The Scourge Of Racism
E-Book Availability 4/12-26
Released January 5, 2024
Download Your Copy
Now In The Strong Man Store!
No one has been waiting longer for a single event than the Jews! Indeed, as an ethnic people they have been waiting for the coming of their King, the Son of David, nearly three thousand years if one begins at God’s covenant with their second king; almost four thousand years if God’s promise of a “Seed” made to Abraham is the starting point (Genesis 22:18; 2 Samuel 7:12-17; Galatians 3:15-18). The many wait to this day for God’s Anointed and their King as a never having ever occurred event because as their first century forefathers in unbelief, they did not take to heart the prophecy of Daniel for example, that counted down the time of His coming (Daniel 9:20-27).
The birth of Jesus of Nazareth not only perfectly fit Daniel’s prophetic timeline, but the prophesied genealogy of Israel’s King as the Son of David and Abraham as well as the miraculous nature of His conception and place of birth foretold in complete accuracy some seven hundred years before (Matthew 1:1-2:12; Luke 2:1-7)!1 And though He did many miraculous signs and wonders and taught among them with authority, knowledge and wisdom as no one ever before (or since), the Jewish religious leaders especially refused to believe in and rejected Him; instigating His death on the cross to be rid of Him (John 4:46-54, 6:1-21, 7:10-52, 11:45-57, 12:37-41, 18:1-14, 19:1-24, 28-30).
This all happened as Peter later preached to the Jews after the Lord’s resurrection according to “the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God,” (Acts 2:22-24, NKJV). The divine purpose was as the high priest unwittingly prophesied: ‘“...it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish,’” (John 11:49-52, NKJV). Thus, through the evil plotting and treachery of their religious leaders, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ occurred precisely as the Jewish prophets (including king David) had foretold far in advance to save the willing from their sins among them first (Psalm 69:1-21; Isaiah 50:4-6, 52:13-53; Acts 2:25-40, 3:18-26)!2
But thanks be to God from this Gentile among all others who have been saved by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ since the Gospel began to be proclaimed to us also by His apostles beginning with Peter according to His foretold will and plan (Isaiah 42:5-9, 49:1-6, 61:1-2; John 3:16-17; Acts 1:4-8, 10:1-48). After this, the Lord called and specially set apart another Jewish man to be His apostle to us Gentiles; Saul of Tarsus, also named Paul whose calling and conversion I recently wrote about.3 His missionary journeys and tireless labor brought the Gospel to Gentiles throughout much of the Roman Empire; paving the way for our joy the world over (Romans 15:7-13)!
Meantime, while not excluding the Jews from continuing to hear the Gospel of salvation and the coming Kingdom (Romans 10:14-11:6), during this nearly now, 2,000 years of “the times of the Gentiles” in world dominance and evangelistic focus God has also been fulfilling all that the Jewish prophets beginning with Moses and the Lord Jesus spoke concerning their punishment for sin to include rejecting Him (Deuteronomy 28:58-68; Jeremiah 16:1-13; Luke 13:34-35, 19:41-44, 21:20-24; Romans 11:7-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16, NKJV). And though after being scattered from the land 1,878 years Israel is back in it, “great tribulation” and grief still lie ahead (Matthew 24:15-25, NKJV).
When at last the time of Israel’s comfort comes--the Day of the Lord and triumphant arrival of her long awaited King, she will have “received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins,” (Isaiah 40:1-2; Jeremiah 16:14-18, NKJV).4 The tiny, mortal elect remnant that sees the Lord’s coming will understand what they formerly did not; namely, that their one foretold Messiah and King would come twice (Revelation 1:7, 7:1-8). His first coming was to save them from their sins as God’s “once for all” sacrifice (Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews 9:1-10:18, NKJV). Resurrected, ascended and glorified He returns to fulfill the promises of salvation to the redeemed, deliver remnant Israel and restore David’s kingdom (Isaiah 1:7-9, 10:20-23, 11:11-16; Jeremiah 23:5-8; Ezekiel 37; Romans 11:11-36)!
