Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 35 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and five amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has written several books, including two that are available on Amazon - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles.

What Defines Jewishness?

temple

When I first embarked on my current quest to discover who is the true Israel, one of the major jewishnessquestions that needed to be answered is: “What defines Jewishness?” Interestingly, Jewish rabbis and those who lead the state of Israel differ greatly on the answer, as you will discover if you watch the video interview of Rabbi Shapiro below.

The most obvious answer, perhaps, is that a Jew is someone biologically descended from Abraham. Modern genetics confirms that most people who claim biological Jewish descent have genomes that trace back to the area occupied by ancient Israel, at least on the paternal line. So we can establish some sort of theoretical Jewish descent based on DNA, even though it is impossible to prove one’s lineage directly from Abraham genealogically since all records were destroyed when Jerusalem and the Temple were leveled in 70 AD. Also, without our being able to identify and examine Abraham’s bones, we cannot definitively establish who are his modern descendants using the science of DNA.

Grok AI breaks down what is commonly accepted as the various Jewish lineages living in modern Israel below.

The percentage of Jews living in modern Israel who are Ashkenazi (typically defined as those with origins in Europe, the Americas, Oceania, South Africa, or similar classifications, often excluding or separately noting post-1989 immigrants from the former USSR) is approximately 32%.

This figure comes from a representative 2019 study/sample of the Israeli Jewish population (cited in sources including Wikipedia’s Demographics of Israel page, drawing from academic analysis), which broke it down as:

      • About 44.9% Mizrahi (grandparents born in Asia or North Africa),
      • 31.8% Ashkenazi (grandparents born in Europe/the Americas/etc.),
      • 12.4% “Soviet” (post-1989 immigrants from the ex-USSR, many of whom are ethnically Ashkenazi but often tracked separately),
      • 3% Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews),
      • 7.9% mixed or other.

I suppose the above figures are correct, but it is not that important. Being unable to nail down genetically those who are biological descendants of Abraham does not really pose a problem, however, because a more legitimate claim to Jewishness, according to Rabbi Shapiro, comes from being a follower of the Jewish religion, something that transcends nationality, ethnicity, and genetics.

The video below is a brilliant presentation of what a Jewish rabbi says it means to be a Jew and how different that is from Zionism. I suggest you start at 3:36. It is long but well worth watching. I noted some interesting places in the video as follows.
3:36 - What is a Jew?
36:40 - Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism.
Other quotes: Zionism is antisemitic and anti-Jewish.

One can be a religious Jew from being born into a practicing Jewish family or by choosing to convert to Judaism. In the Old Testament, several women in the line of Jesus the Messiah were non-Israelites who converted.

This method of identifying one’s Jewishness is more easily defined and provable, but it is not what the state of Israel accepts. Israel permits people who are atheists but have a Jewish background to be allowed to return to the land. Israel is a secular state caring little for the Jewish religion.

New Covenant Jewishness

Now let us examine how our Lord Jesus and Paul defined Jewishness, which is far more important for gaining a New Covenant perspective.

When the Jewish Pharisees attacked Jesus’ authority and credibility, a discussion of origins ensued. This discussion began after Jesus promised those who believed in him that obeying his words would set them free. 

They [the Pharisees] answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” John 8:33 (NKJV)

The first issue that Jesus addressed was their claim never to have been in bondage. Then he progressed to the second point, their claim to be Abraham’s offspring.

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” John 8:34–38 (NKJV)

All are guilty of sin; therefore, all are in bondage. Their refusal to acknowledge their sin was central to their larger problem of refusing to recognize Jesus’ messianic claims.

Next Jesus acknowledged their genealogical link to Abraham, but denied their deeper connection to him by saying that spiritually they have another father.

The Jewish leaders denied Jesus’ claim, emphatically asserting, “Abraham is our father.” (John 8:39) To this Jesus replied:

...“If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” John 8:39–41 (NKJV)

Here the Pharisees insinuate that Jesus is the illegitimate child of Mary while at the same time insisting that not only is Abraham their father, but so is God. This set up Jesus to deliver his final judgment in this matter.

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” John 8:42–47 (NKJV)

Despite their being genetically descended from Abraham, our Lord declared that they were not spiritual descendants of Abraham, “not of God,” and were the offspring of Satan.

Biological descent now means nothing when it comes to the kingdom of God. The only criteria for judging if one is part of the true Israel of God is whether one confesses that Jesus is Lord and is born again.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NKJV)

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. Galatians 6:15–16 (NKJV)

Paul addresses the issue of who is the true Israel in several places in his letters. It was a contentious issue in his day, as it continues to be today.

The devil resists the truth of what Christ accomplished because he wants to keep us in the dark. The truth sets people free.

God called Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles. I think it is quite impossible for us with a Gentile background to understand the shock to his system when God gave him that assignment! The Jews despised the Goyim. Paul, being an arch-Pharisee, would have embodied that sentiment; yet, our Lord Jesus immediately tasked him to take the gospel to the nations! I imagine it took Paul a little while to work out the theology of it all, which may account for his years of separation before the launching of his apostolic ministry. 

Paul knew that he would encounter violent opposition from the Jews for preaching Jesus and including the Gentiles in God’s great plan of redemption. He knew because he had been a persecutor himself. He knew their mindset, their theology, their self-righteous indignation, and their willingness to use violence. Nevertheless, he resolutely determined to obey the Lord by taking the gospel to the world at large.

When the Judaizers confused the new converts with Jewish legalism, Paul laid out his arguments to the contrary, many of which have been preserved in the New Testament.

Modern Dispensationalism is another version of Jewish legalism that continues to try to undo the finished work of Christ in bringing Jew and Gentile together in one group.

The epistles to the Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians contain some of Paul’s best work in this area. I will quote some verses from these letters below with commentary so you can see how perfectly Paul’s words agree with Jesus’. We will start in Romans.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. Romans 2:28–29 (NKJV)

These words of Paul agree with Jesus. Jesus agreed that the Pharisees were descended biologically from Abraham, but in the more important spiritual realm they were not his children. Paul contrasts that which is of the flesh (from natural birth) with that which of the Spirit (by supernatural birth). This agrees with what Jesus told Nicodemus.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:5–7 (NASB95)

Unless a biological Jew (or Gentile. It is the same for everyone.) is born again, he or she no part in God’s kingdom.

Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. Galatians 3:7–9 (NKJV)

Here Paul insists that only those who believe in Jesus and confess him as Lord are reckoned to be sons of Abraham, the true Israel of God.

This includes both natural born Jews and Gentiles. Conversely, those Jews who refuse to confess Christ are no longer considered children of Abraham.

Only those of faith are sons of Abraham.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:26–29 (NKJV)

Here he reemphasizes that both Jews and Gentiles become sons of God and part of Abraham’s seed through faith in Christ.

The word “seed” is singular, indicating that our inclusion in God’s promise to Abraham becomes ours by our being placed in Christ, the promised seed.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:14–22 (NKJV)

In this beautiful and rich passage, Paul affirms that Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ are made one, coming together in Christ to form a “new man,” the body of Christ, the church. Together we both have equal access to the Father via the Spirit. We are indwelled by God’s Spirit and have become a living temple housing God’s presence. 

The New Covenant, therefore, eliminates the distinction between Jew and Gentile, which Dispensationalism insists still exists. This shows that Dispensationalism is a distortion of the gospel and denial of this fundamental New Covenant truth. I

Most of the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ day completely rejected Christ’s messianic claims, choosing Barabbas the murderer and insurrectionist (death) instead of choosing their Messiah, who is Life. They put our Lord to death by the hands of the Romans, as Jesus prophesied they would, and continue in their rebellion to this day, except for those elect Jews who confess Christ. The Talmud says that Jesus was a blasphemer who is eternally boiling in excrement. There is no real Judeo-Christian unity. The Jewish religion is hostile to Christ and Christianity.

Through their rejection of Jesus, the Jews ceased to be Jews in any spiritual sense, according to both Jesus and Paul.

