PERVERSE GENERATION - NYOBS 80.02

PERVERSE GENERATION

Doing contrary to what was intended; rebellious, corrupt, twisted, crooked, sick, & stupid.

First Word

·         When God created the world, there was only “One Will” in the whole universe; the sovereign Will of God. - When Satan rebelled there became “Two Wills”; Satan’s and God’s.

·         Satan sought to detach man from God and to attach man to himself, thus man receiving “Satan’s Will”.  - He was successful in detaching man from God, but man had his “Own Will” and would not attach himself to Satan. - Now there are “Billions of Wills” in the world; that’s why God sent His Son to re-attach us.

·         The war began against God and His greatest creation; “MAN”, who was created in God’s own image. - There is an Invisible War going on - and it’s over us.

·         Wikipedia says that Perverse is to do, what is contrary to what was originally intended; it’s the urge to do exactly the wrong thing in a given situation for the sole reason that it is possible for wrong.

·         The Book translates Perverse as corrupt, rebellious, twisted, crooked, sick, and stupid.

·         There was a multitude of people surrounding Jesus which included the Pharisees, the Scribes who were the lawyers of the Law, plus the inner circle of Disciples that were specifically handpicked by Him, Predestined to be teachers of the Good News, but they ALL became distracted and self-centered, focusing on arguing and debating about the miracle healings, and Who’s In and Who’s Out and their status and position; there was little interest in the Spiritual Kingdom of God that exist NOW nor the one that is to come.

·         Jesus goes to the root of their problem and calls them ALL, including the father of the sick child, an unbelieving and Perverse Generation. – He is speaking to the general body of followers, of their slowness of Faith, dullness of comprehension, forgetfulness and hardness of heart in the light of all His wonderful works, miracles, teachings and Kingdom principals.

Matthew 22:14 – Disciples handpicked; predestined to come
¹⁴ For many are called (to come by Free Will), but few are chosen (Predestined to come). (NLT)

Luke 9:41 – Perverse Generation
⁴¹ Then Jesus answered and said, "O FAITHLESS and PERVERSE generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?

(NKJV)

Luke 9:41 – Corrupt Generation
⁴¹ You FAITHLESS and CORRUPT people,” Jesus said, “how long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man,

(NLT)

Luke 9:41 – Twisted Generation
⁴¹ Jesus answered, “O FAITHLESS and TWISTED generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you?

(ESV)

Luke 9:41 – Rebellious Generation
⁴¹ Jesus replied, “You UNBELIEVING and REBELLIOUS generation! How long will I be with you and put up with you?

(HCSB)

Man on a Mission

·         The followers of Jesus thought that His mission was to heal people’s bodies, exorcise demons, do miraculous signs and wonders and on a good day give them a HAPPY MEAL.

·         The mission Jesus can be found by observing His teachings. - He wanted to raise the people consciousness of spiritual things and cause them to have the desire to love and serve God the Father by the way they lived their everyday lives; how they treated others.

·         Jesus reads His Mission Statement in the Temple as written by the Prophet Isaiah saying; The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” - He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

·         What He left out of the Mission Statement was bringing Judgement on people and their suitability to be a part of the church.  What He included was bringing sight to the blind religious leader guides to be able to understand the purposes of God and to just LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

·         Jesus, out of His compassion for the people’s needs, fed them and healed them.  Their physical needs were addressed first and gotten out of the way, so He could teach them about the Kingdom of God. – However the perverseness of man caused them to have very little interest in the spiritual aspects of the Kingdom of God focusing mostly on an earthly Political kingdom and places of leadership.