Consequently, God’s specially marked out and preserved, but unconverted mortal remnant of Jews will receive His promised Messiah and King of Israel; Jesus of Nazareth the Son of God and David who came, was rejected and now, has returned “with great power and glory” as He assured (Mark 13:24-27, NKJV)! In that day, the remnant of Israel will mourn, repent and receive forgiveness (Zechariah 12:10-13:1). They with the entire world will know why the Jews have suffered so. Then, under their King, the nation and the land will be restored exceedingly beyond the days of David’s reign so that they are the times of the Jews throughout the whole earth (Isaiah 49:7-26; Ezekiel 36, 39:21-29; Zechariah 2, 8:18-23, 14:16-21)! The King waits only on His Father for this (Psalm 110).
1 Read the two-part December 2013 repost, Jesus: The Jewish Messiah, under the category, Holidays, the first post of January 28, 2014.
2 For this cause, I rejoiced when the Lord led me to use the rendition of the praise song, Praise Adonai, by Messianic Jewish Worship Leader, Paul Wilbur, in our first Strong
Man Of God Online Rally. Seeing Jewish Christians who were the first take their place among us Gentiles at this hour means we have now, come full circle from the first
century (Luke 13:22-30). This is also yet another sign the Lord is at hand! Nevertheless, He warns Jewish Christians they should not be corrupted by any Gentile Christian
adulation or heretical doctrines nor should they be accorded infallibility by Gentile Christians apart from God’s whole Word as it is written (Acts 10:24-26, 15:1-21; Titus 1:
10-16; 2 Peter 1:16-2:3). You can view the Online Rally on our Web Site Page, https://thestrongmanofGod.org/Webcast or if you prefer, directly at this genuine and safe
YouTube link, https://youtu.be/m78j5JaRrIc.
3 See the August 1, 2021 post, Jesus Christ King And Judge!, under the category, Instruction.
4 Read the June 12, 2016 post, The Day Of Israel’s Comfort, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
As we persevere through all of the foretold violent, global convulsions and persecution Christians face, we are instructed by God’s Word to stand firm on it through faith and the hope resident in us by the assuring presence of the Holy Spirit while waiting for the Kingdom to come (Romans 8:22-25)! Be encouraged to do so by God’s prophetic Word in this edited 2012 blog repost.1
Originally Posted July 22, 2012
A night of spiritual darkness is falling and must remain until the dawn of God’s new Day and Kingdom come to earth at the appearing of Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)! Like a skilled chest player our God is now perfectly positioning every player (good and evil) into place in order to execute the final moves He will make at just the right time that lead to His checkmate of evil in wrath (Revelation 6:12-17). In that Day, our Lord will stand triumphant in Jerusalem; reigning and presiding over the restoration of creation in a new beginning wherein all of the promises of God made to His faithful saints and the nation of Israel will be fulfilled (Isaiah 2:1-4, 11:1-10; Jeremiah 33:14-16).
Every aspiring strong man and great woman of God is comforted and encouraged in the hard things we endure in the meantime by our hope in faith that our Lord Jesus is soon to return. This hope is not just a wish sustained by knowing the written Word of truth from which it springs. No, ours is a “living hope” empowered by the Spirit of God who lives in our hearts (1 Peter 1:3, NKJV). He even marks us out as belonging to God for the Day of God in Christ at His appearing (Ephesians 4:30). While we faithfully labor in the Kingdom cause of our Lord through the Gospel here and now, we also long with tearful prayers at times for the Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:9-10).
