GOD’S PLAN IN DETAIL – THE STUDY GUIDE
What is the Good News of the Kingdom of God?
The Message that Yeshua brought
Yeshua brought a message for us, which he announced to the Jewish people during his ministry. Matthew 4:17 NLTFrom then on, Jesus began to preach, "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near., Mark 1:14-15 NLTLater on, after John was arrested by Herod Antipas, Jesus went to Galilee to preach God's Good News.
"At last the time has come!" he announced. "The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!". He called this message ‘the Good News about the coming Kingdom of God.’
However, while Yeshua publicly announced this Good News, he only explained it clearly to his disciples. Matthew 13:10-17 NLTHis disciples came and asked him, "Why do you always tell stories when you talk to the people?"
Then he explained to them, "You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.
That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don't really see. They hear what I say, but they don't really hear, and they don't understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which says:
`You will hear my words, but you will not understand;
you will see what I do, but you will not perceive its meaning.
For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes - so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.'
"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I assure you, many prophets and godly people have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not.
, Luke 8:9-10 NIVHis disciples asked him what this parable meant.
He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, 'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'". These explanations were also recorded for us to read and understand. Read all of Matthew 13.
The entire Bible is focussed on the Kingdom that God is creating.
It is the purpose for which we were created. It was the message that Yeshua brought and which he taught everywhere he went. He sent out his disciples to teach it. Mark 16:15 NLTAnd then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.. Even after he rose from the dead, the time he spent with his disciples was spent discussing his coming Kingdom. Acts 1:3 NIVAfter his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God..
All of creation is groaning in agony waiting for the coming Kingdom to be revealed. Romans 8:19-22 NLTFor all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time..
But what is the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God and the Family of God
The apostles taught that we can become members of God’s own family – The Messiah’s younger brothers who will inherit everything that he has. Hebrews 2:11-13 CEVJesus and the people he makes holy all belong to the same family. That is why he isn't ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.
He even said to God, "I will tell them your name and sing your praises when they come together to worship." He also said, "I will trust God." Then he said, "Here I am with the children God has given me." . We will share in everything that belongs to Yeshua. Hebrews 3:14 NLTFor if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ., 1 John 3:1-3 NLTSee how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are!
But the people who belong to this world don't know God, so they don't understand that we are his children.
Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.
And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure., Romans 8:14-18 CEVOnly those people who are led by God's Spirit are his children. God's Spirit doesn't make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father.
God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him.
I am sure that what we are suffering now cannot compare with the glory that will be shown to us.. We will even receive the same kind of body. Philippians 3:20-21 NIVBut we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body., Revelation 1:12-16 NIVI turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance..
This is a free gift from Yeshua. John 1:11-13 CEVHe came into his own world, but his own nation did not welcome him. Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God.
They were not God's children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children., Romans 6:23 NLTFor the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord..
Yeshua referred to his disciples as his brothers. Romans 6:23 NLTFor the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord., Matthew 28.10 NIVThen Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." . We are also called God’s sons as well as the brothers of Yeshua. Hebrews 2:11-13 CEVJesus and the people he makes holy all belong to the same family. That is why he isn't ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.
He even said to God, "I will tell them your name and sing your praises when they come together to worship." He also said, "I will trust God." Then he said, "Here I am with the children God has given me." . God does not describe anyone as his son lightly. Hebrews 1:3-6 CEVGod's Son has all the brightness of God's own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together.
After the Son had washed away our sins, he sat down at the right side of the glorious God in heaven. He had become much greater than the angels, and the name he was given is far greater than any of theirs.
God has never said to any of the angels, "You are my Son, because today I have become your Father!" Neither has God said to any of them, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son!"
When God brings his first-born Son into the world, he commands all of his angels to worship him..
There is only one way to become a part of the Kingdom of God - we must be led by, and finally born of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14-18 CEVOnly those people who are led by God's Spirit are his children. God's Spirit doesn't make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father.
God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him.
I am sure that what we are suffering now cannot compare with the glory that will be shown to us., John 3.1-8 CEVThere was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader. One night he went to Jesus and said, "Sir, we know that God has sent you to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with you."
Jesus replied, "I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God's kingdom!"
Nicodemus asked, "How can a grown man ever be born a second time?"
