The Bible states that Jesus Christ was tempted in every way as were we (Hb 4:15). Can someone who is both 100% God and 100% man be tempted as are we? Although the three temptations that are recorded which Satan presented to Christ after his 40-day fast may not be the only temptations that he faced, these are the ones we have the most detail about. Therefore, we should explore those and see what we can glean from what is presented in Scripture.

First, we should note that these three temptations are similar in type to how Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan appealed to physical need, pride and/or desire, and emotional need. That is, she saw that the fruit on the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was good for food (physical need), pleasing to the eye (desire), and good for making one wise (emotional need). Satan did the same with Christ. However, we know that Eve failed miserably but Christ was successful. We will examine the difference in how each responded to their temptation.

I think if we really think about the temptations that come our way, they will tend to fall into these three categories. If we look at how each responded to these temptations maybe that will help us to be more successful. Odds are, we will tend to fall on the side of Eve more often; yet, we can potentially have more successes if we know the tactics Satan is using.

The other thing to note is that although the category of temptation may be similar between the two (and among us), we will see that the actual temptations were tailored for each individual. Satan knows each person has different weaknesses. Therefore, what is a temptation to one person has absolutely no effect on another. I think that is another game Satan plays with us and sets a snare for us. Many times we see someone fall big time due to a certain temptation and we think, “Wow, he sure is weak,” and this sets us up to fall into our pride. Satan then gets a double run with a single hit. We need to be on guard for such things. We need to remember that everyone is struggling with something. Just because it is not the same as you, does not make it any less “big” for the person struggling with it.

This is a reminder that we should bear one another’s burdens and lift each other up – both with encouragement and with prayer. We can all be more effective if we feel and know we are not struggling alone. Let’s be the biggest advocate for our fellow Christians as we can be.

Next time we will look at the first temptation Satan extended to Christ and appealed to his physical need.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In my last two posts, we saw that Jesus’ teachings were somewhat radical to traditional Jewish thinking and that Jesus raised the letter of the Law to the original intent of the spirit of the Law. Today, we’ll explore that Jesus’ teachings also exposed the error of their training.

The Sadducees believed in neither angels nor in a future resurrection because they believed these were not mentioned in the Law of Moses. The Law, or the first five books of the Bible written by Moses, the Pentateuch, did not use the word angel or resurrection; therefore, the Sadducees felt they were being purer to scripture by not believing in these concepts. What is translated as angel in our Bible has the meaning of messenger.

Also, these Jewish leaders prided themselves of their living their lives on the subtlety of scripture meaning. Jesus takes this element of their pride to show the fallacy of their thought process.

In Matthew, it tells us, “That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven since all of them were married to her?’ Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry not be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ He is not the God of the dead but of the living.’ When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.”

This was sort of a one up to their subtlety. In a way, Jesus was saying that if you value subtlety of scripture so much and want to live by that so you can show how devoted you are, then you need to also study the spiritual aspects of the scriptures and not just the physical acts of obedience. Again, this angered these Jewish leaders rather than them admitting to their error. They had overlooked this subtlety: the tense of the passage of scripture implicated the reality Moses believing in the concept of resurrection when they taught Moses did not believe in that doctrine. They were embarrassed and rather than admitting the brilliance of what Jesus taught, they dug more deeply and became entrenched in their jealously and hatred for him because he had embarrassed them in front of those who they believed thought them superior.

However, this was consistent with many of Christ’s teachings, which were paradoxical. In Luke, Christ stated, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” At first glance, this requires a double take, but with thought it makes sense. Christ is saying that if we want to do as we want in this current life without Him, we have no eternal life, but if we give up our life by trusting in Him for our life, then we will have eternal life to look forward to when this life is over.

In Mark, Christ stated, “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Again, this sounds strange at first. However, Jesus is stating that our eternal greatness will be determined by how much we served others and were concerned about other’s eternal future.

Many of Jesus’ parables had paradoxical teachings. He told his disciples that “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables.” Again, this sounds strange. If he was trying to teach them, why would Jesus say this? In other words, those who wanted to understand Jesus would be able to do so and would glean more and more from his teachings. However, those who were there for the food His miracles provided would receive no benefit and even that would be taken from them.

But how new were Jesus’ teachings? Paradoxical? Yes, with their current thinking but not if one really studied the prophets of old:

The psalmist Asaph stated, “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old.” (Ps 78:2)

The prophet Samuel stated, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” (1Sa 15:22)

The prophet Joel stated, “Rend your heart and not your garments.” (Jl 2:13)

Therefore, Jesus was proclaiming similar concepts that previous prophets had proclaimed but still the Jewish leaders were not listening, just as their forefathers had not listened previously. However, Jesus is perhaps more emphatic than past prophets because the ultimate choice was now before them. The one to whom the previous prophets spoke was now standing before them in their midst and so their last chance was now being presented to them.

How are we doing? Do we just take Biblical teaching just because that is what we have always heard? Or are we willing to open our minds to the center truth of what God’s Word is trying to tell us. Let’s study with prayer for God’s understand and a mind open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit and a desire to comprehend our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In my last post, we saw that Jesus stressed the spirit of the Law rather than just the letter of the Law. He did not shy away from making things awkward with the Jewish leaders of this important nuance. However, this turned to not be a true nuance but a very contentious matter. This week we will see another aspect of this that also made the Jewish leaders at odds with Jesus.

Jesus exposed the error of their thinking process. In Matthew 5, Jesus stated that keeping the Law was a heart matter and not a matter of ritual. He stated that although Moses commanded one to not commit adultery, this even meant that if anyone lusted after another woman other than his wife he was still guilty of breaking the command just as if they had actually committed the act.

Later, in Matthew 15, Jesus stated that “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean,” because these things come from one’s heart. There is no hedge that one can put around one’s thought process, or not very easily. This teaching from Jesus angered the Jewish leaders because for them to accept this it would mean that everything they had been doing and all their superiority in leading such dedicated lives of devotion to the Law of Moses based upon deeds was all wrong and their righteousness was indeed “as filthy rags” as stated by Isaiah (Is 64:6). They just could not accept this.

When one is faced with actual truth, there is usually two polar opposite responses. One either realizes the error of their ways and embraces the truth, or the person vehemently opposes what is being stated and rejects the truth presented. Unfortunately, the Jewish leaders responded the latter way.

Do we not do the same thing? We have our traditions that we do and like. However, sometimes we cannot even give a reason for the tradition even when we do stop to think why. The original intent is lost. Yet when someone points out the true original intent, we get mad because that does not now fit with our preconceived ideas as to why we have the tradition. Or perhaps the tradition has morphed into something not recognized by the original intent. I think this is more likely what happened here. The Jewish leaders had focused so long on the obedience component of the Law, they no longer stopped to think of the original intent of the obedience. Therefore, the obedience became the focal point rather than the intent of the Law one’s obedience was portraying. Sometimes, we, too, need to stop and look at why we do what we do and see if God has a lesson for us that is not at first obvious. God can teach us new things from old things if we stop long enough to hear what He is teaching.

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While it is true that the Jewish leaders of the day thought Jesus' teachings were radical, they were not as radical as people think. Many Old Testament prophets also preached similarly. However, Jesus did create quite a stir wherever he went. Why? Well, Jesus exposed the spirit of the Law rather than the letter of the Law. The Jewish leaders were overly concerned about people breaking the Law of Moses, so over time many self-imposed regulations were placed upon everyone to form a “hedge of protection around the Law.” As usual, although efforts have a good original intent, over time they lose their original purpose. The same was true here. Over time, these man-made, self-imposed, regulations became as binding as the Law itself and even equal in authority. They taught the more observant one was of these laws to the smallest detail, then the more spiritual, the more righteous, one became. Many of the Jewish leaders would tithe not only what the Law required but also tithed from the very spices they obtained. Of course, any time one’s goodness is tied to actions, pride can take hold and make one feel superior to others. Jesus criticized the Jewish leaders for this attitude they had against others. He told them they neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness—the spirit of the law. It was not that they should not do the things they were doing, but they should not neglect the weightier matters of the Law.