Luke 4:43 – Mission Statement – Preach the Kingdom of God
⁴³ But he replied, “I must PREACH THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.” (NLT)

Luke 4:18-21 – Preach Good News, Heal sick, oppressed freed
¹⁸ The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,
¹⁹ and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.”
²⁰ He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.
²¹ Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

(NLT)

Luke 2:49 – Mission - I must be about My Father's business
⁴⁹ And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"

(NKJV)

Luke 19:10 – Mission – To seek and save the lost
¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (NLT)

Matthew 9:12-13 – Mission call those who know they are sinners
¹² … “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”
¹³ … For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (NLT)

John 10:10 – Mission – that they have life more abundantly
¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

(NKJV)

John 13:34-35 - New Commandment - To Love one another
³⁴ So now I am giving you a new commandment: LOVE EACH OTHER. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (NLT)

Matthew 6:33 – Seek first the Kingdom of God
³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

(NLT)

John 4:24 – Worship God in Spirit and in Truth
²⁴ For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (NLT)

Luke 10:27 – Love God with all your heart, soul, strength & mind
²⁷ The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (NLT)

The Story

·         Jesus was teaching to the crowd when a man called out to Him to heal his child and said he had already asked His Disciples to heal him, but THEY COULD NOT. – Bypassing His Disciples, Jesus instructs the pleading father and his friends to bring the child to Him.

·         Authority had already been given to the Disciples to heal and cast out evil spirits, so what was going on? – You can see in this story that Jesus is exhibiting the traits of man, He becomes FRUSTRATED with those to whom He is teaching, especially His chosen twelve.

·         Jesus had become known as a “healer” and those that gathered around Him were focused on His healing miracles and had little interest in His life changing teaching of love for their fellow man and seeking more of God in their present lives as well as interest in the future Kingdom of Heaven. – They had perverted His Spiritual Mission to that of a Physical Mission.  

·         DISTRACTED; Peter saw the transfiguration of Jesus, Moses and Elijah on the Mountain and wanted to build three shelters for them, but God said, NO – STOP, just LISTEN to my Son. - The ministry of Jesus was being used for the disciples own self-centered purposes, their position and status. - They had become so spiritually disoriented and disconnected that they had lost the power to do the work of God, yet when they saw another person outside their group that was successfully casting out demons in the name of Jesus, they wanted to HINDER HIM instead of rejoicing in the success of his ministry.

·         Jesus’s comments were not just for the Disciples, but for the body of Believers today. The crowd as well as the Disciples were ready for the miracle healings without putting in the time to grow their FAITH through PRAYER and LEARNING the teachings of Christ.

·         We can become so preoccupied with the business of our own lives and our own ambitions that we become ineffective in our ministry to others. – We become so eager to get to the work that we lose sight of what God’s heart originally intended.

·         A wicked and perverse generation is self-centered and distracted and disconnected from the intended message of God.

Luke 9:38-42 - Disciples couldn’t cast out the demonic spirit
³⁸ A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child.
³⁹ An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone.
⁴⁰ I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.
⁴¹ You faithless and corrupt people,” Jesus said, “how long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”
⁴² As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father. (NLT)

Matthew 17:19-20 – DISTRACTED – Lack of Faith
¹⁹ Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”
²⁰ You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (NLT)

Mark 9:28-29 – DISTRACTED – Lack of Prayer
²⁸ Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”
²⁹ Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.” (NLT)

Matthew 17:2-4 – DISTRACTED – Lets build three shelters
² As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.
³ Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.
⁴ Peter blurted out, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for YOU, one for MOSES, and one for ELIJAH.”
⁵  But even as he spoke, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. LISTEN TO HIM.” (NLT)

Mark 9:33-34 – DISTRACTED – Which Disciple will be the greatest
³³ After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?”
³⁴ But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. (NLT)

Matthew 20:21 – DISTRACTED – Places of honor in the Kingdom
²¹ What is your request?” he asked. She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” (NLT)

Mark 9:38-39 – DISTRACTED – An outside disciple healing people
³⁸ John said, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but WE TOLD HIM TO STOP because he wasn’t in our group.”
³⁹ Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. (NLT)

Now and Not Yet

·         Two Kingdoms - The Kingdom of God and The Kingdom of Heaven are both spoken of in the Book and are the same kingdom; however scripture speaks of a Present Kingdom; where evil is defeated and sinners are redeemed, as well as a Future Kingdom where Satan and death are both defeated and thrown in the lake of fire and the believer lives and reigns forever in the presence of God.