Jesus answered: I tell you for certain that before you can get into God's kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. Humans give life to their children. Yet only God's Spirit can change you into a child of God.
Don't be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going..
This was God’s Plan from the beginning. Romans 8:29-30 NIVFor those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.. It is far beyond anything that we might imagine for ourselves. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NLTHowever, as it is written:
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God..
The Kingdom of God is the greatly increased Family of God. It is a Kingdom in the sense that it has an organisational structure – with our Father as the supreme head over everything and with Yeshua directly under him. Yeshua will then delegate many positions and responsibilities to be shared among his new brothers according to how well they have used their time in this life. Matthew 25:14-30 NLTAgain, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them money to invest for him while he was gone. He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last - dividing it in proportion to their abilities - and then left on his trip.
The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money. But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money for safekeeping.
After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold said, `Sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.' The master was full of praise. `Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!'
Next came the servant who had received the two bags of gold, with the report, `Sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.' The master said, `Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!'
Then the servant with the one bag of gold came and said, `Sir, I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is.'
But the master replied, `You wicked and lazy servant! You think I'm a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn't plant and gathering crops I didn't cultivate? Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. Take the money from this servant and give it to the one with the ten bags of gold. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'.
It is a very large family organised as a kingdom and united through sharing the Holy Spirit. God’s Family and the Kingdom of God just make use of different human analogies for describing the same reality.
Not everyone will get into God’s Kingdom, Luke13:23-30 NLTSomeone asked him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?"
He replied, "The door to heaven is narrow. Work hard to get in, because many will try to enter, but when the head of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. Then you will stand outside knocking and pleading, `Lord, open the door for us!' But he will reply, `I do not know you.' You will say, `But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' And he will reply, `I tell you, I don't know you. Go away, all you who do evil.'
"And there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets within the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. Then people will come from all over the world to take their places in the Kingdom of God.
And note this: Some who are despised now will be greatly honored then; and some who are greatly honored now will be despised then.", but it will include good people from the Old Testament as well as the New. Matthew 8:11-12 CEVMany people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain..
There is nothing in the Bible that is more important than the message that Yeshua brought about his coming Kingdom. And yet not one of our established ‘Christian’ religions that teach the truth about this.
When will God’s Kingdom be established?
God’s Kingdom will be established when Yeshua returns to take control of our world. All those who qualify will be raised back from death to receive eternal life as part of God’s Family and will help Yeshua to govern the twelve tribes of Israel. Matthew 19:28-30 NLTAnd Jesus replied, "I assure you that when I, the Son of Man, sit upon my glorious throne in the Kingdom, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will have eternal life. But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then.. This also includes governing all the nations of the world. Daniel 7:13-14 NLTAs my vision continued that night, I saw someone who looked like a man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.
He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal - it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed., Revelation 2:26-28 NLTTo all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, I will give authority over all the nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!, Revelation 19:11-16 CEVI looked and saw that heaven was open, and a white horse was there. Its rider was called Faithful and True, and he is always fair when he judges or goes to war. He had eyes like flames of fire, and he was wearing a lot of crowns. His name was written on him, but he was the only one who knew what the name meant.
The rider wore a robe that was covered with blood, and he was known as "The Word of God." He was followed by armies from heaven that rode on horses and were dressed in pure white linen. From his mouth a sharp sword went out to attack the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod and will show the fierce anger of God All-Powerful by trampling the grapes in the pit where wine is made.
On the part of the robe that covered his thigh was written, "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." .
Yeshua provided a broad overview of the events leading up to his return. Read all of Matthew 24. It is repeated in Mark 13 and Luke 21.
God’s Kingdom wasn’t to come right away. There would be many false prophets claiming to be the Messiah and there must also be much tribulation and suffering before that happens. Those in God’s church will be terribly persecuted. The Good News about God’s Kingdom must also be announced throughout the whole world. Matthew 24:1-14 NLTAs Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. But he told them, "Do you see all these buildings? I assure you, they will be so completely demolished that not one stone will be left on top of another!"
Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and asked, "When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world?"
Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, saying, `I am the Messiah.' They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.
"Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to me. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But those who endure to the end will be saved.
And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then, finally, the end will come..
It will be especially bad for the Jewish people living in Jerusalem. It is also a time when all human life is about to be destroyed. Matthew 24:15-22 NLTThe time will come when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about: the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place" - reader, pay attention!
Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person outside the house must not go inside to pack. A person in the field must not return even to get a coat. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for mothers nursing their babies in those days.
And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For that will be a time of greater horror than anything the world has ever seen or will ever see again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, the entire human race will be destroyed. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones.
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When Yeshua finally returns it will be in great glory and with an awesome display of power. There will be no possible doubt about who he is. Matthew 24:23-31 NLTThen if anyone tells you, `Look, here is the Messiah,' or `There he is,' don't pay any attention. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones.
See, I have warned you. So if someone tells you, `Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, `Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it! For as the lightning lights up the entire sky, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.
Immediately after those horrible days end, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then at last, the sign of the coming of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the nations of the earth.
And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
. This has not happened yet, and anyone who claims that it has is lying.
The leaders of the early Christian church really believed and taught that Yeshua would return in their own lifetimes. 1 John 2:18 NIVDear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.. They had experienced most of what Yeshua had foretold about the time before his return, including wars, famine, false prophets, terrible persecution and the desecration of the temple in Jerusalem. The apostles had travelled widely teaching all who would listen about the Good News that Yeshua brought.
Still Yeshua didn’t come, and some of the church members became discouraged. Towards the end of his life, Peter had to reassure those in the church that Yeshua really would return, but it might not be as soon as everyone had thought. 2 Peter 3:8-15 CEVDear friends, don't forget that for the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years is the same as one day.
The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.
The day of the Lord's return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe. Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for what they are. Everything will be destroyed.
So you should serve and honor God by the way you live. You should look forward to the day when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon.
On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat. But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that!
My friends, while you are waiting, you should make certain that the Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace. Don't forget that the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved. This is also what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with the wisdom that God had given him.. Yeshua had warned of this many years earlier. Matthew 24:36-44 NLTHowever, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the Flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the Flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
So be prepared, because you don't know what day your Lord is coming.
Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would stay alert and not permit the house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected..
It is important to understand that even Yeshua did not know when his Father had set the time for his return. Matthew 24:36 NLTHowever, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows., Mark 13:32-33 NLTHowever, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don't know when they will happen, stay alert and keep watch.. It is not good for us to know. Acts 1:6-7 NLTWhen the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, are you going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?"
"The Father sets those dates," he replied, "and they are not for you to know.", Matthew 24:42-44 NIVTherefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him..
Since the time of the apostles, we have continued to experience wars, famines and earthquakes. False prophets are everywhere and even God’s true church appears to have disappeared from view, lost in a sea of counterfeit churches.
Two important events have yet to happen. “The abomination that causes desolation” must be set up in the holy place within the temple in Jerusalem and the true gospel of God’s Kingdom must be announced throughout the entire world. Matthew 24:14-16 NIVAnd this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand - then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. .
This was only partially fulfilled during the time of the early church. What happened then was recorded as a warning for those who will live in the end time showing them what they will have to face. It may well be written for our generation.
The prophet Daniel was given a series of amazingly detailed prophesies that described the major powers and events that would control the world from his time right through until the time when Yeshua returns. However, he was instructed to seal up the understanding of those prophesies until the time of the end, 'when many will travel widely to increase knowledge'. Daniel 12:4 NLTBut you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase..
Today the development of modern science and technology has lead to an unprecedented capability to travel and use electronic communications networks. These are all important components that will be needed to announce the Good News message to the entire world. Likewise, modern science has made it possible for us to fight wars that can destroy all life from the earth.
The temple in Jerusalem has never been rebuilt following its destruction by the Romans in 70 AD. Before the rest of Daniel’s prophesy can occur, the temple must be rebuilt and the daily sacrifices restored.
However, the site of the temple is currently occupied by the Muslim Dome of the Rock and is controlled by the Palestinian Arabs. This has become a location of primary spiritual significance to Muslims and is a building of great architectural significance dating back to 691 AD. The Israeli state would create an international uproar and inflame Arab hatred far beyond anything we have seen to date if they were to demolish this building in order to rebuild a Jewish temple.
But is this is any more difficult to imagine than it would have been to imagine, prior to World War Two, that a Jewish state, with Jerusalem as its capital, would be established in what is now called Palestine? This return of the scattered remnants of the Jewish people to re-occupy Palestine would have seemed impossible prior to 1945 and yet it was prophesied by Jeremiah 2,500 years ago.