One day very soon, we will see undeniable evidence in the sky and on earth God is hearing those prayers (Revelation 8:1-6). The saints are not only praying for the Kingdom to come on our behalf, but in line with Bible prophecy, we pray also for the sake of Israel in the land and scattered across the face of the earth. Indeed, in praying “for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6), we are praying for the “Prince of Peace,” Jesus Christ, to return, take His rightful place on David’s throne and restore Israel securely in her land as promised by God through all of His ancient prophets (see the following Scriptures as a tiny sampling: Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:11-16, Jeremiah 30:1-3; Ezekiel 36:1-15; Hosea 3:4-5, Micah 4:1-8; Zechariah 14, NKJV).
Besides taking the Gospel to the world (Acts 1:6-8), God has also been keeping His Word to punish Israel for her sins including the rejection of His Chosen until the time allotted is completed (Hosea 5:8-15; Luke 19:41-44, 21:20-24). Scattered Israel’s most severe trouble is straight ahead in the night that is falling (Jeremiah 30:4-7). When it is all over, she will be comforted after having received even double for her sins from the Lord’s hand (Isaiah 40:1-2; Jeremiah 16:14-18). Those comforted will be an elect the Lord has chosen for Himself; a mortal remnant of His ancient people to bless at the appearing and Kingdom of Christ.
God will deal with this remnant as He did their fathers in the wilderness of Sinai in preparing them to enter the Promised Land. Their brokenness and repentance will give way to great joy as they enter into the Lord’s Kingdom (Jeremiah 3:11-18, 31:1-14; Ezekiel 20:33-44, 36:16-38; Hosea 6:1-3; Zechariah 12:10-13:1; Revelation 7:1-8, 12:1-6, 13-17). The resurrected saints will reign under Christ over the entire creation and on earth (Romans 8:18-21; Revelation 5:8-10) while His twelve apostles will judge the twelve tribes of Israel for a thousand years (Luke 22:28-30; Revelation 20:4-6).
It has been my fearful honor to personally witness to and support the efforts of Jewish Christian Ministries to reach the Jewish people with the message of salvation through the Gospel intended for them first (John 4:22; Acts 3:25-26; Romans 1:16, 9:1-5, 30-10:4). As a Gentile, I am a debtor to the Jews on two accounts. First, as the apostle Paul so eloquently instructs, I have been grafted into their already standing natural olive tree and have no room to boast as tragically some professing Gentile Christians have arrogantly done by declaring God is done with the Jews as a nation (Romans 11).
Second, I owe them for their written spiritual heritage which God recorded in the Bible. That heritage informed the faith of my Christian slave forefathers and now informs my own as I wait for God’s Kingdom to come to Israel and the earth (Isaiah 65:19-25, 66:5-13)!
1 In honor of this month devoted to praying for Christians suffering persecution around the earth, Open Door Communication Ministries, Inc. is making the message the Lord gave me, The Call To Christians To Persevere available for free download in the Strong Man Store from November 13-19, 2015. Do not miss the opportunity to be instructed and challenged by this Holy Spirit energized message drawn from the Word of God. Pray for our brethren suffering severe persecution now to persevere; our time is at the door!
The Bible’s Book of Judges chronicles historical events and the inconsistent spiritual condition of Israel in the Promised Land after the death of Joshua and before the nation was ruled by a human king. While Joshua and the generation of leaders that entered the land with him lived, the people did well but in disobedience did not subdue all of the inhabitants or their false religions (Judges 1:1-2:10). After those leaders died, the erratic faithfulness of the people to God who was their King in the midst began. When the people turned from the Lord to other gods and all manner of wickedness, He judged them with great adversity and oppression by the surrounding nations.
There are some key issues and applications from the time I spent in Daniel and other parts of Bible prophecy since January 9th this year that I did not delve into, but will briefly do so beginning with this post and all to follow through April as a wrap up.1 As the Lord leads and yet another tyrant on the world stage seeks “dominion and territorial expansion through conquest” coinciding with what I wrote during a February post,2 I write to warn him (and all that will follow his course) that earthly kings are ruled over by Almighty God and answerable to Him! This was the lesson the king of Babylon had to be repeatedly taught by Daniel and his three companions until he apparently finally learned it.