·         We must first enter into the Present Kingdom to be able to inherit the Future Kingdom where we will be in the presence of Christ and reign with Him forever – So, there really is two kingdoms; The NOW and the NOT YET. – NYOBS 12.02 - NOW AND NOT YET

·         TWO KINGDOMS

·         The Present – The kingdom is Present for believers to enter NOW and enjoy His blessings. (In the Nasty Now and Now)

·         The Future – The kingdom is Future, when we enter into eternal life and reign with Christ. - (In the Sweet Bye and Bye)

·         The Realm – Where God’s reign is experienced.

·         The People – The “redeemed” are the people of the kingdom.

·         The Reign – The reign of Christ with “believers” sharing in the reign.

·         The believer accepts God’s reign in their Present lives; and reigns with Him in the Future. Blessings in the Present – Even greater blessing in the Future.

1 Peter 2:9 – We are a chosen people, a royal Priesthood
⁹ But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.

As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for

He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. (NLT)

Invisible War

·         The boy’s father has come kneeling down and desperately begging Jesus to have mercy on his only son, to heal him from Satan’s demons that were making him epileptic; saying that the Disciples could not banish the demons.

·         This is a spiritual battle, an invisible war in which the Disciples were powerless to fight off the demonic attacks of Satan. – Casting out demons requires a sincere Faith combined with Prayer and Fasting; this is the practice of Faith.

·         The power to cast our demons comes from Jesus Christ and we have access to that power through our commitment to prayer which deepens our Faith, Belief, Confidence and Trust. – All humanity is in an Invisible War, where the battle ground is littered with toil, hardship and pain experienced through the effects of the Evil One.  Satan seeks to separate us from our Faith. – It is Christ that seeks to strengthen our Faith, to make us fruitful and equips us with every good Gift of the Spirit to fight this battle. – NYOBS 08.12 – GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT; 18 GIFTS -- NYOBS 20.36 – GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT; TOOLS

·         We do good works NOT to GET saved, but because we ARE saved. - The believer has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and “Good Works” will always follow the believer’

Ephesians 2:8-10 - Saved by Faith to do good works

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (NIV)

Last Thoughts

·         At this writing the Reverend Billy Graham has just passed away at the age of 99 and his Mission Statement was to preach to the world the Gospel message simple and clear; the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. - He preached ONE MESSAGE HIS WHOLE LIFE and was never distracted with position or status. – HE MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS;

·         “The word REPENTANCE is sadly missing today from the average pulpit.  It is a very unpopular word.  The first sermon Jesus ever preached was ‘Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

·         “What does repentance mean?  It means to change—to change your mind, change the way that you’re living—and to determine that with God’s help you will live for Christ.”

·         “There are thousands of people who have had some form of emotional experience that they refer to as conversion, but who have never been truly converted to Christ. - Christ demands a change in the way you live, and if your life does not conform to your experience, then you have every reason to doubt your experience!” – NYOBS 38.20 – MAKE BELIEVER -- NYOBS 16.13 – MAYBE SAVED -- NYOBS 43.02 – BAD SIDE OF THE GOOD NEWS

·         “I am not going to heaven because I’ve read the Bible, nor because I’ve preached to a lot of people.  I’m going to heaven because of what Christ did.”

·         “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! I shall be more alive than I am now.  I will just have changed my address.  I will have gone into the presence of God.”

·         The Book calls for us to GET SAVED and get out of this Crooked, Sick, Perverse and Stupid Culture.  That each of us must repent of our sins, turn to God, and BE BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus Christ TO SHOW others that we have received forgiveness for our sins. - Then we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. - This promise is not only for the Chosen Jews, but also for the Gentiles, to ALL who have been called by the Lord; to us, and to our children.

