Mark 1:15
Yes and so it began. The promised Kingdom had come and the King Himself was born into the world to rule. With signs and wonders Jesus proved to Israel that He was their God King come to rule over them. What thrilling times it must of been for Israel who was about to receive her king the Lord Jehovah in the flesh to rule over them. No more Roman oppression and slavery. No more sorrow or pain. Yes the moment was at hand! But sadly things began to change.Jesus who was performing miracles while proclaiming the Kingdom was now telling His disciples to stop telling the people who he was and that they should tell no one.Mark 8:26-32
Things were beginning to change. The Scribes and Pharisees were plotting to kill Him while Israel began to turn on their King. The crowd that used to shout Hosana were not shouting away with Him! We have no King but Caesar! Israel was now rejecting the Kingdom of God and was ready to kill the King Himself. Knowing that Israel was about to reject the Him and the Kingdom, Jesus declared very bluntly that, "the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Mark 8:12
Israel was now cut off from the promised Kingdom. The reason being that they, " ...being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Romans 10:3,4
"But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." Romans 9:31-33
Because Jesus knew that Israel was going to deny Him as King and thus have nothing to do with the Kingdom, Jesus declared to them that, "the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Matthew 21:43
This meant that for a period of time Israel would be cut off from the promise. God for a period of time would blind them spiritually and harden their heart. "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." Romans 11:7
So why was God blinding Israel and hardening their hearts? "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." Romans 11:25 Here we see that the blindness would effect Israel until the time of the fullness of the Gentiles come.
Because Israel rejected the Kingdom, they for a time would be cut off from the Kingdom of God. Do we now say that that Israel is lost forever. No! "And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again." Romans 11:23. Here we see that for a period of time Israel will be hardened and blinded to God till the fulfilment of the Gentiles comes, only at that point will Israel be grafted in again.
John the Baptist was born so that he would be the one to proclaim Jesus to Israel that He was the the Messiah and that the Kingdom of God was at hand. First they had to repent and turn away from their sins, then Jesus would come forth to baptise them with the Holy Spirit. Mark 1:8 Because Israel rejected the Kingdom they never received the Holy Spirit. And with out the Holy Spirit, you are lost for eternity. Because of the rejection, God now at the day of Pentecost poured out His Spirit on all men that would receive and believe that Jesus died for their sins. This was the new testament period of grace and freedom from the law. The Holy Spirit was now being poured out on ALL the Gentiles that believed. Israel was no longer the chosen of of God. The kingdom of God was taken from them and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. That "nation" is the New Testament Church. From Israel, salvation was to spread out to all mankind regardless of race.
For almost 2000 years the Gentiles have played a major role in the Church. Israel was the root, and the Gentile believers were the branch that was grafted in when Israel's branch was broken off because of their rejection and unbelief. But because of this salvation came to the Gentiles. "I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles."
Because of the hardening, the majority of the Church is made up of Gentiles. Today Israel is not a nation in Christ and still reject Him. For them Jesus was not God. Also Unreal has never received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit so they are lost. Note that many Jews have found Christ and have become members of the Church, but because of the hardening, the Church is mostly Gentile in nature. Israel is still under the law and still practises it's occult customs.
Also because of the hardening the Israel is not saved, still under the law, and deep in sin. Rabbi Shmuel Arkush, Head of Operation Judaism stated in an article titled Why Jews Can't Be For Jesus speaks of Jesus as being,
"...rejected by the Jews of his time, a generation which included some of our greatest Rabbis. The Christian response to the rejection of Jesus by his own people has been nearly two thousand years of efforts to convert Jews to their beliefs. When a Jew accepts Jesus he not only rejects the history of his people but, by adopting Christian faith he places himself outside the Jewish religion...Christians believe that one cannot approach G-d except through Jesus. All prayers must therefore, be in his name. This is called Mediation.The Torah starts the Ten Commandments with, "I am the L-rd your G-d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me". Simply G-d does not want us to have any other deities even if we still believe in Him. Limiting an all knowing G-d by claiming He needs a mediator is a violation of this commandment.
So are you a better Jew, a fulfilled Jew by accepting Jesus? No. By accepting a Christian god you commit a cardinal sin. You become a traitor to your people and cannot be counted a Jew."
It only takes a limited study of the Jewish faith so see that they are very racist against Gentiles and are deep in mysticism and the Law. You will also see how Jesus is held in complete contempt by them. This very day Israel denies Christ as their Messiah and is still under the law and heavily into the occult. Some say that because we are so called "spiritual Jews" that we are bonded with them and share in their destiny.Fact is that we are only bonded together with SAVED spiritual Jews.
I myself believe that the term spiritual Jew is used very loosely by the religious cults today. There is no such thing as Jew or Gentile in the Church. There is only those of ALL races that believe in Christ and have become part of the Church. The Church is NOT the wife of Jehovah, it is the Bride of Christ. Being so called spiritual Jews by the cults in no way makes us the Wife of Jehovah, (which is Israel). There is only the new man in Christ.We are a new creation in Christ Jesus and will ALL share the same destiny regardless of race.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Eph. 2:14-18Since Israel as a whole is not saved, they have not entered into the Church of Christ and remain the unfaithful wife of Jehovah. My point here is that we are not spiritual Jews in the sense that we will share in the same future as Israel. 2 Cor.6:14 says,"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" Israel remains deep in sin and God has declaired this against her.
"Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms. For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now. For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness. And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand." Hosea 2-10
One can see that there is a great judgment and wrath about to come against Israel in the last days. This period of judgment and wrath is know as the time of Jacob's (Israel) Troubles.