King Nebuchadnezzar made the mistake of arrogant pride many kings and evil tyrants before and after him have made to believe just because he conquered Judah, captured its citizens and took property including religious “articles” back to Babylon where he put them in “the treasure house of his god,” that somehow he had also defeated Judah’s God (Daniel 1:1-2, NKJV). But nothing could be infinitely further from the truth as God gave him a dream he had to depend on Him through His vessel Daniel to interpret because neither he nor any of his staff of Babylonian “wise men” could. The dream showed God’s Kingdom is greater than all others of men (Daniel 2:1-28, NKJV)!
“Prostate before Daniel,” king Nebuchadnezzar confessed ‘“Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings…,’” (Daniel 2:46-47, NKJV). The king was humbled again when he exalted himself with an image and decreed that all of his subjects bow to and worship it. But the refusal of Daniel’s three friends to do so and God’s deliverance of them from the consequence elicited the following response from the king: ‘“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word…,’” (Daniel 3:28, NKJV). From what happens next, clearly the king still had not learned his lesson.
Chapter four of Daniel presents king Nebuchadnezzar’s own testimony of what happened to him after God gave him a dream about his great pride and the consequence Daniel plainly interprets to him, but which he ignores (Daniel 4:1-33). After living as a mad man convinced he was a beast that ate grass like an ox for a time as foretold, the king’s sanity was restored by God and he had a new attitude (Daniel 4:34-36)! Indeed, he testified: ‘“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down,’” (Daniel 4:37, NKJV). A later king learned the hard way too (Daniel 5).3
Since all of the foregoing is common Sunday School instruction throughout Christendom, it is certain Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, who professes to be a Christian is aware of how God, the King of Heaven brings down the pride of earth’s kings as testified to by the king of Babylon over 2,500 years ago. Therefore, in accord with this biblical instruction, I urge the Russian Orthodox Church leaders Mr. Putin respects to advise him to repent, cease his war of pride and conquest against Ukraine and withdraw. Nevertheless, such men filled with the spirit of conquest will continue4 to the end when the Antichrist who makes no pretense whatsoever of reverencing God, the King Heaven, will war against Him and be soundly defeated (Daniel 8:23-25, 9:27cd; Revelation 6:1-2, 19:11-21)!
1 See the posts that begin January 9 through March 6, 2022.
2 Read the February 13, 2022 part one of the two-part post, War Of The Ages End, under the category, Bible Prophecy.
3 Why are we men so filled with pride and stubborn about it to the point it takes repeated humiliating lessons for God to finally break us? Such is the power of sin in us! Get my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics to learn the provisions God has made to help men overcome our stubborn pride through Christ Jesus. It is available in the Strong Man Store, at your favorite internet bookseller or brick and mortar bookstore.
4 Truly, Mr. Putin’s war of conquest and desolations upon Ukraine is a preview of things to come and sign professed Christians should take to heart and prepare! Or will you be as Israel’s religious leaders who refused to see the plain signs of Messiah displayed in Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 16:1-4)? Please also note in this preview no “rap- ture” has occurred to remove Ukrainian believers from what to them is surely great tribulation! This is because the Lord declares He comes right “after” the actual “great tribulation” to “gather together His elect,” (Daniel 11:40-45; Matthew 24:15-22, 29-31, NKJV).
Far from the supposedly hope quenching gloom and doom view of Bible prophecy foretelling the apocalyptic end of this present world as we have known it even many professed Christians hold, is the gloriously bright reality captured in the phrase, “the Lord reigns,” (Psalms 93:1, 96:10-12, 97:1-9, 99:1-3; Revelation 19:6, NKJV)! These three words are exclaimed on the earth and in every other realm of existence after the victory of Jesus Christ at Jerusalem!1 Indeed, elect, mortal Israel and surviving Gentiles of His grace are urged to join the glorified immortal saints in joyful celebration of the King; singing His praises with awe and jubilation (Psalms 47, 98, 100, 150:1-4; Isaiah 12)!
