Revelation Bible Study.

[WellWithMySoul]

I had never heard of "preterism" or "replacement theology" until coming to OLB.  Thank you for your quotes and comments about them.  Spending the majority of my time reading and studying just the Word (plus preaching) certainly makes it easier to clarify the difference between what is truth and what is erroneous.  I'm not sure how to verbalize what I'm thinking, but I am greatly saddened with those that twist the Word and lead others astray.

Thank you again, Alan....for another informative lesson concerning what is to come!

[Alan]

Wretched and John Young,

Glad to hear that you liked the lesson.

On ‎2016‎年‎11‎月‎27‎日 at 11:46 PM, WellWithMySoul said:

I had never heard of "preterism" or "replacement theology" until coming to OLB.  Thank you for your quotes and comments about them.  Spending the majority of my time reading and studying just the Word (plus preaching) certainly makes it easier to clarify the difference between what is truth and what is erroneous.  I'm not sure how to verbalize what I'm thinking, but I am greatly saddened with those that twist the Word and lead others astray.

Thank you again, Alan....for another informative lesson concerning what is to come!

WellWithMySoul,

I know what you mean.

Before I came to OLB, preterism and replacement theology were not so common known, nor were they accepted, among IFB churches. I think due to the increase in internet studies the individuals who believe in preterism and replacement theology are trying to spread their false beliefs among IFB brethren. It also saddens and breaks my heart that we have to even mention the heretical doctines  that are creeping into the IFB Movement.  In the beginning of these lessons I did not think I had to mention specific doctirnes like preterismm, replacement theology, or give examples of individual teachers, or denominations  that teach these false doctrines. But, I was mistaken. 

In these last days there are many false teachers that are twisting the scriptures to re-interpret  almost all of the doctrines of the faith; both major and minor doctrines and prophecy. It is a sad situation indeed.

Alan

[Alan]

On 11/26/2016 at 0:06 PM, Alan said:

The prophet Zechariah gives us further information of what would happen when the Lord reveals Himself to the nation of Israel. “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” Zechariah 13:6

Brethren,

The Lord Jesus, the Friend of Sinners, will one day reveal Himself to the nation of Israel. While at church awhile back we sang the hymn, 'Our Great Saviour." The hymn reminded me of the time when I realized how great a Saviour He was, and that He was a Friend to sinners, and that one day the Jews, as a nation, will come to that realization.

I do hope that you enjoy the hymn, Our Great Saviour," as much as I did.

Our Great Saviour

by, John Wilbur Chapman, 1859-1916

Sung by

Temple Baptist Church

Powell, TN

God bless!

Alan

[Alan]

Brethren,

I am in the process of writing the next lesson: Lesson # 15. Please study Zechariah 14:4-11 and 16-21 (along with the context). It may may a couple of days, or after the week end), before I am finished.

God bless!

Alan

[Alan]

Lesson # 15

Part 1

Zechariah 14:1-3 and 12-15, “The Day of the LORD.”

The prophet Zechariah, in Zechariah 14:1-3 and 12-15, foretells, “the day of the LORD.” The day of the LORD, in the context of Zechariah 14, is a description of the last battle at the end of the 7–Year Tribulation Period as depicted in Revelation 19:11-21 when the Lord Jesus returns as  KING OF KING AND LORD OF LORDS.

Armageddon

Zechariah 14:1-3 and 12-15 is a graphic description of the destruction of all of the nations that went to battle against Jerusalem. The Lord will cause the flesh to be consumed away and the fowls of the air will eat the flesh and the blood that remains. Furthermore, the battle of Armageddon is not just situated in the Valley of Megiddo. The prophet Joel also gives a different aspect of this battle in Joel 2:1-11

 

In Joel 2:1-11 the prophet Joel portrays a lop-sided, one-sided ‘running battle’ that extends for a short period of time among many areas. We need to remember that all of the nations of the world are battling against Israel and there are numerous side battles occurring besides the battle in the valley of Megiddo.

 

Therefore, we have part of the anti-Christ’s armies’ being  consumed as depicted in Zechariah 14:1-3 and 12-15 and partly destroyed by other combat localities as depicted by the prophet Joel.

A Literal Battle

The information that the Apostle John gives in Revelation 19:11-21, the prophet Joel gives in Joel 2:1-11, and the prophet Zechariah gives in Zechariah 14:1-3 and 12-15, are detailed in observation, persons, land locations, changes in topography, and other events, that it is clear that their writings are literal in interpretation. In absolutely no manner can these prophecies be construed as a spiritual battle of the saints in the Church Age: symbolic, allegorical, figurative, or a metaphor.

 

Furthermore, due to the detailed observable information given, the battle of Revelation 19:11-21, Joel 2:1-11 and Zechariah 14:1-3 and 12-15, cannot in any manner be construed to have been a historical battle in the nation of Israel in previous times nor in modern times.

 

Therefore, due to the detailed observable material contained therein, the battle of Zechariah 14:1-3 and 12-15, and the observable detailed information given afterwards, the prophecy is future and literal.

The Preterist and the Battle of Armageddon

The Preterist does not believe that the battle of Armageddon as described by John the apostle in Revelation 19:11-21, and the prophet Zechariah 14:1-3 and 12-16, is literal. Charles Laymon is very clear in his writings that Revelation 19:11-21, Armageddon, is not literal. Please note that I will quote his entire paragraph in this matter, including the paragraph heading, quotation marks as Laymon uses them, punctuation, abbreviations, centered dots […], and his usage of the corrupt Revised Standard Version instead of the King James Version of 1611.