The choices that you make on this side of life have eternal consequences.

LIFE IS CHOICE DRIVEN

Acts 2:38-39 – Each person must repent of their own sins
³⁸ Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to show that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
³⁹ This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

(NLT)

Acts 2:40 - Be saved from this perverse generation
⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this PERVERSE generation." (NKJV)

Acts 2:40 - Save yourselves from this Crooked Generation
⁴⁰ Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this CROOKED generation!” (NLT)

Acts 2:40 - Get out of this sick and stupid culture
⁴⁰ He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, "Get out while you can; get out of this SICK and STUPID culture!" (MSG)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

                         and see further that I otherwise ever could have.              

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

All the Women of the Bible – Edith Deen

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Forgotten Books of Eden; The – World

Gospels Interwoven; The – Karmit Zarley

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament – Baker

Invisible War; The - Barnhouse

King James Version Bible – KJV

Lost Books of the Bible; The - World

Lost Books of the Bible; The - Bell

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Missing Books of the Bible; The – Halo Press

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nag Hammadi Library; The – James M. Robinson

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted & made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

New Living Translation Bible - NLT

Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls – Hugh J. Schonfield

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney

EMBASSY TRUMP & GOD - NYOBS 79.28

Embassy Trump & God

Jerusalem the Two State Illusion – Home to Jews, Christians & Muslims

First Word

·         King David fought against the Jebusites and captured Jerusalem and then spiritually declared it to be the Capital of Israel; it was called the City of David.

·         In 1948 Israel was re-born; the “dry bones” of Israel prophetically began to come back together in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, the Jews began to come back to the state of Israel.

·         It is the right of Israel to decide the location of its capital.  In 1950 Israeli Knesset passed a law declaring Jerusalem to be the ETERNAL, UNDIVIDED capital of the state of Israel.

·         On December 6, 2017, when Trump recognized Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel, he did not decree something into existence, he just affirmed what already was.

·         In 1955 President Clinton signed a statute declaring that “Since 1950, the city of Jerusalem has been the capital of the state of Israel”; but politics and political correctness has prevented all embassies from being located there.  TRUMP STIRRED THE BUCKET when he announced that the US will relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem.

·         This is not only of political importance, but of great theological importance. - Many of us have not really thought about it but, Christianity began in Jerusalem. This is where Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, then He was resurrected and for some 40 days, revealed Himself alive to over 500 people. – This is where Abraham’s Faith would be tested on mount Moriah with his only son Isaac. – This is where Solomon built the temple; where all nations could come and worship the One God of Israel. – This UNITED and ETERNAL capital is home to Jews, Christians and Muslims.

·         The importance of the Embassy in Jerusalem is that it is one more building block in the fulfillment of prophecies that sets the stage for the Second Coming of Christ. - In this part of the world, moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem is not just an explosive powder keg; it’s the Detonator.  Even symbolic gestures can have very real, and dangerous consequences.

·         The peace process requires avoiding provocation at all costs. The world’s embassies have not stayed out of Jerusalem based on anti-Israel antagonism; they have stayed out because of a well weighed and thought out plan to support the peace process; viewing Jerusalem as a city that is shared by Jews, Palestinians and Christians and to respect each one’s traditions.

·         Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law has been meeting with the Israelis, Palestinians and Muslim leaders to forge a peace plan and this move could undermine his endeavors. – Turkish leaders say it’s like pulling the pin from a hand grenade and now it looks like the U.S. can no longer be the mediator in the Middle East talks.

2 Samuel 5:4-9 – King David made Jerusalem Capital of Israel
⁴ David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all.
⁵ He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.
⁶ David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” For the Jebusites thought they were safe.
⁷ But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.
⁹ So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city starting at the supporting terraces and working inward.