Jeremiah lived during the time when King Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the first temple built by King Solomon.
God had warned the Israelites through Moses that he would punish them if they rejected his covenant with them. Leviticus 26. If they continued to rebel then the punishments would progressively get worse and worse until finally they would be scattered among the nations and their land left desolate and controlled by other nations that hated them.
At the time Jeremiah wrote, the northern tribes of Israel had already been conquered and scattered. Judah had also been conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, who slaughtered its people, leaving only a small remnant of poor people living in the land along with a small group of exiles living in what is now modern day Iraq.
Speaking through Jeremiah, God promised that this small group of exiles would be allowed to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple after seventy years had passed. Jeremiah 25:11-12 CEVThis country will be as empty as a desert, because I will make all of you the slaves of the king of Babylonia for seventy years.
When that time is up, I will punish the king of Babylonia and his people for everything they have done wrong, and I will turn that country into a wasteland forever., Jeremiah 29:10 NIVThis is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.".
But that rebuilt Temple was to be destroyed yet again in 70 AD. Matthew 24:1-2 NIVJesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." . This time the land of Palestine, including the city of Jerusalem, was to lie in desolation, under the control of nations who hated the Jews, exactly as God said it would happen 1,600 years earlier in Leviticus 26.
But Jeremiah prophesied that this time of desolation would also end. Palestine would be re-settled by the scattered remnants of both Jews and Israelites and Jerusalem would once again be rebuilt, this time never again to be captured or destroyed. Jeremiah 31:38-40 NLT"The time is coming," says the LORD, "when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah. And the entire area - including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate - will be holy to the LORD. The city will never again be captured or destroyed."
. Also, Ezekiel 36:33-35 CEVAfter I have made you clean, I will let you rebuild your ruined towns and let you live in them. Your land will be plowed again, and nobody will be able to see that it was once barren. Instead, they will say that it looks as beautiful as the garden of Eden. They won't see towns lying in ruins, but they will see your strong cities filled with people. .
This was to be in the end time, when all of Israel would finally realize how terribly they have sinned and turn back to God. They would finally be given “the new heart” that God had promised, and begin to follow Yeshua as their king and saviour.
This brings us to the present time. Prior to the Second World War, Jerusalem and Palestine were indeed part of a desolate wasteland. In 1881 a few Jews began to buy land and settle in Palestine, but it wasn’t until 1948 that the Jewish people scattered around the world were given the right to establish their own Jewish state within Palestine. In the 1968 Yom Kippur war, these boundaries were increased, and the Israelis took control of Jerusalem and began expanding the city boundaries.
A careful reading of Jeremiah 31:38-40 NLT"The time is coming," says the LORD, "when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah. And the entire area - including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate - will be holy to the LORD. The city will never again be captured or destroyed."
shows how this was foretold in amazing detail 2,500 years earlier.
However, no-one today could describe the present state of Israel as living in peace and abundant prosperity. They are not behaving in a just and merciful way, and they have never accepted Yeshua as their true Messiah.
So what is going on here? On the surface we have an amazing fulfilment of prophesy, and yet the most important part is missing.
Many fundamentalist Jews believe that the state of Israel has so many problems today because they have not begun building the third temple and they are lobbying hard to get this underway.
However, in rejecting Yeshua, the Jewish people have also cut themselves off from understanding their own prophets.
God inspired Ezekiel to write that he would bring Israel back to rebuild their land because of his own reputation and love for them, and not because they have done anything to deserve it. Ezekiel 36:22-24 NLTTherefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am bringing you back again but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, which you dishonored while you were scattered among the nations.
I will show how holy my great name is - the name you dishonored among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign LORD, then the nations will know that I am the LORD.
For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.. They still don’t deserve it any more than Christians deserve to have their sins forgiven and to be reunited with God.
Palestine has now been reoccupied by the Jews and Jerusalem is being rebuilt in preparation for the final stage to be set for the end of this present age.
Towards the end of his life, around 90 AD, the apostle John was shown in vision what will happen during the terrible time of upheaval before Yeshua returns.
