God Has a Plan
A
few years ago, my family built a stone cairn as a landmark on the old
farm homestead to be a memorial for future generations. We placed
within it a sealed
box containing our family secrets. At some future date, someone will
find this box, open it, call together the family, and share with them
what they have found!
Discovering what the Bible says about the future is a bit like finding a sealed message inside the ancient landmark of the Bible. But there is one difference between the secrets in my family's landmark and those in the Bible. My family's stone cairn contains only records of our past; the Bible contains not only history of Israel's past, but allows us to look into her glorious future!
If the Bible tells us the future of Israel, one would think we would all be reading what has been foretold. I recently found a verse in what the prophet Daniel wrote thousands of years ago which may explain our general lack of interest. Daniel 12:9 relates that after his revelations about the future of his people, an angel of the Lord told him that his amazing insights into the future were to be “closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”
Are we approaching “the time of the end” when God is beginning to remove the seal of deception from our spiritual eyes on Bible prophecy? It would appear so. Of course, the saints of our faith down through the ages studied Bible prophecy, but we are able to view the big picture from a different perspective because we live in 'the last days.' We have the advantage of hearing daily news reports from Israel and the middle east which are proving, without exception, that end-time events are taking place as the prophets said they would!
It seems that today our Lord is calling together His family to explain not only the Bible prophecies which have already been fulfilled, but He wants us to know that all Bible prophecies which have not yet taken place fit perfectly into His big plan!
As we study these prophetic revelations, we get a glimpse of two specific time-frames--one for the nation of Israel and the other for the Christian church. Too often we who are Christian have considered Israel as a 'type' or 'foreshadow' of our church, but both Israel and the Christian church have their own prophetic time-frames. What is amazing is that the two time-frames fit together in history like the pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle. And as we collect the pieces and put them in place, we see the face of the Jewish Messiah being transformed into the face of Jesus Christ--Messiah not only of Israel, but Messiah of the whole world (Rom.14:11).
So let us focus on the overall picture of God's great plan. The Old Testament book of Daniel and the New Testament book of Revelation are in perfect agreement about the details, but these you can read for yourself.
My First Glimpse of God's Plan
I first became seriously interested in what the Bible has to say about the future while listening to a teaching tape on the Book of Daniel. I stopped what I was doing, my eyes transfixed on my living room floor as I listened to what Daniel had foretold about the rise and fall of four world empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. I remember my delight when I realized that what I had learned about these empires in my ancient history classes confirms every detail of Daniel's prophecies.
That day I knew that the Lord must have revealed these coming empires to Daniel, otherwise how could he possibly know the future of Babylon, much less the future empires which followed? It is said that the test of a true prophet is whether his prophecies take place as he said they would, and Daniel's prophecies certainly meet this criteria. But every prophecy of all recognized prophets in both Old and New Testaments have either already been fulfilled, or we can see the beginnings of their fulfillment as we listen to the news!
Daniel's insights into the future of Israel began when God helped him interpret a dream of the king of Babylon, and then later gave him visions of his own to describe the role and character of each empire and its leader. To protect God's people from persecution from these cruel leaders, Daniel's prophecies are cloaked in symbolism to make interpretation difficult. From our vantage point in time, however, it is easy for us to see to which empire and to which leader his prophetic messages refer because all four have now come and gone. (The Amplified Version of the Bible explains these well).
In King Nebuchadnezzar's dream there appeared a very large image with a head of gold, arms and chest of silver, belly and thigh of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay.
God revealed the meaning of this dream to Daniel. The head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian empire, the others were empires which would later enter the world scene: Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and a last empire yet to come which will be partly like Rome but with two conflicting ideologies (Dan. 2: 31-45).
The metals in each section of the image were metals used in that particular age of history, but these metals also indicate how each kingdom would become progressively less important but more ruthless.
The coming revived Roman empire Daniel foretold will be the most merciless of all. Daniel wrote in great detail about this coming empire with its extremely evil leader, a “beast”, one who will govern a 10-nation confederacy (10 horns) but will be destroyed by a big "Stone" (Dan. 2: 34-35), or “the Ancient of Days” (Dan. 7:22). And of course we know the big "Stone" is Jesus Christ (Eph.2:20), the One who will, in the end, return to crush man's image of his own power.