As the faithful reflect from this mortal vantage point prior to the coming Day of the Lord, it is beyond tragically sad that all of humanity does not accept God’s free offer of salvation and restoration through repentance and faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ! For knowing the end from the beginning, salvation and restoration has been in God’s heart from eternity when He saw that man would sin. Giving His creature free will, God also saw that many would exercise it and reject His gracious offer of pardon with immortal glory. For this reason, any sadness we have now should move the faithful to proclaim the Gospel and witness Christ to unsaved fellow humanity with all the more zeal!
For truly, we of all people have known from God’s Word that deliverance from and an end to this present evil age governed by fallen angels was finally going to come. Rule over the earth or any part of physical creation was not intended for them, but man under the sovereign and righteous reign of God (Genesis 1:26; Psalm 8). However, Adam rejected God’s rule (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1-6)! Nevertheless, the Day of the Lord was telegraphed in His foretelling of Satan’s defeat by the Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15)! Patient and longsuffering over the millennia, God first celebrates restoration of His Kingdom rule through Christ outside 1st century Jerusalem (Colossians 2:11-15).
Doing my assigned Kingdom work with many tears for the lost and disobedient professed Christians along the way, I gladly leave it behind for a moment and in God’s will come to the foretold second celebration of His rule restored by Christ at Jerusalem! With His prophetic Word, faith and Kingdom vision causing me to be in attendance, I join in the celebration--shouting, clapping, dancing and singing praises to King Jesus; yes, in unrestrained joy shouting with all of my voice “the Lord reigns, He reigns forever and ever!” “All glory, praises and honor be unto Him!” Then, like David, with total abandon I dance before the “King of glory,” (2 Samuel 6:12-15; Psalm 24, NKJV)!
Subsequently, I realize again I and all of the saints around me are shining with God’s glory and explode in fresh inexpressible joy--yet, I am expressing it fully (Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 13:41-43; 1 Corinthians 15:47-49, 54-57; 1 Peter 1:3-9)!2 My slave forefathers may have truthfully sung “nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.” On this Day, though, everyone under, on and positioned over the earth knows my joy in the Lord with all of the saints for His victory; vindicating our faith, hope and suffering in Him (2 Thessalonians 1:3-12)!3 “Glory to God; glory to the ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords’ who reigns and alone is worshipped forever more” (Zechariah 14:9, 16-19; Revelation 11:16, NKJV)!
As foretold, the King One with the Holy Spirit will reign in the reverence of His Father in truth, righteous judgment, unimpeachable justice that punishes wicked mortals in accord with what their sins deserve, divine wisdom, knowledge, strength, perfect fairness, impartiality and tenderness toward the meek (Deuteronomy 32:3-4; Psalm 99:4-5; Isaiah 9:6-7, 11:1-5; Matthew 5:5). Men will be taught the ways of the Lord and from Jerusalem His law will go forth throughout all the earth. In consequence, under His rule a real, thorough and lasting peace will prevail on the earth. Men will turn their weapons into tools and study war no more forever. The ferocity and carnivorous behavior of related plants and animals will cease (Isaiah 2:1-4; 11: 6-10; 65:24-25; Micah 4:1-3)!
The King will rule over mortal men with a “rod of iron” from His glorious throne at Jerusalem; elevated in height and beauty by Him (Psalm 2:8-9; Zechariah 14:8, 10-11; Revelation 19:15, NKJV). And we, His saints, shall reign on the earth with Him in all of the same character qualities and governance as He (Psalm 150:5-9; Daniel 7:26-27; Revelation 1:4-6, 2:26-29, 5:9-10, 20:4-6)! “Glory, glory to God for His awesome vindication of His faithful; of those that endured to the end proclaiming the Gospel to restore men and standing firm on His Word!”4 If only all professed Christians today could truly believe that what is unfolding in the world--great evil, a creation in labor pains and His coming wrath--is heading toward the exceedingly better Day of God’s Kingdom restored to earth!