(NLT)

1 Corinthians 15:4-7 – Jesus appeared to over 500 people
⁴ He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
⁵ He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve.
⁶ After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.
⁷ Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

(NLT)

Ezekiel 37:1-14 – PROPHECY dry bones of Israel were reborn
¹ The LORD took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones.
³ Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign LORD,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”
⁴ Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD!
⁵ This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!
⁶ I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
⁷ So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons.
⁸ Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
⁹ Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
¹⁰ So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
¹¹ Then he said to me, “Son of man, THESE BONES REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’
¹² Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
¹³ When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD.
¹⁴ I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the LORD has spoken!’” (NLT)

What does this all mean?

·         Does Trump’s decision usher in the Seven Years of Tribulations and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? – This has set off a firestorm of debate not only for political reasons, but also on theological presuppositions for Christians who have been pushing for this.  Oddly enough, decisions endorsed by the Bible could result in more violence and bloodshed.

·         The international community does not recognize Israel as SOVEREIGN over sites that are also holy to the Muslims and Christians. – The conflicted past, plus the widespread present conflicts on the “Temple Mount” appears to be ushering in the Biblical future.

·         Trump may not even be aware of the ramifications of moving the embassy to Jerusalem, that he is pressing Biblical history forward to its conclusion.  This decision could have dangerous repercussions which could derail the peace talk efforts and unleash unrest, turmoil and violence as well as further complicate the matters of the Middle East.

·         For Christians, the Holy City Jerusalem is where the Messiah Jesus Christ as prophesized will return and rule as King. – Christians all can agree that He WILL return, but all don’t agree on HOW He will return.

·         For the Jews this is God’s Holy City, the city of peace and the dwelling place of God; the home of Abraham and David; this is city where they will receive their awaited Messiah.

·         This is not really about peace or a Two State Solution, it’s about End Time Prophecy. Robert Jeffress, one of Trump's evangelical advisers, said: "Jerusalem has been the object of the affection of both Jews and Christians down through history and the touchstone of prophecy." – NYOBS 43.25 – TRIBULATIONS -- NYOBS 35.24 – FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE

·         For the Jew, the “Purification” provided through the Red Heifer signals the way for the commencement of the re-building of the Third Holy Temple.  This will usher in for the FIRST time the appearance of their long-awaited Messiah. -  NYOBS 40.11 – RED HEIFER

Ezekiel 43:1-4 – The Messiah is coming through the East Gate
¹ Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east.
² And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. The LORD entered the Temple by the gate facing east. (ESV)

The New Embassy

·         In 1989 Land was leased in Jerusalem for $1.00 a year on a 99 year lease for the building of a U.S. Embassy, but with Al-Qaeda bombing U.S. embassies, there is now a requirement for a set-back of 100 feet from adjacent roads that could be used for car bombs and attacks.  This makes this current piece of property too small.

·         Plans are being considered now to commandeer an existing consulate building on Agron Road which was designed specifically for an embassy.  - So if need be, it could be a temporary solution while a much larger permanent embassy complex could be built.

·         There have been regular clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters after Trumps declaration. – It seemed to the Palestinians that the US was taking a position of Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem and not Palestine’s.

Two State Illusion

·         For 30 years there have been negotiations for a Two State Solution for peace in Israel which all have failed. – In the court of public opinion, fourteen of the sixteen peace deals were rejected. Today the Peace Talks are just an illusion that subsidizes the diplomats and provides support in economic aid. - It supports jobs, soldiers and spies as well as camouflages Israel’s expansion into the West Bank. – America needs this illusion to show that they are still working for peace and it keeps the pundits and funders happy. – We will not have peace in Jerusalem until Jesus returns. – It’s in the Book -

·         A one state solution would merge Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip into one DEMOCRATIC country.  Sounds good, but the Arab Muslims greatly outnumber the Jews thus in a democracy, Israel would END as a JEWISH state.

