PASTORAL CHAT
My dear Readers
THE REBIRTH OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH AND THE MILLENNIUM
Because of turning away from Jehovah their God, Israel the Northern Kingdom was taken captive by Assyria in 722 BC. The Ten Tribes were scattered and never returned.
Because of turning away from Jehovah their God, Judah was taken captive by Babylon from 606 to 586 BC. As for Judah, Jeremiah prophesied this captivity would last 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10). So there was a first return in 536 BC to coincide with the first batch of captives in 606 BC with other batches following.
The prophecy of Jeremiah in chapters 30 and 31 look far beyond the return from Babylon. It describes a final return with the rebirth of Israel as a united nation (no more the Northern Kingdom of Israel of Ten Tribes and the Southern Kingdom of two tribes, Judah and Benjamin). In the reborn Israel as one nation David will be king, and who is this greater David but Jesus the son of David according to the flesh. Therefore it will be an earthly reign which will be a thousand years, mentioned six times in Revelation 20:2-7. It will be Christ reigning over a reborn earth out of total destruction in the last days.
Here are the relevant passages looking forward to Israel’s total peace and prosperity above the 2,000 years of diaspora. Israel began to be regathered worldwide when she became a nation on May 14, 1948.
“For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.”
At that time the newly restored nation numbered only 600,000. Now the year is 2006. After 58 years, Israel’s population has risen to over 7 million with 10% Arab citizens.
Our Lord’s return is any time now. Rev. 9:13-16 says, “And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.” Here it says the final war will break out at the great river Euphrates. This is Iraq where war will break out the last time.
All these signs of the end times are signs of our own times. It will be the Third World War as pronounced by Dr Walvoord of Dallas Seminary. Let us be alert and be ready to be caught up to be with Christ in the air from total destruction. Amen.
Your affectionate pastor
T. T.
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THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter XVIII
John 18:12-14
From Pillar to Post
It was the dead of night when they took hold of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. While the other Evangelists focus on the trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, it is John who adds the detail of a preliminary inquiry before Annas, the high priest emeritus. His house is thought to be situated on a slope of the Mount of Olives not far from Gethsemane. It is John who points out Caiaphas, the high priest in office as he who had unconsciously spoken the prophecy that “one man should die for the people …” which was now in the nervous process of fulfillment.
After trial before the high priest and Jewish leaders Jesus was brought before Pilate. But it is Luke who gives another detail (23:6-12) not recorded by John, Matthew or Mark, of an intervening trial before Herod.
The Jews had inherited from Moses “statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law” (Deuteronomy 4:8) and the Romans had taken from the Jews the Law and transmitted it to all the world. Yet, our Lord was never given a fair trial, nor according to legal procedure. Read each of the four Gospels to get a composite picture. Judge for yourself in the light of modern jurisprudence whether any accused person before a court of law is ever so roughly manhandled like our Lord. Is shuffled around, from pillar to post – from Annas to Caiaphas, from Caiaphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, from Herod back to Pilate to be pressurised by a “people’s” kangaroo court. Not to talk of legal aid provided by the crown and other legal rights!
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he openeth not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7) Why? Why was He shuffled from pillar to post in a mock trial and summarily condemned to death? For you! For me!
John 18:15-18; 24-27
“Failure is the mother of success”
All four Gospels record the episode of Peter’s denial. This must therefore be a very important lesson for us. Can you find the other three accounts? Sword drill!
Of the four accounts it is John that tells the “inside” story. He tells of another disciple who was known to the high priest and it was through him that both gained entry into the high priest’s palace. It is generally conjectured that that other disciple was John. How did a country fisherman become a friend of the high priest? A fourth century narrative described John as one who had sold fish at the high priest’s door before he gave up the fishing trade.
Be that as it may, it is the perspiring devotion of Peter that is now seen, tested by the fireside. Did Peter know before the first question was put to him by the girl who kept the door that he was going to deny His Master thrice “before the cock crow twice?” (Mk. 14:30). Did the words of the Master linger in his ears?
Christian, seek not yet repose!
Hear thy guardian angel say,
Thou art in the midst of foes.
Watch and pray!
The second question came from those who sat by the fireside, according to John, and the third by a witness of the garden scuffle, a servant of the high priest, a relative of Malchus!
This is one basic examination prescribed to Peter and to us, followers of Jesus Christ. An exam which Peter now miserably failed, but gloriously passed at the end of his life. His failure became his success, not only for himself, but to his comrades, too.
Let’s not close this book without reciting Jesus’ earlier admonition to Peter: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Lk. 22:31, 32).
Have you failed your Saviour? Be comforted! He knows our weakness. He has forgiven us. He desires that we now rise up to serve Him to the end.
John 18:19-23
When Not To Turn the Other Cheek
“But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). This is one famous saying of Jesus quoted by politicians in their counter-arguments, by Singapore’s Second Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Rajaratnam. But Jesus does not teach His followers to turn the other cheek blindly. What He says in the Sermon on the Mount concerns private injury. A Christian would rather suffer loss than demand his pound of flesh in the world’s obsession to retaliate to the hilt.
Jesus is seen here struck by an officer of the high priest’s court. Why didn’t He offer to be struck again? Rather He stood His ground: “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?” Jesus, now on trial, was bearing witness to the Truth. The inquiry on Him was a public one, and in the interests of Truth, of Justice, He must protest. This incident should be studied by every politician, the more so by Christian leaders of government.
So did Paul stand his ground when struck on the mouth before the Sanhedrin: “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?” (Acts 23:3)
When on trial for the Truth let your cheek stand up and speak up! And let it glow with Divine boldness above the flame of human faggot and fire. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28).