However, can we be too critical? Don't we do the same? Aren't we sometimes very legalistic and miss the true spiritual meaning of what we are trying to do? Let's start doing what Jesus did. Let's look at what Scripture is saying in spirit and not just in deed. Jesus raised the Law to a higher plane to show we can only achieve this by allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us. This keeps us humble. If we think we are doing well, then we probably are not; we are really relying on ourselves. It is only through Christ that all things are possible. Let's learn this lesson of what Jesus was teaching for ourselves and become all we can be in Him.

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Remnant is a term that is not uncommon for Israel. Here are some of the times it was used:

 1.      It was first used by Joseph when he stated that God allowed him to save a remnant of Jacob’s family (Gn 45:7).

 2.      It was used of Israel being preserved from the ravages of Assyria (2Ki 19:4).

 3.      It was used by God to state that the remnant of Judah that was saved from the sword would be taken captive (2Ch 36:20).

 4.      It was a term Ezra used to describe those that returned from Persia back to Jerusalem (Er 9:8).

 5.      It was used by Paul to state the Jews who would turn to Christ during the time of the Gentiles (Ro 9:27, 11:15).

The term has also been applied to Gentiles as well: It is also a term used by the prophets to state Gentiles who would accept Christ during the Tribulation (Is 11:16).

We can see from this that the righteous have always been the minority. In broad strokes, the righteous minority prior to Christ were the Gentiles, and the righteous minority after the time of Christ are the Jews. Even within Israel, though, were both righteous and unrighteous. We know of people like Moses, Joshua and David were righteous and followed both the spirit and intent of the Law. However, we know there were many ordinary people who did the same. We have an example with Elijah, who after killing the prophets of Baal felt he was alone in his serving God; however, God told him there were over 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal (1Ki 19:18). We also know there were many who did not serve the Lord and is the reason for the prophets’ announcements of doom and captivity.

As we stated in previous posts, the Jews were the Christian majority in the beginning of the Church Age but became the minority as more and more Gentiles became Christians. When many Christians became anti-Semitic, it caused a big rift between Christians and Jews which isolated more and more Jews from Christian contact and influence. Today, many Jews are pretty much agnostic when it comes to their relationship with God. They are strongly tied to tradition but necessarily to God Himself. Therefore, although the Jews are the Christian minority today, that will not always be the case. We read that one day, it will again be the Jews who will lead the world in the worship of God (Zc 8:23). This will occur after Jesus Christ returns. Although Israel as a nation rejected Jesus Christ the first time, they will accept him when he returns; their sins will be forgiven, and Israel will once again be righteous before God (Zc 12:10). Then they will fulfill their original charge to lead to world in the worship of God (Ex 19:6). It is good to know that God always fulfills his promises no matter how long it takes.

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We have seen that Paul was appointed by God as an Apostle to the Gentiles. So what caused so much controversy between Paul and the Christian Jews? Paul taught that circumcision was not necessary for salvation (Ac 15:1-2) and that Gentiles did not have to keep the Law to be a Christian (Ga 2:16). Many of the persecuted Jewish believers had fled to Antioch and other churches teaching that Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses in addition to accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior. In other words, you had to first be a Jewish proselyte to become a follower of Jesus Christ. Paul was opposed to this and went to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem where they heard how God was blessing Gentiles and were receiving the Holy Spirit without being circumcised. This created quite an argument, but Peter also told how he had seen the Holy Spirit given to Gentile believers without them being circumcised (Ac 10, 15:7-11). From Peter’s statement, the Jerusalem council said they would be satisfied if the Gentile believers would not eat meat sacrificed to idols, not eat meat from strangled animals, not eat blood, and would keep themselves sexually pure (Ac 15:20). This Paul did (Ac 16:4).

So did Paul give up his Jewish customs? At times he did, for he did not want to be a stumbling block to others and confuse them (1Co 9:20-22); however, for the most part he kept a lot of the Jewish customs. On his second missionary journey, he hurried back to Jerusalem to keep Passover (Ac 18:21). On this journey he also seemed to have kept a Nazarite vow (Ac 18:18). On his third missionary journey, he observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Philippi (Ac 20:6) and wanted to get to Jerusalem in time for Shavuot [Pentecost] (Ac 20:16). Therefore, Paul did not live like a Gentile in every aspect. However, he was not bothered by blending the two.

So how do we reconcile this? Paul’s main emphasis was that Jesus Christ came and died for the sins of mankind and everyone needs to hear about him, accept him, receive salvation through him, and receive the Holy Spirit in order to live a life then pleasing to God. Everything else was just tradition. The Law of Moses had shown them their sin (Ro 3:20); keeping it did not save them (Ro 3:23, 28). Salvation through Jesus Christ is for all, both Jew and Gentile (Ro 3:21-31). Paul saw no problem with keeping the Jewish traditions/customs, or even the Law itself, as long as it was kept in its proper context. It is something one chooses volitionally to do but not committed to do. Therefore, there was no need to impose this on Gentiles as it was not necessary for salvation. However, anyone, either Jew or Gentile can decide to keep the Jewish feasts and any other customs if they know this is not making them any better than anyone else (1Co 8:8).

Paul’s teaching is a good lesson for us today. Our customs and heritage are especially important to us, as well as they should be. However, we should not let any custom or tradition make us feel superior to anyone else. We are all equal in Christ. Jesus Christ came to die for the salvation of all. It is our faith in him that saves us and that is the equalizer. All other things we do or do not do are based upon personal conviction and have no bearing on our goodness or righteousness. It is not how much faith we have but the object of our faith that makes the difference. Let’s let Paul’s example be our guide.

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Many people are surprised that there are many connections between Christians and Jews. Some see them as quite diverse. After all, Christians believe Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecies about the promised Messiah, but Jews don’t believe he did. Also, some Christians believe God has removed Israel from any of his future plans. However, let’s look at the commonalities:

 1. Both pay allegiance to the same God. While many modern Jews are somewhat agnostic, there are many Jews who still pray to the God of Abraham. This is the same God to whom we as Christians pray and serve. There are other religions that claim they worship and serve God; however, the characteristics of the god they serve are different. The God of the Christians and the Jews have the same characteristics.

 2. Both have the same history. The Jewish scriptures are the same as our Old Testament. Christians feel connected to the members of Jewish history just as do the Jews: Abraham, Moses, David, etc. These are key figures of the Jews but are key figures for Christians as well. Both revere them highly.

 3. Christianity would not exist without Judaism. Actually, the first Christians were Jews. For a while there were no Gentile Christians. Although not called Christians at the time, but people of The Way (Ac 9:2), they were all Jewish or Jewish proselytes. For a good period of time, these Christians were considered a sect of Judaism (Ac 28:22) because they still attended the synagogue and the temple in Jerusalem, and they still kept all the Jewish festivals. It was not until more Gentiles than Jews became Christians when Christianity was no longer considered part of Judaism. If one did not have a Jewish history, Paul and others taught that since salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ, there was no need to keep Jewish traditions (Ac 15). However, Paul was not against Jewish traditions—just that they were not essential for salvation.