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Matt. 24:21,22
This is going to also be a time of God's wrath against the unrepentant Gentiles. These Gentiles and unrepentant Jews will be left behind after the Rapture in order that they be punished and broken down into salvation. Through great tribulation, many will become broken and except Jesus as their Saviour. But at the same time many will still defile God and and His ways.
When Israel first rejected King Jesus and his Kingdom, then God turned away from them and began to build His Church. The Holy Spirit was now being poured out upon the Gentiles. He told the Jews that would not except that, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Jesus also warned them that,"the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."
For almost 2000 years God has been building His Church while blinding Israel till they were ready to be grafted back in. Once the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled then Rapture will take place. At this time God will start to build His nation of Israel. Jehovah had always promised that they would come together in Israel to restore the earthly Kingdom on earth and that he would be their King. Unlike before, they will not be able to crucify Him.
After the Rapture takes place the restoration of Israel will begin as God will start to focus His attention on Israel His "adulterous wife" once again. He must clean her up and prepare her for the coming of the Messiah and the setting up the Jewish Kingdom on earth. In order for that to happen, Israel must first repent and be baptised in the Holy Spirit. This would of happen at the start when Christ came the first time, but the Jews rejected Him and therefore did not receive the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist stated, "I indeed have baptised you with water: but he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost." This never took place because of the rejection of King Jesus and His Kingdom.
During the Tribulation and after the Church is Raptured, satan will come against Israel like never before. Why is because she will be about to become a nation once again and be given back the land that was promised her by God. When the Church is Raptured, this will signal the close of the period of salvation through grace. People left behind have to now endure the Tribulation.
The reason for this is that the Holy Spirit has now been taken out by the removal of the Church. There will now be a void on the earth because Israel at this time will have not been baptised in the Holy Spirit. During the Tribulation the Holy Spirit will fill a believer, but not indwell them as with the Church. This is because the baptism of the Holy Spirit will happen when Christ returns as Messiah.
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call." Joel 2:28-32
The out pouring at this time will have a greater and more profound effect on Israel.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem." Zechariah 12:9-11
During the Tribulation Israel will turn to their false Messiah the antichrist. For the 3 1/2 years he will bring peace to Israel. Because they will live in a temporary peace, they will be convinced that the man of sin is the Messiah. After all who else would be capable of bring peace to the middle east unless they be God. The antichrist will protect them while wars begin to increase all over the world, "...for nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom." Matthew chapter 24 is a warning to all the Jews of Israel left behind as to what will be coming upon the world and what they should do and how they should be prepared. It has nothing to do with the Church.
Here are some common questions that are asked.
There is no indication in scripture that there are two kinds of wrath. Wrath in hell or on the earth is still wrath. Wrath is wrath. Because the Church is saved, it is not going to go through the Tribulation wrath. We have obtained salvation and therefore not destined to wrath.
But we are ready. The Church has been cleansed of all sin through the blood of Jesus Christ and has been made pure before the Lord. Some say that we have to be broken and refined still through even more suffering. If we are talking about being made Holy, then this is of works. Rapture is not a reward. It is an appointed time when the fulfilment of the Gentiles comes.
This is true. But let us not forget that this is a period of intense judgment against the whole world. Unlike Noah's day, this wrath of judgment will be so intense that there, " shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
These are the people who by being broken down after the Rapture believe in Christ. But they are too late to be taken out so they will have to endure to the end and wait for the return of Messiah/Second Coming.
BE ON THE EARTH IN THE NEW JEWISH KINGDOM KNOWN AS PARADISE?
"For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Philippians 3:20,21The Father is in heaven so that we can see here that we are heaven bound and not kingdom bound. To the Gentiles the last trumpet is the Rapture trumpet. It is the "trumpet of God" and not to be confused with the last trumpet of Israel. That is the time of the gathering of the Tribulation Saints that have endured to the end. They must be gathered together so that they may enter into the Kingdom at the time of the Second Coming. Matt. 24:29-32."Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthians 15:51-54
"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:2,3.
The last trumpet of "the angels" in Revelation 11:15 could very well be the same trumpet of Israel as it announces that the Kingdom has now been established on the earth. "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." The Rapture trumpet is the trumpet of God, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." 1 Thess.. 4:16 It is a one of a kind trumpet and does not belong to a series of trumpets. It is not "a" trumpet. It is not one of many trumpets.
There are six verses in the book of Revelation that state this will be a time of God's wrath upon the earth.
As the Church we wait for the return of Jesus and not the Messiah.
As the Church we wait for the return of Jesus and not the antichrist.
As the Church we wait for the return of Jesus and not even more intense suffering.
As the Church we wait for the return of Jesus and not the Jewish Second Coming.
As the Church we wait for the return of Jesus and not God's wrath upon the earth.
Some say that the Church is not ready yet. The truth of the matter is that it's Israel that is not ready yet. To all Israel I say this; Come to Christ and be cleansed of all sin and become the Bride of Christ and not the adulterous wife of Jehovah. Enter into His salvation and escape the coming of His wrath. Accept Christ into your hearts and wait for His return.
To all the unsaved I say; The time is short so come to the Lord before the time of judgment and wrath is poured out upon the entire world. Enter in to His salvation or enter into His wrath. The choice is yours.
To all Christians; The time is so short and we must get out there and preach the word like never before! Pray for the zeal of the Apostle Paul.
To all Pastors; Time is short. Please no more sermons. We need a call to discipleship.
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."
"Behold, I come quickly."
"Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
Richard Vizzutti