·         The Palestinians want to run their own independent state and Israel wants an independent Jewish state therefore in a combined state, neither side can get what they want.  The only possible solution is having two states separating Israel and Palestine.  However, Palestinians in the past five years have gone from a slight majority favoring a two state solution to a slight majority against it. – They feel that this is all Palestinian land and Jews have NO right to it. – They also REJECT with astounding unanimity the adoption of any school curriculum that recognizes Israel.

• Before Christ the Messiah could return, Israel had to become a nation again in the land of their forefathers, and that happened on May 14, 1948. - As prophesized, “a nation was born in a day”.
• On June 5, 1967, the six day war began with Israel launching surprise bombing raids against Egyptian air-fields including an Israeli raid into the Jordanian-controlled West Bank.
• Israeli initiated aerial clashes over Syrian territory after Syrian artillery attacked Israeli settlements in the vicinity of the border.  Israeli response followed against Syrian positions in the Golan Heights and into the demilitarized zones along the Syrian border and culminating in Egypt blocking the Straits of Tiran  - Wikipedia -
• Within six days, Israel had won a decisive land war. Israeli forces had taken control of the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. – NYOBS 41.15 – WHO IS ISRAEL?
• Ever since the six day war, efforts have been underway to get Israel to withdraw its forces from the territories it had occupied during the six day war and to go back to the pre-1967 borders in order to have peace; this of course is not acceptable by Israel’s as their borders would become in-defensible. - Peace will never come, because the Arabs are never satisfied with what they have and “giving the land back” would just stir up another pre-emptive strike by Israel to protect herself. (Which will happen)

·         In 1974 the UN passed resolution 194 which presented a solution for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.  This resolution called for the Peaceful settlement of two states for two groups of people; for the independent states of Israel and Palestine to live side by side within secure and recognized borders west of the Jordan River.

·         The latest resolution in November 2013 was PASSED 165 to 6. -  The SIX abstaining COUNTRIES VOTING AGAINST the resolution were Israel, the United States, Canada, the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau.

·         SIDE NOTE: The UN resolution was passed, but has NEVER BEEN IMPLEMENTED therefore since Israel has control over all of Palestine; there will fundamentally never be a two-state solution.

·         May of 1948 the population of Israel was 650,000 and at this writing, it is 8,452,841 and still growing.

Isaiah 66:8 – A Nation is born in a day

8 Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.

NIV

Ezekiel 37:4-6 – I will put breath in the dry bones of Israel

4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, `Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!

5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.

6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life.

NIV

Amos 9:14-15 – I will plant Israel in their own land

14 I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.

15 I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God.

NIV

Revelation 21:4 – No more tears, mourning, pain or death
⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

(ESV)

The Temple Institute

·          The Temple Institute, founded by Yisrael Ariel is an organization in Israel known in Hebrew as Machon HaMikdash. - The Institute is focused on the controversial endeavor of establishing the Third Temple. - https://www.templeinstitute.org –  NYOBS 40.11 – RED HEIFER

·         After almost 2,000 years, Israel is clearly moving towards the time when the prophesied Third Holy Temple will be rebuilt on Mount Moriah.

·         FYI - There is a controversy about whether the Temple should be rebuilt by Human hands or Divine hands. -  Jewish tradition believes that the Tenth and Final Red Heifer will be sacrificed and burned by the Messiah Himself. -  The Temple Institute believes that the Jews have the mandate of purification with the Red Heifer & the rebuilding of the Temple.

·         Primary Importance of the Temple Institute is to provide education about the great significance of Mount Moriah; the Temple Mount in Jerusalem which is the only site in the world that is considered Holy by the Jewish people, and the only site in the world which God chose to rest His Divine presence through the establishment of the Holy Temple.

·         Their ultimate goal is to see Israel rebuild the Holy Temple in accordance with the Biblical commandments. - The Temple was not only the soul of the city, but the soul and conscience of the entire earth and a “Wonder of the World”… and it will be again.