They still call themselves by that name, but are not. This brings to mind Christ’s words in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9, where he called those Jews who persecuted the church a “synagogue of Satan” who falsely claimed to be Jews. His promise to that church is that eventually those persecutors will one day admit that Jesus indeed loves his church.

Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Revelation 3:9 (NKJV)

If my words seem inflammatory, remember, I am quoting Paul and Jesus. Forcefully making my point about what defines Jewishness has become necessary because of the Dispensational heresy that insists that modern Jewish people still have a claim to the title “God’s Chosen People” and have a destiny in God separate from the church. Both of these are allegations are untrue.

There is only one “chosen people,” the elect. There is only one group of blessed people in the end, the church.

Only by repenting and confessing Christ can anyone, Jew or Gentile, be included in God’s kingdom purposes which are bound up in his church through which God will be glorified forever.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20–21 (NKJV)

Please do not regard this article as antisemitic. I do not hate Jewish people. On the contrary, it is loving to help people be delivered from a delusion that has the power to send us to hell.

It is a false hope to think that Jews by virtue of their Jewishness, whether through genetics or religion, are on good terms with God and, perhaps, have a separate plan of salvation.

There is no such thing, as the early Jewish church proclaimed.

...let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10–12 (NKJV)

Our prayer is that those who are genetically descended from Abraham and practice the Jewish faith will one day have their eyes and hearts opened to behold their Messiah King so they too can become part of God’s one new man in Christ! They will be most welcome!

Share this post...

When a Protector Becomes a Beast

beast

One of the earmarks of wild beasts is their lust to kill and maim their prey. In the Bible, governments are often portrayed as such in symbol. Take for example, Daniel’s vision of four governments that would successively rule the earth.

I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’ Daniel 7:16–18 (NKJV)

Some beasts attack only outsiders, but others are known to prey upon their own offspring.

When a government turns on its own people, it reveals that it is a satanic beast.

God established government to be a blessing by protecting and benefiting its people. One way it does this is by enforcing justice against evil doers. 

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Romans 13:3–4 (NKJV)

Those governments that fulfill God’s purpose for their existence are legitimate representatives of God. Those who violate justice by turning against their own people, especially when they are believers, have abandoned God’s divine purpose and made themselves illegitimate. Such predatory governments are beastly distortions of God’s justice and await divine judgment.

Our own government, or at least some parts of it, has become beastly. This was apparent during Covid when it enforced a ghastly “vaccine” mandate strong arming an untested and now proven to be extremely toxic injection. Our government shut down conversation that could have brought into play very good medications that were at that time available. Why did it do this?

Currently, our military is routinely spraying barium, strontium, and aluminum into our skies at an astronomical level, gradually poisoning the air, soul, water, crops, and animal life, including humans. One must ask why? What beastly agenda is driving our own government and other governments around the world to do such a thing? It has to be a satanic hatred for God’s creation. 

Our Lord Jesus is the legitimate ruler over all heaven and earth.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Matthew 28:18 (NKJV)

That is why he is called “lord” and why the way to salvation is to confess him as such.

Right now he sits on his father’s throne in heaven awaiting the day of his second coming at which time the kingdoms of this world will be turned over to him.

“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:34–36 (NKJV)

There is a worldwide conspiracy to try to overthrow Jesus’ rule, but it will fail abominably.

Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” 7 “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” Psalm 2:1–9 (NKJV)

Our Lord Jesus will rule with a rod of iron over those nations and people who are rebellious against his rule.The Jewish leaders who were alive during Christ’s ministry formally renounced allegiance to our Lord, but anyone and any nation, whether Jewish or Gentile, who refuses his rule is in the same predicament.

But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ Luke 19:14 (NKJV)

Those who refuse his rule may have their day of power for a season, but ultimately God’s judgment will put an end to every trace of rebellion on the earth.

But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ” Luke 19:27 (NKJV)

For those who submit their lives to him, he is known as the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. John 10:11 (NKJV)

He is also known as our Keeper, the one who never sleeps and watches over us every moment.

The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore. Psalm 121:5–8 (NKJV)

As we draw closer to the end of this world as we have known it, at which time God will destroy it and replace it with a new heaven and earth, it is vital that we know Jesus as the Good Shepherd and Keeper. Our nation may indeed become ever more beastly as it pursues whatever ungodly agenda its leaders impose, but we belong to another kingdom, one that will never end, whose King is always faithful to his sheep.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, it is becoming increasingly evident that our own government does not have my best interests in mind. I turn to you to be my protector and Shepherd. I trust you whatever may come and ask you to help me always to be loyal to you. Amen.

Share this post...

Who Said that We Live on a Globe?

flat earth

Would we think we live on a globe if people we trust had not told us so? Have we been duped by a master deceiver into rejecting God’s clear testimony in favor of a satanic lie?

One of the most tragic questions in the Bible is the one God asked Adam after his disobedience.

Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Genesis 3:9–11 (NASB95)

Adam never would have known of his nakedness unless sin had destroyed his glorious relationship with God and made him aware of his guilt. The fact that Adam hid from God and saw himself as being naked and ashamed was proof of his sin and Satan’s work.

I wonder if God asks us a similar question when most of his own people say confidently that we live on a spinning globe hurtling through “outer space” at incredible speeds? Who told you that?

We are said to spin on our imaginary axis at 1040 mph at the equator, which translates to about 840 mph at the latitude where I live in NC. The atmosphere, we are told, spins in sync with the earth, meaning that the air above us rotates at various speeds, depending on what part of the earth it covers, anywhere from 1040 mph at the equator to zero mph at the north pole. In addition, the higher one goes, the faster the winds must travel, since their distance from the earth surface increases. Despite this interesting and unprovable claim, we experience  winds moving in all sorts of directions.globe

We are also told that we are revolving around the sun at about 67,000 mph? We are also moving with our solar system through our galaxy at a speed of about 500,000 mph, and our galaxy is whipping through the universe at anywhere between one to two million mph. And yet we feel nothing of the sort!

Where would we get such a notion? Certainly not from anything God ever told us. Maybe it came from someone who thought he was smarter than the Bible?

God said to be still and know that he is God? (Psalm 46:10) That would have zero meaning in a Copernican universe. But that is largely the reason Satan lied to us about where we live. He loves to contradict God’s Word and watch us believe him instead of our Creator.

You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever, Psalm 104:5 (NKJV)

We humans generally perceive ourselves as being very intelligent beings, but we are no match for God, or even Satan for that matter. That is why we so desperately need to rely on the Bible and the Holy Spirit. Without the “map” of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit for our guide, we are lost in a sea of surmise, conjecture, and deception.

This is why it is so tragic when we who call ourselves Christians choose to believe godless astrophysicists who take us down a road that leads away from Bible truth.

When I first came to the realization that the earth is not a globe after all and that the Bible is actually right in its description of where we live, I repented for not believing the Bible in this matter!globe

We would never arrive at the conclusion that we live on a revolving, rotating, wobbling spheroid without outside input from an exceedingly cunning liar. We have never perceived any such motion. It goes against all common sense that the earth’s surface is moving at around 840 mph at the latitude where I live. When we observe the stars keeping their same positions over the centuries, how could we possibly be hurtling through “space” in multiple directions at unbelievable speeds?

The  patterned “retrograde” polaris-centric orbits of the “planets,” which Copernicus rejected in favor of more circular / elliptical heliocentric orbits, are

patterns that match what is created by an electromagnetic toroidal force field.

When one starts with false presuppositions, one is bound to arrive at false conclusions.

If we had accepted the biblical account of the earth, we could have spent the last several centuries doing real science to discover the true nature of the giant electromagnetic world in which we live, as Nicolai Tesla suggested.

Nothing about the globe earth model agrees with what our God-given senses tell us; yet, we lay that testimony aside to accept a theory of the cosmos that contradicts God’s written Word. How sad!

How mad! How tragic! How rebellious!

(If you want more information on the men who came up with these godless theories, I suggest you watch the Heliosorcery documentary.

Oh, that God would open our eyes and hearts to once again choose to be people of the Book who believe God instead of men!