 4. Both share a similar future. Many Old Testament prophets prophesied that Israel would spend an eternity with their Messiah when he sets up his kingdom. Some feel that because most Jews and the Jewish leaders at the time rejected Jesus’ message, God has altered his promises and given them to the Christians. However, Paul, who revealed the mystery of the church and the present time of the Gentiles, did not believe this (Ro 11:1). Paul stated that this present time is when Gentiles are the prominent Christian group (Ro 11:25), but Israel will again in the future accept Jesus as their Messiah and will rule with him (Ro 11:26-27). Yet,Christians are considered the Bride of Christ and will rule with him in his millennial kingdom (Ep 5:23; 2Tm 2:12).

 5. The “age of Gentiles” was made possible by the Jews. Throughout the past centuries, a lot of anti-Semitism has developed because they were labeled “Christ killers.” This has caused a large wedge to be created between Jews and Christians. That is very unfortunate, for, as you can see from this post that there are a lot of similarities. Actually, it is the Jewish leaders rejection of Jesus that has allowed the age of Gentiles to arise and provide Gentiles the opportunity to become Christians (Ro 9:30-33). When Jesus first came, his message was of his coming kingdom (Mt 4:17). Therefore, if the Jews had accepted that message, the millennial kingdom would have been established then. If that had occurred, what would have been the fate of Gentiles? One can only speculate. None of this caught God by surprise, though. It all went as God knew it would. Therefore, we as Gentiles can be grateful of our opportunity.

 6. Both Jews and Christians have been persecuted. This is not to say that other ethnic groups have not been, but these two groups have been persecuted most often. During the early church times in the Roman Empire, they were persecuted because they would only recognize one king and it was not Caesar but their beloved Jesus Christ. Christians have been labeled as exclusionary because we state there is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ (Ac 4:12). However, although that sounds exclusionary, it is really inclusionary because the offer of meeting Jesus Christ is offered to all. And, if one does not, they are not coerced. While history does not always bear out this sentence, it is true if one really follows the teachings of the Bible. The Jews are persecuted because if they are wiped out, God’s ultimate plan cannot come true. They are also a reminder of the reality of a one true God. I think most would have a hard time denying that the holocaust was not demonic in nature. If one believes the Bible, then Satan is real and his work is as well. He wants to be the ultimate victor and is the true mimicker of God. Others may not believe the Bible, but he does. He knows how crucial Israel is to the future of mankind and to God’s ultimate plan. Therefore, if they are no more, then God cannot complete His plan. Thankfully, the Bible also records the end and everyone, whether Jew or Gentile, who has put their faith in him will be on the victor’s side.

Although this has been a very brief summary, one can see that through Israel we have a lot to be thankful for. That is also one of the points of this website. We cannot be Christians and ignore the contribution that Israel has played in our genesis, our present state, and will be in our future. The world is forever tied to Israel. Please read by book, Why is a Gentile World Tied to a Jewish Timeline? For further information on this topic.

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What was Paul’s background? Paul was trained to be a Pharisee and he seemed to be top of his class (Ac 22:3; Pp 3:4-6). He was also a Roman citizen (Ac 22:27) which gave him special privileges. Peers would say he had it all—all that any Jew could ever hope for—wealth, special spiritual training, respect of their Jewish leaders and all the privileges that a Roman citizen could receive. Paul also had a zeal for doing God’s work—just misguided. No one else could see his potential, but it was truly clear to God.

So, why was Paul’s background so important? Well, let me ask you. If you were going to accomplish a paradigm shift: going from using a Jewish nation to individuals and not just Jewish individuals but Gentile individuals also, who would you want to help accomplish that? You would need someone who could understand Jewish law and how that now relates to the teachings of Christ. You would need someone that could stand up to criticism of this new paradigm and be able to defend it with Jewish scripture. You would need someone who could gain the respect of the Gentiles as well. What better person than Paul? He had special training in Jewish law. There was no one who could argue he did not know the Jewish Scriptures. He had originally hated the Christians, so he could identify with how the Gentiles must feel going from their current culture to becoming a Christian which would seem rather foreign at first. He would be able to tease out from Scripture what was necessary for the Gentiles and what was optional and was just Jewish tradition. He could tease out the meaning behind the Jewish traditions and not just feel the tradition, in itself, was sufficient. He could put Christ’s teachings into their proper Jewish scripture context and explain it in a way that would make sense to the Jew as well as to the Gentile. Yes, God needed someone like Paul. And Paul did not let God down. Yet, God had to be quite blunt with Paul and stop him dead in his tracks in order to get his attention (Ac 9:1-6). Once on the right road, however, there was no stopping him.

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So, how many apostles are there? It seems the number has always been reported as 12. Jesus had twelve disciples, but Judas betrayed him and committed suicide. Peter initiated a replacement and Matthias was chosen (Ac 1:12-26). Then, later, Paul states that God called him to be an apostle (Ac 9:15; Ro 1:1). So, are there 12, 13, or 14 apostles? Well, if we take at face value that the information in Revelation is speaking of the future, it seems to indicate there are only 12 (Rv 21:14). If this is true, how do we come to grips with this? Well, let’s go through this step by step.

The first question would be did Judas have faith in Jesus as the Messiah before he died? There are several things that would seem to indicate he did not. Several scriptures suggest Judas did not have faith in Christ’s reason for coming (Jn 17:12; Ps 41:9). This point is addressed more fully in my book, Why is a Gentile World Tied to a Jewish Timeline?. However, Peter, knowing the state of Judas, and knowing that scripture stated he should be replaced (Ac 1:20; Ps 109:8), likely felt Judas had not been a true follower of Christ, and is likely one of the reasons Peter was advocating a replacement for him. However, let’s look at the circumstances around this event. This was on the heels of the disciples seeing Christ ascend back into heaven. But let’s see what Christ told the disciples. Christ stated the disciples were to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:4, 8). Peter, as his previous actions imply, was not a patient person. He was a man of action—sometimes to his detriment. Yet, he was definitely a leader. Perhaps because there was not a specific time given to them and knowing that the Feast of Pentecost (Weeks or Shavuot) was fast approaching, which would bring a lot of activity, Peter may have felt they should be doing something. However, if Jesus had wanted the disciples to choose another disciple at this time, it is likely he would have given that request before his ascension or even chosen another before his ascension. Remember, Christ’s request was for them to wait. Waiting usually implies just that—to wait.

The other thing to look at is how the decision was made. They used lots (Ac 1:26). This is similar to flipping a coin and making a decision as to whether it lands heads or tails. Now, granted, this was not something unusual. The casting of lots was a customary thing to do to know if a decision was of the gods or not (Jh 1:7). However, for the Jews, this was usually done by the High Priest (using Urim and Thummim; Nu 27:21) because they were expecting an answer from the One True God. Sometimes lots were cast (Nu 26:55) and God was expected to be in the correct decision of the lot. Therefore, Peter most likely thought this was an acceptable way of making the decision. After all, they did pray before casting the lot. However, the way this was done, a decision would be made whether God was in the decision or not. Two candidates (Justus and Mathias) were chosen, and the lot was to choose which one would become the replacement for Judas. Once the Holy Spirit came to indwell each believer, the need for lots was no longer required as the Holy Spirit could minister and impress upon one’s human spirit the right course of action. Maybe this was why Jesus asked the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit? I am sure both of these men were very good men, or the disciples would not have put them up for nomination. It is interesting that scripture does not mention Mathias again after this selection process. Could this be a silent statement of scripture that this was not really God’s plan? Did the disciples know their error after the Holy Spirit came to indwell them? Again, scripture is silent. However, if Paul was indeed called to be an apostle, as he claimed (see 30-Jan-2013 post), then Paul would complete the 12, and not Matthias. It seem obedience is always the best choice.