To confirm this interpretation of the king's dream, chapters 7 and 8 record Daniel's dreams and visions of his own about these empires and their leaders. The leaders include Darius and Cyrus of Medo-Persia, Alexander the Great and the cruel Antiochus Epiphanes of Greece. Because the Caesars of Rome gave the Jews more religious freedom than the others, only the leader of the yet-to-come Rome is mentioned because he will persecute the Jews as did the others. This evil ruler is the "king of fierce countenance" (Dan.8:23) who will devour the whole earth until Jesus Christ returns as King.
In addition to these insights into the future, Daniel also outlined a prophetic timetable for his own nation of Israel. We shall look at this later as it is truly amazing!
It is very important to remember that while Bible prophecy is directed primarily to the people of Israel rather than to the Christian church, Jesus Christ will return as Israel's Messiah. How fitting that the last book of the New Testament begins, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" because in it Jesus Christ is revealed as the true Jewish Messiah!
As I listened to my prophecy tapes, I recalled how the Old Testament prophets had foretold the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus so accurately. Then I said to myself, “Well, if all the prophecies about Jesus' first coming have been fulfilled, can I not trust what the same prophets say about His second coming? Can I not also trust the prophecies of Jesus himself? Or those of the Apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament?"
I had made the giant leap of faith to believe that I can trust what the Bible tells me about the future. Any difficulties I may encounter will only be due to my own limited ability to interpret what is written--not to Biblical error!
That day was my first glimpse into God's mammoth plan for His world!
The eyes of the world are today focused on the tiny land of Israel. Everyone is asking, "Who really owns her? Why does she have no peace?"
The Bible tells us that God gave this land to Abraham and his descendants (Gen.15:18). Abraham's grandson was Jacob whom God later renamed “Israel.” So now don't you suppose that God loves His land of Israel and His “chosen people” who are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Jeremiah wrote in chapter 31:1-3 that He loves them with an everlasting love.
If God's love for Israel and her people is an everlasting love, why would He allow them to suffer such violent persecution under foreign rulers for so many thousands of years? And if God gave this land to His beloved people, why would He allow the evil empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome to conquer her and subjugate His precious people under their powerful jurisdiction?
The prophets of Israel, time and time again throughout the Bible, clearly outline the reason. The Jews, like all of us, have always had the mistaken idea that they could get along quite nicely without God and do their own thing. But each time they abandoned God and His laws, He raised up a foreign invader as a rod of correction to bring them back to Himself. Please note that it is always GOD who raises up foreign invaders (Hab.1:12-13)--not the devil!
The time of the appearance of the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome gives us a reference point from where we can look into the future of how God has, and is, blending Israel's history with that of the Christian church. The completion of the blending will take place when Jesus Christ, Israel's true Messiah, returns to stay.
So while the world wonders why Israel can find no peace, we who read the Bible know she will have no lasting peace until Jesus Christ, her Messiah, returns to set up a final, perfect world government in Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2). At that time, all nations will come there to worship Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, as their Lord and King (Zech. 14:16). But remember the false messiah is to be on the world scene just before the true Messiah appears. This false messiah will be another rod of correction for Israel and the world.
So the four empires are not yet ended. Because Rome was never conquered, but fell from within, both Old and New Testament prophets tell us the Roman empire will come back to life in a renewed form, even more evil than the first (Dan. 7:7 & Rev. 17:9).
The dates in history when Daniel's four empires came into existence to oppress Israel are the chronological key to another of his prophecies. This prophecy, by using dates, proves that Jesus Christ who came to live on earth as a man is Israel's long-expected Messiah!
Daniel foretold that it would be a total of 490 years (70 weeks of years) before Israel as a nation would repent of disobedience and unbelief, and have her sins forgiven.
Daniel prophesied that this 490-year period would begin when the Jewish exiles returned home from Babylon in 445 BC, and would end after the 69 weeks of years (7+62) which ended in 32 A.D. when Israel's leaders did not acknowledge Jesus as King (Matt. 21:5) and had Him crucified (Luke 23:33).
Almost 2,000 years have passed since the crucifixion.
But where is the 70th week of years? Christians have been expecting the prophesied rapture and tribulation ever since Jesus' crucifixion when the 69th week of years ended, but neither have yet taken place.
Since Jesus' crucifixion, there has been a gap of about 2,000 years in which He has been building His Christian church. He said of this church age “Jerusalem shall be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Luke 21:24).
