmuch as ye have done i uno one of he leas of hese my brehren ye have done i uno me, Mahew 25:40b. Doris is a our guide we me while we were in minisry o Chrisians visiing Israel. Knowing she lived in our viciniy, we offered o share our ride wih her o mee he group. During our journey we engaged in ligh conversaion when suddenly she changed he subjec and asked if we really believed in Jesus. We hoped our affirmaive answer would lead o more dialogue bu i led insead o silence as she opened her newspaper and began o read. From ha momen she reaed us cordially and professionally from he safey and comfor of an invisible wall she ereced beween herself and us. We did, however, noice her scruinizing us while we minisered o he Pilgrims, a imes lisening o our conversaion wih hem in more han a passive manner. This paricular group filled six buses, and among he oher guides was a new believer ha has allowed Moshe o guide him in his new faih. There were also several guides who rused us o answer quesions of faih for hem. The way we were received by hese guides seemed o boher Doris and she began o wihdraw from hem, even aking her meals separaely. However, she had no choice bu o hear wha Moshe spoke abou a sies where all of he buses were gahered ogeher for a special message from he Bible. A hose imes we boh noiced ha she was a bi puzzled by how he presened he Word of God. We wondered abou her reacions o us and pu i up o prayer. Toward he end of he our, we all were invied o dinner a an adjacen hoel. By he will of God, Doris was seaed across from us. Pleasanries were exchanged bu lile When visiing he Garden Tomb you can go inside he omb. When you urn o leave, you see his sign. So... why no go on our our and see his wih your own eyes???!! Sign up oday! eye conac mainained as she busied herself wih her food. Then, wih a shrug of her shoulders, she looked a us and in a low voice said he following, I have been waching you and see ha you are differen han he Chrisians I usually work wih, bu I don undersand how you can be comforable siding wih people who for wo housand years have haed, huned, and killed us for killing Jesus. As if prepared for his momen, she produced a newspaper aricle criical of a book circulaing in Easern Europe, one ha reminded Chrisians ha i was Jewish people who killed Chris, and because of ha heinous crime could no be rused. Working among Caholic and Orhodox groups mosly from Romania she knew firshand ha hese old charges agains Jewish people were on he rise again in ha region. Finally she had revealed wha roubled her abou us, and, finally, we had he opporuniy o ener ino a spiriual conversaion wih her. We showed her he esimony of he New Covenan, ha in he words of Jesus, He voluneered o be he sin sacrifice, and how Luke in he Acs of he Aposles declares he whole world guily of he deah of Jesus. A his she asked, Why would he world be guily? This gave us he privilege of speaking abou sin, he penaly for sin, and God s remedy for sin. The nex day she asked for he New Tesamen references of he verses we spoke abou. Doris had been vicimized by hose who use he Scripure for heir own ends. She had developed resenmen owards all Chrisians based on her negaive experience leading ours of some Chrisians in Israel. We were happy o show her ha no everyone who calls hemselves Chrisian follows he Scripures, or he example of Jesus and he Aposles, wih regard o Jewish people. We hope ha she will begin o differeniae beween he Messiah and His message and he messengers of hae who use His name o disseminae heir own message. 14 Israel s Messenger

15 Exponenial Growh of Technology by Rev. San Rosenhal I is no secre ha echnology is advancing faser han we can keep up wih. Mos reading his aricle are very much aware of he rapid increase of echnology. The facs are, he more echnology ha is invened or absorbed ino our knowledge, he more will be creaed. I is no jus linear, bu is raher exponenial in naure. In oher words, is growh expands via muliplicaion, and in urn enables knowledge o experience hyper growh. The more we know, he faser we know more, doubling and redoubling over ime. In his aricle Knowledge Doubling Curve and You Marin Gover relaed ha in he year 2004, once he World Wide Web was in place, knowledge was doubling approximaely every 18 monhs, according o he American Sociey of Training and Documenaion (A.S.T.D.). He also saed ha according o paens and academic publicaions, knowledge doubles a differen raes for differen secors, ranging from 2 years for nanoechnology o 21 years for oher secors. His aricle even included a predicion from IBM ha in he nex couple of years, informaion will double every 11 hours (Enzine Aricles.Com). Enire new fields of science are being creaed. These new fields include: synheic biology, biocompuing, bioechnology, nanoechnology, neuroprosheics, biomedical engineering, roboic engineering as well as he science of arificial inelligence. One of he oucomes of his advancemen is resuling in man and machines becoming inerchangeable. I sugges reading he aricle iled Paralyzed woman conrols a roboic arm wih her mind, by Ian Sample, science corresponden, The Guardian, Sunday 16 December Also suggesed, is he aricle on he Humanoid Robo found a ScienceDaily.com daed January 9, Besides he many benefis which shall serve mankind immeasurably, from he aforemenioned advancemens here are serious negaive resuls waiing in he no oo disan fuure. The lie Saan foised upon Eve in he Garden of Eden affecs he whole sream of humaniy, especially hose living during he end days. This will be ever so eviden in he seven year Tribulaion period. For God (Elohim) doh