A caveat here, though. The Bible does not condemn Peter for his actions, so we can’t know for sure if this was indeed rash on his part or not. As they say, time will tell. Or, in this case, eternity. There does seem to be historical evidence that Matthias was just as dedicated to the spreading of the gospel as any of the other apostles and met a martyr’s death as did almost every apostle.

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Paul definitely claimed to be an apostle (Ro 11:13; 1Co 9:1; 2Co 12:12; Gal 2:8; 1Tm 2:7; Tt 1:1) and even claimed his appointment as an apostle was given by God (Ro 1:1; 1Co 1:1; 2Co 1:1; Ga 1:1; Ep 1:1; Cl 1:1; 1Tm 1:1). So was there any proof of this being true? There were two things that usually defined an apostle: (1) being an eye witness to Jesus Christ and (2) being able to do signs, wonders and miracles (2Co 12:12).

Paul was born under the name Saul in the city of Tarsus, Cilicia (which is now part of Turkey) around 3 to 5 AD. Therefore, by the time Jesus was crucified, Paul would have been around 30 years of age. Since Paul was taught by Gamaliel (Ac 22:3), who was a key figure in the Sanhedrin in the middle of the first century and the grandson of the great Jewish teach Hillel the Elder, it is likely Paul would have met Jesus during his lifetime since he would have been in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus’ ministry. Yet, he would likely have been opposed to the teachings of Jesus like many of the other Pharisees would have been. Therefore, he would not have had an intimate relationship with Jesus and his teachings—at least not until Jesus met him on the road to Damascus (Ac 9:1-9). It really shows how Paul had the zeal to serve God, but his zeal was just misguided. After he understood that Jesus was indeed Lord, he had the same zeal to serve Jesus Christ as he did previously to stamp out those proclaiming to be Christians. This wasn’t the only experience with Jesus Christ, though. We find that he had a vision where he was translated into the third heaven and heard inexpressible things (2Co 12:4). This was an experience not held by any other apostle. This likely occurred not too long after his conversion—maybe when he spent his time in Arabia (Ga 1:17). This is also likely when God revealed to him the mystery of the church and how the Gentiles will be heirs with Israel (Ep 3:4-11; Cl 1:25-17), and how the rapture will occur before Christ’s second coming (1Co 15:51-52; 1Th 4:13-18). Do these events not qualify him for the first criterion of being an apostle?

Miracles were usually characteristics of an apostle. One could point out that Stephen, who was a deacon, also performed miracles (Ac 6:8). Yet, as the church grew, the people capable of miracles remained mainly around those characterized as apostles (2Co 12:12). There were many miracles that were accomplished by Paul: he told Elymas that he would become blind for a season, and he did (Ac 13:9-11); he performed signs and wonders in Iconium (Ac 14:3); he healed a crippled man in Lystra (Ac 14:8); he healed a demon possessed girl in Philippi (Ac 16:18); he performed extraordinary miracles in Ephesus where people were healed with handkerchiefs that had touched him (Ac 19:11-12); he brought Eutychus back to life in Troas (Ac 20:9-10), and even though bitten by a poisonous viper, he had no ill effect from it (Ac 28:3-6).

Based upon these criteria, it would seem Paul would meet the criteria for being called an apostle. So what about Matthias who was chosen by Peter and the disciples shortly after Christ’s ascension (Ac 1:12-26)? And what about Judas? Do we have 12, 13 or 14 apostles? We will discuss this next time.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the last few posts we have talked about several different kinds of Biblical conundrums. The reason these conundrums (or paradoxes or antinomies) are there is because God is a part of them. We cannot fully understand God, how He works, or even why He works as He does. Therefore, He and His actions appear conundrum-like to us. I think this is one reason why so many people have trouble with the Gospel message. In one case it is quite simple and even a child can understand and accept it. However, the more deeply you think about it, the more complicated and anti-logical it seems and since people cannot rationalize it in their mind, they are skeptical of believing something that seems paradoxical.

So, how does one come to grips with all this? Well, first we need to understand how we think about God. What is your view of God? Do you want a God you can logically understand and figure out? Yes, it makes Him seem more rational, but is that how big a God you really want? If I can figure God out, how can I really expect Him to handle all the things I can’t figure out? I want a God who is bigger than what I can conceive, and who can do more than I can imagine—One who is totally mind-blowing! Isn’t that the kind of God you want? If that is the case then you want a God who is a conundrum, whose works are paradoxical, and who can make antinomies true. If that is the kind of God you want, then the next step is really not that big.

What step am I talking about? Faith. It is the glue that ties all these Godly conundrums together for us. If we want and believe in a God who is like we just described, then all we have to do is accept Him: who He is (a conundrum) as described in the Bible (Trinity), what He has done for us (a paradox) that we cannot do ourselves (salvation), and how he works and draws people to Himself (an antinomy) and makes us his (you can call it free will or predestination). This acceptance is by faith. It is what God requires. You can go only so far on human logic. It almost gets you there—but not quite. There is still a small gap. It is like Indiana Jones when he was seeking the Holy Grail to save his father. He was almost there. He could see where he needed to go but he couldn’t quite get there with his own efforts. He had to take that step of faith. It didn’t seem right. It didn’t seem logical. But he was desperate and so he took that step that in his mind would plummet him to his demise. However, the step was firm. It didn’t make sense—at first. But it was only after taking that step that it all made sense, and he was able to complete his mission and save his father. Are you at that place? You are almost there but the next step just does not seem logical. Trust me. Just take that step. Only after taking that step can the conundrum, the paradox, the antinomy of God begin to make sense. You will never fully understand Him, but you will know you can trust Him. That, my friend, makes all the difference.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

This topic may be a little scary for some and one may wonder why I have brought up such a controversial subject. After all, this debate has actually split congregations into different denominations. The Bible does teach both (Ro 8:29, Jn 3:16) but they seem almost opposite in definition, so how could they both be true? Ah, is that not a true antinomy? So, how do we deal with such a topic? Some have divided into camps: one states that God sees what man is going to do and so a person is predestined to know him, another states that God foreordained some to finally know Him and others to not. Free will versus predestination: yes, it can make one’s head hurt if you think too long and try to reconcile the two with human logic. So what is one to do? Some say that this is not a crucial belief for one’s salvation, so we can just agree to disagree. Well, that is certainly true. But I had to ask myself, do I have to choose. Since the Bible supports that both are true and that all scripture comes from God (2Tm 3:16), can I rectify this in my mind without twisting my brain into knots?

After thinking further, I think the answer is that not only are both true, but they are the same thing. Preposterous you say? I think we have to know that human logic is not the same as God’s logic (Is 55:9).I also think God has provided us evidence of this in the natural world so we can apply it in the spiritual world. The picture at the beginning of this post is the first example. The picture is an ambigram where it can be read as either wave or particle. The electromagnetic spectrum, including visible light, can be considered as a wave or as a particle. This is known as wave-particle duality where light can be viewed as a wave or as a particle but not both simultaneously. The same seems to be true with electrons and other subatomic particles as well. This would seem to imply that we don’t really understand these particles because they can’t be one or the other. And that is what has happened because along came string theory to try to better “interpret” these particles as being like a one-dimensional string that vibrates and the frequency of vibration will define what type of subatomic particle one is describing. Even this theory doesn’t explain everything, but I think you get the point. We have a particle but we don’t fully understand it, but we know you can look at it from different perspectives yet it is still describing the same particle.

