When Messiah Comes

GOD’S EVERLASTING COVENANT OF LOVE

When God gave the prophets of old insights into future events their meaning was often withheld until the time for their fulfilment drew near. The Lord said to Daniel, "shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end. None of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. In Revelation however, the Lord said, Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand."

To receive understanding into the hidden mysteries in scripture requires three things: firstly one must have a proper understanding of how to interpret scriptures; secondly one must diligently search the scriptures; thirdly one must believe those scriptures. From the outset of this study certain things must be stated about methods of exegesis and Biblical interpretation. Scripture must be understood in the original historical context and culture at the time of writing, as well as the greater context of all other scriptures on any one subject. No scripture should be taken out of context or left to stand alone in violation of the greater body of scripture: scripture always interprets scripture. These principles do not seem to be grasped by many. Before I went into ministry I was required to do a course on Bible Exegesis and Hermeneutics. Certain principles of interpretation were impressed upon me especially that one must at all times follow certain rules in order to understand scripture. One can make the words of the Bible, and for that matter of any language, to mean anything if one does not do so. Within the Bible there are statements that seem ambiguous and unless handled carefully they will be misinterpreted. The main rule is to keep the context. We have to ask, "What does it mean to the person who wrote it at the time it was written? There are also grammatical rules to help understand ambiguous sentences; for example, if there are two subjects in an account, one will be the major subject, the other will be a minor subject. To correctly understand the intent of the writer one must keep focused on the major subject. Statements in the account which refer to the major subject cannot be made to refer to the minor subject or vice versa unless clearly defined as such.

The most profound mysteries in the Bible are hidden in the simplest truths. I do not believe that we have to have university degrees in order to understand the Bible. There is enough information within the Bible itself for us to understand it. However, one thing we must constantly keep in mind is that the Bible was written in a Jewish culture with Jewish concepts in Jewish history. It is written in code and that code is Jewish. To understand it therefore one must maintain a Jewish viewpoint. Gentile thinking (Greek/Roman), with which the Church universal has formulated much of its Theology, is not a sound medium with which to grasp some difficult and ambiguous statements in the Bible. There are hidden things in the Bible which will never be seen unless they are considered from a Jewish perspective. Long ago the Church threw out Jewish concepts of scripture and replaced them with Gentile aspects. I believe this is one of the primary reasons why there are so many conflicting views on many things. When I first became a believer in Jesus, I had no knowledge of Biblical customs, way of life, or idioms and I had a mindset that could interpret things in the exact reverse of their actual meaning. It took the Holy Spirit many years to change my mind to a Hebrew worldview in tune with the Bible. We have formed doctrines that seem logical but are not Biblical.

To understand things in this book you must be prepared to think in terms of Hebrew beliefs, customs and idioms. We can be misled by teachings that appear true and logical but are based on Gentile theology. The Western mindset has a predisposition towards false interpretations that give rise to false expectations. Several scriptures that apparently mean one thing actually mean the exact opposite once considered from a Hebrew view. We have built Gentile concepts into our theology that have no Hebrew foundation. This has profoundly affected even some Bible translations. There are crucial Biblical truths that need to be examined from a Hebrew cultural view point. In this study we will look at whether there is actually a seven years tribulation and what Jesus, as a Jew, meant about such things as coming in clouds and other statements. We will look at the meanings of Jewish idioms written by the apostle Paul; what did he mean when he wrote we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air? If we remain within correct rules of interpretation it may be surprising what the Bible actually says. I will also show that the period foretold in Daniel 9, if properly calculated, works out to the baptism of Jesus and not to his death. This will profoundly affect what one believes. Certain popular teachings have foisted enormous false expectations onto large numbers of people who have been misled into false concepts promoted by books, Bible notes and even full length movies. This is the way of cults.

To make sense of the Bible we have to understand that God first revealed himself to individuals, then to a family, then to a nation, and then to all who respond to His Beloved Son. At the Exodus, about 3500 years ago, God intervened on behalf of the entire Hebrew community in Egypt, delivered them from slavery and made a Covenant with them as a nation. It was a Covenant of Love. Moses said: "the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands". Deut. 7:9 NIV. Over many years those who did not believe were sifted out and eventually the entire nation was scattered but God will not break his side of the Covenant. Jude 5, 1 Cor. 10:5. Isa. 66:7,8.

Through history God has worked through one nation, Israel, which is depicted in symbols and emblems as a sign to the world. There are three trees closely associated with it: the Vine, the Olive Tree and the Fig Tree. The Fig Tree, according to Jesus, was planted within the Vineyard of the Lord and is symbolic of Israel. Luke 13:6. As the giver of eternal Life, Jesus is represented as a Vine. Isa. 5:7, John 15:1. The Olive Tree represents God’s people in a spiritual sense. Hosea 14:6, Jer. 11:16, Rom. 11:16-18. Each of these trees has a spiritual fulfilment which we will consider but the Fig tree stands for Israel as the nation called by God. There is only one nation that God has entered into Covenant with and Jesus is the King of that nation. Matt. 27:37,42. He is the KING of LOVE who confirmed the promises of God to both the Jews and the Gentiles and who laid down his life for the whole world. He will ultimately rule all nations. Rom. 15:8,9 NIV.

God has established an Everlasting Covenant. Mk. 14:24 NLT. It is wholly dependent upon one man: JESUS CHRIST – "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. John 3:16. Jesus ratified that Covenant: Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed, ratified the everlasting covenant (Amp. Bible), make you complete in every good work to do His will…through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever." Hebrews 13:20,21. Nearly 2000 years ago Jesus established and ratified that Covenant through his death and resurrection. He promised to return and complete it in every detail and clause. Where are we now? – Very near to the end of Biblical history when Jesus will confirm all things and ratify his Covenant.

There are a lot of conflicting ideas about the return of Jesus and how it will impact Christians and mankind as a whole: what is God’s overall plan for the world, will Christians be taken out of the world, are we coming to the end of the age, will there be another 1000 years still to come, how will Jesus rule the world when he comes, and what will happen to those who reject him?

God has preordained his plan for the world and nothing is going to stop him fulfilling it. The early Church Fathers believed in a period of 7000 years from the start to the end of God’s plan of salvation. This is not geological time but Biblical time and divided into three ages each of 2000 years making 6000 years followed by 1000 years of Peace; like a week of six days followed by a Sabbath millennial. (See Text Note 4.) Some theologians keep pushing all the prophecies into a hypothetical period of seven years but I believe a great number of prophecies have already been fulfilled. It has been said that the Bible is more up to date than tomorrow’s headlines. However, people have different views about the end-times and I give a brief outline of some of them in Appendix 4. In this book I explain what I believe, and present the cycles in which God works. The Hebrew word week means seven and there are cycles of seven weeks (7x7=49), cycles of ten weeks (10x7=70), and cycles of seven seventy weeks (7x70=490). One thousand weeks is 7000 years, and 100 cycles of 70 is the full span of the Biblical plan. Within one week there are two cycles of 3½. In the book of Daniel the first 3½ year period is 1290 days and in the book of Revelation the last 3½ year period is 1260 days: together they make 2550 days - exactly 7 years. We will consider more about these important cycles later.

No Old Testament prophecy can be understood unless viewed in the context of God’s Covenant with Israel and his plan for the world. When we come to the New Testament, and the book of Revelation, these too cannot be understood correctly unless kept in their historical and cultural setting. They were written by Jews and are full of Old Testament scriptures which the authors used to convey the message of world redemption. To understand the meaning of the symbols that are used one has to go back to Old Testament prophets such as Daniel, Zechariah, Ezekiel, Joel and others. Through the pages of this book we will consider their meaning as well as expose false expectations being taught in contrast to what the scriptures actually say.

Long ago God established an Everlasting Covenant of Love.

Solomon prayed: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below - you who keep your covenant of love with your servants..." 1 Kings 8:23.

Nehemiah prayed: "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands". Neh. 1:5, 9:32.

Daniel prayed: "O Lord, great and awesome God who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love him". Dan 9:4 NKJ.

Jesus said that when we see certain things we must know that his return is very near. Matt. 24:33. The hearts of individuals, nations and the entire world are being sifted; those who repent will receive pardon and mercy but those who refuse cut themselves off from salvation.

God is counting the days to fulfil His Covenant of Love. Jesus is coming very soon for those who love him.

Chapter 1 – JESUS FULLFILLED THE COVENANT

Before we look at end time prophecies we must first consider the fulfilment of the most important prophecies of all, those of the first coming of Jesus, our Anointed Messiah and King – This is how we know he will come the second time – Luke 1:72

Messiah means the Anointed One. In Old Testament times it was the custom to anoint kings and priests. When David was a child, Samuel anointed him as a sign of God’s choice of him as King of Israel. The Priests of Israel were also anointed as a sign of their office as priests. This anointing was done with oil. Over the years there grew an expectation within the nation that one day there would come a special anointed person who would be both King and Priest and have the power and authority to deliver his people from their enemies: he would be their Saviour. The prophets collectively gave clear and precise details about him: where he would come from, what he would do and even when he would come. These predictions were so precise that it is impossible for any person to fulfil them except by Divine appointment. In fact, they make it impossible for anyone to fulfil them except for one man in history: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. John 1:45, Matt. 2:23, John 19:19. Approximately 6000 years ago God gave a promise that one day a woman would give birth to a child who would be both the Son of Man and the Son of God - God in the flesh. Gen. 3:15, Matt. 3:16, John 1:1-14, 3:13-18. This was fulfilled at the birth of Jesus; you shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. Matt. 1:21. Jesus came as King of Israel and Saviour of the World.

In the Bible a name is of great importance. When someone was given a name it depicted their status, office and even carried their presence. The name carried the authority of the person.

There are several Psalms about Messiah. Psalm 45:6,7,17 is one which describes both his royalty and divinity. It is applied in the New Testament specifically to Jesus. Heb. 1:8,9. It says that his name will be remembered to all generations. This is repeated in Malachi 1:11: "My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. Another Messianic Psalm is Psalm 2 in which God’s Anointed One" is described as King over all nations. Psalm 2:2,6-9. In the New Testament this is ascribed to Jesus who is likened to Melchizedek who was both King and Priest. Gen. 14:18, Ps. 110:1-4, Heb. 1:5, 5:5,6. This is endorsed in yet