know ha in he day ye ea hereof, hen your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods (or God/Elohim) (Genesis 3:5). (Parenheses added). There has no been a ime in man s hisory comparable o his hour ha we are rapidly approaching. Man s abiliies and achieve- mens are enering he zone of remarkabiliy, o he poin ha one migh even say god like. Humaniy has already begun o believe ha hey are becoming heir own gods and hence can dismiss he concep of a Sovereign Deiy. In her aricle When Technology Turns Agains Us, Jan Markell hi he proverbial nail on he head when she saed ha Technology will drive he final generaion. In a sense, i already is. Everyhing in Revelaion 13 depends on echnology: The elecronic money sysem, elecronic conrol of he media, elecronic conrol of commerce and even elecronic conrol of he one-world religion ( There is ye one more major echnological fea ha mus be added o his lis. And i mus be achieved no laer han he middle of he Sevenieh Week of Daniel, he 7 year Tribulaion. I am making reference o he unique echnological creaion referred o as he image of he Anichris. The False Prophe commands hose having he proper skills wihin humaniy o consruc his idol which will funcion as a represenaive of he Anichris. I mus be ready when he abominaion of desolaion occurs (cf. Daniel 9:27; Mahew 24:15, 21, 29; 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4; Revelaion 13:11-16). And I beheld anoher beas (False Prophe) coming up ou of he earh; and he had wo horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseh all he power of he firs beas (Anichris) before him, and causeh he earh and hem which dwell herein o worship he firs beas, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeh grea wonders, so ha he makeh fire come down from heaven on he earh in he sigh of men, And deceiveh hem ha dwell on he earh by he means of hose miracles which he had power o do in he sigh of he beas; saying o hem ha dwell on he earh, ha hey should make an image o he beas, which had he wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power o give life uno he image of he beas, ha he image of he beas should boh speak, and cause ha as many as would no worship he image of he beas should be killed (Revelaion 13:11-15). (Underscoring and parenhesis added) Early accomplishmens in he echnological areas required o achieve his saanically inspired ask, reveal ha he scienific world is moving humaniy rapidly owards a head on collision wih heir sovereign creaor, Almighy God. Israel s Messenger 15

16 Jewish Awareness Minisries P.O. Box 1808 Angier, NC Grea Books On Bible Prophecy A A Grea Price Reail Value $63.00 Sale Price $44.00 Posage and Handling $6.00 Implosion by Joel Rosenberg Besselling auhor and inernaional poliical exper Joel C. Rosenberg ackles he quesion: Is America an empire in decline or a naion poised for a hisoric Renaissance? America eeers on a precipice. In he mids of financial urmoil, poliical uncerainy, declining moraliy, he consan hrea of naural disasers, and myriad oher dauning challenges, many wonder wha he fuure holds for his once-grea naion. Will hisory s greaes democracy sage a miraculous comeback, reurning o he forefron of he world s economic and spiriual sage? Can America s religious pas be repeaed oday wih a hird Grea Awakening? Or will he rise of China, Russia, and oher naions, coupled wih he US s inernal sruggles, send her ino a decline from which here can be no reurn? Implosion helps readers undersand he economic, social, and spiriual challenges facing he Unied Saes in he 21s cenury, hrough he lens of biblical prophecy. Prophecy in he New Millennium by John Walvoord All he aenion on rapidly changing world and echnological affairs a he close of he wenieh cenury, has renewed speculaion abou he fuure a fuure waiing o unfold in unprecedened propheic fashion. Because many biblical prophecies have been fulfilled in recen decades, here now exiss a world siuaion which fis precisely wih he biblical descripion of end imes. Ongoing ension in he Middle Eas, unificaion of he European coninen, and heological and moral aposasy in he church all poin o he soon reurn of Jesus. Bu he quesion sill remains, how and when will i happen? This look a biblical prophecy remaining o be fulfilled and curren evens is wrien by one of America s mos recognized end-imes expers. In addiion o a review of major unfulfilled prophecies in Scripure and an explanaion of prophecies by caegory, Prophecy in he New Millennium also presens a fresh look a Israel, he Anichris, he Rapure, he Second Coming, and he New Heaven and New Earh. The End Times by Timohy Demy and Thomas Ice Helpful and inelligible answers o your mos common quesions can be found here. The Bible has a lo o say abou prophecy and he end imes, and experienced Bible eachers Timohy Demy and Thomas Ice sor hrough all exraneous noions and far-feched speculaions o presen wha he Bible acually eaches. In his book you will find answers o he mos common and imporan quesions concerning he end imes, including: How should Bible prophecy be inerpreed? Wha is he rapure? Wha does he Bible each abou Tribulaion? Wha will happen afer he second coming of Jesus Chris? Where is heaven and does i exis now? The Rapure and Beyond by John Whicomb The Rapure and Beyond unfolds God s revealed plan for he fuure of he church, Israel, all mankind, and he enire universe. From he rapure of believers and heir heavenly rewards, o he amazing evens of he ribulaion, o he coming kingdom wih is emple, hese sudies focus on imporan hemes of biblical prophecy, heir proper inerpreaion, and heir relevance o Chrisians oday.