 

Armageddon

19:11-21

With the emptying of the sixth bowl of the wrath of God three frog spirits, unclean and despicable, were sent forth by the dragon to summon “the kings of the whole … for battle on the great day of God the Almighty”  (16:14). Daniel (11:45) and Ezekiel (39:1 ff.) locate such a conflict in the midst of the mountains of Israel. Mount Megiddo, which should be translated “hill of Megiddo, which should be translated “hill of Victory” is the original meaning of the word “Armageddon” in Hebrew. It is interesting by way of background to recall that the battle of Deborah took place on the plains of Megiddo (Judges 5:19). It seems to me, however, that we are dealing here predominately with ideas and issues rather than site and geography.[1]

 

According to Charles Laymon, the battle of Armageddon as described by John the apostle, and the prophet Zechariah is not literal, or of a geographical nature, but symbolic of man’s ideas and issues. Charles Laymon’s interpretation of the battle of Armageddon as described in Revelation 19:11-21 is his own private interpretation. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20

 

Charles Laymon further stated (italics are Laymon’s); “Armageddon was to be current history.”[2] According to the Preterist, the Book of Revelation is just current history that is symbolized, or is figurative, or metaphorical, in the church age

The Jehovah’s Witnesses & Symbolism in the Book of Revelation

After the failed prophesy of the return of Christ to the earth in 1914, the Watch Tower and Bible Society (in 1931 they changed it to the Jehovah’s Witnesses), the Jehovah’s Witnesses started to symbolize most of the prophecies the scriptures, including the Book of Revelation. Please remember that I will quote the quotation using their own quotation marks, and in this instance, their usage of the corrupt New World Translation in quoting John 14:19. The Jehovah’s Witnesses book, “Let God Be True,” says.

 

    Some wrongfully expect a literal fulfillment of the symbolic statements of the Bible. Such hope to see the glorified Jesus come seated on a white cloud where every eye will see him. They overlook Jesus’ words before he left: “A little longer and the world will behold me no more.” Since no earthly men have ever seen the Father, they will be unable to see the glorified Son.” – John 14:19, NW; Exodus 33:20; 1 Timothy 6:16.[3]

 

The Preterist, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, symbolizes a large portion of the book of Revelation, and the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets, as events in the history of the church. Preterism is the fruit of Replacement Theology. Both the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ and the Preterist cannot “rightly divide” the scripture and adequately interpret obvious symbols, or figurative speech, in the book of Revelation according to the Old Testament prophesies and types.

Zechariah 14:4-11

“The Coming of Christ as King & His Saints to Israel.”

Zechariah 14:4-11, “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of the them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the King’s winepresses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction: but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.”

 

“And his feet …” is a direct reference to the LORD in Zechariah 14: 1 and then again in verse 3. The Lord Jesus is referred to in prophecy as the LORD Jehovah in the Old Testament.

 

“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives …” One day, known only  to God, the feet of the Lord Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives for the entire world to see. There is nothing symbolic, figurative, allegorical, spiritual, or anything pertaining to the Church Age in these verses. As the Lord Jesus physically left the Mount of Olives when He ascended in to heaven He will physically descend upon the face of this earth as He left; to the Mount of Olives. “Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day’s journey.” Acts 1:11 & 12

The Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives is east of Jerusalem. The Prophet Zechariah gives us very clear observable geographical locations in Israel that will be changed. In no manner can the geographical changes be interpreted as figurative, spiritual, a metaphor, or be considered a figure of speech.

 

The feet of the Lord Jesus will one day stand on the Mount of Olives. Once the battle of Armageddon, or, “the Feast of the Fowls,” (Revelation 19:11-22; Isaiah 34:1-8; 63:1-6 and Ezekiel 39:17-22), and Zechariah 14:1-3, is finished, the Lord Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives.

 

At this time, Revelation 1:7 will be fulfilled. “Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” As prophesied by the prophet Zechariah, and the Apostle John, the coming of Christ with His saints is an observable event to all of the nations of the earth.

Observable changes in the Topography of Israel

“… and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”

 

Once the Lord Jesus stand on the Mount of Olives, the Mount of Olives will cleave, or spilt, and the topographical land of Israel will change. The changes in the land of Israel will be dramatic and observable. None of these topographical changes in the land of Israel has taken place in the history of the Jews.

 

“… and all the saints with thee.” This is a direct reference to the coming of Christ “with” his saints as depicted in Revelation 1:7 and 19:11-21 It is not a reference to the coming of Christ “for” His saints as depicted in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-18 the two comings of Christ are separate and distinct. It will be a privilege and an honour for the saints of God to return to the earth in glory with the Lord Jesus.

 

The saints will come the Lord Jesus from heaven, the battle of Armageddon will be fought, Revelation 19:11-21, and the Millennial Kingdom, Satan will be bound for a thousand years, Revelation 20: 1-3, and the Millennial Kingdom will commence; Revelation 20:4-6

 

Observable changes in Day Light

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.” The prophet Zechariah states that there will be observable changes in the light of the day. There have been no observable changes in the amount, or time, of the lighting of day in Israel up to our age. So, this prophecy has remained unfulfilled to our age.

 

“… But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD …” God has kept the timing of the coming of Christ to begin His Millennial reign as a secret from the Jews. God warned the Jews in the Old Testament not to try and put a date on the start of the Kingdom of God on the earth and the Lord Jesus warned the Church saints the same warning in the New Testament.

 

God plainly stated, “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29 God is more interested that the saints keep His Law and His commandments, in either Testament, than know the dates of future events.

 

The Lord Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matthew 24:36

 

The attempts of the Charismatics, Seventh Day Adventist, Jehovah’s Witnesses’, and other false prophets, in trying to arrange dating methods through “the Blood Moons,” days of the feasts in the Old Testament, numerology, visions, the Great Pyramid of Jeezeh in Egypt, and other vain attempts to date the coming of Christ for the church, or the coming of Christ as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, is vain.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Dating the Coming of Christ

Although there are many, I will give one example of the error of trying to date the coming of Christ and His Millennial Kingdom.