Click here to go to series home page.
Share this post...

Part 6 – Summary

deception

This article provides a brief summary of the preceding five articles in the series.

Principle #1: God does not relate to his people via “dispensations” but according to covenants, something that was clearly understood by the early reformers.

A decent book on this subject is The Christ of the Covenants by O. Palmer Robertson. Since the beginning, God has related to his creatures via covenants from the one made in the Garden of Eden to the New Covenant inaugurated by our Lord Jesus. Each successive covenant built upon the previous ones, and all pointed to Christ, except for the Mosaic Covenant of Law, which was its own entity that would fade away after the coming of the Messiah. The New Covenant fulfills and expands all previous covenants, except for the Mosaic Covenant, which it fulfilled and abolished. This is no small matter because it influences how we view the entirety of Bible history.

Principle #2: Israel in the New Covenant is defined as all those who put their faith in Christ from every people group, including both Jews and Gentiles.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. Romans 9:6–8 (NASB95)

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:29 (NASB95)

Principle #3: The “one new man” in Christ is the focal point of God’s plan going forward.

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, Ephesians 2:14–15 (NASB95)

Principle #4: The New Covenant leaves nothing undone or unfulfilled in the previous ones.

The Bible teaches that the New Covenant is a complete change from what preceded it, especially the covenant of Law under Moses. This is because the Mosaic covenant depended on our faithfulness to keep the Law for us to obtain God’s blessings. The Bible teaches that no one is able to do that; so, the Mosaic covenant brings judgment upon us instead of blessings. The New Covenant depends upon the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus, who kept the Law’s stipulations on our behalf, rather than on our own performance. It is radically different.

For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. 10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. Hebrews 8:8–10 (NASB95)
If you wish to read more about the New Covenant, click here.

The New Covenant is focused on Christ, not the nation of Israel. What preceded the New Covenant can be thought of as providing us with promises and shadows or types of what was to come in Christ, but not the full revelation.

The true meaning of the previous covenants cannot be understood outside of Christ.

All the covenants before the New pointed to what Christ would accomplish through his death and resurrection. If our teaching or theology of the end times does not feature the centrality of Christ, it is false. (Ephesians 1:10) This means that whatever happens in the end times will glorify our Lord and what he accomplished on behalf of God’s elect.

Just as nothing can pass from this mortal life into immortality unless it is first transformed, all the previous covenants were transformed in Christ and find their eternal significance in him.

Everything in the Old Testament pointed to Christ (Luke 24:27), who fulfilled the types and shadows of the previous covenants.

This means that Old Testament scriptures are interpreted, explained, or expanded by New Covenant revelation.

It can never be the other way around. We do not interpret the New Testament by imposing the Old Covenant scriptures upon it. That would be going backward and away from the centrality of Christ.

Principle #5: What God revealed in Christ and is doing in the end times will fulfill what is revealed in the New Covenant.

The types and shadows of the Old can add texture and depth of meaning for us but never restrict us to an Old Covenant understanding.

Examples of the Old Covenant Being Fulfilled or Expanded in the New

Descendants

God promised Abraham that he would have descendants and land. These descendants would become the Israelite nation, but even in Genesis, God told Abraham that he would be the father of nations, a clear hint that, through Christ, God would include people from every nation on the earth.

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” Romans 4:18 (NASB95)

The Jews in Jesus’ band of disciples also had a narrow view of what he came to do, thinking that it mainly pertained to their own nation. What followed Christ’s resurrection, however, revealed that the gospel would go to the nations.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19–20 (NASB95)

This was always God’s plan, period, not plan B, as the Dispensationalists claim. Isaiah revealed a conversation between Father and Son at some time immemorial.

He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6 (NASB95)

Land

The promise of land given to Abraham was understood in the Old Testament to include Canaan, extending to the borders conquered during the reigns of David and Solomon. The New Testament, however, reveals that God  expanded that promise of land to include the entire recreated earth.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 (NASB95)

Some argue that Matthew used the Greek word “ge” for earth, which can also be translated “land,” meaning the promised land of Israel. Interestingly, however, Jesus quoted Psalm 37:11, which uses the Hebrew world “eretz,” which is the same word used in Genesis 1:1, where the clear meaning is the entire earth. In addition, Paul adds that Abraham’s descendants would inherit the cosmos, a word that cannot be limited to Canaan.

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world [kosmos] was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. Romans 4:13 (NASB95)

Kingship

The messianic promise God made to David that one of his descendants would reign upon the throne of Israel forever has been expanded in the New Covenant.

When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:12–13 (NASB95)

Christ now sits at the right hand of God and will return in the clouds in glory at the right hand of power to judge the living and the dead.

But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:31–34 (NASB95)
Examples of the Abolition of Old Covenant Types and Shadows after Christ

Dietary Laws

Old Covenant dietary laws were abolished with the advent of the New Covenant. Jesus taught this, and the Holy Spirit later revealed this to Peter in Acts 11. Jesus makes us “clean” through the offering of his blood. We no longer need to be concerned with maintaining ceremonial purity.

And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. Mark 7:18–20 (NASB95)

Peter, who had been trained all his life to maintain ritual purity by avoiding “unclean” foods, had great difficulty accepting this new freedom provided by our Lord. A word to the wise: we are easily brainwashed into believing lies; so, it is difficult for us to overcome what we have previously believed, even when we are exposed to the truth.

Animal Sacrifices

Old Covenant animal sacrifices were also done away with after Christ offered himself as the Lamb of God for our sins. His perfect sacrifice eradicated the need for animals to be offered.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; Hebrews 10:3–5 (NASB95)

Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Hebrews 10:18 (NASB95)

The Temple

Some forty years after the crucifixion and resurrection, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army, just as Jesus and Daniel had predicted. Animal sacrifice ceased because the Jews no longer had a place to perform them. My personal conviction is that it would be a horrible abomination against Christ to re-institute such sacrifices. They have been abolished by God.

The Old Covenant temple was God’s habitation of sorts, although he cannot truly be contained, but now the Holy Spirit inhabits each individual believer and the church as a whole, which is the new temple of God.

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5 (NASB95)

God destroyed the old temple because he is no longer concerned with bricks and mortar. The New Covenant temple is made of people. If the temple were rebuilt, as some believe will happen, and if animal sacrifices are re-instituted, it will not honor God the Father or the risen Lamb of God. Their time of significance has passed.

The Role of Israel in the End Times

In the Old Testament, Israel served in a couple of notable ways. First, Paul wrote that God used them to receive and safeguard the scriptures. Secondly, he used them to bring the Messiah into the world. They fulfilled both tasks. However, they had a less glorious role, too. They betrayed the Messiah and had him executed. As a whole, the Jewish people still reject their Messiah.

Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to another – the church.

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. Matthew 21:43 (NASB95)

Stephen indicted those in his hearing with the stinging judgment that they always resist the Holy Spirit.

You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Acts 7:51 (NASB95)

His martyrdom effectively ended the gospel being prioritized to the Jews. From then forward it went primarily to the nations, although a remnant of Jews have come to Christ over the centuries. Nothing has changed since then. The Jews by and large still reject their Messiah and resist the Holy Spirit, as do most other people in the world.

It seems to me that Jesus taught that the Jews lost their chance to accept their Messiah as a nation. He gave no indication that they would get another one, although God in his mercy may yet do something amazing with them.

Principle #6: Just as the Law faded away after Christ’s coming, and John the Baptist decreased in significance after introducing the Messiah, I believe Israel’s role diminished greatly, even faded away, after the crucifixion, and certainly after the stoning of Stephen and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

To expect God to raise up the Jewish nation to worldwide prominence in the end times is the same error the early apostles made. That was not Christ’s mission. He came to redeem the elect out of the entire earth and release creation from the bondage of sin.

Dispensationalism has influenced Christians all over the world to give uncritical allegiance to the state of Israel, which is, for the most part, completely ungodly.