When the Christian era ends, Christians and believing Jews will be “caught up” in the air with Jesus (raptured), and Daniel's 70th week of years will begin with a 7-year tribulation period.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, along with the promised time of His return are therefore intricately interwoven into Israel's prophetic timetable. Jesus will return as not only the Jewish Messiah, but indeed Messiah of the entire world. "The Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord and His Name one" (Zech.14:9).
"But what will happen to Israel at the end of the Christian era?" you ask.
God knew it would be difficult to believe in a physical rapture of the Christian church. He knew it would be difficult to interpret the symbolism in Daniel and Revelation. He knew it would be difficult to untangle the prophecies about Jesus' first coming, His unexpected visit to snatch away His Bride, and His second coming to planet earth to establish His church. He knew that people would be so discouraged that they would not often read their Bibles and that unbelief would be rampant (2 Tim.4:3-4). Because God knew how difficult the last days would be, He provided yet another way we could rest assured He is in charge of world history. He has proved that everything the prophets have written about the past and the future of Israel and the Christian church are accurate and fit together.
And this is how He did it!
God asked Moses to ordain special feasts, each one outlined in chapter 23 of Leviticus. What is amazing about these feasts is that every major event from the night of Jesus' last supper right through Jewish history to His future millennium reign have taken place, or will take place, on the exact day of the feast it represents! It is at this point that Jewish and Christian history blend into one. How could that happen except that God planned it that way?
So let us look at these feasts to see what event in Israel's past and prophesied future each represents.
Jesus' blood on the door-posts of the hearts of Christians causes the angel of death to "pass over" them also that they might live forever. Jesus' death as the Lamb of God on the very day the Jews were killing lambs to sacrifice for their sins at their annual Passover celebration is no mere coincidence!
Jesus was buried three days after His crucifixion, on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the Jews eat only bread which contains no yeast, or leaven. Leaven represents sin because it multiplies so rapidly, so the idea of this Feast is to get rid of all sin. Three pieces of this unleavened bread are stacked together, the center piece broken, and all three pieces buried for three days before eating them.
The center piece represents Christ's broken body, buried for three days to get rid of sin. He is the Bread of life (John 6:35), and this unleavened (sinless) Bread gives eternal life to those who eat it. Before His crucifixion, Jesus broke bread and drank wine with His disciples as a sign of His body which would soon be broken and His blood which would soon be shed. Then He asked them to eat the bread and drink the wine to help them remember His death until He returns (I Cor.1:23-26).
The day following the Sabbath was Sunday, the day on which the Jews celebrated their Feast of Firstfruits. At this feast they thanked God for the "firstfruits" of the harvest.
For Christians, Jesus is "the Firstfruit" of the resurrection harvest because He is the first of many to rise from the dead (I Cor. 15-20). He lives on forever (Rev. 1:6), and so will everyone who believes in Him (John 3:16). This is the good news of the gospel!
God temporarily stopped Israel's prophetic time-clock when she rejected and "cut off" her Messiah, her people crying: "His blood be on us and on our children" (Matt.27:25). It was a serious utterance because it was not a blessing, but a curse on their nation.
But while the blood Jesus shed caused God to temporarily remove His blessing on Israel, that same blood became the seed of the Christian church!
When Israel failed to keep her covenant with God, the seed of Jesus' blood produced a new covenant, a covenant of love. Now any person of any nation who allows the Spirit of the resurrected Messiah to be birthed within him is a member of the true Christian church. This does not mean that the church has replaced Israel in His plan for the world, but that God grafted the Christian church into Israel's history between Daniel's 69th and 70th week of years. The Apostle Paul explains it this way in Romans 11:17: The wild olive branch (Gentiles) has been grafted into the true olive tree (spiritual Israel).
At
the Feast of Trumpets, the priests blow trumpets to assemble the
homecoming harvesters to repent of their sins before their New Year
(Day of Atonement) begins. The trumpets announce two homecomings: one
for the Jews to return to their homeland of Israel, the other a
wake-up call for the Bride to repent and make herself ready to pass
through the open door to heaven when Jesus comes for her (the rapture
of the church). The ancient rabbis taught that this was the one day
of the year when "the door to heaven" is open (Rev. 4:1).