Now, doesn’t that sound similar to this spiritual concept? You can view one’ acceptance of Christ as either free will or predestination but you can’t reconcile them together. This means that it is not really one or the other, we just have not been able to understand the true concept. So, this means you can look at this as predestination or free will and you will be describing the same concept—just not fully, because the true understanding is something in between. Perhaps that is why Paul did not try to explain the predestination concept because it really is not different from free will after all. It may appear different to us but not to God. God fully understands it. We just need to accept it.

Is that hard to swallow? Well, scientists no longer fight over an electron or other subatomic particle being a particle or a wave or a string. They have come to accept that these are all true, but inaccurate, descriptions of the same concept. They accept that. Is that faith? They may not say so, but if we accept something without fully understanding it, isn’t that faith? Isn’t that what God expects of us? We don’t have to understand Him to accept Him. It is all possible with faith.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Why would I say salvation is a paradox? Well, God states that salvation is something He provided for us, and there is nothing we can do ourselves to earn it. Therefore, if we work toward our salvation, we cannot attain it; but if we don’t work for it, we attain it. See, doesn’t that sound like a paradox? However, there is a logical answer to this mysterious statement.

Adam’s act of disobedience—actually, rebellion (read chapter 4 of my book, Why is a Gentile World Tied to a Jewish Timeline?) forever separated mankind from God. This is a chasm that mankind cannot bridge. Our best is still counted as equivalent to a filthy rag to God (Is 64:6). Therefore, we were forever destined to be separated from God. However, God loved us so much that He decided to bridge this gap for us. The second person of the Godhead, who became Jesus Christ, became known as the Son of God, came, and died on the cross for the payment of all of mankind’s sin: past, present, and future. All of the work needed to restore us to God was done by God. This neither means our salvation is cheap nor is it automatic. Jesus Christ paid a huge price. Although he was God, he came in human flesh and sacrificed his life for us. This was a payment God required for sin. The past sacrifices had been done, and were required to be done, on a repeated basis. These sacrifices were instituted to show that mankind cannot get to God on works alone, and pointed toward the one Messiah who was to come to be the ultimate sacrifice, and pay the universal debt these animal sacrifices could not pay. Also, God is spirit and, therefore, each personality of the Godhead was spirit. By Jesus Christ coming in human form, he forever remained human so he will always identify with us—in human form when he was present on earth, and in glorified form in our eternal future. Jesus Christ paid the necessary price to restore our relationship with God; however, each individual must accept that offering. It is not granted automatically. God is not going to force this gift on us if we are not willing to accept it. Although the price was great, it’s acceptance is available to all just by the act of acceptance, with humility.

Faith is the element that is need for our salvation’s acceptance. To accept what has been done for us, we have to accept, by faith, that this is our only way for being accepted by God: not on our own merit but on the merit of Jesus Christ alone. There is no work, no act, no moral goodness that we can rely on for God’s acceptance of us. It must be on Jesus Christ alone. There is no other name on which we can be saved (Ac 4:12).

Connected to this, and tied to this paradox, is the virgin birth of Christ. Without his virgin birth, there is no way Christ’s act of salvation could be possible for us. There is no human that can pay for the sin of even one person, much less that of all mankind. Without His virgin birth, there would be no salvation. Therefore, belief in Christ’s virgin birth is essential to our salvation. Just as faith is needed to trust in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for our right standing with God, faith is also needed to believe in Christ’s virgin birth. Both are essential. The latter cannot be achieved without the former being true.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The idea of God being Trinity is a little hard for humans to comprehend. However, this concept is definitely supported in Scripture. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament supports this view of God. Here are three examples from Scripture:

1. In the first verse of the Bible it states, “In the beginning God [Elohim] created…” (Gn 1:1). Here we have a plural noun with a singular verb. In the next verse we have, “…the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” One, of course, could argue that this does not necessarily support God being exactly triune, but it does support it. It does, however, show that God is multi-dimensional.

2. When God visited the Israelites at Mt. Sinai after they left Egypt under the leadership of Moses, God first appeared to them as a cloud of fire and smoke that settled onto the mountain (Ex 19-20); He then met with Moses and several of the leaders and ate with them (Ex 24:9-11); He then descended in Spirit form on the leaders so they could discern wisely (Nu 11:24-25). Therefore, we have the three components of the Godhead: the first person of the Godhead who appeared as fire and smoke, the second person of the Godhead who appeared in human form to them, and the third person of the Godhead who descended upon them as Spirit.

3. When Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist (Mt 3), we have the second person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ, who was in human form; and we have the third person of the Godhead, God the Holy Spirit, descending upon Jesus as a dove (Mt 3:16); and we have the first person of Godhead, God the Father, speaking from heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17).

If we put all three of these together, we have a multidimensional God, and in two places (both Old and New Testament) presenting God as triune.

The reason I call this concept a conundrum is that this concept is indeed a great mystery. Our human brains just cannot truly grasp a concept that God is three individuals in one. It is not really a paradox because although we can believe the concept to be true, we cannot truly rationally describe or understand it. I don’t think it is really an antinomy either because we are not really comparing two different concepts. Many have used various metaphors to try and explain it (like water can exist in three phases, solid, liquid, and gas); however, these are not exact parallels in concept.

They seem to be three individual personalities but composed of one will. We know that Jesus Christ stated that he was one with the Father (Jn 10:30) and stated that he existed even before Abraham (Jn 8:58). However, we also know that the relationship between each of these personalities can change. Before Jesus Christ came to earth in the form of us humans, he was spirit (Jn 4:24). When He ascended back to heaven he did not return as spirit and re-enter the same relationship with God the Father; he returned to the Father as our High Priest and mediator as a man (1Tm 2:5), but in glorified form, a form that we one day will also have (1Jn 3:2).

This concept about God may be hard to understand but we know that Jesus Christ came to present truth (Jn 18:37). Therefore, we can trust this concept. Although hard to understand, we can see that it makes sense because it makes God the most perfect relationship builder—ever! We truly serve a unique and holy God. Hallelujah!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The picture presented here is known as a Möbius band. It is a three-dimensional object but has only one side. If you draw a line starting at a point on the band you will end back at the same spot from where you started and there would be no reverse side without that same line you drew. So is this a conundrum, a paradox, an antinomy or a contradiction? Well, let’s first look at their definitions.

Conundrum: This is a statement that is puzzling or mysterious

Paradox: Two statements that at first appear to be contradictory but can be rationally resolved.

Antinomy: Two statements that at first appear to be contradictory and cannot be rationally resolved but are both considered true.

Contradiction: Two statements that are not in agreement.

Depending upon one’s point of view, it could be considered any of these. It is a conundrum because it is mysterious how a band could have only one side. It could be considered a paradox because we know how it was created so it has a solution. It could be considered an antinomy because in true three-dimensional space, it does not seem to follow what we know about three dimensional objects. It probably would not be a contradiction since it is known to exist.

What about these concepts from a Biblical point of view? Well, I thought we would explore a few Biblical concepts over the next few weeks that fit these definitions. From these definitions, one could ask the following:

 1. Is a paradox or antinomy a subset of a conundrum?

I think it would not be incorrect to say ‘yes’ since both a paradox and an antinomy are mysteries that one tries to solve. However, from a Biblical point of view, there may be some subtle differences. For example, many may say that Ezekiel’s statements about the King of Tyre (Ek 28) is a conundrum because it poses the question of whether it is about the human king of Tyre, about Satan’s downfall, or both? While mysterious, I don’t think it falls into a paradox or antinomy. Paul also stated that the church was a ‘mystery’ that was revealed to him (Ep 3). The church is somewhat of a conundrum in that it is somewhat of a mystery as to how it fits into Old Testament prophecy of Christ’s first and second coming. I think we could say that a paradox or antinomy is a conundrum but not all conundrums are either a paradox or antinomy.