 

Charles Taze Russell used verses in Daniel, Matthew (the Parables & chapter 24), Revelation, The Great Pyramid, Napoleon, Song of Solomon, the Book of Hebrews, the Roman Catholic Church, Mr. William Miller (the Millerites), Acts 3:19 &17:31, and the  history of the Middle East and Europe, in order to seek a date when the Millennial Kingdom would start.

 

I will have to condense the reasoning of Charles Taze Russell (the founder of, “Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society,”  in 1931 the Watch Tower Tract Society became, “The Jehovah’s Witnesses), in his classic book, “Studies in the Scriptures, Series III, The Kingdom Come.” Please take note that this book was written in 1910 by the, “Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.” Due to the fact that the Lord Jesus did not return in 1914, the Jehovah’s Witnesses were forced to change their prophecies concerning the Coming of Christ to set up the Millennial Kingdom. All of the quotation marks, CAPITALIZATION, and other punctuation marks, are by Charles Russell.

 

    The “Time of the End,” a period of one hundred and fifteen (115) years, from A. D. 1799 to A. D. 1914, is particularly marked in the Scriptures. “The Day of His Preparation” is another name given to the same period.[4]

 

     The last forty years of the Time of the end is called the “End” or “Harvest” of the Gospel age, as we read, “The Harvest is the END of the age.” (Matt.13:39.) To the foretold general character and events of this period we will shortly call particular attention, reserving the special features of the harvest, however, for a subsequent chapter.”[5]

 

We find that the date 1874 is also in harmony with the prophecy of Daniel (12:1), which fixes the advent of “Michael in the “Time of the End) – that is, somewhere between 1799 and 1914 – and as the cause and precursor of the great time of trouble. When seventy-five years of this “Day of Preparation” had developed the proper conditions for the beginning of his great work, then the Master stepped upon the scene – quietly, “without outward show” – “in like manner” as he went away. And the remaining forty years of this “Day of Preparation,” sixteen of which are already past, will accomplish the setting up or establishment of his Kingdom in power and great glory.”[6]

Chart, “The Scroll of Church History”[7]

 

                                       

Photo by Alan

According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ “The Scroll of Church History,” The end of the church age is in 1914, the Lord Jesus comes and starts the Millennial Kingdom in 1915. “The Scroll of Church History,” as interpreted by Charles Russell (the Jehovah’s Witnesses), is his (their), own private interpretation and is considered erroneous.

 

Chart, “BOTH THE HOUSES OF ISRAEL”[8]

Photo by Alan

According to the vast amount of detailed calculations reached by Charles Russell, the chart, “Both the Houses of Israel,” he calculated the start of the Kingdom promised to the Jews as A. D. 1915. The “Both the Houses of Israel,” chart is the private interpretation of Charles Russell is erroneous.

 

God revealed to the prophet Zechariah that the timing of the start of the Millennial Kingdom, and or the Second Coming of Christ, on the earth is a secret that God has not revealed. The attempts of man to ascertain the timing of His coming, by any means, is erroneous.

Observable changes in the Waters of Israel

“And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of the them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and winter shall it be.” The ‘living waters’ spoken by Zechariah is not the ‘river of water of life’ as spoken in Revelation 22:1, “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God of the Lamb.” The “living waters,” that Zechariah refers to is  proceeds from Jerusalem, in Israel, whereas the ‘river of water of life’ proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

 

The prophet Joel prophesied, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.” Joel 3:18

Abundance of Fruit, Crops and Physical Blessings

In Amos 9:11-15 the prophet Amos shows that the result of the abundance of new sources of water, the land of Israel will produce an abundance of fruit and crops of all sorts. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.”

Ezekiel chapter 47

The “living waters,” that Zechariah prophesied is the same the waters that the prophet Ezekiel prophesied of in Ezekiel 47:1-12

 

The “living waters,” that the prophet Joel and Ezekiel prophesied did not occur at any time in the history of Israel. Nor, does it refer to the “river of water of life,” that proceeds from the throne of God and of the lamb. Nor does the “living waters,” proceed out of the Tribulation Temple.

 

Therefore, the conclusion is inescapable. The only time that the “living waters,” that Joel, Ezekiel, and Zechariah prophesy’s about can proceed out of Jerusalem is during the 1000 Year Reign of Christ as written in Revelation 20:4-7

 

“And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” After the Babylonian Captivity and until this day, there has never been a King over all the earth.

 

After the resurrection of Christ, the Lord ascended into heaven and is sat down on the right hand of the Father. “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1:3

 

In heaven, the Lord Jesus is our Great High Priest. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”  Hebrews 4:14-16

 

The Book of Hebrews continues the theme of Christ being our Great High Priest, after the order of Melchisedec, starting in Hebrews chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, and chapter 8. In Hebrews chapter 9 we have the Lord Jesus, as the blood sacrifice for sins, as the offering for sins according to the Law of Moses in order to become the one, and only one, effectual offering for the sins of mankind to appear in heaven as our priest. “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God.” Hebrews 9:24 

 

In Hebrews chapter 10 the book of Hebrews continues to dwell on the aspect of the work of the Lord Jesus in His priestly office.

 

As we speak, the Lord Jesus is our Great High Priest, sitting on His throne in heaven, in the very presence of God. 

 

In Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter, we read that all of the promises of God are not yet fulfilled. “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39 and 40

 

Among other promises, Hebrews 12:26 tells us that God still has not completed His work on the face of the earth. “Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.” Hebrews 12:26 Hebrews 12:26 is a quotation from Haggai 2:6, “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.”