(G. Hedrick of The Christian
Jew Foundation).When the Christian era ends with the rapture, Daniel's 70th week of years will begin. When Israel failed to keep her covenant with God, the seed of Jesus' blood produced a new covenant, a covenant of love. Now any person of any nation who allows the Spirit of the resurrected Messiah to be birthed within him is a member of the true Christian church. This does not mean that the church has replaced Israel in His plan for the world, but that God grafted the Christian church into Israel's history between Daniel's 69th and 70th week of years. The Apostle Paul explains it this way in Romans 11:17: The wild olive branch (Gentiles) has been grafted into the true olive tree (spiritual Israel)
Jesus said:
“Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to "ESCAPE" all these things which will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you FROM the hour of trial which is going to come upon the world" (Rev.3:10). Jesus does not say "THROUGH" the hour of trial. He says “FROM” the hour of trial!
"I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:1-3).
Notice the words "COME AGAIN" and "RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF". He is coming for the harvesters--the overcomers--those who have washed their robes in His blood to make them white with HIS righteousness and purity.
The Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, confirms Jesus' promise to return for the faithful:
"We shall not all die, but we shall all be given new bodies. It will all happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trump is blown. For there will be a trumpet blast from the sky and all the Christians who have died will suddenly become alive, with new bodies that will never, never die, and then we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too. For our earthly bodies, the ones that we have now that can die must be transformed into heavenly bodies that cannot perish, but will live forever." (I Cor.15:51-53 LB) (See also I Thess.4:16-17, and Luke 21:36).
“For God did not appoint us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (I Thess.5:9).
Jesus promised to take His harvesters home to prepare them for His 1,000-year reign on earth. But He said only half of them would be prepared because of their lack of oil of the Holy Spirit (Matt.25:1-13).
After a gap in Israel's timetable, her time-clock is about to start ticking again.
These final seven years cannot begin until the church of Jesus Christ is out of the way because the church's effect in the world prevents the rise of this false messiah (II Thess. 2:7-8). But when the church is gone, those of all nations who have failed to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the true Messiah will go through this seven-year period of great tribulation foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24:21 and in Revelation chapters 5-17, and also by Daniel (Dan. 27:27). After the seven years, a large Stone, Jesus Christ, (I Peter 2:4) will crush the feet and toes of the image, and the entire image of all man's attempts to rule himself will fall over (Dan. 2:34-35).
Once again we recall Daniel's prophecy of the large image representing all the evil empires which have, or ever will, govern the land of Israel. The head of gold represents Babylon, arms and chest of silver represent Medo-Persia, the thigh and belly of iron represent Greece, the legs of iron represent Rome, and the feet and toes partly of iron and partly of clay represent a revived Roman empire. The iron in the 10 toes represents a 10-nation confederacy within this coming Roman empire; the clay represents another ideology which does not mix well with the policies of Rome.
In 1957, the first members of the present European Union signed a “Treaty of Rome.” In 1995 hundreds of political, business, and religious leaders of all faiths attended the first annual State of the World Forum, their purpose “to build the first global civilization.”
Today's newscasts report a plan to divide the world into 10 “economic communities,” one of them being Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Could all 10 “communities” be eventually governed by a president of the global central world government? And will this coming leader be the evil false messiah foretold by the prophets? Is the union of any and all “religions” which is taking place today the "harlot" or “prostitute” church of Revelation 17:15? Will a future Pope who strays from sound doctrine be the false prophet who unites ALL religions to attempt to usher in world peace? As the world teeters on the brink of an economic collapse, as religious differences are at the root of many wars, it would seem wonderful to human eyes to have a powerful, gifted leader to clean up our global mess. What the prophets have foretold about this “time of the end” is being fulfilled as the political, economic, and religious systems of the entire world are becoming one!
Read the Book of Revelation and you will see the amazing details of the tribulation period which have already begun to take place! Read how this Book confirms and adds to Daniel's amazing prophecies.
We can trust Bible prophecy because it has never made one error in foretelling the future. We know that this evil time with its evil ruler will last only seven years--one week of years (Dan.27:27). After the seven years, a large Stone, Jesus Christ, (I Peter 2:4) will crush the feet and toes of the image, and the entire image of all man's attempts to rule himself will fall over (Dan.2:34-35).