It is likely that we will discover that it, like the United States, has committed many atrocities. That nation’s Moussad has likely worked against our nation. Will God yet save a significant portion of Jewish people in the land of Israel at the very end? He may. He is full of surprises and loves to show mercy. I hope that happens, but to make such a happening a central part of our eschatology is probably a mistake. I believe the Lord wants us to keep our focus on Christ and expect him to do exploits through his worldwide church in the last days. Come, Lord Jesus!

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20–21 (NASB95)
Share this post...

Part 5 – A New Covenant Understanding of the Holy Land

godly man

I hope to demonstrate in this article that the New Covenant forever changed how we should view the Jews and the land occupied by Israel.

There is nothing quite so humiliating and infuriating as being deceived by a con man. The devil is a master liar who has been deceiving mankind for a long time. He is so good at what he does that he has even been able to persuade many Bible believers into accepting and promoting anti-biblical principles and teachings. This article will attempt to show that such has been the case when it comes to claiming that the modern nation of Israel is located on what should still be identified as the “Holy Land” and to believing that the Jews still retain the status as “God’s chosen people.”

It is important for us first to make a couple of important distinctions.

There is a huge difference between Old Testament Judaism and modern

Talmudic Judaism, which derives largely from ancient Babylon.

In addition, there is firm distinction between modern Judaism and what is called Zionism. 

Talmudic Judaism is quite different from what the Jews practiced during the time of Moses for example. Suffice it to say at this point that the Talmud contains occult and anti-biblical teachings.

The god of the Talmud is not God the Father of Christians. Jesus said that we cannot deny the Son and still claim the Father.

Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2:23 (NASB95)

Any person, group, or religious doctrine that denies that Jesus is the Messiah is by definition antichrist. Any nation that persecutes Christians is being motivated by the antichrist spirit.

I will leave it to you to do your own research into Talmudic Judaism. Here is a link to some questions I posed to Perplexity AI about the matter.

The political movement called Zionism began in 1897 when when Theodor Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland. Continuing persecution of the Jews in Europe led to the idea of creating a Jewish homeland where they could dwell in relative peace. Perplexity AI put together the following summary.

Theodor Herzl had a profound influence on later Zionist leaders by laying the ideological and organizational foundation for the Zionist movement. He transformed Zionism from a scattered set of ideas and local initiatives into a political movement with a clear goal: establishing a Jewish state. Herzl’s vision and actions provided a unifying framework and a diplomatic strategy that later leaders would build upon.

Key Influences on Later Leaders

    • Herzl’s publication of Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State) laid out the political rationale and vision of a Jewish homeland, inspiring subsequent Zionist leaders to pursue statehood as a realistic goal rather than a mere aspiration. 

    • By convening the First Zionist Congress in 1897, Herzl created the World Zionist Organization, establishing a structured political entity that later leaders used to mobilize Jewish communities worldwide and coordinate efforts toward state-building.

    • Herzl’s diplomatic initiatives, though not immediately successful, set a precedent for Zionist leaders to engage with global powers to gain political and territorial support for Jewish statehood.

    • His emphasis on the necessity of Jewish immigration and settlement in Palestine became a central strategy for later Zionist pioneers and leaders.

    • Herzl’s inclusive vision of a democratic and pluralistic Jewish state shaped the political culture and aspirations of the Zionist movement, influencing leaders such as Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion.

    • He instilled a sense of Jewish national identity and collective responsibility that helped overcome divisions within the Jewish diaspora, uniting different factions under the goal of statehood.

Herzl is often referred to as the “spiritual father of the Jewish State” because his vision and leadership inspired the political, diplomatic, and practical efforts of subsequent generations, ultimately culminating in the founding of Israel in 1948. His ability to combine political activism, visionary writing, and diplomacy provided a blueprint for Zionist leadership that endured long after his death in 1904.

Initially Western nations, such as the USA, were lukewarm toward the proposal. “Coincidentally” Cyrus Scofield, a proven fraud who abandoned his first wife and children and later claimed to have a PhD, but did not, developed and published what is called the Scofield Reference Bible about this time.

In it he proposed and taught an entirely new way of interpreting end-time scriptures. He and John Darby taught that God worked with mankind on the basis of “dispensations” rather than covenants. He also taught that the nation of Israel is still the focus of God’s kingdom activity on the earth, the church being a sort of “plan B”. I have written several articles about this serious error, which can be accessed through the following link.

By syncretistically blending the Old Covenant with the New, Scofield created a false gospel (Galatians 1:7) that has convinced multitudes of well-meaning Christians to unconditionally support national Israel.

The thinking is that for Jesus to return, Israel must once again possess the land promised to Abraham. The current residents are compared to the ancient Canaanites and must be driven out and even at times annihilated, even though many of those residents have been there for centuries and are believers in Christ.

We have been taught that any refusal to support Israel will bring God’s curse upon us. God did promise Abraham that those who blessed him would be blessed (Genesis 12:3), and those who cursed him would be cursed. This blessing must have been passed from Abraham to Isaac because we see Isaac pronouncing the same blessing upon Jacob in Genesis 27:29. These men experienced God’s blessing and protection under the covenant God established with Abraham, through which all the nations of the earth would be blessed. (Genesis 12:3) We know now that this promise was fulfilled perfectly by the coming of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who died for our sins and rose again as the glorious Lord of lords. 

This same Jesus delivered us from the curse of the Law and procured for us the blessing God promised to Abraham.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13–14 (NASB95)

Consequently, the idea that our relationship to national Israel determines whether we are blessed or cursed is an unfounded and harmful idea which denies what Christ accomplished on our behalf.

Everything in the Old Covenant pointed toward Christ. Once our Lord fulfilled the Old Covenant promises, patterns, and symbols, they were no longer of any use and have been set aside or rendered obsolete..

When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. Hebrews 8:13 (NASB95)

When we retain Old Covenant symbols and practices and incorporate them into New Covenant practice, we are guilty of syncretism and falsifying the gospel.

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 “But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. Luke 5:37–38 (NASB95)

Paul warned against such syncretism which he discovered existed in the church located in Galatia.

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. Galatians 4:9–11 (NASB95)

The New Covenant has nothing whatsoever to do with maintaining elements of the Old Covenant.

Today if we become enamored with facets of Old Covenant Judaism and begin to celebrate and observe feast days, sabbaths, and dietary laws as a means of attaining to a deeper spirituality,  it means we have fallen from relying upon grace, replacing faith with obsolete religious observances.

And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:3–4 (NASB95)

Likewise, just as Christ fulfilled the Law, Israel’s purpose was fulfilled when Christ arrived on the earth.

God used that nation to preserve his promises and the scriptures and to provide a human pedigree for the Messiah.

who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. Romans 9:4–5 (NASB95)

Once the Messiah appeared, Israel’s role, as was John the Baptist’s, was to give the preeminence to Jesus and recede from view. (John 3:30)

God removed John through his execution at Herod’s hands. The nation of Israel proved to be very recalcitrant, however. Israel’s leaders resisted, rejected, and finally murdered their long awaited Messiah and afterward persecuted the fledgling church.

Knowing this would happen, Jesus prophesied the action God the Father would take in coming days.

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. Matthew 21:43–45 (NASB95)

The Lord was extremely patient with the Israelites leading up to this final rebellion against Christ’s rule because his plan was to use this disobedient people to provide his Messiah King to save the world and reestablish his authority upon the earth.

After their final act of defiance against God, his patience ended, Israel’s purpose having been fulfilled.

Israel’s arrogant rejection and murder of their Messiah, followed by the martyrdom of Stephen, brought to a climax that nation’s long history of rebelliousness and idolatry, which extended all the way back to Mt. Sinai. The murder of Stephen was a prophetic marker provided by Daniel, which signified that Israel’s place in salvation history had come to a close. The final working out of that judgment was fulfilled years later when the Roman army sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the glorious old covenant temple in 70 AD, ending the sacrificial system.

Once the Lamb of God shed his blood, animal sacrifices became an abomination.

Now God’s true worshipers, those who come to God through faith in Jesus, worship in Spirit and truth in God’s temple, the body of Christ, the church. (John 4:24)

When the old covenant ended, everything connected to it became obsolete and faded away.