1 I acknowledge that I with many other prophecy teachers and authors have conveniently named earth’s final war, “Armageddon” as is the case in my December 20, 2015 re-post, Reigning With Christ On Earth, under the category, Bible Prophecy that I recommend be read along with this present post. Technically, though, Armageddon is the hill or tel of Megiddo in northern Israel overlooking plains easily corresponding to the prophet Joel’s “Valley of Jehoshaphat” (Joel 3:1-2, NKJV). It serves as the ma- jor assembly area, staging ground and launch point of the world’s armies with Antichrist for war against Israel and Jerusalem. Christ descends upon the Mount Of Olives immediately in front of Jerusalem on the east and engages the enemy there delivering it while also overseeing His swift victory in the war actually raging all over Israel in- cluding Armageddon and around it (Isaiah 63:1-6). Then my Lord the King will enter Jerusalem to great acclamation as before, but this time on a white horse and with all knowing in absolute certainty who He is (Matthew 21:1-11, 23:37-39; Revelation 19:11)!
2 See the July 31, 2016 blog, The Immortal Bodies Of God’s Eternal Sons, under the category, God’s Creatures to learn more about the glorious immortal bodies of the saints!
3 Read the November 29, 2015 blog, When The Glory Comes, under the category, Glory To God!
4 Check out the Give Page on our Web Site to see how you can support the ongoing work of Strong Man Ministries to restore men.
‘“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’” says your God. ‘“Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins,’” (Isaiah 40:1-2, NKJV). The glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ is tied in very important part to the divine promise to deliver and comfort remnant Jews in Israel and scattered over the face of the earth after all of their many centuries of travail at the Lord’s hand for sin (Isaiah 40:3-5, 9-11; Jeremiah 30:10-11). For bound up in the second phase of Christ’s work from the Father is His awesome coming for vengeance and the comfort of His people (Isaiah 61:1-2; Matthew 5:4).
In the soon coming day of Israel’s comfort by the Lord, it will have been thoroughly fulfilled what was first written by Moses that He “will judge His people,” (Deuteronomy 32:36a, NKJV). In lieu of annihilation for transgression, sin and iniquity--as was done to many similarly guilty nations--to include instigating the death of their King (Zephaniah 3:1-7; Matthew 27:11-26), the Lord destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and scattered the people to the four winds in AD 70 as double punishment (Jeremiah 30:12-15; Hosea 3:1-5, 5:8-15). With all of the foretold horrors of suffering that followed, yearning for the land of Zion continued until the Lord in step with His prophetic Word at the turn of the 20th century began to show He was again hearing Israel’s cry (Psalm 44, 74, 79, 80, 106:40-48).
After two world wars, the victorious nations in pity for unspeakable Jewish suffering consented to accept the formal creation of a Jewish State, even Israel on May 14, 1948. Immediately, the new nation was at war and against all odds prevailed in it and the several that have followed (Isaiah 66:5-9). However, scattered Israel’s troubles and sorrows as double punishment from the Lord are not yet over. In the buildup to the time of “Jacob’s trouble” looming large ahead in which out of fear of Him the nations will permit the temple to be rebuilt, God alone will prevail for His people (Jeremiah 30:4-9; Revelation 7:1-8, 8-11:2). When their strength is gone and there is no hope, then my God in compassion shall again act to deliver Israel (Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 46; Jeremiah 30:16-24).
Why does God do this for Israel? Is it not because God is a God of grace and mercy and they are His chosen people that He loves with an everlasting love; gathering them back to Himself in the land of promise (Deuteronomy 7:6-11; Isaiah 41:8-16, 43:1-13, 49:14-21, 51:1-16; Jeremiah 31; Romans 11:1-10)? The Lord will come down from Heaven before every eye to deliver His people, the remnant of Israel and comfort them with grace and forgiveness in all of their mourning especially over what their 1st century forefathers did to Him and their own unbelief (Psalm 18:1-17; Isaiah 51:17-52:10, 66:10-17; Micah 7:14-20; Zechariah 12:10-13:1, 7-9). Immediately, the Lord will also summon the remaining scattered Jews to Him in Israel (Isaiah 11:11-14; Zephaniah 3:8-13).
They will come weeping and singing for joy from the four corners of the earth to which they were scattered with the Lord’s power on display to help them (Isaiah 11:15-16, 35, 49:8-13; Micah 4:1-8). Some will be assisted by surviving Gentiles who also rejoice with them in this latest and last foretold turnabout in one of the greatest love stories in the history of the world; God and Israel, reconciled in and by Christ forever (Isaiah 49:22-26)! When they are all gathered to the Lord in the land, then He shall heal and restore them completely as part of His comfort; giving them “beauty for ashes,” joy in the Holy Spirit for mourning and new clothes of praise (Isaiah 61:3; Zechariah 8:1-8, NKJV)!
The redeemed sons of Jacob shall also set about under the leadership of Christ their King to “rebuild the old ruins,” “raise up the former desolations,” “repair the ruined cities” and enjoy all of the many blessings He shall bestow upon them as they move forward in their divinely ordained eternal comfort (Isaiah 61:4-9; Zephaniah 3:14-20, NKJV). Finally, they will live in the peace and security they have longed for; peace and security only the Almighty God can provide (Jeremiah 23:5-8; Ezekiel 28:24-26, 34:25-31)! They, for their part will overflow with continuing joy in Christ their King and the blessings of righteousness bestowed on them by the Father before all nations (Isaiah 61:10-11; Ezekiel 39:21-29).
Now, in these latter days it is important that faithful Christians stand for support with unredeemed Israel in their ancient land and scattered over the earth in accord with the working of God. Understanding though, that only a tiny, elect, mortal remnant will see Christ come, it is of the greatest importance to facilitate the proclamation of the Gospel to them especially by their own redeemed, messianic brethren so that many will be saved. For indeed, the visible vindication and comfort of the saints composed of multitudes of Jews and Gentiles made righteous in Christ by faith and resurrected to immortal glory at His appearing will coalesce with all of God’s foretold promises of comfort to that surviving, mortal remnant of Israel (Romans 11:11-15)!
Israel is forever the natural branches of the olive tree God planted and He comes to deliver that we Gentiles in certain number He knows are grafted into. To see it any other way is blatant arrogance and damnable heresy (Romans 11:16-29). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord’s side?”
As I wrote in last week’s post, the immortal saints of God “will reign in holiness, righteousness, justice, truth, firmness against sin and mercy for the poor.”1 They will do this in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s perfect King!2 Scripture repeatedly informs us of His perfect nature, character and demeanor as the unique God-Man.3 While God has favored some kings over the millennia for their attributes--David for example, was ‘“a man after’” His ‘“own heart,’” only Jesus did He “decree” and later affirm: ‘“You are My Son, today I have begotten You;’” inviting His request for the nations to rule as an inheritance and promised “seed” of David (Psalm 2:7-9; Mark 1:11; Acts 13:21-25, NKJV)!
The first man, Adam, was created in the image and likeness of God to rule in nature, character and demeanor as God does (Genesis 1:26). But he sinned in disobedience to God’s direct command bringing ruin and death upon the creation, himself and his progeny (Genesis 3:6-11, 17-19). Jesus Christ, the second and last Adam, came from Heaven into the world as the “express image of God” by way of a virgin to redeem willing fallen mankind and reign as the perfect King over us as foretold and fulfilled to date (Isaiah 7:10-14, 9:6-7; Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-14; 1 Corinthians 15:45-47; Colossians 1:15-18; Hebrews 1:1-14, NKJV). He was perfected in character through suffering (Hebrews 5:7-9).4
Of Jesus Christ, God’s elect King it is written: “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,” “the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Truly, “His delight is in the fear of the LORD,” (Isaiah 11:1-3a, NKJV). At His first coming we are privileged through the witness of the Gospel accounts to see the Holy Spirit come upon the Lord Jesus and encounter His perfect wisdom, knowledge and understanding by way of His teaching as He walked the dusty roads of Israel (Matthew 3:13-17, 22:15-46). We also see the display of His power, hear His perfect counsel and fear of His Father in love enough to endure the cross at His command (John 6:1-40, 8:26-30, 10:14-18, 12:27-33, 14:28-31).