2. How can one know that an antinomy is not an unresolved paradox or an actual contradiction? In most cases, one cannot. However, if we assume that the Bible is inerrant then a Biblical statement or concept cannot be a contradiction. It is possible that an antinomy is an unsolved paradox. However, that is somewhat immaterial as to the truth of the Biblical concept. For example, when Jesus stated that the person who saves his life will lose it and if he loses his life he will save it (Lk 17:33) seems paradoxical until one really understands the principle Jesus is teaching. We can understand the meaning: if one denounces Christ in this present life then he will forfeit his life in the next but if one sacrifices his life in this present life to serve Christ he will gain an eternal life in the one to come. If we consider the principle that the Bible teaches both free will and predestination, then, at least to our current understanding of these concepts, we cannot reconcile them even though we know both must be true because the Bible teaches both. Therefore, this is an antinomy. However, if we can resolve these two concepts either by redefining or understanding these concepts differently or finding a way they can be reconciled together, then it becomes a paradox. However, as stated, even if it stays an antinomy, it does not decrease its truthfulness.

We could also ask the question of whether it matters if these Biblical questions need to be characterized? Probably not, but I think it does help us put them into a better context. As we go forward in the next few weeks, we will take some of these and discuss. However, there are many that people have identified, so we will have to pick and choose. If you have a favorite, let me know.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Last time we talked about what the Jewish audience to whom John and Jesus preached would have been thinking when spoken to about the “kingdom of God.” So, it would appear they were speaking of a literal kingdom. After all, the mere word ‘kingdom’ implies a king, subjects over whom to rule, and a land over which to govern. So, that makes sense. But if that was the case then, what happened to make so many people think it is something spiritual rather than something literal?

I think one thing that has led to this is the misconception that Jesus came to change things. Therefore, a change in definition would not seem too out of line since he changed so many things. Jesus certainly did come to challenge and to correct but not to change. It wasn’t that the Jewish leaders were wrong in applying the Law—just in their way of executing it. They were making man-made “laws” equivalent to God’s Law, and it caused a misapplication of what God had originally intended. Therefore, Jesus did not come to change the Law or to null the Law but to fulfill it. Jesus himself stated this: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Mt 5:17-18).

But wait a minute, you may say, Paul stated that we are no longer under Law but under grace. That is true but not because Jesus did away with the Law. After all, if Jesus did away with the Law even the Ten Commandments would be null and void, but they are still in effect. So, how do we put this together? We must recognize that a large part of the Law was prophecy. When a prophecy is fulfilled, you don’t go back and say the prophecy is in effect. It is now a done deal and, in some way, null and void—not because it won’t happen but because it did happen. The same is true here. Jesus fulfilled the Law. He was the one to whom all the sacrifices and rituals pointed. When he came, died, was buried, and rose again, these animal sacrifices and rituals were made null and void. Again, not because the concept was no longer needed, but because Jesus fulfilled the concept. A sinless sacrifice was needed, and Jesus fulfilled that requirement. There is no longer a need to use an older system when something newer is now in effect. Therefore, Paul could say he was dead to the Law because he was now alive in Christ, the fulfillment of the Law. And we can only keep the Ten Commandments because of the Holy Spirit who indwells us—not because we can do it ourselves.

So . . . if Christ did not come to change but to fulfill, how does that relate to the term “kingdom of God.” Well, he was preaching He was the fulfillment of that—if only the people and the Jewish leaders would accept him. He was also referring to a literal kingdom and not a spiritual kingdom.

Let’s look at a few scriptures where the misalignment has occurred. To better understand, we will need to look at the context of what was said and not just what was being said.

The scripture that has been the linchpin of Christ teaching a spiritual kingdom has been Luke 17:20-21: Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘there it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” The Greek word for ‘within’ is entos. While it can mean ‘within,’ it can also mean ‘among’ or ‘midst.’ So, how do we know which one is implied? We need to look at the context surrounding the statement. Jesus was talking to the Pharisees so it would seem odd to say to them that the kingdom of God was within them. After all, Jesus had called them “hypocrites,” “whitewashed tombs,” and that they were condemned (Mt 23:25, 27, 33). How would Jesus then state that His kingdom was within them—or in their hearts? Jesus was rather saying that the kingdom was in their midst. Actually, right in front of them. Jesus had been preaching he was the one to bring the kingdom to them. Therefore, Jesus was saying that if they would only believe in Him, the kingdom would be established at this time. Still not convinced? Then look at the next few verses. Jesus is then telling his disciples he must first suffer many things before his kingdom is established; but when it will come there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind then—it will be as obvious as lightning (Lk 17:22-25). This further proves that Jesus was referring to a literal kingdom and not a spiritual kingdom. With this verse now being shown to be consistent with a literal interpretation of “kingdom of God,” it then sheds different light on other scriptures that have been interpreted in light of Luke 17:20-21.

What about all the parables of the kingdom? To be honest, I am not sure how they get interpreted as being spiritual or of the kingdom being in our hearts. They all end in a separation of the “good” and “bad” at the “end of the age” (Mt 13:40) or as the literal Millennial Kingdom is set up. The parable of the sower (Mt 13:1-23), of the weeds (Mt 13:24-30, 36-43), of the mustard seed (My 13:31-32), of the yeast (Mt 13:33), and of the net (Mt 13:47-50) all show Satan will have followers disguised as those of the light to create confusion and deceive many. However, God knows who is who, and all will be sorted properly in the end (Mt 13:49). Then the parable of the hidden treasure (Mt 13:44) and the pearl (Mt 13:45) show the priceless value of understanding the importance of the kingdom of God. Actually, the interpretation of these parables could apply to our current life looking forward to the literal kingdom or could apply to the literal kingdom itself. We know that in the millennial kingdom not everyone will be pleased with King Jesus (Ps 2:9; Is 65:20). Then when Satan is let out of the Abyss (Rv 20:7), he works with those dissatisfied and again makes war with Jesus and Jerusalem (Rv 20:8). He is ultimately defeated, but it is surprising just how many recruits he gets even after a perfect environment is established (Rv 20:8-9). This shows how wicked our human hearts can really be. We cannot blame our state entirely on Satan. He only uses what we make available to him.

There is no place in scripture where Jesus redefined what the Jews were expecting when he preached the kingdom of God. What he preached, how he taught his disciples how to pray, and the parables he told were all about a literal kingdom and not a spiritual kingdom. So what is happening today, the time between Christ first coming when he died for our sins (fulfilled the prophecy of the Law and the first 3 Jewish festivals) and his second coming when he will set up his literal kingdom (a fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles)? If we are not part of his spiritual kingdom, what are we? We, as the Church, are his bride (Ep 5:22-23) and will rule with him in his kingdom. We are not ruling now, we are preparing ourselves for our bridegroom to return. We are seeking to help others know of his coming so they, too, can be part of the ceremony and rule with him as well (2Co 5:11). After all, Peter states that we are no longer of this world (1Pt 2:11), so our kingdom is not in this world but of the world to come. We, too, can state with John, “Come Lord Jesus” (Rv 22:20) because our happiness will only become greater in the life to come in the real and literal kingdom of God.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

When John the Baptist started preaching, he preached, "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand" (Mt 3:1-2). When Jesus came on the scene, this was also his proclamation as well (Mt 4:17). Jesus instructed his disciples and others he commissioned to go throughout the country to preach the same (Mt 10:7; Lk 10:9). Can we know what Jesus really meant? If so, why is there so much confusion around the term “kingdom of God” today? Why didn’t Jesus just define what he meant?