Twenty years after the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, John was instructed in this vision to measure the temple and the number of worshipers contained in the inner court around the altar. Revelation 11:1-2 NLTThen I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, "Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months.". The outer court will then be given over to the gentile nations for 42 months.
During this time two prophets will be based in Jerusalem, teaching and warning the whole world with great power, and amazing miracles. Revelation 11:3-6 NIVAnd I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.
These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.. Jerusalem is still described as wicked city, and there is great rejoicing when these two witnesses are finally killed and put on public display at the end of the 42 months. Revelation 11:7-10 NIVNow when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth..
But this rejoicing will be short-lived as the two witnesses will be raised back to life three and a half days later. This will be followed by a huge earthquake that will level one tenth of the city and leave 7,000 people dead. Revelation 11:11-13 NIVBut after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. .
Then, and only then, will those who remain finally realize who their God is and return to worship and obey him.
The seventh trumpet will then be sounded and control of the kingdoms of this world will at last be taken from Satan and given to Yeshua. Revelation 11:15 NIVThe seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." .
Today we see the state of Israel, and the whole of the Middle-East, in turmoil. Terrorism, suicide bombings and terrible injustices on every side are in the news almost every day. Anger, hatred and despair are everywhere. Zechariah 12:2. And this is only the beginning. After nearly 2,000 years of desolation, Jerusalem is being prepared for the biggest transition in its turbulent history.
But what is this temple? Is it a physical temple that would have to be rebuilt on its original location in Jerusalem? Or is it the spiritual temple referred to throughout the New Testament, and which is made up of the members of the Messiah’s church?
When John had this vision, the physical temple had long been destroyed by the Roman army. But the apostles all wrote about the spiritual church that had replaced it. John may well have understood this temple to have been the Church of God, comprising all those who have been chosen to be part of the first resurrection. This would then tie in with Revelation 7.
If the temple is the Messiah’s spiritual temple those who are measured may be the 144,000 described in Revelation 7:1-8 NLTThen I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.”
And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:
from Judah 12,000
from Reuben 12,000
from Gad 12,000
from Asher 12,000
from Naphtali 12,000
from Manasseh 12,000
from Simeon 12,000
from Levi 12,000
from Issachar 12,000
from Zebulun 12,000
from Joseph 12,000
from Benjamin 12,000, and the outer court may refer to those who come out of the great tribulation in Revelation 7:9-14 NLTAfter this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar,
“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
and from the Lamb!”
And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God.
They sang,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen.”
Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?”
And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.”
Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white..
Today, most fundamentalist Christian churches are waiting for the physical temple to be rebuilt. But, if the temple John is describing is not a physical temple, then they will not recognise the two witnesses that have been sent to warn the world. This may well explain how these witnesses become viewed as Satan-inspired imposters, and why everyone will celebrate their death for three and a half days.
When the two witnesses begin their work, those who recognise who they are will know exactly how much time there is left. Until then we don’t know. This may happen in just a few years, or in another hundred years. For Christians, it is more important that we work hard at whatever we have been given to do so that we will always be prepared and ready. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8 CEVI don't need to write you about the time or date when all this will happen. You surely know that the Lord's return will be as a thief coming at night. People will think they are safe and secure. But destruction will suddenly strike them like the pains of a woman about to give birth. And they won't escape.
My dear friends, you don't live in darkness, and so that day won't surprise you like a thief. You belong to the light and live in the day. We don't live in the night or belong to the dark. Others may sleep, but we should stay awake and be alert. People sleep during the night, and some even get drunk. But we belong to the day. So we must stay sober and let our faith and love be like a suit of armor. Our firm hope that we will be saved is our helmet..
For each one of us, entering God’s Kingdom is literally only a heart-beat away. When we die, our very next moment of consciousness will be when Yeshua wakes us to join him. Those who are already dead will be raised first to join Yeshua when he returns. Then, those who are still alive will be changed. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 CEVMy friends, we want you to understand how it will be for those followers who have already died. Then you won't grieve over them and be like people who don't have any hope.
We believe that Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died. Our Lord Jesus told us that when he comes, we won't go up to meet him ahead of his followers who have already died.
With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky.
From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever. Encourage each other with these words. . We will each be given a glorious new body just like the one that Yeshua has now. 1 Corinthians 15:45-53 CEVThe first man was named Adam, and the Scriptures tell us that he was a living person. But Jesus, who may be called the last Adam, is a life-giving spirit.