King Jesus is not any different now, in nature (Galatians 5:22-23) and character (John 13:12-17; Acts 4:27-30; Philippians 2:3-8) seated at the right of His Father than He was when He came to Israel 2,000 years ago nor will He be at His return (Hebrews 13:8)! Just as He taught, He will judge “with righteousness” and “equity” for the “poor” and “meek” of the earth. But let every rebel watch out; He will use “the rod of His mouth” to “strike the earth” and with “His lips,” “slay the wicked” because His eternal character is “righteousness” and “faithfulness,” (Psalm 72; Isaiah 11:3b-5; John 7:21-24, NKJV). Indeed, for the surviving mortals blessed to live under His perfect rule, they will see the cry of the generations for true justice, righteousness and peace fulfilled (Isaiah 65:20-25; Amos 5:24)!
Nevertheless, not being born again, innumerable multitudes of these surviving mortals and their progeny that benefited from the righteous millennium reign of Jesus Christ, God’s perfect King, will rebel against Him through the instigation of Satan, “released from his prison” at its end (Ezekiel 38:1-13; Revelation 20:7-8, NKJV).5 Thoroughly deceived, these unregenerate souls assemble together from their nations to march on and surround “the camp of the saints” at Jerusalem only to be met by the fiery wrath of God poured out upon them, the whole earth and universe followed by the King’s judgment (Ezekiel 38:14-23; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:9-15, NKJV)!6 As it is written, “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet,” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28, NKJV).
1 Read the November 6, 2022 post, No Election For Christ And His Saints, under the category, Glory To God!
2 Those professed Christians that mock and belittle this Ministry’s cause to restore men through preaching the biblical Gospel to them for salvation and teaching them the way of Christ as the Strong Man of God asserting “it don’t require all that” among other standard lowering put downs, are clearly not reading or taking what the Bible plainly says seriously or both. Aspiring strong men of God being “conformed to the image of” Christ now, during their earthly sojourns are among the saints perfected to rule in His image forever (Romans 8:29-30, NKJV)!
3 As the Lord led me, I wrote about the nature, character and demeanor of aspiring strong men and great women of God in His image in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. I also developed a curriculum drawn from it, the companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study for the equipping of the saints in the home and churches. Get the Leader Kits that contain a Soft Cover Edition of my book, a respective Leader Guide and Participant Work- book as well as CD-Roms featuring PowerPoint Teaching Assistance, Pledge Sheets and Evaluation Forms for both studies exclusively in the Strong Man Store.
4 See the three-part post that begins January 29, 2017, Jesus, Son Of Man, under the category, The Cause.
5 God allows this rebellion which among other things proves His superior wisdom in demonstrating that even under the administration of a perfect King and Kingdom, unre- generate hearts ruled by sin do not change. He then is all the more magnified by us the redeemed in this epoch for His work to transform our hearts through new birth lead- ing to perfection!
6 Please note the word “camp” is used to describe the headquarters and residence of the saints. A camp is purposely intended to be temporary. This means neither the cur- rent heavenly city nor the millennium quarters of the saints on this present earth were intended to be permanent, but only “the holy city, New Jerusalem” on “a new earth,” (Revelation 21-22:5).
Join The Strong Man Of God Resources Conversation!
Get Your Copy Of The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics Today!
Your purchase supports restoring men, families and communities through Strong Man Ministries!
Purchase It Now