The coming "Day of Atonement" is not for born-again believers because our sins were atoned for through Jesus' death and resurrection. But for the Jews who continue to reject Jesus Christ as their Messiah, and for all others in the world who refuse to acknowledge Him, the last Day of Atonement will be a time to look on Him whom they pierced and mourn for Him (Zech.12:10). Not only will the Jews mourn, but all the nations shall weep in sorrow and terror (Rev.1:7 LB). Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, is the only One deemed worthy to open the seven seals of judgment on a sinful world (Rev.5:1- 5), the One before whom all mankind must eventually bow (Phil.2:8-11).
After the Day of Atonement, Daniel's 70th week of years will end. Jesus will return with His Bride, destroy Israel's enemies at the Battle of Armageddon, and fulfill Isaiah's prophecy that "When Israel failed to keep her covenant with God, the seed of Jesus' blood produced a new covenant, a covenant of love. Now any person of any nation who allows the Spirit of the resurrected Messiah to be birthed within him is a member of the true Christian church. This does not mean that the church has replaced Israel in His plan for the world, but that God grafted the Christian church into Israel's history between Daniel's 69th and 70th week of years. The Apostle Paul explains it this way in Romans 11:17: The wild olive branch (Gentiles) has been grafted into the true olive tree (spiritual Israel) .the government shall be upon His shoulders" (Isa.9:6). No longer on the shoulders of the world statesmen, but upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ, Israel's true Messiah!
Each of their festivities point to the day when Messiah will return with His raptured saints to tabernacle in Jerusalem, a time when Jew and Christian will be one. It will truly be the end of the greatest harvest season the world has ever known--a harvest of souls into the kingdom. It will be a time of perfect peace and joy, a time to rejoice. A new temple in Jerusalem, much more beautiful than that of Solomon, will be headquarters of Jesus' world government (Rev. 21:1-3). All nations will go to Jerusalem once a year "to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles" (Zech.14:16).
Jesus did not seem to be the king for whom the Jews were looking. He was, in fact, such an unlikely-looking king that Pilate mocked that idea by writing on His cross, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" (John 19:19). But the writing of that title on the cross was actually an unintended prophecy of a time when Jesus Christ will return to rule the Jews, a time when He will be "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev.19:16).
The kingdom of God, which began with the Feast of Pentecost, will reach its final stage when Israel and all people in the entire world allow the Spirit of their resurrected Messiah to tabernacle within them. It will be the true "Sabbath rest" when everyone in the whole world can rest from their labors of trying to please God as in all other religious systems. This means that they will no longer live under the law, but under Christian grace because of the blood shed by Jesus Christ, the true Messiah.
As the curtain of time draws to a close, Daniel's "sealed" prophecies for "the time of the end" are beginning to open (Dan.9:4). Just as someone may one day open my sealed family cairn, Jesus is today opening up the seal on Bible prophecy as Daniel said He would (Dan.12:9). And indeed this may mean that the tribulation period, after we who are Christians have been raptured, is closer than we think, because this time begins when Jesus opens the seals of judgment on an unrepentant and sinful world (Rev. chapter 5).
What is taking place in the world today points to the soon rise of a world leader who will be acclaimed as Israel's messiah, but will prove to be the false messiah. But before he comes, there will be a great "falling away" when many will lose their faith (2 Thess.2:3). This is already happening as liberal churches deny that the Bible is the inspired word of God and are uniting with foreign "religions" in an attempt to make world peace. But God shows us clearly through Bible prophecy that there will be no peace until Jesus Christ, Israel's Messiah, returns.
What Peter told Israel the day the Christian church began is exactly what God would say to her today:
"Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made 'This Same Jesus' whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). ("Christ" is the Greek translation of “Messiah”).
Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, plans to return to rule His world. Right now, His Spirit stands at the door of your heart asking if He can come in (Rev.3:20). If you respond and repent of your sins, you will be eligible for the great "ESCAPE" foretold by both Jesus and the Apostle Paul (Luke 21:36 & I Thess.5:9).
Just as secret messages lie inside our family cairn, God's plans for finalizing His kingdom on earth are hidden within the Bible. If you and I can get even a glimpse of His plan, we will have no fear as the world around us falls apart. It is all part of God's plan to restore it!
WHAT THE BIBLE TELLS US ABOUT THE FUTURE IS GOOD NEWS FOR THE FAMILY OF GOD, BUT BAD NEWS FOR THOSE WHO REFUSE HIS LOVING OFFER!
(Note: All scripture references from the King James Version of the Bible, unless otherwise noted.)
© 2005, Doreen Palmer