  • The Jews who were previously called “God’s chosen people” were a type of that which was to be revealed. God’s “elect” from every tribe and kindred from all over the earth are now understood to be God’s chosen people. The old covenant Israelites who trusted God by faith are included in this group. There is only one “chosen people,” those God foreknew and drew to Christ from before the foundation of the world, the church, the “one new man”, the body of Christ. (Ephesians 1:4) Some denigrate this truth by labeling it “replacement theology.” It is New Testament theology, a fulfillment of what was prefigured in the Old Testament. 
  • The new birth is the defining “marker” by which a person gains entrance into God’s kingdom. Physical lineage and outward circumcision were replaced by the inner work of the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 6:15-16)
  • The significance of Jewish religion, including the sacrificial system, adherence to the Law of Moses, the keeping of feasts and the Sabbath, the dietary laws, and other traditions came to a close. (Hebrews 8:13) These things still have cultural significance to modern Jewish people, but we now can only come to God through Jesus. (John 14:6) We now worship God in Spirit and truth (John 4:23-24), not using old covenant traditions. If Gentile Christians adopt Jewish traditions in a vain attempt to pursue a deeper way of relating to God, it reveals a dreadful lack of understanding of the New Covenant and opens the door to more errors.
  • In addition, the old covenant “Holy Land”, as it is often called, has been superseded by a much larger and more inclusive “promised land” that swallows up that small area of land in the Near East. 

Holy means set apart. God set apart Canaan as a land of promise to Abraham and his descendants. That promise was fulfilled during the days of Joshua and the reigns of Kings David and Solomon. It was the land upon which Jesus’ feet trod and where he was crucified, and God may yet accomplish some significant things there, but it is not set apart to God’s people (the Israel of God) any longer.

The land promised to Abraham has been replaced in the New Covenant by God’s promise of new earth. (Revelation 21:1, 2 Peter 3:13)

Jesus told us that those who follow him will inherit the entire earth (Matthew 5:5). Paul corroborated this interpretation of the Greek word “ge” as pertaining to the whole world and not just the land promised to Abraham. 

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world [cosmos] was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. Romans 4:13 (NASB95)

God will be glorified in Christ and his church through all eternity, not in the nation of Israel. We will occupy a new heaven and earth, not the Old Covenant Canaan land.

Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:21 (NLT) 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:1–2 (NASB95)

Only those descendants of Abraham who acknowledge that Christ is Lord will be included in what is called the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:16)

When all the elect Jews and Gentiles are finally born again and become part of the church, the “one new man” in Christ, the end will come and “all Israel” (the true Israel of God) will have been saved. (Romans 11:26)

If that includes a large number of biologically Jewish people coming to Christ at the very end, I am all for it. Nevertheless, God told us that only a remnant will be saved. (Romans 9:29) Today the true born-again Israel of God is being assembled from every nation under heaven.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:9–10 (NASB95) 
Share this post...

The Modern Nation of Israel Cannot Inherit God’s Kingdom

deception

I believe that a great deception has been embraced by much of the evangelical church concerning the modern nation of Israel as a result of believing the false doctrine of Dispensationalism. Many now believe that the citizens of that nation, who call themselves Jews, are the biblical chosen people of God through whom Jesus will restore God’s kingdom and rule over the entire earth. This Israel-focused eschatology holds that the nation of Israel is still central to God’s purposes and will inherit the promises made to Abraham. I will attempt to show that none of this is true. Rather it is based on a misinterpretation of Scripture and the New Covenant in particular that originated in the faulty theology of John Darby and Cyrus Scofield.

Old Covenant Israel foreshadowed the church, which is God’s New Covenant people and is composed of both Jew and Gentile.

Only the church, whose members are born again by the Spirit of God, can inherit immortality.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:5 (NASB95)

Biological descendants of Abraham who have not experienced the new birth through putting their faith and allegiance in Jesus the Messiah and Lord cannot inherit anything eternal.

Being a physical descendant of Abraham carries no weight whatsoever in the new order of things.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:28–29 (NASB95)

Old Covenant Israel served two very important purposes. It provided the blood line for the Messiah and preserved the promises of God recorded in the Scriptures. (Romans 1:3 and Romans 3:2) Sadly, the Jews as a nation refused to recognize or honor their Messiah, our Lord Jesus, when he came the first time.

But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ Luke 19:14 (NASB95)

They condemned him and put him to death, which was all part of God’s plan to rescue and redeem those people from every nation whom he foreknew and chose to be his before the foundation of the world by including them in Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, Ephesians 1:3–5 (NASB95) 

This elect group of people are known by several names: the Body of Christ, the church, “one new man,” and the Israel of God.

For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. Galatians 6:15–16 (NASB95)

Every single person included in the elect are “in Christ” and are part of God’s new creation in the Spirit. Through the miracle of the new birth, we are joined to Christ in the Spirit, from whom we derive our life and blessings.

Anyone outside of Christ cannot be blessed because all blessings reside in him. Since the nation of Israel rejected and still rejects our Lord Jesus, they cannot participate in  the life and blessings that could be theirs.

Only a remnant of Abraham’s biological descendants has chosen to put their faith and allegiance in the Messiah. The rest are lost and outside the purposes and promises of God.

In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. 7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; Romans 11:5–7 (NASB95)

Jesus warned Israel’s leaders that their rejection of him would result in their being rejected by God. 

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you [the Jews] and given to a people, producing the fruit of it [the Gentiles]. Matthew 21:43 (NASB95)

This revocation was permanent. There place in the old order of things was about to be superseded by the New Covenant, which operates on a radically different basis. No longer would the promises come to those biologically descended from Abraham. Now they are given to those born again into God’s kingdom.

Jesus is the Second Adam through whom an entirely different race of humans derives. Everything connected to Adam will perish, including all those non-born-again Jews and Gentiles. 

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1 Corinthians 15:50 (NASB95)

Our Lord used parables about the fig tree to illustrate that judgment would come upon Israel for turning its back on God’s Messiah.

Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. Matthew 21:19 (NASB95)

The meaning of this parable was affirmed by another found in Luke 13:6-9, in which Jesus said that if the fig tree did not produce fruit in an allotted amount of time, it would be cut down. The fig tree was an Old Covenant symbol for judgment regarding Israel. (Hosea 9:10 and Jeremiah 8:13) 

The nation of Israel has not had a change of heart since Jesus uttered that judgment.

In Revelation, Jesus calls the Jews a synagogue of Satan. (Revelation 2:9 and Revelation 3:9) This very harsh term is obviously not anti-Semitic, since Jesus was and is a biological Jew through his mother. It is not antisemitism to discern that the biological descendants of Abraham rejected their Messiah, which automatically allied them with Satan, and cease to have any special place or favor with God, except that in his mercy he is still calling a remnant to himself.

Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. Romans 9:27 (NKJV)

Biological Jews today are no different than any other people group in that we all need mercy and grace. No one deserves to be saved. We all enter God’s kingdom the same way, through the new birth, as Jesus told Nicodemus.

There is no difference between any of us, Jew or Gentile, at the foot of the cross.

Israel’s rejection of the Lord and the gospel is why God transferred the kingdom to a new nation, those who are purchased by the blood of the Lamb.

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Peter 2:9–10 (NASB95)

Israel still is at the heart of God’s purposes, but the definition has changed in the New Covenant.

Now Israel is composed of born-again Jews and Gentiles who are part of the new creation. The New Covenant version of Israel transcends the Old Covenant nation which was mostly composed of biological descendants of Abraham.

The New Covenant reveals God’s plan to save the entire world, not just a small group of people biologically descended from Abraham.  New Covenant Israel will inherit the entire earth (John 3:16), not just a sliver of land in Palestine (Romans 4:13).

In both of the above verses, “world” is the English translation of the Greek word “cosmos,” which has a much broader meaning than a small area of land. This expanded purpose for Christ’s ministry and rule was prophesied by Isaiah.