We see that the one with a spiritual body did not come first. He came after the one who had a physical body. The first man was made from the dust of the earth, but the second man came from heaven. Everyone on earth has a body like the body of the one who was made from the dust of the earth. And everyone in heaven has a body like the body of the one who came from heaven. Just as we are like the one who was made out of earth, we will be like the one who came from heaven.
My friends, I want you to know that our bodies of flesh and blood will decay. This means that they cannot share in God's kingdom, which lasts forever.
I will explain a mystery to you. Not every one of us will die, but we will all be changed. It will happen suddenly, quicker than the blink of an eye. At the sound of the last trumpet the dead will be raised. We will all be changed, so that we will never die again. Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won't die or decay., 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 CEVOur bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings that someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever.
While we are here on earth, we sigh because we want to live in that heavenly home. We want to put it on like clothes and not be naked. These tents we now live in are like a heavy burden, and we groan. But we don't do this just because we want to leave these bodies that will die. It is because we want to change them for bodies that will never die.
God is the one who makes all of this possible. He has given us his Spirit to make us certain that he will do it. So always be cheerful!
As long as we are in these bodies, we are away from the Lord. But we live by faith, not by what we see. We should be cheerful, because we would rather leave these bodies and be at home with the Lord.
But whether we are at home with the Lord or away from him, we still try our best to please him. After all, Christ will judge each of us for the good or the bad that we do while living in these bodies..
Conclusion
The message that Yeshua brought about the coming Kingdom of God is the key to understanding the Bible. The coming Kingdom of God is why we are here. It is God’s revealed purpose for mankind. And yet today we find most ‘Christian’ churches teaching the trinity doctrine, claiming that Yeshua is both equal to, and the same person as, his Father. They teach that, good people go to heaven when they die, and that they are certainly lesser beings than God.
Why is this so important? After all, if we believe that Yeshua is the Son of God and we do our best to follow him, isn’t that enough?
The answer is an emphatic no! The Bible doesn’t make sense without this understanding. We cannot understand the significance of the family relationship and how to prepare to have a role in God’s Kingdom. We cannot properly understand God’s Plan. We cannot even have a proper relationship with God as our Father and with Yeshua as our older brother.
Anyone who claims that we cannot become full sons of God, just like Yeshua, is calling God a liar because God has clearly stated that we are his sons if we believe and obey Yeshua.
There is only one gospel – the Good News about the Kingdom of God that Yeshua taught. Paul was so passionate about this that he placed a double curse on anyone who would teach anything different. Galatians 1:6-9 NLTI am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who in his love and mercy called you to share the eternal life he gives through Christ. You are already following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who twist and change the truth concerning Christ.
Let God's curse fall on anyone, including myself, who preaches any other message than the one we told you about. Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed.
I will say it again: If anyone preaches any other gospel than the one you welcomed, let God's curse fall upon that person.. Like it or not, this curse applies to every ‘Christian’ church that teaches a corrupted gospel message.
The family relationship is at the heart of God’s message in both the Old and New Testaments. God created Adam and Eve in his own likeness and established the family relationship in the very beginning. The human family was modelled on the relationship between God the Father and the Son to help us to understand and prepare for the future that God has planned for us.
Yeshua was begotten as God’s Son before anything else was created. His Father taught him everything that he needed to know and then created everything through him. Yeshua was guaranteed eternal life as the perfect and faithful Son of God.
However, his Father wanted to have many more sons to share eternity with. Yeshua created our world, populated with physical men and women who had the potential to be born into God’s Family. When Adam and Eve failed their very first test it became necessary to provide a way for them, and their descendants, to be forgiven and reconciled with their heavenly Father.
Yeshua set aside his eternal spirit life to be born as a human baby and ultimately sacrificed his life to make this possible. When his Father raised him from the dead, he was born again as God’s Son, only this time he had qualified himself to become the first-born of many future sons! Romans 8:14-18 CEVOnly those people who are led by God's Spirit are his children. God's Spirit doesn't make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father.
God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him.
I am sure that what we are suffering now cannot compare with the glory that will be shown to us.. This is why he put his eternal life on the line. The stakes were high, but the end result will be spectacular! Romans 8:19-22 NLTFor all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time..