Haggai 2:9 – The third Temple will be greater than the former
⁹ The glory (honor) of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the LORD of hosts."

(NKJV)

Temple Furniture & Vessels

·         For the past 27 years sacred Temple vessels and Priestly garments have been created and fashioned by accomplished craftsmen according to the exact Biblical requirements, specifically for use in the future Holy Temple where they will be called into Divine service.

·         The Menorah; (the seven candlesticks) which stands today in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's old city is the work of the Temple Institute’s full time staff of researchers - It was painstakingly crafted and created after years of extensive research to be used exclusively in the new Holy Temple. – It currently overlooks the Temple Mount. - It weighs 1,000 pounds and contains forty five kilograms of twenty four karat gold and is valued at three million dollars. - NYOBS 18.14 - MENORAH

·         Ritual objects HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED by the Temple Institute; the reproduction of over ninety objects that will be used in the new Temple.  Here are a few as listed by Wikipedia.

1)    Copper Laver – For Kohanim to wash in at the start of the day

2)    Small Mizrak – Holds blood from the sacrificial animals

3)    Large Mizrak – Holds blood from the larger animals

4)    Three-pronged Fork – To arrange the offerings on the altar.

5)    Measuring Cup – To measure meal offerings

6)    Copper Vessel - To prepare meal offerings

7)    Silver Shovel – To remove ashes from the alter

8)    Silver Vessel - For wine libation – For wine accompanying offerings

9)    Lottery Box – For Yom Kippur – Which is the Day of Atonement – Holiest day of the Year.

10)  Silver Alter Cup - For water libation – For Sukkot

11)  Silver libation Vessels – For Sukkot – Festival of “Booths” or “Tabernacles”; a dwelling.

12)  Sickle – To reap the Omer of barley – The Omer is a unit of measurement

13)  Other offering Implements – To offer the omer of barley

14)  Abuy – To roast the omer of barley

15)  Menorah cleansing Vessel – To clean the Menorah

16)  Oil Pitcher – For replenishing the oil in the Menorah

17)  Small golden Flask – For replenishing individual Menorah lamps

18)  Frankincense Censer – For burning incense - Smoke

19)  Incense Chalice – For Ketoret or incense offering

20)  Menorah – The lamp stand for the Temple

21)  Table of Showbread – Holds the cakes or loaves of bread that were always present.

22)  Incense Alter – For Ketoret or incense offering

23)  Ark of the Covenant – Holds the Ten Commandments, Aarons Rod & a golden jar of Manna   

24)  Crown – Worn by the High Priest – Completed in 2007

25)  Garments – Worn by the High Priest - Completed in 2008

26)  Silver Trumpets – Announce special occasions and offerings

27)  Gold plated Shofar – For Rosh Hashanah – The Jewish New Year.

28)  Silver plated Shofar – For fast days – Shofar is a hollowed out rams horn

29)  Harp – Musical Instrument used by the Levitical choir

30)  Lyre - Musical Instrument used by the Levitical choir

1 Samuel 2:13 - A three-pronged fork
¹³ The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand,

(ESV)

Last Thoughts

·         As Christians, when we think of Jerusalem and the Jews, we are ready to boot out the Palestinians who are causing so much unrest.  I think it’s worth noting that many Christians are in Jerusalem too.  Worldwide there are over 1,000,000 Christian JEWS and over 1,600,000 Christian PALESTINIANS plus the Muslims have the Dome of the Rock on the Temple mount, so Jerusalem is complicated, it’s not just a Powder Keg;  It’s the Detonator.

·         West Jerusalem is of little importance, it is East Jerusalem that is so volatile, where the “Wailing Wall” and Temple Mount are located and where the third Temple will be built.  Since this is also the holy city of Islam, we WILL see nations start to take sides. – The Islamic world rejects Jerusalem being designated Israel’s Capital; it should be Palestine’s Capital.