 

The Book of Hebrews makes it crystal clear that all of the promises that God made to the church, and to the nation of Israel, have not been fulfilled. They were not fulfilled on the Cross of Calvary, nor when the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven to sit on the right hand of the throne of God as our Great High Priest, nor has God fulfilled these promises in the church age, nor has God given the promises given to the Jews to the church. A careful reading of the Book of Revelation, coupled with  a literal belief of the Old Testament prophets, will give us the understanding that the all of the promises of God will be fulfilled exactly as they written.

 

The prophet Zechariah clearly said that the LORD will “… shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”  This promise has not yet been fulfilled. The Lord Jesus will one day rule as King over all the earth as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” After the battle of Armageddon, the throne of the Lord Jesus will be in Jerusalem and His 1000 Year reign will commence over all the earth. Revelation 20:4, “And I saw thrones … and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” John the Apostle had previously seen the Lord Jesus on His throne in heaven and now John sees the Christ on His throne, with His saints ruling on their individual thrones, reigning on the earth.   

 

“All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the King’s winepresses. And men shall dwell in it …” The prophet Zechariah gives us further observable changes in the topography of the land of Israel and names of towns. These changes in the land mass cannot be in any manner by considered symbolic, metaphorical, of a spiritual nature, or a figure of speech.

 

The observable changes in the topography of the land of Israel have not been observed since the time of Zechariah. Therefore, the conclusion is that the changes are still future.

 

“… and there shall be no more utter destruction: but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.” After Zechariah wrote this prophecy it has not been fulfilled to this day. After the Babylonian Captivity, Jerusalem was not safely inhabited for any long period of time. To this day, Jerusalem is a city beset by the ravages of war, terrorism, political infighting, and subject to the whims of political intrigue by the United Nations.

 

As KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, sitting on His throne in Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus will bring peace and safety to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

[1] Laymon, Charles, M. The Book of Revelation, (New York – Nashville: Abingdon Press), 1960, Page 124. 

[2] Laymon, Charles, M. The Book of Revelation, (New York – Nashville: Abingdon Press), 1960, Page 152

[3] Let God Be True, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 2^nd. Edition, (Brooklyn: NY), 1952, Page 197.

 [4] Studies in the Scriptures, Series III, Thy Kingdom Come, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, (Brooklyn: NY), 1910, Page 23.

[5] Studies in the Scriptures, Series III, Thy Kingdom Come, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, (Brooklyn: NY), 1910, Page 24.

[6] Studies in the Scriptures, Series III, Thy Kingdom Come, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, (Brooklyn: NY), 1910, Page 129 & 130.

[7] Studies in the Scriptures, Series III, Thy Kingdom Come, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, (Brooklyn: NY), 1910, Page 131.

[8] Studies in the Scriptures, Series III, Thy Kingdom Come, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, (Brooklyn: NY), 1910, Page 132.

[No Nicolaitans]

AMEN Bro. Alan! This was a great blessing to read. God bless you brother! 

[Jim_Alaska]

Bro. Alan, thank you so much for this study. It has been a great blessing and a wonderful reassurance that "the truth once delivered to the saints" is still "the truth". You took a great deal of time and study to bring out the truth, as well as to compare what Scripture actually says in comparison to what Preterists and JW's believe.

I found this latest lesson on The Day of the LORD to be especially interesting since I have recently had the opportunity to have an "at length" discussion of this very subject with a JW Elder. During the course of this discussion, in which I was holding my own until I found that they have changed their doctrine yet again. Now They do not teach that Jesus returned to the earth in 1914, but instead returned to heaven to reign as king there.

It is extremely difficult to keep up with changing Theology that changes to suit the need to address erroneous prophesy, predictions and blatant mistakes that such cults come up with.

So thank you again Alan, you have saved me a lot of study and provided a great resource that will help any future efforts I may have to discuss this subject with this JW Elder.

[Alan]

Brethren,

Thank you for the encourageing words. I am very happy to know that the lesson was a blessing to so many folks.

2 hours ago, Jim_Alaska said:

It is extremely difficult to keep up with changing Theology that changes to suit the need to address erroneous prophesy, predictions and blatant mistakes that such cults come up with.

Jim Alaska is entirely correct.

One of the difficulties I had in this current lesson was that the doctrines of the Jehovah's Witnesses had changed several times concerning prophecy. Also, even after reading a Jehovah's Witness book, the information was confusing and non-sensical. This includes the "bible," so-called, of the Jehovah's Witnesses; the New World Translation. The New World Translation has already gone through several editions and with each edition some, not all, of the verses change.

The same thing applies to Preterism. I do have several Preterist books that I have studied, and I have gone to numerous Preterist internet sites. Within the Preterist community there are confusing statements, large disagreements, and flexible beliefs.

So, concerning the Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs, and the Preterist beliefs, I was perplexed with what to say in my lesson, what not to say, which book to quote, and what book not to quote. Some of the JW's old beliefs are now discredited, symbolized, or reasoned away.

The study was hard and difficult in every aspect of the word.

Brethren,

Thanks again for the encouragement. Any thoughts anybody wants to add concerning the lesson itself, or the material added from the false teachers, is welcomed.

Alan

Edited December 22, 2016 by Alan
grammer spelling

[Jim_Alaska]

Their favorite "explain the mistake" point is simply to say they now have "new light". Recently they produced a booklet asking this question: "Which is more important, Jehovah's Name or Your Personal Salvation"?

The booklet's conclusion was that Jehovah's name was more important. This was supposedly proved by explaining that they had now received a "brilliant flash of new light".

they had been consistent in holding the premise that changing their views on long held beliefs is simply because they have received "New Light".

[Alan]

False prophets need to receive 'new light' in order to cover up their bilbical mistakes.

[Alan]

Lesson 15

Part 2

Zechariah 14:16-21

Verse 16-21, “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS TO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls of the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.”
                                   

Parable of the Sheep and Goat Nations of the World And Revelation 20:4

, “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem …” The Lord Jesus gave the parable of the Sheep and Goat Nations concerning the nations that were not destroyed after the Battle of Armageddon. “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

 

The Lord Jesus is a Jew. Anybody in the linage of Abraham is a Jew. The Jews, whether lost or saved, are the brethren of the Lord Jesus. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” John 1:11 The Lord Jesus, a Jew, came into His own people, the Jewish nation of Israel, but, only a remnant received Him as Saviour. Paul the Apostle considered the Jews who were lost his brethren, “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” Romans 9:3-5

 

The Lord Jesus will judge the nations of the world at His coming Kingdom on the earth according as they treated the Jews during the Tribulation Period, “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble.” Jeremiah 30:7, “Alas! For the day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” The primary reason (not the only reason), for the 7 Year Tribulation Period, and the Battle of Armageddon, is to bring about the eternal salvation of the Jews and to fulfill the promise of the Kingdom that God promised the Jews.

 

During the Tribulation period, the anti-Christ will attempt to exterminate the Jewish race from the earth. As the Jews go into hiding, prison, and are starving due not to be able to buy food, those nations, and individuals, will be judged according how they treated the Jewish remnant.

 

The Jews, whether lost or saved, is the apple of God’s eye. “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” Zechariah 2:8

 

This time of the fulfillment of the Parable of the Sheep and Goat nations cannot be when the Lord Jesus sat on the throne of His glory at the right hand of the Father in heaven. This parable is a direct reference to when the Lord Jesus comes in Revelation 19:11-21 as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS and sits on the throne of David in Jerusalem as promised. “And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4 Among other reasons, the Judgment is to determine who will enter into the kingdom of the nations that are left on the face of the earth.

A Mathematically, Literal, 1000 Years

When the Apostle John mentioned that, “and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years,” the thousand years is a literal “thousand years,” and is not symbolically, “a long period of time.”

 

John Laymon is a classic Preterist. Laymon incorrectly states, “When John uses the figure of a thousand years he is speaking symbolically rather than mathematically. The number suggests a limited but sufficient block of time as compared with eternity.”[1] John Laymon, and the Preterist belief in symbolism, is erroneous.

The Feast of Tabernacles

“… and shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of Tabernacles.” The Feast of Tabernacles was one of the feasts of the Law. It was given to commemorate the blessing of God providing for the children of Israel during the Wilderness wanderings and for the harvests of the food of the land.  

 

The Feast of Tabernacles was held five days after the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32), on the 15^th day of the Jewish month of Ethanim: Leviticus 23:33-44 There can be no Feast of Tabernacles observed without a Day of Atonement observed. “Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD … Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.” Leviticus 23:24 and 34 The keeping of the feast of tabernacles is directly linked to the day of atonement. 

Ezekiel and the Feast of Tabernacles in the Millennial Temple

In Ezekiel 47:17-25 we read of the duties of the Prince. Among observing the other sacrifices mentioned in  Leviticus, the Feast of Tabernacles was to be observed, exactly as the prophet Zechariah foretold. “In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast of the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the meat offering, and according to the oil.” Ezekiel 47:25

 

The Feast of Tabernacles was also one of the three feasts given by the Law whereby the male children of Israel were to appear before the Lord. The three “Pilgrim Festivals were: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Deuteronomy 16:16, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles, Numbers chapter 28 and 29. “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty.” Deuteronomy 16:16 Under the Law, only the male children of Israel were to appear before the Lord these three times a year.

 

During the Millennium, as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, the Lord Jesus will command all of the males of the entire world to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem. As, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, the Lord Jesus will change the dating system of the year, pagan customs, feasts, holidays, and religious observations of the entire world. The holidays, feasts, and dating system of the world will conform to the Law as given by Moses. “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Exodus 12:1 and 2  

 

Brethren, the feasts and customs of the Law are stories, or types, of the spiritual life in Christ. The beginning of our spiritual life begins at Calvary, the Day of Atonement, and the joy of the Christian life, the feasts, begin after salvation. Only after a person is saved and begins his walk the Lord can he truly understand that all of our physical benefits of life are from God in heaven. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness of turning.” James 1:17

 

Furthermore, as another example, as the Feast of Pentecost points out, only until the Holy Spirit indwells, and empowers a saint, only then can we have the sealing of salvation and have spiritual power to live the Christian life and spiritual power to do the work of the Lord. Ephesians 4:30 and Acts 1:8   

 

The prophet Ezekiel points out that one of the responsibilities of the priests was to teach the meaning of the sacrifices, holiness, profane (worldliness), the cause, effect, and consequence of sin. The feasts and customs of the Law of Moses was for the worship of God, to give honor and glory to God, and to give mankind, through typology, God’s work among mankind. “And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” Ezekiel 44:23

 

I had discussed this matter more fully in my Revelation Chapter 19-22 Study. Here is the link to the Revelation Chapter 19-22 Study:

 

“And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.” This prophecy of Zechariah was not fulfilled when the Jews returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Captivity, after the resurrection of Christ, during the Church Age, nor will it be fulfilled during the 7 Year Tribulation Period in the re-built Temple.

 

Furthermore, as Zechariah clearly mentions the rain from the skies, this prophecy can be in no manner be construed as spiritual blessings, symbolic, allegorical or metaphorical.

 

Furthermore, as rain was unknown before the Flood of Noah, and therefore a part of the curse that God put upon mankind for their sins, and the plague that Zechariah mentions is due to the sins of mankind, the prophecy of Zechariah cannot be fulfilled during the New Heavens and New Earth. In the new heavens and new earth, there will be no curse, no rain (rain can bring sickness, destruction and death), nor plagues. All of the effects of sin, and the curse put on mankind and the earth, will be lifted. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4

 

Therefore, the only time that the prophecy of Zechariah can be fulfilled is during the 1000 years as spoken of in Revelation 20:4-6

 

During the Millennium, the entire world will be required to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. The Lord, as Lord of the all things, including the weather, will punish those nations who do not come to the Feast of Tabernacles.

Punishment

Psalm 2

“This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations …” The Lord Jesus will rule the nations of the world with an iron fist and punish those nations who transgress the laws of God. “Yet I will set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day I have begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Psalm 2:6-9

 

While on earth during His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus did not execute any punishment to either the Jews, nor to the heathen (Gentiles). “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” Luke 9:51-56

 

As during His earthly ministry, during His Heavenly ministry, sitting on the throne in heaven as our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus has not, and will not, execute punishment neither to the Jews nor to the heathen (Gentiles), nor is the Lord Jesus ruling over the heathen with a rod of iron.

 

Furthermore, the “uttermost parts of the earth,” as David prophesied, has never been in subjection to the Lord Jesus. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have a twisted, symbolic or spiritual, interpretation on Psalm 2. They state.

 

“Moreover, the everlasting kingdom of Jehovah will not be set up on this earth by Jehovah’s Witnesses. They will perform no overt act in the erecting of such government. Jehovah has already set it up in the heavens by Christ Jesus, its King. (Isaiah 9:6,7; Daniel 2:44; Psalm 2).”[2]

 

The reader needs to take note that the book, “Let God Be True,” as quoted above, is the original edition. Please check the footnotes to assure yourself which edition is being quoted. According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses Psalm 2 is not literal and is already being fulfilled in the heavens (plural).

 

The Jehovah’s Witnesses further teach that the Lord Jesus was enthroned as Judge and King, spiritually, in 1914. As before, I will punctuate, and quote as the book, “Let God Be True,” is written.

 

The time that Jehovah commissions his Son to act must, therefore, mark the beginning of the “day of Jehovah”. The apostle John refers to that taking over of authority by the New World’s Judge and King, in these words: “The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15, A.S.V.) The fulfillment of the prophecies of Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, and numerous other scriptures, by physical facts, clearly establishes that Christ Jesus was enthroned as King of Jehovah in the fall of 1914. This was clearly evidenced to us by the beginning of World War 1 and the fulfillment of the other signs enumerated in these prophecies. Therefore, that date marked the time when Jehovah’s King went into action against Satan’s organization. In the Spring of 1918 he came as Jehovah’s messenger to the temple and began judgment first of the “house of God” and thereafter of the nations of this world. (1 Peter 4:7; Matthew 25:31,32[3]

 

The beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses that the Lord Jesus was sat up as Judge and King in 1914 is completely erroneous and is their own private interpretation. Please take careful note that the Jehovah’s Witness cannot rightly divide the events of Revelation 11 and use the corrupt A.S.V. in their quotation. The correct reading of Revelation 11:15 is, “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 events of Revelation 11:15 have not taken place spiritually, or symbolically, in the Church Age. 

 

As with the Preterist, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, uses the dates of events in the Church Age as fulfillment of the prophecy of the scriptures. They both  miss-understand the work of Christ as our Great High Priest, and the miss-use of the prophecies of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, (among other scriptures).

 

Furthermore, contrary to the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Preterist, the prophecy of Zechariah and David, as a prophet, remains unfulfilled.

 

Therefore, this prophecy of Zechariah, and David, as a prophet, is a future fulfillment. 

 

Since there will be no sin, no evil, and no Satan to tempt mankind, after Revelation 20:10, and the punishment of the lost of all the ages take place in Revelation 20:11-15, the Great White Throne of Judgment, the only conclusion is that this punishment that Zechariah foretells has to transpire during the 1000 Year Reign of Christ as revealed in Revelation 20:4-6 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them …” Revelation 20:4 Part of the “judgment” is the Lord Jesus punishing the evildoers of the various nations that He rules over as revealed in Psalm 2.

 

"In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS TO THE LORD …” Almost in every culture, in every land, riders of horses like to engrave designs, or have fancy designs on the bridle, bit, saddle, stirrups, blanket, saddle bags, and other horse finery. In America, especially in the West, fancy leather craft for riding equipment is an art. The saints in the Millennium will be no different.

 

 In his vision, the prophet Zechariah observed that the horses were arrayed with bells as ornaments and the quotation from the signet of the High Priest. “And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” Exodus 28:36 Please take careful note, in the Old Testament, the common people were not commanded to have this quotation engraved in their personal belongings or on their doorposts.

 

As a gesture of faith and love to the Lord, the saints, in either Testament, like to engrave scriptural sayings on their personal belongings, plaques on the walls, greeting cards, church bulletins and passages of scripture engraved on their Bibles. Just about every preacher, evangelist and missionary, if asked to sign their name in a person’s Bible, will add a scripture reference. The saints in the millennial reign of Christ will be no different. The prophet Zechariah noticed that the saints in the Millennium put ornaments of bells on the horses’ equipment with the quotation, “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.”

 

This prophecy of Zechariah has not been fulfilled literally, symbolically, figuratively, allegorically, or even metaphorically, since the day that Zechariah wrote it. Therefore, the fulfillment of this prophecy is future and it is literal. The vision of Zechariah has an observable fulfillment.

The Millennial Temple

“… and the pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls of the altar.” Zechariah proceeds to prophesy concerning the sacrificial implements of the Millennial Temple. In Exodus 27:1-3 we read of the sacrificial implements of the altar and from Exodus 23:4-8 we read of the construction of the altar itself. “And thou shalt make his pans, to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basins, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.” Exodus 27:3

Vessels in the Temple

The Vessels, the Sacrifices, The Temple, are Testimonies of Christ

All of the vessels of the altar typify the Lord Jesus and His work as the sacrificial lamb for our sins. Please take careful note of the personal pronoun, “his.” The personal pronoun is a reference to the Lord Jesus. “And thou shalt make his pans, to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basins, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.” Exodus 27:3

 

The Lord Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39 The sacrifices, the Temple, and the vessels of the Temple, testify of the Lord Jesus Christ. The sacrifices could never take away sins, and in the Millennium they are not designed to take away sins.

 

 Numerous times in the life of Christ, after He performed a miracle, He commanded the individual healed, to do the following. “And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.” Matthew 8:4 The sacrifices of the Levitical Law was for a testimony; not for salvation.

 

As in the Old Testament, the sacrifices testify of the work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross of Cavalry, His character, His work in the heart and life of the believer, His work as our Great High priest, and His work in the future.

The Liberal, the Modernist, and False Teacher

The liberal, modernist, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and false teachers in the various churches, cannot understand (or appreciate), the testimony of the scriptures concerning the work of Christ, typology, and His character.

 

The corrupt Revised Standard Version replaces the word, “his,” to, “its.” Exodus (RSV), 27:3, “You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans; all its utensils you shall make of bronze.”[4] The translators of the Revised Standard Version destroyed the personal reference to the Lord Jesus and His work, as portrayed by the altar and “his” vessel. Furthermore, the translators replaced the word, “vessels,” for, “utensils.” I must remind the reader that Charles Laymon uses the Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

 

“Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from the Revised Standard Version of the  Bible and are copyright 1946 and 1952 by the division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.”[5]

 

Charles Laymon is unable to understand the typology of the scriptures. Therefore, he is spiritually not discerned and his teaching on Preterism is erroneous. Charles Laymon and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are also in agreement with this faulty translation. The New World Translation reads, “And you must make its cans for clearing away its fatty ashes, and its shovels, and its basins, and its forks, and its fire holders, and you will make all its utensils of copper.”[6]  The New World Translation, and any other translation, that replaces, “his,” with, “its,” is a corrupt translation.

 

The human body is a, “vessel,” not an, “utensil.” The Apostle Paul said, “But in a great house there are only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishounor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21 & 22

 

The body of the Lord Jesus was a vessel. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16  The Lord Jesus was God in the flesh.

 

In Exodus 38:1-7 we read of the finishing work of Bezeleel concerning the sacrificial implements for the altar. In Exodus 38:3 we read specifically of the pots and bowls of the altar.  “And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.” All of the sacrificial animals were slain on the table within the court yard of the Temple and then burned at the altar.

 

The reader is reminded at this point that the altar is where the sacrifices were burned as an offering for God for the transgression of God’s Law and as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ sacrificing His life for the payment of our sins.

 

Furthermore, we must remind ourselves that all the implements of the altar were made of brass. Brass is symbolic of Judgment.

 

In Ezekiel 40:39-43 the prophet Ezekiel, in his detailed vision of the Millennial Temple, was clearly shown the tables, and the various sacrificial implements, whereon the sacrifices were slain. And, Ezekiel was told that, “Then said he unto, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat  the holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.” Ezekiel 42:13

 

“… and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein…” To seethe means to boil. The pots used in the Temple sacrifices were used to boil certain sacrifices. In giving the instructions for the sacrifice for the feast of Tabernacles in Leviticus 23:33-44 no mention of seething the sacrifice; it was to be burnt by fire on the altar.

 

Before the priests could work in the Temple in the Old Testament, they needed to be hollowed, or set apart, for their priestly duties. A bullock, and two rams, was to be used as the sacrificial offering. The bullock was to be burnt on the altar and not seethed (boiled). The ram of consecration for the priests were to be seethed: Exodus 29:1-37 “And thou shalt take the ram of consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.” Exodus 29:31  

 

Again, the Revised Stand Version, and the New World Translation, corrupts the types of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament by replacing, “his,” to “its.” “You shall take the ram of ordination, and boil its flesh in a holy place.” Exodus (RSV) 29:31[7] “And you will take the ram of installation and you must boil its flesh in a holy place.” Exodus (NWT) 29:31[8]

 

Therefore, the prophet Zechariah is mentioning, by inference, in accordance to the Levitical  Law, that the Feast of Tabernacles is not the only sacrifice to be accomplished in the Millennial Temple. This is also in accordance with the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 42:13).

Ezekiel’s Temple

In Ezekiel 46:19-24 Ezekiel mentions sacrifices that were to be boiled by the priest. “Then said he unto me, this is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear them not out unto the utter court, to sanctify the people.” Ezekiel 46:20 The description of the priestly duties continue with these words, “Then said he unto me, These are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.” Ezekiel 46:24

 

The prophet Ezekiel gives us clear, and observable, facts concerning the feasts (and other sacrifices), in Ezekiel 45:17-25 Included in the description of the sacrifices, we read, “And it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the Sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel." Ezekiel 45:17

 

In Ezekiel 45:21, the prophet Ezekiel mentions the Passover Feast and then he says, “In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month." This is a direct reference to the Feast of Tabernacles that Zechariah mentions in Zechariah 14:16

 

In conclusion, in telling us of the seething, or boiling of the sacrifices, the prophet Zechariah, besides the Feast of Tabernacles, the other sacrificial offerings, and feasts, as listed by Ezekiel will be performed in the Millennial Temple. 

 

All of these objects, the pots, the seething, the Feast of Tabernacles, bells on the horses, the other boiling sacrifices mentioned, mentioned by Zechariah are observable. Therefore, the prophecies of Zechariah are literal and have not been fulfilled. The fulfillment of the prophecies of Zechariah, as previously mentioned, will occur during the millennial reign of Christ as written in Revelation 20:4-6    

 

 “Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.” Besides the pots used in the Temple sacrifices, the pots that the ordinary Jew uses in Jerusalem and in Judah will be onsidered holy; or consecrated to the Lord.

 

 

---

[1] Laymon, Charles, M. The Book of Revelation, (New York – Nashville: Abingdon Press), 1960, Page 129.

[2] Let God Be True, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, (Brooklyn: NY), 1946, Page 241.

[3] Let God Be True, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society,  (Brooklyn: NY), 1946, Page 285.

[4] Revised Standard Version, Thomas Nelson & Sons, (New York: N.Y.), 1952 Edition.

[5] Laymon, Charles, M. The Book of Revelation, (New York – Nashville: Abingdon Press), 1960, Copyright Page.

[6] New World Translation, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania, (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York: NY), 1953-1960.

[7] Revised Standard Version, Thomas Nelson & Sons, (New York: N.Y.), 1952 Edition.

[8] New World Translation, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania, (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York: NY), 1953-1960.

 

Edited January 4, 2017 by Alan
grammer added link to Revelation note Leviticus to Levitical

[Genevanpreacher]

Alan,

You state:

"The liberal, modernist, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and false teachers in the various churches, cannot understand (or appreciate), the testimony of the scriptures concerning the work of Christ, typology, and His character."

And:

"I must remind the reader that Charles Laymon uses the Revised Standard Version of the Bible."

Along with:

"Charles Laymon is unable to understand the typology of the scriptures. Therefore, he is spiritually not discerned and his teaching on Preterism is erroneous. Charles Laymon and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are also in agreement with this faulty translation."

Do I understand you correctly that because they use this faulty version they are blind to the true interpretation of scripture?

If so, does the reverse apply to those who use the proper version? 

If so, why would you make this statement: 

"The Lord Jesus is a Jew. Anybody in the linage of Abraham is a Jew. The Jews, whether lost or saved, are the brethren of the Lord Jesus. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”John 1:11 The Lord Jesus, a Jew, came into His own people, the Jewish nation of Israel, but, only a remnant received Him as Saviour."

You state that "Jesus was a Jew". You are correct. He was of the tribe of Judah. Because the OT word in the original language where we get "Jew" is "a descendant of Judah".

You state "Anybody in the linage of Abraham is a Jew" and you are wrong. The Judah from which the name Jew originates was not born for several decades. Abraham was never a Jew.

You state "...the Jewish nation of Israel..." as if Israel were only Jews, and you are wrong. There were Reubenites, Simeonites, Levites, Judahites, Danites, Naphtalites, Gadites, Asherites, Issacharites, Zebulunites, Josephites, and Benjamites.

Jews, according to every Hebrew and Chaldee source, means "descendants of Judah" or "Judahites".

What do you think?

Is it accurate to make these statements? Especially when there are no sources to say such? 

Maybe you could enlarge on this a bit?

 

[No Nicolaitans]

GP, I agree with your basic concept; whereas, the term "Jew" was originally derived from "Judah". However, I also believe that the term eventually became synonymous with, and included all those of Hebraic descent. Paul said the following...

Romans 11:1 - I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Philippians 3:5 - Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

Paul was an Israelite, a descendent of Abraham, of the stock of Israel, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and he was from the tribe of Benjamin. Yet, Paul also said...

Acts 21:39 - But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

[DaveW]

1 hour ago, No Nicolaitans said:

GP, I agree with your basic concept; whereas, the term "Jew" was originally derived from "Judah". However, I also believe that the term eventually became synonymous with, and included all those of Hebraic descent. Paul said the following...

Romans 11:1 - I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Philippians 3:5 - Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

Paul was an Israelite, a descendent of Abraham, of the stock of Israel, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and he was from the tribe of Benjamin. Yet, Paul also said...

Acts 21:39 - But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

I myself thought about such references that Paul in particular made, so thank you for some BIBLICAL insight to this particular point.

Funny how a little Biblical study puts men's ideas away......

[Genevanpreacher]

2 hours ago, No Nicolaitans said:

GP, I agree with your basic concept; whereas, the term "Jew" was originally derived from "Judah". However, I also believe that the term eventually became synonymous with, and included all those of Hebraic descent. Paul said the following...

Romans 11:1 - I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Philippians 3:5 - Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

Paul was an Israelite, a descendent of Abraham, of the stock of Israel, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and he was from the tribe of Benjamin. Yet, Paul also said...

Acts 21:39 - But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

Yes you are correct NN, by the time of Jesus Christ being born of Mary, Jew was a term for more than just the tribe of Judah, but with the exception that the only people described as Jews were of the southern tribes, after the Northern tribes were scattered. The 2 tribes of Judah and Benjamin combined with each other as well as a partial group of the Levitical priests. And the term Jew only started after the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings. That's a LONG timeline where nobody was called a Jew. In fact, the name Jew didn't even occur until the Captivity, in the book of Esther 2:5 - and it was identifying a member of the tribe of Benjamin! Of course the word 'Jews' did occur starting in 2 Kings, WAY AFTER Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as all of the original 12 tribe 'namees'! But never in the singular person way.

Hence, even though men have adopted the term Jew today as 'anyone' who is Jewish, it never represented the Whole House of Israel. 

So Abraham was not a Jew as Alan said, neither is, or as Alan said, "Anyone in the linage of Abraham is a Jew" a true statement.

1 hour ago, DaveW said:

I myself thought about such references that Paul in particular made, so thank you for some BIBLICAL insight to this particular point.

Funny how a little Biblical study puts men's ideas away......

Yes, it does.

Edited January 8, 2017 by Genevanpreacher