He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6 (NASB95)

Moses could not lead God’s people into the land of promise because he represents the law. Joshua, who represents the New Covenant Jesus, accomplished that task to give us an Old Covenant shadow of what was to come. 

Old Covenant Israel cannot inherit the earth. That is reserved for God’s born-again church, the New Covenant Israel. 

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1 Corinthians 15:50 (NASB95)

The natural descendants of Abraham cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Only those born of the Spirit will be included in God’s rule.

That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. Romans 9:8 (NASB95)

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:28–29 (NASB95)

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:14–18 (NASB95)

National Israel was only a shadow of the reality to come, which is the church. The shadow recedes and disappears after the fulfillment arrives. (Colossians 2:17 and Hebrews 10:1) Unless we have a proper understanding of Old Covenant national Israel’s place in the divine plan, we cannot fully understand the New Covenant.

All legalism is an attempt to keep elements from the Old Covenant to water down the tremendous truths of the New Covenant.

Paul made it clear, however, that if we do this we step away from New Covenant grace. 

And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:3–4 (NASB95)

If we try to stamp national Israel’s Old Covenant purpose upon the New Covenant, we will disfigure the New Covenant message which is that God now has enlarged his promises to include those from every nation and people group, who will inherit the earth, not just a sliver of land in the Near East. Christ will be glorified in the church for all eternity, not in the nation state of Israel. 

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20–21 (NASB95)

Only a remnant of Jews will be saved, and the same is true for the Gentiles. Let’s continue to ask God to draw into his kingdom those he has chosen from every people group. When this has taken place, “all Israel,” the New Covenant Israel, will be saved. 

Share this post...

Part 4: Who Is the True Israel?

deception

A most significant biblical and geopolitical question today is who is the true Israel? Another way to ask pose this question is to ask if the modern nation of Israel corresponds to the Israel of the Bible. More importantly, is modern day or ancient Israel the Israel of the New Covenant?

These questions divide the Body of Christ and reveal whether we understand the New Covenant.

Dispensationalism blends Old Covenant theology regarding Israel with New Covenant truth, thus distorting gospel truth. It provides religious support for the political movement of Zionism, thus using Christianity to support modern Israel’s geopolitical ambitions. It teaches that any refusal to support national Israel will bring God’s disfavor and perhaps even a curse.

Some Christian Zionists even say that how we regard and treat Israel is a litmus test regarding whether we are true Christians, thus elevating that nation to a status almost equal to the Lord.

Dispensationalists wrongly interpret Genesis 12:3, a promise made to Abraham, and apply to the modern geopolitical entity of Israel.

I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3 (NKJV)

As New Covenant Christians, we understand that this verse was made to Abraham, not to modern Israel. In particular, Paul taught that Jesus was the “seed” promised to Abraham through whom the nations would be blessed. 

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. Galatians 3:16 (NKJV) 

Jesus is the true Israelite who inherited all the blessings. To honor and confess him as the Lord is to participate in that blessing. To refuse to so honor him is bring judgment upon ourselves.

The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day rejected him as the Messiah and put him to death as a blasphemer. Jesus spoke God’s judgment over the nation.

Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11 “I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:10–12 (NASB95)

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. Matthew 21:43 (NASB95)

But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.” Luke 19:27 (NASB95)

If Dispensationalism and Zionism is correct, Jesus is cursed for cursing (judging) Israel. 

Even though Jesus judgment largely was fulfilled in 70 AD, as a whole, the Jews never repented for rejecting their Lord. Today Israel’s religious leaders still curse Jesus in the Talmud saying he is boiling in excrement as a judgment for his blasphemy. Therefore, God’s judgment still rests upon all Jews (and Gentiles) who refuse to confess that Jesus is Lord.

Until the Jews repent, they remain under the curse of the law for putting to death their Messiah.

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36 (NKJV)

Those who hold to a new covenant understanding of Israel, as taught by Paul, realize that it is composed of all who put their faith and allegiance in the Messiah, our Lord Jesus.

Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. Galatians 3:7–9 (NASB95)

This new Israel, called the Body of Christ, “one new man,” and the church, is composed of both Jew and Gentile.

Paul called the Israel of God “one new man,” because our being in Christ is the key to everything.

Jesus abolished the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile by fulfilling and setting aside that which divided us.

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. Ephesians 2:14–16 (NASB95)

People who hold this position do not regard Israel as having any special status any longer. That was an old covenant concept. Now, like everyone else, Jews’ eternal destiny will be decided by whether they confess Jesus is Lord. 

Dispensationalists like to point to the following verses to contend for their belief that God is going to eventually save the people of Israel.

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved...” Romans 11:25–26a (NASB95)

From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:28–29 (NASB95)

“All Israel” in Romans 11:26 is thought by some dispensationalists to mean all those of Jewish descent who are alive at that time, at least those present within the environs of Jerusalem, when Christ appears for the second time. It is indeed possible that Christ will appear to descendants of Abraham in a special way at the very end, as seems to be indicated by Zechariah.

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. Zechariah 12:10 (NASB95)

However, Paul made it clear earlier in his letter to the church in Rome that only a remnant of those descended from Abraham will be saved, those foreknown by him, the elect from among the Jews.

And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed [remnant], We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.” Romans 9:29 (NKJV)

I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew... Romans 11:1–2a (NASB95)

Nowhere does Paul indicate that the entire nation will be saved, except potentially in Romans 11:26. However, we cannot interpret that verse in such a way that would undo what he stated previously, that only an elect remnant will be saved. The Holy Spirit does not contradict himself. In addition, we cannot redefine Israel in a different way than Paul already did. The Israel of God now consists of both Jew and Gentile who have reborn of the Spirit. (Romans 2:29, Romans 9:6, Galatians 3:29, and Philippians 3:3)

It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. Romans 11:5 (NLT)

God’s plan is to save a remnant from Israel, as he is doing from all mankind.

He could have rejected them all after their leaders killed the Messiah, but God had mercy on the elect for the sake of the fathers. This agrees with the larger idea that Christ redeemed those whom the Father chose from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) to be a part of his Body, the church, which is composed of both Jews and Gentiles.

God’s focus in the end times is on Christ and his bride, the church, which is composed of people drawn from every people group on the earth.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:9–10 (NASB95)

This new creation people, the new Israel of God, is much grander than the Old Covenant nation of Israel.

God has enlarged the narrow Old Testament concept of the kingdom of God under monarchs such as David and Solomon. The focus now is King Jesus, the Lord of all, who will reign from the heavenly Jerusalem over a recreated earth, with the Bride, the church, at his side.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7

Our destiny as the bride of Christ, composed of Jews and Gentiles, is to co-rule with him. (Revelation 21:2)

If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 2 Timothy 2:12 (NASB95)

The mystery is that God will reveal his splendid wisdom through the church, not through the geopolitical entity of national Israel.

By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 3:4–11 (NASB95)
Share this post...

Part 2: The Christ of the Covenants

deception 
I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. Isaiah 42:6–7 (NKJV)

Covenant theology holds that throughout history God has related to mankind via covenants, which are solemn promises, beginning in the Garden of Eden after Adam’s sin. There God promised to a non-Israelite to send a Messiah who would crush Satan.

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NASB95)

Obviously, one could not in any way fathom at this point that this promise might be restrictive or narrow in scope. From that time forward, the Bible looks forward to that promise coming true, which it turns out came via a person called Jesus of Nazareth.

Everything in the Bible points to Jesus. If we are to understand the New Covenant, we must grasp this key point.

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. John 5:39–40 (NASB95)

The second major covenant that pointed to Christ was given to Abraham. God promised Abraham that one of his descendants would be a blessing to the entire earth.

“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:18 (NASB95)

This promise, like the one God gave in the garden, was worldwide in scope.

Although the Jews later had great difficulty accepting this, Paul said that the New Covenant unwrapped a great mystery that God’s plan through Abraham’s descendant, Jesus, would produce a blessing that would go far beyond Israel to include the nations. 

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, Ephesians 3:1–6 (NASB95)

The great covenant was made between God and King David. The Lord promised that one of David’s descendants would rule God’s kingdom forever.

When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:12–13 (NASB95)

We now see through the lens of hindsight that Jesus perfectly fulfilled these promises, as the first apostles taught.

“And so, because he [David] was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. 32 “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, 35 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.” ’ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:30–36 (NASB95)

Once again, this promise was not limited to Israel, for Jesus would establish his own kingdom, one that will never end over all the heavens and earth.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20 (NASB95)

Jesus, the eternal Logos become flesh, in the beginning created the heavens and earth, the seen and unseen realms (John 1:3). Eventually, as promised, he came in the flesh as a baby born through a miraculous conception (John 1:14). He came to earth to redeem mankind by paying the debt incurred by our sin. He imparted his right standing with God to us, reconciled us to his Father, set us free from all that enslaves us, and sent his Holy Spirit to indwell all who put their faith and allegiance in him. He took back the authority Adam gave to Satan, restoring God’s rule on the earth. Eventually he will come a second time in glory to raise the dead, judge all who ever lived, and rule over a new heaven and earth.

Paul wrote that God’s purpose was to sum up all things in Christ.

...with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth... Ephesians 1:10 (NASB95)

This means the glorification of the Son of God is the goal of everything God the Father has done, is doing, and will do.

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. Colossians 1:18 (NASB95)

In the New Covenant Christ fulfilled all the previous covenants.

The Edenic, Abrahamic, and Davidic covenants were fulfilled beyond expectation. I will cover that in more detail later. The Mosaic law covenant was also fulfilled and subsequently abolished because it no longer served any purpose for those who belong to Christ.

For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. Romans 10:4 (NLT)

Our Lord released us from its death dealing tyranny of condemnation and judgment. By doing this, Jesus united Jew and Gentile. There no longer exists any wall or barrier between us.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:13–18 (NASB95)

Much to the surprise of the early Jewish Christians, the New Covenant equally includes both Jews and Gentiles. The Body of Christ, which Paul calls “one new man,” is made up of all people who confess allegiance to Jesus the Lord. There is no distinction any longer between Jew and Gentile, male and female, free and slave, rich and poor, young and old, etc. We are all one in Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:28–29 (NASB95)

The above passage by itself destroys dispensationalism.

Everything in the Bible and God’s historical interactions with people points to Jesus. God’s plan culminates in our Lord, who will have first place in all things.

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. Colossians 1:18 (NASB95)
Share this post...

Are You Ready for the Alien Deception?

aliens

alienThere is currently much talk and speculation about the government conducting a “reveal” concerning the existence of alien beings. We have been set up for this for decades, no, centuries, going back to the introduction of some of the biggest lies ever foisted upon humanity – heliocentrism and evolution. These two seminal lies led to the development of the Big Bang theory, the concept of a limitless “universe,” and the possibility or probability that life might exist elsewhere. All of this, of course, is a direct contradiction of the Bible’s testimony. It was meant to erode our confidence in the veracity of God’s Word and the very existence of a Creator.

Werner Von Braun, the Nazi scientist who was brought to the USA to head up our space program as a part of Operation Paperclip, allegedly confided in his secretary, Dr. Carol Rosin, that the last deception or “card” to be played by NASA would be the threat of an alien invasion. There has been mystery and speculation surrounding the topic of extraterrestrial life for decades. The movie industry has done their part to “seed” the idea of alien life contacting earth with such movies and TV shows as ET, Star Wars, Star Trek, Independence Day, etc. Once such ideas become part of the collective thought life of the masses, the next step is to make it seem like reality.

Making space travel seem real is something NASA has been working on for decades, although not always convincingly. Despite their many obvious glitches and outright failures, a surprisingly large number of people still believe that we went to the moon and have sent probes deep into space. (I have collected lots of examples of NASA’s ongoing trickery here, if you are interested.) Many people believe that aliens exist, having evolved on other “planets” in our universe, and that we have had contact with them in the past. Some even have bought the lie that human life was “seeded” on earth by alien beings. Others, like myself, do not believe it at all because we base our understanding and beliefs about the origin of life and the nature of where we live in what the Bible teaches. Ultimately, for the Christian, it comes down to whether we believe God’s Word.

Those who believe that Genesis Chapter One is true are immune to the alien deception.

Those who reject the truth of any part of that chapter may find it difficult to resist the force of the lie that is coming. Once we decide that some parts of God’s Word cannot be trusted to be accurate, the door is wide open for error. “Did God really say?”

Human beings, it seems, are rather easy to deceive. Satan demonstrated this in the garden.

We were designed by God to believe what he tells us without our having to know everything for ourselves.

Satan suggested to Eve that knowing things for ourselves apart from reliance upon God and his Word is more desirable than simply believing God.

The serpent made them feel foolish for simply trusting what God said. Sadly, many Christians join the devil by mocking those who believe that Genesis Chapter One is literally true. If you have ever done that, you need to repent.

alienEve and Adam fell for the lie, and, not surprisingly, today we are told to “Trust the Science” instead of God. The evil one put into her mind that she could become “like God” by experimenting with forbidden or occult knowledge. I doubt if she or Adam had ever before considered the possibility of being “like God,” but once the idea was planted, it seemed to be irresistible. It still is today. Gregory Garrett has written an insightful article about man’s desire to achieve apotheosis, or become like God, and how that ties into what may likely be some of Satan’s end time schemes.

Since we are created to believe, what matters most is whom and what we believe and from whom do we receive our information – God and the Bible or some other source.

If we believe God and his words of truth, we will always be safe; but, if we fall for the devil’s lies, they will lead to confusion, error, destruction, and death.

Since the fall of humanity in the garden, by default we find that we tend to believe lies more readily than the truth. Sadly, if someone has a aliencollege degree and uses “science” to allegedly disprove the Bible, it appears that most people will decide to dispense with the Bible rather than challenge the words of mere men.

It is hard for us to grasp that Satan, who has been around for millennia, has a long-range plan that has been unfolding over centuries. We tend to think short-term, hardly longer than a lifetime, but God and the devil both operate on a far different timeline. 

The groundwork for the alien invasion deception began in earnest with Copernicus, who proposed a vast solar system far greater in size and scope than anything before imagined or taught in the Bible. Standing on the shoulders of the “scientific” revolutionaries of that era, men who were determined to “free” “science” from the “shackles” of the Bible, today modern astrophysicists and evolutionary biologists have alientheorized an incomprehensibly vast multi-verse that “without doubt” has given birth to other forms of life. For those of us who argue that no one could pull off such a monumental deception, think again. An entire generation has grown up believing that evolution is a fact, without its ever having been scientifically proven! What seemed inconceivable a hundred years ago is now believed by most people in the West.

People all over the world have accepted the godless theories of evolutionists and astrophysicists as the truth. These lies, which oppose the biblical testimony, are the foundation of the alien deception.

Even though the leaders of the Reformation, who were contemporaries of Copernicus, renounced the heliocentric heresy, it did not take long before that lie became almost universally accepted.

alien

For the last several decades since NASA’s inception in 1958, we have been groomed to believe in outer space and space travel. Werner Von Braun and disney von braunWalt Disney teamed up to promote the fantasy in the 1950’s. In the 1960’s and 70’s, NASA aired over television the alleged moon landings. That agency gave us “photos,” which turned out to be manipulated images, of a globular earth suspended in space, which seemingly drove a nail into the coffin of biblical cosmology. Most people, including myself, suspended our critical thinking and accepted the impossible as the truth. Since then, many people have reexamined the moon missions and concluded that the entire thing was a not-so-well-done hoax.

 

Aulis.com provides extensive examination of the many anomalies associated with the moon mission. Sibrel.com also has some good videos, one of which is above. Plenty of other information is available on my website on the Resources page.

Today NASA continues to produce video and other images allegedly coming from lower earth orbit from the International Space Station. Most recently the Artemis mission continued the fraud. The alleged photographs of a globular suspended earth, sometimes aliencalled the “blue marble,” have been shown to be CGI. Over the years the shape and size of the continents have varied wildly. We are told that the earth is actually a pear-shaped oblate spheroid, but all of NASA’s images show a perfectly round sphere.