·         With Trump’s decision, Christians and Jews alike are both talking about the re-building of THE THIRD TEMPLE on the exact location of Solomon’s Temple.  – The Book says 3 ½ years into the 7 year tribulation period, the anti-Christ will set up a symbol of himself to be worshipped in the “Holy of Holies” and thus desecrate the temple. - The “Holy of Holies” must be built in the exact same location which could POSSIBLY include the removal of the Dome of the Rock by man or an act of God.

·         NOTE; the Temple Institute has everything it needs for the Third Temple and a temporary tent  like the “Tabernacle of Moses” could be set up on the Holy of Holies for the sacrifice of the long awaited “perfect” Red Heifer.- This could happen before the actual temple begins construction. - NYOBS 40.11 – RED HEIFER

·         To the Jews the Red Heifer to be sacrificed must be perfect and cannot have even two grey hairs, but it’s not the sacrifice that is important, it’s the ASHES from the Red Heifer that are used in all future sacrifices in the Temple. - To the Christian; Jesus was the Final Sacrifice and any further sacrifices will just be symbolic; a memorial, a remembrance.

·         To build the Temple archeological excavations on the temple mount must be conducted to find the foundations, this is currently prohibited by the Muslims and COULD START A WAR.

·         Trump may not be fully aware of ALL the ramifications of moving the embassy to Jerusalem and he might have just pressed the button that moves Biblical history forward to its final conclusion. (For me this is a good thing; I am so ready.) – NYOBS 45.02-  THE RETURN; PRE-MID-POST

·         NOTE; From the Christians Worldview, no sacrifice is necessary, there is no prophecy remaining; there is nothing else required to take place for Jesus the Messiah to come back and rapture the Church; so eat your desert first, it could be today.

·         Jerusalem is the City of God and profound decisions are being made by many nations and cities that affect this Holy Mountain.  Pray for the PEACE of Jerusalem and for Godly wisdom for those in Washington DC as they “THREAD THIS NEEDLE”.

·         Oddly enough at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ “on the earth”, the third temple will be completely destroyed by a great earthquake, then The Millennial Temple will be constructed where Jesus will reign over all the earth for 1,000 years.  (Ezekiel 40-46) – NYOBS 07.002- ESCHATOLOGY LAST THINGS TO HAPPEN ON EARTH

Luke 19:42-44 – You should have known the predictions of Daniel
⁴² Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for PEACE! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
⁴³ For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side
⁴⁴ because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (ESV)

Matthew 23:37-39 – Jesus - NOT return till Jews acknowledge
³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!

³⁹ For I tell you, YOU WILL NOT SEE ME AGAIN, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

(ESV)

Psalm 48:2 – Jerusalem, the city of the great king
² It is high and magnificent; the whole earth rejoices to see it! Mount Zion, the holy mountain, is the city of the great King!

(NLT)

Daniel 9:27 – Ready for the THIRD TEMPLE to be built
²⁷  The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”

(NLT)

2 Thessalonians 2:3 – Anti-Christ will be revealed
³ Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.

(NLT)

Revelation 11:1 – John assesses the people’s spiritual condition
¹ Then 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.

(NLT)

Revelation 6:12-17 – Mountains removed at the great earthquake
¹² I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood.
¹³ Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind.
¹⁴ The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.
¹⁵ Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
¹⁶ And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.
¹⁷ For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?”

(NLT)

Psalm 122:6 - Pray for peace in Jerusalem
⁶ PRAY FOR PEACE IN JERUSALEM. May all who love this city prosper.

(NLT)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

                         and see further that I otherwise ever could have.              

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

All the Women of the Bible – Edith Deen

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Forgotten Books of Eden; The – World

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Lost Books of the Bible; The - World

Lost Books of the Bible; The - Bell

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Missing Books of the Bible; The – Halo Press

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nag Hammadi Library; The – James M. Robinson

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted & made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

New Living Translation Bible - NLT

Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls – Hugh J. Schonfield

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney