Scripture Revealed

A Revelation of Jesus Christ – Revelation 1:1

Month: June 2015

The Kingdom of God

330px-Christ_Handing_the_Keys_to_St._Peter_by_Pietro_Perugino
Jesus giving Peter “the keys of the kingdom of heaven”, (Matthew 16:18), painting by Perugino, 1492.

Jesus of Nazareth is the central figure of Christianity. While his followers claimed that He was the Jewish Messiah, He would be put to death as a criminal. Think about that for a moment. Did Jesus fail as the Messiah?  Did He fail in His mission to usher in the Kingdom of God?

Messiah as the King

From the time that the first Roman legionnaires marched into Judea, there was tension throughout Jewish society. People prayed for God’s deliverance from the yoke of Roman rule. The Jews prayed that God would send the promised Messiah during their lifetime.

According to prophets – Messiah, or the “Anointed One”, was to serve as the King of Israel. This Messiah would arrive in Jerusalem with the very power of God. Old Testament prophets told how this “Anointed One” would conquer the enemies of Israel. God would restore the Israelites to their status as God’s chosen people. All nations would come under His rule, and His Kingdom would never end.

Jesus In the Synagogue

On one particular day, a quiet peace settled over the city of Nazareth. (...)

The Case for a Restored Nation of Israel – Scriptural Evidence for a Prophesied Return?

Tissot_The_Flight_of_the_Prisoners
An artist’s depiction of the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to Babylon and the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s temple.

Proof Texts?

Some suggest that the Bible prophesies of a “last days” regathering of the Jewish people to Israel. Various “proof texts” are cited to support this belief. In examining these “proofs”, we find that these scriptures were either already fulfilled during one of the Old Testament exiles or that they foretold of the coming promises of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. Remember, Jesus’ focus was not on a physical land, but on a spiritual existence in His people!

The 1st Return Of The Jews
The Jews were living as exiles in Egypt when Moses brought the 12 tribes back to the land of Canaan in 1445 BC.

The 2nd Return Of The Jews

The Jews were living as exiles throughout the vast Babylonian Empire which Isaiah perceived as the four corners of the world when Ezra brought only 3 tribes back to the land of Israel in 536 BC. These were the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. The other tribes were lost forever. Just prior to 70 AD, Herod destroyed (...)

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