Let’s remember that the term is Jewish in nature as John and Jesus were Jewish and spoke to a Jewish audience. If that is the case then that begs the question, “What did Jews think about the phrase?” Is this term mentioned in the Old Testament?

The exact phrase is not actually mentioned in the Old Testament, but the concept is certainly there. So let’s examine some of these Old Testament scriptures to see what the Jews were actually expecting to happen in their future. I would not say this is an exhaustive list, but I think this will give us a clue as to what the Jews were expecting for their future:

 1.   2Sa 7:16: It is stated that David’s kingdom will last forever

 2.   1Ch 17:14: It is stated that David’s kingdom will last forever

 3.   Ps 45:6: God’s throne will last forever, and justice will be His scepter

 4.   Ps 145:11: God’s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His saints will extol his glory to all the earth

 5.   Is 9:7: There will be no end to the government of the Lord, and he will rule on David’s throne

 6.   Is 32:1-8: A kingdom of righteousness will be established; the land will flourish and infirmities of people will be removed

 7.   Jr 23:5: The Branch will be the king and reign wisely, and bring Judah and Israel together to live safely

 8.   Jr 33:15: The Branch will be called the Lord of Righteousness, be a descendent of David, and will cause Jerusalem to live in safety

 9.   Dn 2:44: God will set up an earthly kingdom and it will never be destroyed

10.  Dn 4:3: God’s kingdom is an eternal kingdom

11.  Dn 7:18: The saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever

12.  Dn 7:22: The Ancient of Days came and gave the kingdom to the saints of the Most High

13.  Dn 7:27: The kingdom is given to the saints of the Most High; the kingdom of the Most High will last forever and all of the rulers will worship and obey him.

14.  Ho 14:4-9: The land of Israel will be prosperous.

15.  Jl 3:17-21: A fountain of water will flow from the temple and water the land; the desert will blossom; Jerusalem will be inhabited forever; the Lord will pardon Israel’s sins.

16.  Am 9:11-15: The land of Israel will be prosperous; the people of Israel will never be uprooted.

17.  Mi 4:7: The Lord will rule in Mt. Zion forever

18.  Zp 3:15: The Lord will be Israel’s king, gather his people together so they will never again fear any harm; his people will receive glory and praise from all of the people of the earth

19.  Zc 3:8: The Lord will remove sin from the land in a single day

20.  Zc 6:13: The Branch will build the temple of the Lord and will be both ruler and priest from his throne.

21.  Zc 14: The Lord will fight for Israel; living water will flow from Jerusalem; the Lord will be king over all the earth; the land will be prosperous, and the waters will teem with fish; Jerusalem will forever be secure.

If we take all of these scriptures together, it would seem that what has been promised to Israel is a kingdom provided by God and ruled by God who would also be a descendant of David and will rule on David’s throne. This reign will occur on the earth, be everlasting, and produce a time of peace, prosperity, and health to its people. Therefore, this, or some form of it, is what the people of John's and Jesus' day were thinking when the term "kingdom of God" was used. Jesus did not define it because the concept was already known by the audience to whom he spoke.

Now, it is true that not all Jewish teachers/leaders were united in how all of this was going to come to pass. Actually, they were looking for a Messiah who would accomplish this by defeating Roman rule over them. Hence, this Messiah would be the Branch, a descendant of David. However, there are other scriptures that talk of a suffering Messiah which seemed incongruent to many rabbis so they even contemplated that there may be even two Messiahs. It also appeared that the Messiah had both God-like characteristics as well as man-like characteristics. This also led them to think of the possibility of two different Messiahs.

However, although not everyone agreed on the exact how the "kingdom of God" would come to pass, the idea of "the kingdom of God" was not in question. That is not the case today. Why is that? We will discuss this further next time.

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Some may see these differences like the comparison: all robins are birds but not all birds are robins. Therefore, Jews are Israelites who are Hebrews. However, it is a little more complicated.

Hebrews. First of all, who are the Hebrews? They are descendants of Eber (Gn 10:21-25). Eber was a descendent of Shem (Shem → Arphaxad → Shelah → Eber). Remember, Shem was one of three sons of Noah (the other two being Japheth and Ham) who survived the flood. Eber had two sons: Peleg and Joktan. We later learn that Abraham was a descendent of Peleg and was known as a Hebrew (Gn 14:13). It is likely that Job was one of these descendants (Jobab, Gn 10:29). All the sons of Eber were Hebrews. So, what about Joktan’s descendants?

It seems that ever since Noah and his sons exited the ark on Mt. Ararat (today in modern Turkey), they began to migrate and settle eastward as their population began to grow. We know that the descendants of Peleg settled in the area today known as Iran since this is the area from which Abraham came (i.e., city of Ur in southern Mesopotamia; Gn 11:27-30). However, it seems that those of Joktan continued to move eastward (Gn 10:30). Therefore, some have proposed that the Joktan Hebrews are the ancient descendants of the Orient. We know that after God caused the people to possess different languages due to the sin of Nimrod building the tower of Babel in the plain of Shinar (later known as Babylon), these other descendants of Noah then began to scatter to other parts of the world. The descendants of Ham went west, and also south into Africa; the descendants of Japheth went toward the north and west into Europe; and the descendants of Shem remained in the general geographic region. This could be why most of the world has a common language ancestry and not tied to the oriental languages since the descendants of Joktan would likely not have been affected as they were not disobedient to God’s message to spread throughout the world (Gn 9:1). This would then imply that most of those in the Middle East and Orient are common in that they are all of Hebrew descent. That would also explain why Abraham was noted as a Hebrew after he entered the land of Canaan. Most of the indigenous people of that geography were descendants of Ham and not of Shem (Eber was the largest group of descendants of Shem).

Israelites. The Israelites then are a small subgroup of Hebrews. They are descendants of Abraham (Abraham → Isaac →Jacob [name later changed to Israel]). Israel had twelve sons, and these became known as the 12 tribes of Israel and were whom God chose to work through as a nation to reveal Himself to the world (Ex 19:6). However, we also need to remember that Israel as a nation became split when Rehoboam became king (1Ki 12:16-17). The Southern Kingdom, composed of Judah and Benjamin, became known as Judah with Jerusalem remaining as its capital. The Northern Kingdom, composed of the other 10 tribes, became known as Israel with Samaria as its capital. None of the kings of Israel were considered good or righteous. Because of their sin, they were eventually, as prophesied by many of God’s prophets, taken into captivity by Assyria. However, it has been shown that prior to that time many of the Israelites left to other areas, with a large number migrating to what later became known as Armenia. We only have to look at the old city of Jerusalem today to see the connection. The old city portion of Jerusalem today is divided into four quadrants: Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Armenian. Therefore, there is still an Israelite connection to Jerusalem today.

Jews. The term Jew is an abbreviated form of Judah, one of the tribes of Israel and the name of the Southern Kingdom as mentioned above. There were some of its kings who were considered righteous, but others were considered wicked and their wickedness was the main reason for Judah also being taken into captivity; this time by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. However, when Babylon was captured by the Medes and Persians, King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem (Er 1:1-2). From that time to 70 AD, Jerusalem, its temple and the land was re-established. After the Romans destroyed its temple in 70 AD, the nation went through many conquests and the people displaced. Even today there are more Jews outside Israel than in Israel. It was not until 1948 that the nation was re-established and recognized. Therefore, most of Israel today is composed of Jews but those with an Armenian connection are likely of Israelite descent. Although many today may not be able to trace their ancestry to a specific tribe, it may be that all are represented in some form.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

I have made a few statements in previous posts about how important and critical Israel is for us understanding the fate of our world. So why is that? More is explained in my book, Why is a Gentile World Tied to a Jewish Timeline?, but I will try and summarize here so we can understand better this issue. First, let's look at a few scriptures to see what God said about Israel:

Gn 13:14-17: The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."