Most people like to think that everything NASA says is true, not realizing that their purpose is to deceive us into believing that outer space and interplanetary travel are real. All of which has set us up to believe in a coming alien invasion.

The photo of an evil being holding the spherical earth that I use in this article is a graphic reminder that the globe earth is Satan’s creation, not God’s. If you adhere to his version of where we live, he has you in his grip, at least to some degree.

Our main defense against this cunning deception is the Word of God. 

Thank God that he is revealing to many in the last days that Genesis is literally true and accurate. We learn from the Bible that God created the earth and heavens as a unified whole – the heavens, earth encased in the dome of the firmament, and Sheol, with waters above and below.

Above the firmament is the third heaven where God’s throne is located.

alien

Therefore, if we accept Genesis as the truth, we understand that the earth is protected by the solid firmament, outer space does not exist, and we are in no danger of being invaded by aliens.

We may be exposed to some strange looking beings in the days to come who claim to be extraterrestrials, but these will not be from outer space, because there is no such place. They may be demonic beings, fallen angels, descendants of the Nephilim, or strange hybrids concocted by godless scientists.

This claim that extraterrestrials are real will be another attempt to undermine the truth about God and the Bible.

It may be that these “alien benefactors” will teach us to believe in a one-world type of spirituality that rejects Christianity’s exclusive claims that Jesus alone is the way to be reconciled to God. It also may be used as an excuse to convince people to submit to a worldwide tyranny in an attempt to ward off this false invasion. It may also be part of a “false flag” to get people to focus on something besides the wholesale corruption of our political leaders. It is even conceivable that Satan is working to align human beings against the Second Coming of Christ, the only true “alien invasion” described in the Bible.

If my claims in this article seem fantastic, ignorant, or stupid to you, could it be because you have drunk so deeply from the satanic heliocentric – globe earth lie that you find biblical truth to be ridiculous?

alienSuch would not be surprising considering the magnitude of the brainwashing that starts at a very young age.

We have forsaken the heritage passed down from the leaders of the Reformation – Sola Scriptura. Instead of recognizing that the Bible is our highest and most reliable source of truth, we have bowed the knee to the claims of science, twisting the Word of God to make it conform to modern astrophysics, thus making the globe the most prolific idol in the world!

I believe the Lord is calling us to repent for our idolatry. He is calling us to have child-like faith in the Bible.

alien

I appeal to my brothers and sisters who have seen through the lie of evolution but have not yet been willing to accept biblical cosmology. 

The argument that is used to uphold a 6-day creation, a young earth, and a real Adam and Eve – that the Bible is true and accurate – also testifies to the reality of biblical cosmology. If we accept one as being true, must we not accept the other?

Does not our denial of the biblical shape of the earth give the enemies of the gospel ammunition with which to mock us because we do not even believe Genesis is true? Do we so fear the mockery of the world that we are willing to distance ourselves from God’s truth about cosmology? Are we afraid that proclaiming God’s truth about creation will somehow undermine the gospel? The creation rightly understood, proclaims the gospel! 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, Romans 1:18–20 (NKJV)

Until we repent for our disbelief of God’s Word, we are susceptible to being duped by NASA’s “alien card.”

There is still time for us to model the behavior and attitude of the Bereans after they heard the gospel for the first time.

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed... Acts 17:11–12a (NKJV)

May we all be hungry enough to know God’s truth that we will check out these things to see if the Bible’s claims regarding the nature of the heavens and earth are true. If this is something you choose to do, below is a page that can help you enormously. It contains numerous articles I have written plus a Resource page with links to other information I have collected over the past couple of years.

Link: The Importance of a Biblical Cosmology

May the Lord give us an even greater love for his Word, more than we have for all other competing claims to our hearts and minds, and enable us to escape the devil’s deception in the last days! Amen.

Share this post...

Do We Prefer the Devil’s Cosmology to God’s?

globe lover

One of the ways Satan seeks to take God’s glory to himself is by deceiving people into preferring what he has to offer over God. The first temptation that confronted mankind was whether we would prefer godhood over God. Sadly, Adam and Eve chose being like god rather than being with God. As a result, they lost fellowship with the Lord without becoming like him. It was a lose – lose proposition. This is how the devil works, and it seems we are easily duped over and over again. Jesus’ comparison of humanity to sheep is a good one. Sheep are not very smart and have almost no protection against predators. Without a shepherd to feed, guide, and protect us, we are in big trouble.

One of the tragic consequences of the almost universal belief in the Copernican Big Bang universe is that even Christians now prefer the devil’s imaginary cosmos to the one God created.

Some Christians even think that the heavens and earth depicted in the Bible are not glorious

prefer

enough for God’s creation, but the satanic one is! Ironically, we would feel cheated if we had to abandon our beloved globe and ever expanding universe and replace it with the one the Bible gives us. Satan must laugh at us.

The Bible tells us that, when we look into the sky, we behold God’s glory consisting of the heavens – the air we breathe and where the birds fly, the second heaven where God located the sun, moon, an stars in the firmament, and the brightness of the third heaven above the firmament where God’s throne is located.

Therefore, in the biblical cosmos, when we look up, we are looking at God, who is looking at us!

Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. Isaiah 40:21–22 (NKJV)

Isaiah tells us that knowledge of God’s creation is something that was understood from the beginning by mankind. That is why different civilizations all over the earth had a similar cosmologies before the Scientific Revolution encouraged us to abandon the scriptures in favor of the lie.

preferSatanic cosmology informs us that when we look up we see a bright sky composed of a thin, fragile atmosphere, beyond which exists an inky black vacuum that stretches to infinity (what the Bible calls “outer darkness”), where temperatures alternate between roughly -250 degrees Fahrenheit to +250 degrees. Incomprehensibly far away stars twinkle, but really they are raging nuclear infernos much larger than our own sun, another star, which is said to be 93 million miles away.

The moon is a “mere” 258 thousand miles distant and only shines because of reflected sunlight. We are told that countless other “planets” are “out there” that must have evolved life just as here on earth. We expect to find evidence of such life one day, maybe soon, if Werner Von Braun was correct when he told his secretary that the last big NASA deception would be a phony alien invasion.

Everything in the Big Bang cosmos directly contradicts God’s Word, yet we have fallen so in love with the lie that we prefer satanic Sci-Fi, like Star Wars, to God’s truth, and that is just what it is – a fiction.

When we “come to our senses” and accept what the Bible tells us, it draws us toward the Creator.

https://rumble.com/v2elxb8-they-mock-flat-earth-but-the-testimonies-keep-coming....html

It strengthens our faith and confidence in the absolute truthfulness and accuracy of the Bible. It gives us assurance that this world in which we live is very much looked over and after by the Creator and not hurtling through an imaginary universe at over a million miles per hour in multiple directions. We understand that “up” means what the Bible says – directly overhead on an earth that is a stationary plane. We realize that when Jesus comes back, everyone on earth will see him, which is only possible if the earth is designed as the Bible says. 

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:25–28 (NKJV)

But when we trust in our own hearts more than in Scripture, we think it is foolish to believe that the Bible’s depiction of creation in Genesis Chapter One is literally true. Even many of us who believe in a literal six-day creation during which God made a literal Adam cannot seem to go a step farther to say that the earth and heavens were made exactly as described. Embarrassed by the Bible, we claim that that portion of the the Scripture is a poetic metaphor that God does not expect us moderns to believe. Really?! Has the church strayed that far from “sola scriptura?” Do we really prefer our pagan “boyfriend,” Helios, to the Lord? Does the church now bow down to science, just as does the rest of the world? Apparently we have and do. 

It is time for us to repent and allow God to change our hearts so that we prefer God’s truth over Satan’s lies.

It is time for this generation’s Shadrachs, Meshachs, and Abednegos to make a stand by refusing to worship the golden idol of satanic astrophysics.

Share this post...
Share this post...