Pretty nifty promise, huh? However, this promise did not progress to all of Abrahams descendants, but just to Isaac (Gn 26:3-6) and then to Jacob (Gn 28:13-15) whose name was later changed to Israel (Gn 32:28). There are many scriptures that re-emphasize this promise to the nation of Israel. Perhaps Jeremiah sums it up best: This is what the Lord says: "If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them" (Jr 33:25-26).

Even Paul, who was the apostle to the Gentiles and yet still a Jew, stated the following: "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.' As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Ro 11:25-29).

Therefore, God keeps his promises no matter if anyone else even remembers them. God doesn't forget, even if we do. Some say that because Israel as a nation rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah when he came the first time, that Israel is no longer in the picture. Jeremiah and Paul seem to disagree. They may be set aside for a while but will come back into the picture in a huge way.

Paul also defines the Israelites thusly: "Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen" (Ro 9:4-5). Therefore, all that we know about God has come through Israel. It would seem odd that would be the end of the story about them. We should also remember that in Exodus when God first established His covenant with Israel as a nation, he made the following statement, "you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:6). Therefore, they were to be those who revealed God to the rest of the world. Although they did not fulfill this as God had laid out the plan for them, i.e., their obedience would heap all sorts of blessings upon the nation that would then draw other nations to want to know their God, we see that Paul is stating that God did accomplish a lot through Israel. In the end, Jesus Christ was revealed through Israel, even though, as a nation, Israel rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah. This then led to the allowance of Gentiles to become part of God's family. All of this was by God's design, as Paul pointed out.

So, back to the intent of this post. Why is Israel important? We see that Israel was the one to point the world to God and revealed God to the world through the life of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Israel has partially fulfilled God's command to them back in Exodus. However, the full fulfillment is yet to come. In the future, Israel is going to lead the entire world in praise and worship of Jesus Christ, their Messiah—and ours! God is going to allow Israel to fulfill the command He gave to them so long ago. That is why He is not done with Israel. God has chosen Israel to be the leader of mankind's praise to God for all eternity. Wow! What a great blessing! A missed opportunity that God is still going to allow to happen. And, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Messiah, your Savior, by accepting his payment for your sins on the cross, you, too, will be able to witness this prophetic fulfillment and be able to join in that praise as well. Hallelujah!

That is why Israel is so important. God promised it and He is not going to allow it not to happen. That is why Israel has been so persecuted for so many generations. Satan, the Adversary, does not want this to happen. If he can get rid of Israel, then all of God's promises will fail and he will be the victor. Do you think God is going to allow that to happen? I don't think so. Want to be a part of all of this? You can. Just be willing to humble yourself and admit that you cannot save yourself and that you need a Savior.

Now, what about you that are Jewish now. Well, you can have your cake and eat it too! You are the remnant of which Paul spoke (Ro 11:5). You have access to all of Israel's previous promises and to the promises for the Church, His Bride. You have the best of both worlds! Isn't God good? Think about that.

Until next time. God bless!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

I have seen several discussions on this topic on other websites - some very heated. However, I think the Bible gives us some clues as to how to approach this topic. Let's see what Paul stated about similar mixed feelings about a related topic. I think Paul was a good choice for God to bring in as a late apostle. He was a Jew, trained to be a Pharisee, so he really understood the Law and the Jewish perspective. God also utilized him to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, so he understood their perspective as well.

In the early church, it was not too long before there were more Gentiles in the church than Jews. However, many of the Jews had a hard time letting go of their Jewish traditions to only follow Jesus Christ by faith. Paul spoke of this in Galatians chapter 2. Paul is very clear here that faith in Jesus Christ alone is sufficient for salvation and keeping the Law in no way adds to this. He is also clear that it is not keeping the Law that was necessarily an issue but believing that keeping the Law was a necessary part of salvation - that was the issue. Also, those that were keeping the Law were believing themselves to be more spiritual than those who were not. Paul also condemned this way of thinking. Observing the Jewish holidays are part of the Law as they were required by God for Israel to follow. So before we go much further, let's think of the pros and cons of Christians observing Jewish holidays.

Pros:

1. The prophetic fulfillment, or the future fulfillment, of the Jewish holidays noted in scripture (i.e., Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of First Fruits, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot) is related to a Christian's past and future as well. Therefore, celebrating these holidays could be considered important for Christians. After all, Christ was resurrected on First Fruits and not Easter.

2. Understanding, and celebrating, these holidays can help scripture come more alive to Christians. They can better understand how the Bible relates to their lives, their spiritual history and their future (both spiritual and physical). After all, these holidays will be celebrated in the Millennium (Christ’s Promised Kingdom).

3. Understanding and celebrating these holidays can help Christians better identify and understand what it means to be Jewish and build better cultural bridges.

Cons:

1. Keeping these holidays can make Christians feel more spiritual than other Christians and thereby create divisive feelings.

2. Keeping these holidays can make Christians lose focus on more important matters of spreading the gospel message itself.

3. Christians keeping these holidays can cause confusion to those non-Jews to whom they are witnessing to help them understand the good news of Jesus Christ and how salvation comes through faith in Christ alone.

So . . . what is the answer? Should we or shouldn't we? I feel the answer lies somewhere in the middle. I think it boils down to what has been termed as Christian liberty. Paul spoke of this in 1 Corinthians chapter 8. The issue in the church at that time was about eating food offered to idols. After all, abstaining from food offered to idols was one of the few commands the leaders of the church in Jerusalem had stated Gentile Christians should follow (Ac 15:20). Some may feel that Paul straddled the fence on the issue. However, his answer in some ways is no different from one of the models of being a successful communicator: know your audience. What do I mean? Know the message you are conveying and not confuse people from the root message of the gospel. In other words, for our topic here, if you as a Christian want to celebrate the Jewish holidays because it brings significance to you personally, then by all means do so. However, don't necessarily be overt with it to the point that you make others feel they are inferior if they don't, and don't confuse other Christians about what it really means to be a Christian.

How important was it for Israelites to obey the Law anyway? It was very important, but they also got lost in the reason for the obedience. God many times stated that he was sick of their sacrifices; he wanted a broken and contrite heart instead (1Sa 15:22; Ps 51:17; Ho 8:13; Ml 1:10). They misunderstood that the action of sacrifice was to be an outward show of what was in their hearts. We as Christians need to understand the same thing. If celebrating Jewish holidays helps one to understand, appreciate and obey God better, then I am sure God is all for that. However, if it is all about the ceremony and one feeling proud they have kept an observance, then it is all in vain. I feel that understanding the holidays and their prophetic significance is very important. However, one does not necessarily have to celebrate these holidays as do the Jews to appreciate them. If you are in part of the country where Jewish holidays become school holidays, then it is a good time to remind your children and family about the prophetic significance of these holidays and what they mean in our future. It is not about the doing but the meaning that is most important.

Now, if you are Jewish and a Christian, then these holidays have an even more significant and richer meaning for you. As a Jew you have the history and tradition to build upon as a Jew but in addition have the same prophetic significance with which to celebrate. Yet again, do so to be thankful to Christ for who he is, what he has done and what he will do in the future. Whether we celebrate these holidays or just understand them, let's give all of the glory to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ to whom all of these holidays point. After all, our lives are really about us glorifying Him. If our actions are giving Him glory, then we are being successful.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens