Featured The Fullness of Time - The Coming of Christ - The End of the World

Ga 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

This is not a thread on the subject of eschatology. It is a thread on understanding Bible terms and believing what you read. The above statement is clear and precise and means what it says. What does it say? It says 4 things.

1) God's Son came in the fullness of time
2) The Fullness of time began when he was born of the virgin
3) He was born and ministered under the divine principle of the law of Moses
4) God sent him.

These are simple statements but if one does not believe that Jesus Christ is ministering at the end of a particular time then there is no chance to understand most of the NT. None, Nada, Zilch. The person who does not understand this stands with the congregation that cannot wait to be deceived by religious charlatans, and by even a few who means well.

Actually, we learn from reading our Bibles that the fullness of time, meaning the completion of time, is brought about by the beginning of something else. Here it is stated by Mark;

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

You can read it for yourself but Mark sets the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ at the announcement to Israel by John the Baptist that the Lord is come. So, there can be no doubt that the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ is in the fullness of time, that is if one believes the words he reads in the record that God has given us.

Let me just point out a very important point before I move on from Ga 4:4. The word "time" is singular. Don't miss that because we will find later that God wants us to see this time apart from other "times" that he makes.For instance, we have a similar phrase in Eph 1. It says this;

Eph 1:10 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

You will notice that times is a plural word here and it is also designated by the writer as a dispensation.Now, whatever the reader believes about dispensations, and that subject is not what this thread is about, the fact is that the writer says some things are going to happen in what he calls "the dispensation of the fullness of times." This would suggest to any honest reader that there must be other "times" is this is a fullness of all of them, or at least, more than one of them.

The Ephesian fullness and the Galatians fullness is noted by the same man. He wrote Galatians in AD 49 and Ephesians in AD 60. In Galatians he wrote about a "time" that had already passed when he wrote it and in Ephesians he writes about a future time. I know that because of what he says will happen in that time, or dispensation, if you will. Those things have not happened yet. You can read the text for yourself and learn what those things are.

Now, I can and will present many things that are relevant to the fullness of time that Paul mentions in Galatians. They will include many things in the gospel accounts since that is when Jesus ministered on earth. One would expect to find them there in the context of a fullness and what should happen and what actually did happen that has effected the times following it including our time in which we are living today.The language of the ministry of Jesus Christ suggests a completion and I will show it to you.

Following is the only point I will make concerning this fullness of time in this op. In Hebrews 1:1 we read these words;

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

The writer is writing this about the Galatian 4:4 time that has already reached it's fullness and has now passed at the writing. Hebrews was probably written circa AD 66. God spoke to the Hebrews through much of that Galatians 4:4 time by the prophets of Israel but in the last days of it, he spoke to the Hebrews by his Son in person. He wants us to understand that the son who has spoken to him had made all the worlds, ages, of which this age was one. I know that because of many things but here is just one of them.

Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world (kosmos = physical earth): but now once in the end of the world (aion = age) hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

When did Jesus "appear" to put away sin? Was it in the end of the world? Hardly, because the world has continued for 2000 years since then. It was in the end of the Galatians 4:4 world.

Hebrews has 3 different worlds in view.

1) The one that is past
2) The present one
3) The world to come.

We have been speaking of the one past.

The present:

Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.


Heb 2:5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.

The powers are the miracles.

Why does this matter in the context of this forum. It is because Calvinists do not apply the words of God correctly and have built a whole systematic structure on false applications of the words and without regard to the divinely appointed contexts.It is through this thread that I will attempt to correct them with the truth. I will demonstrate that their applications of passages like John 6 is a means to blind sinners eyes, not enlighten them. Reformed people are deceived and the teachers of it are deceiving others. This I can prove.

It is my purpose to magnify and exalt our Lord Jesus Christ with this thread and point others to salvation through him.

 

Matt 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

The declaration made in Galatians 4:4 concerning Jesus Christ coming in the fulness of time and in the end of the world is not going away and everything about his ministry in the gospels unless expressly stated, is in that time period between his birth and his death on the cross. In Matt 5:17 that I have quoted above is about a fulfillment, which takes place at the end of a prophetic strain Fulfill, end, fulness, finish. Now, I would ask the reader to read Matt 5:17 and determine if Jesus really said he came to fulfill the law and the prophets. A word of caution here; it is important to read exactly what Jesus said. He did not say that he came “and” fulfilled the law and the prophets but that he came “to” fulfill.

1) Fullness of time
2) Fulfill the law and the prophets.

This is end of the world stuff.It is the gospel, the good news, the glad tidings of Jesus Christ that Mark, in his chapter 1, said began when John the Baptist announced his presence in Israel to that people.

Well, to whom was the Law of Moses given and to whom and through whom did the prophets speak? We have this declaration from the apostle Paul.

Rom 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Read those words above carefully and ask yourself if you believe them. These are the only people that Jesus Christ is dealing with in the fullness of time which is the end of the world, when he was sent by God through the virgin Mary. Now, anyone reading this should realize that Paul is speaking about people who received this law and these promises before the fulness of time and the end of the world but that Jesus Christ said he came to fulfill them.

1) Fulfilling the law and the prophets in the fullness of time. The end of the world. Following is another declaration within the theme of a completion. Read it here;

Romans 15:8
Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

The term circumcision is a term used to denote Israel and the fathers are those of the former days of Israel. He says what Jesus was, indicating his earthly ministry before the cross. This statement too has a finality to it. Once the promises are confirmed, what next?

This is all I have time for now but I have much to show concerning Israel’s response to Jesus Christ in this time and how Jesus handled it.

 

35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

The end of the world, the fullness of time, means a harvest. The end of a season is when the land owner gathers his crop. Here, Jesus has come at the end of the world, according to Gal 4:4, but here in this passage he is speaking about how good the harvest is but complains about how few laborers he has. Matthew has 28 chapters. This is chapter 9. Noting this will become very important later when we see the wise way in which our Lord remedies this. But we are not talking about that now. We are talking about the coming of Christ in the end of the world, the fullness of time, the harvest, in Matt 9 of 28 chapters.

But what I want you to see here is that this end of the season when the harvest is ripe is the same time of Galatians end of the world, fullness of time. It is the very last days as is stated in Hebrews 1:1. The harvest time is complete and it is evening when no man can work anymore. All the harvest that can be gathered is gathered

Jn 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. The payroll is next.

I know this because the very next thing that is said is following;

17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,

LK 17:7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

Thankfully, our gracious Lord is so kind. He called these workers "servants" and so they were. But later, he moved them up in his evaluation of them and called them "friends." Watch this;


John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

One thing he has not called them in that world is "sons." He will call them sons in the next world after he has ended this world by his death and he will live in them through his Spirit that he will give each of them, and us, who believes in him.

1 Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

I am speaking about a harvest time in the end of the world, the fullness of time, that has nothing to do with gentiles, Baptists, Calvinists, Reformed and to warn modern day religious people that if they go to those passages to prove their status as being part of that harvest, they are at the very best as confused as a termite in a yo-yo.

I will continue to prove this later. Meanwhile, let no person living today think they are chosen of God because of anything that is said in Jn 6.

 

Ga 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days (of the fullness of time) spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world (kosmos): but now once in the end of the world (age) hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Matt 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.


So, Jesus came in the fulness of time, in the last days of the end of the age, to fulfill the law and the prophets of the OT. According to Paul in Rom 15 he came to confirm the promises made unto the fathers of Israel. Did he come to fulfill the law and the prophets like he said? If a man does not believe he did he should admit it and close the book and do something else with his time.

Given that we now agree that our Lord Jesus Christ came to fullfill the law and the prophets, we can ask to whom he came. What was the scope of his ministry at his first coming in the fulness of that time, in the last days? We are not left to guess about that. He says plainly what the scope of his ministry is and he had scribes to write it down and preserve it so we in 2020 can also know. I am just going to let you read these things without much commentary from me.

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,

Any honest person could figure out that the antecedent to the pronoun "us" is the Hebrews.The fathers and all the prophets of the OT were Hebrews. That is who Jesus spoke to in the last days. The Hebrews were admonished to heed what he said to them;

Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own,

Who was his own?

Matt 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

The above statement leaves no doubt who were his own. However, we are speaking about the "scope" of his earthly ministry.

Matt 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

The above is a statement about the scope of his ministry right out of his own mouth and it was spoken to a gentile woman.

Matt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.


Matt 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

Our texts that we are looking at says that Jesus Christ not only came to fulfill the law, but also the prophets. What prophecies was he interested in fulfilling according to the history that is written in the gospel accounts? What was his theme? Well, there are four major themes of the prophets. Here;

1) the two comings of Jesus Christ to the earth, once to suffer and once to reign
2) the remnant of Israel
3) the kingdom of Christ
4) the Day of the Lord

What was the major theme of the preaching of Jesus Christ and his disciples at his first coming. It was the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel just means the good news, the glad tidings. The good news is that it was at hand because the King had come to Israel.It was John the Baptist's job to prepare Israel for the coming of the Messiah and it was Jesus Christ who would prepare them for the kingdom
This subject is worthy of much ink but that is not our mission in this thread.

Matt 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Neither he nor his apostles preached that he was going to die and rise from the dead. I will show on this thread that none of them had any idea about his death and resurrection before he rose from the dead. They had absolutely no understanding of it. That is not what they preached during his earthly ministry. They preached the gospel of the kingdom.That is what they were commissioned to preach in Matt 10 and in Lk 10. (one should read these two chapters now) However, there were things they must believe about Jesus Christ before that kingdom could be established over Israel. AND, they must believe it because Moses and the prophets had said it about him in their OT books. I can prove what I have said in this paragraph from the gospel accounts in context and without a doubt.

This thread is to prove that Calvinisms proof texts for much of their systematic theology is bogus and is a misrepresentation of the scriptures. It is designed to help them approach the scriptures logically. Truth will shine the light on error. John 6 is in the context of the gospel of the kingdom and is in a former age where no one could be born again.

We will look later at the showdown between Israel and Jesus Christ in Matt 12 and begin to see how we got in on the blessing.

 

Jeremiah 8:20
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

Matt 12 is the crucial chapter of the gospel of Matthew as far as the harvest is concerned. It is the chapter where Jesus Christ concluded that he could not establish his kingdom over Israel because of the resistance of the Jewish rulers. He would end his preaching of the gospel of the kingdom is at hand here.The confrontation between the rulers of the Jews and his Messianic claims went all the way back to his messenger, John the Baptist.His M. O. throughout his ministry was to preach a fulness of time message. He was preparing Israel, his people, for the born again experience that would take place after he was crucified and arisen and had sent his Spirit to indwell them at which time they would not only be the fleshly son of God collectively, but they would be the born again son of God collectively. To be the son of God collectively required that every one of them be individually born again.Now, I am going to post some scripture for you to consider without commentary just because I do not have the room or time on this post to explain a lot. Read these verses carefully;

Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstbornphysical birth of a nation)
23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

None of these had been begotten of God. They had all been begotten by Jacob.

To Nicodemus, a Jewish ruler.
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

He should have known this, according to our Lord Jesus;

John 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

How many of Israel was required to be saved for God's to save Israel, his collective son? Read this;

37 Now when they (the men of Israel) heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise (of salvation, the Spirit) is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off (but not at the same time as we see later), even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

The operative phrase that delegates the scope of this command is highlighted in V 38

Had Israel repented the story of Acts would have been written differently. Jesus would have returned to establish his kingdom through his born again son. He will eventually do that but in a future world (age).

He says the following to Israel;

Acts 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Jesus Christ will not return to this earth and establish his kingdom until every one of his subjects are saved.

Twenty eight years later Paul writes a letter to the Romans and says this about Israel;

Rom 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Consider the imagery. They would not come in spite of all God did.

He told them that he had sent his Spirit and they could be his son; Remember, these words are primarily to Israel and living after the flesh is an attempt to keep the law of Moses that could do nothing but condemn them.This dependence on the flesh would keep them from being born again.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

He gave them his OT figures and types to illustrate his points in chapter 9;

4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;


Compare my two highlights in these verses and you will see the point. The operative issue is who are the children of God. Those who are born of Abraham. No, those who are born of Isaac, who is a type of Jesus Christ. One must be born of the Spirit. It is the second birth, the second man, that is emphasized in this passage.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

This includes you and me. One should examine himself as we are admonished to do by scripture in 2 Cor 13.

I will show in my next post how Jesus cleaned the house of Israel of her demons by Matt 12 and because the Spirit did not come to live in it, seven more demons came back and her end was worse than the first.

 

Matt 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

A generation has the following scope of years;

Psa 90:9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

The time when Jesus Christ would have been 70 years old would have been around the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus when Israel lost her national identity by being dispersed into other lands in AD 70.

This generation is key in Matt 9-12.This is the fullness of time, the end of the world, the last days, the gospel of Jesus Christ. The harvest time. Crunch time.

Matthew 12 is near the end of the 3 1/2 year ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke gives us a parable that sheds light on these harvest days.

Luke 13:7 6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; (see Isa 5) and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

It is time to gather fruit from the fig tree, the fig tree, always a symbol for national Israel. The plea for probation time is the reason it was not cut down immediately.

Some information that is true of "this generation" that is not true about any other generation. This generation is the fullness of time generation of Galatians 4:4, the last days generation, the end of the world generation of Hebrews 1:1-2;9:26. It is harvest time. The fields are ripe.The field did not get harvested because there were not enough laborers. God was greatly offended about that and said several things about this generation.Following is what Matthew recorded that he said;

The discernment of John the Baptist at the beginning
Matt 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Matt 11:16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said this generation had more responsibility than any other generation of men thus far and would be judged harder;

20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:

So much for the Reformed doctrines of total inability and God creating someone without the capacity to repent!

21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

There is not a Reformed believer alive today that believes what Jesus said in those verses because one cannot believe Reformed doctrine and believe Jesus words at the same time.

Matt 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.


Matt 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:


Matt 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.


Matt 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Just WOW!

This is just some of the things Jesus said of his own generation at harvest time when they would not believe in him and receive him as their Messiah.

In my next post I will show what the devil had to do with it and how this was the end of opportunity for this generation.

 

Matt 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Matt 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Matt 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Acts 3:22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
Matt 19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matt 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Lk 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
Lk 10:10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, 11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. ....16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. 17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Matt 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

Matt 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

The point of my quoting all these verses is to show that Jesus Christ really did come to Israel to establish his kingdom. However, the stronghold of Satan was his people. The house here is the "house of Israel." From the verses above one can see that in order for the Spirit of God to indwell the house, Satan must be cast out and his ministry of the kingdom of God was involved with casting him out of the people. Matthew chapters 9-12 is critical in understanding the developments through the rest of time and the scriptures.This is the fulness of time for Israel. It is the end of the world. It is the last days. It is harvest time. It is the generation that is given the responsibility to be saved. It is the time when our Lord Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law and the prophets. It is no wonder that he pronounced woes on the cities of Israel to which he sent his 12 apostles, then the seventy others, and then he went to himself. In order for Israel to be saved they must be saved collectively. They must choose him before God would choose them. He had prepared them for the Spirit of God by casting out Satan. Because they rejected him and took counsel to destroy him, the devil that he had cast out went and got 7 other devils more wicked than he and moved back in to the house that had been cleaned and the last end of that man was worse than the first.

Matt 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;


The "man" is the collective son of God, Israel after the flesh, who must be born again before he can enter into the kingdom of God.The kingdom of heaven is a worldwide kingdom of born again subjects and Jesus Christ is the King. This "man" will be in the image of Jesus Christ when he finally does establish his kingdom through Israel in the future "world to come." These Christ rejecters of Matt 12 will not be in it.

Matt 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

It is obvious that the rulers of the Jews in Matt 12 are not going to receive Jesus Christ. Any idea that the Spirit of God can regenerate them is gone for now. Therefore we have these words concerning an interim time.

Matt 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
16 And charged them that they should not make him known:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

These verses above is a prophecy of the world we are living in now. It is the time of the Spirit of Christ ministering in the world and not the physical Jesus. This world will begin to be explained in the next chapter when a new growing season is planted. The Spirit does not cry in the street. He does not break reeds or quench smoking flax. He is not seen but he is everywhere present.


Because of Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ in the end of the world he is dealing with "the remnant" that is described in Rom 11. This is where we as gentiles get in on the blessing. However, do not let anyone deceive you. This present world and the characteristics of it does in no wise negate the promise to Israel of a literal physical kingdom on earth over and through God's people Israel with Jesus Christ reigning over the whole world as King.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

In the first 12 chapters of Matthew when Jesus was preaching the kingdom of heaven is at hand, he had his kingdom structured after the OT model

Moses = Jesus Christ
12 Heads over twelve tribes of Israel = 12 Apostles
70 others = 70 Elders of Israel.

 

Matt 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

A lesson in house building.
Moses built this house in the sense that the rules of the household were given through him. It was the "Law", often called the law of Moses. The house rules were changed by Jesus Christ and his law is referred to as "the law of the Spirit of Life" in Romans 8:2. Moses house had rules from without working inward and the house that Jesus is building has rules from within working outward. A house is a family.

Following is what our Lord Jesus Christ had in mind for the house of Israel when he cast all the devils out and prepared the house for the Spirit of God.This was taken off the table during the confrontation of Matt 12. It certainly was not possible after the elders of Israel began to plot to destroy him through whom the Spirit would come.

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. One should read and compare 2 Corinthians 3 here.

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Our Lord said he would save the whole house but they would not believe. That is what I have quoted that he said. So much for the idea that a man does not have a will that effects his time & eternity. So, now we have the remnant doctrine because there were a few of Israel who did believe. There were not enough of them to build his house so he added gentiles later so his house will be full.

Heb 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (of his generation)
7 Wherefore

(as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest)

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Here are some interesting time lines.
30 Years from the birth of Christ to the beginning of his ministry.
40 years from the resurrection to the dispersion of Judah and the loss of national identity
40 years from birth of Christ to the Spirit given to gentiles in Acts 10.
30 years from inclusion of gentiles in Acts 10 to the dispersion
10 years from resurrection to inclusion of gentiles in Acts 10.
10 years from the beginning of ministry of Jesus Christ to rejection of the Spirit by Israel in Acts 7.
70 years from coming of Christ to dispersion of Judah.

Salvation is of the Jews, even today.

 

MATT 13:1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables,

The words of scriptures are precise. This is the record of God. He had been speaking of the house he had cleansed of devils. Now he goes out of it. It is left desolate and devils would once again inhabit it.

After the showdown with Satan and his children, the Jewish rulers, Jesus changed course as far as the kingdom of heaven was concerned. The remnant doctrine would now come into play and he would not preach anymore that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He would preach to individual Jews and establish a family relationship with those who would believe in him.Here is what he said;

Matt 12:46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

History shows us that only a few of that nation believed in Jesus Christ and were saved. In AD 58, twenty eight years after these words above Paul would write the following;

Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. If you read the context of these words you will find they are in the context of the physical seed of Abraham who are Jews.

Now, in Matt 13, Jesus is not speaking to the representatives of the Jewish nation, he is not speaking from a synagogue, he is speaking to the "multitude" from a ship in the sea. This is very symbolic.He is beginning here to build his house and he speaks in a very different way than from how he spoke before. He would get a complaint about this from the Jewsih rulers later. Read it here;


Jn 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

When Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of heaven to the Jews during most of his earthly ministry it was not in parables. The reason I know this is because of what took place in Matt 13 and the reaction of his long time disciples. Here is what he said to the multitude in his first sermon after the Jews counselled to destroy him.and the reaction of the disciples;

2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The wonder of the disciples;

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

This question suggests that speaking in parables was not his previous MO. This is something new and different.

This would be his continuing MO from this point on.

Matt 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

This was a fulfillment of an OT prophecy concerning him;

35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

The things he will reveal now cannot be found in the OT.They have been kept secret and requires a revelation from God for someone to know them. They are purposely hidden from the worldly wise and prudent who cannot bow their knee to Jesus Christ our Lord. In particular, they are hidden from those who were to be the laborers in the harvest and refused, the rulers of Israel. That is what we are told;

Matt 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Jesus Christ did not put their failure to believe on God the Father like the Reformed does. He put the blame squarely on Israel. They closed their eyes so they would not see and understand. They closed their ears so they would not hear. Because our omniscient Lord Jesus said that had they not done that then they would have been converted.So, now, because they missed their opportunity, they will not have another and truth would be hidden from them and the same delay of entering into rest (salvation) for that nation of 40 years that happened to Moses generation would be true of this generation. These men would die unsaved and would not enter into "the world to come." They are doomed!

16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time (the end of the day Gal 4:4) to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.(He came to fullfill the law and the prophets)
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Beginning at Matt 13 we have the movement of God in preparing and building the house of the Lord through conversions of the Jewish remnant, first in Jerusalem where the devil was in full operation and took away the seed immediately. Then in Judah, where the soil was a little better but not good. Then in Samaria where Philip had a great preaching tour but don't seem to be mentioned any more. Finally, to the gentiles all over the world where the gospel is still being preached at this very day.

One thing is sure, Matthew 13 does not teach that God has pre-chosen any person to be saved but there is plenty of warning that one must believe in Christ and be converted when it is his time to be saved. This is our time and I encourage everyone who is deceived by false religion to seek God and bow the knee to Christ while there is time.

 

Matt 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Lk 19:1414 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.(AD 30)

Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.(AD 58)

The Remnant
Matt12:46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

The kingdom was at hand in the fullness of time, in the last days of the end of the world when God sent his son to fullfill all things written in the law and the prophets, which was at the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ when he was introduced with great fanfare to Israel. In Matthew 12 his people are hatching a plot to kill him in order to keep him from taking his throne. Logic says that the kingdom is off the table if both the king and his subjects must agree to his rule. But, what about the few who did agree? Would there be a kingdom for them? The answer is yes, the kingdom would be established in a different form. The invisible king would rule in the heart as Lord through the Spirit, not only over the remnant of Israel but to everyone who would bow the knee to him and confess that he is Lord.

Whereas the OT prophets told of an outward and splendid and glorious kingdom with Jesus ruling over Israel and the world from Jerusalem in perfect peace and righteousness, the kingdom that Jesus preached was at hand, where the servants were bidden but would not come, that glorious kingdom would not now be realized but a kingdom would be established through the remnant that did not have prophecies in the OT by the prophets there. It would be the mystery kingdom and our Lord would describe it through the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" parables that were designed to keep those who refused his kingdom from understanding and being saved. That is what is plainly said;

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

The fullness of time still came. It was still the end of the world. It was still the last days of the end of the world. The harvest time had come but at the end of Matt 12 it had passed. It was evening when no man can work. The devils had been cast out but the Spirit did not enter in. The devils came back and entered into the house. The new kingdom message would engulf the whole world and the seven parables of Matthew 13 would describe the whole world from the beginning in Acts 1 to the end when he describes the harvest of that world.

Now, The Lord Jesus knows all about sowing and reaping. He knows one does not sow in the evening or at harvest time. For 12 chapters Matthew had been speaking of a harvest. Now he speaks of sowing in the field and he describes the sower, the seed, and the field. He says point blank that the field is the world (kosmos). He says in these parables that the word of God is the seed.He says the field has four types of soil. He describes outward circumstances that effects the growth of the seed.

No one should doubt that the first part of the field is Jerusalem, not only because that is the first place for the preaching of the word after the Spirit was given, but because our Lord Jesus Christ had already described the hardness of the hearts of the Jewish rulers whose seat was in Jerusalem. Satan, the father of these men according to Jesus Christ, still inspired these men and they had not changed their minds and proved the truth of Jesus words as being murders by putting him to death and later by killing Stephen. No one with a logical mind would think the word would flourish in Jerusalem.

Matthew 13 is a great transition chapter in the scriptures.It describes the mystery form of the kingdom in the world (age) we are living in now. There are 7 parables, the first obviously about the sowing and the last about the reaping. The whole world is described in this chapter. Together, there are a total of 12 kingdom of heaven parables in scripture. The number 7 is God's number for complete things and the number 12 is his number for his perfect government. One can read all the parables in Matt 13 and find that this world does not end any better than the previous one. There is a lot to burn up in the tribulation fires at the end of the world.

The reformed will not be able to believe these things because they have been taught that men are responsible to God without the will to obey him. This is illogical and it does not fit the truths that I have been bringing out in my posts. I would like for the Reformed believers to consider these things in the context of the kingdom of God and the wonderful salvation provided by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died on Calvary and was raised from the dead.

Mark 12:And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.

5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.'

8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

(Over a million Jews died in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 when their national identity was taken away; the church of God is a gentile church see Eph 2:20-22).

10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

I have more to say about this later.

 

Matt 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this (John the Baptist) is Elias, which was for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Ga 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

One must remember and accept the fact that Jesus Christ came to Israel to fulfill all the law and the prophets. He came in the last days of the end of the world and he spoke to the Hebrews about a great salvation. That is not conjecture on my part. It is clearly stated in the scriptures. He did not speak to the gentiles or any other people nor did he send his disciples to speak to any other people. God had been speaking to this people in divers manners by the prophets and all the speaking he did was through them for the previous 2000 years.

He had never spoken to any other nation or any other people. He had made no covenant promises to any other nation.No nation except Israel was ever required to keep the Law of Moses, which contained the moral law, the ten commandments.Therefore, the end of the world in this context is not aimed at anyone except Israel.It is the end of the age that required them to keep the law of Moses and approach God through animal sacrifices. The once for all time eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross brought those things to an end. Now, they must not bring the efforts of their own hands but they must now trust in the sacrifice that God made for them, his own son, Jesus Christ when he hung on the cross and shed his blood. This blood would wash away their sins, both nationally and individually and Christ would reign in each heart by his eternal Spirit he has given to indwell each of them. Israel would be the temple of God collectively and a physical temple where they met with God would no longer be needed and Christ would reign over Israel and the world from Jerusalem in his physical bodily presence.

However, the critical time for Israel to believe in Jesus was not after the events of the cross but before them. The preparation for the fulfillment of all the promises hinged on whether they would believe he is the Son of God sent down from above. Our Lord Jesus gave them 4 testimonies of his deity.with the most important one being his miracles that he did in their presence. They were
1) John the Baptist, Jn 5:33
2) The miracles Jn 5:36
3) The Father Jn 5:37
4) The OT scriptures Jn 5:39

In this passage in John, where all these 4 things should have convinced these Jews that Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah who had been promised to them he made this astounding comment about this generation. Read it here and be as incredulous as I am.

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

I am going to post this again because you may not have understood what is said;

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

There is not a Calvinist alive today who will believe that Jesus Christ thought these men had a will and that in spite of the 4 evidences he mentioned that should have convinced them of his person they willed to not come to him.This presumes they had intellect and reason. If a man is able to do all these miracles and even raise dead people to life again then he must be God. This is what Nicodemus thought; Here is his reasoning;

Jn 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.



Let us look at some logic now. If the purpose of God in Christ was to form a spiritual and physical collective who was one with him in all things and through whom he could reign in perfect peace and righteousness because he lived in them and all were in perfect accord with him and with one another, logic tells us this could not come to pass if one side resisted all efforts by planning to kill the other. The key for this to happen was the promise of the indwelling Spirit but before this could take place inherent sin must be taken away because the Spirit cannot dwell where sin is. It takes blood to wash away sin and Jesus Christ was willing to shed his blood for this nation so they could all be saved and the promise of God to them fullfilled.

Well, we know what happened. Israel in a crazy angry mob cried out for his crucifixion. They became his enemies and instead of a nation expecting a spiritual rebirth only a small remnant of that nation trusted him and were born of his Spirit.

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (his life is his Spirit)

While it was always God's intention of saving the world through Christ he now broke off the branches of unbelieving Israel and grafted gentiles in and in this way he was still able to form a temple for the Holy Spirit from the believing remnant of Israel and the believing gentiles. This would be a new entity and would in no way nullify the covenant promises he has made to Israel, his people. This would take place in the future after "the fullness of the gentiles be come in." This new world (age) is described in the parables, from beginning to end, in Matt 13 where it is called "the mystery of the kingdom of heaven" as is defined as a very deceptive age. Paul would call it a present evil age;

Ga 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

Because the gentiles are not in the prophecies of the building of this temple in the OT God raised up a special messenger to gentiles and gave him information about this time by special revelation and he wrote about it in 13 different letters. He said he was a steward of the "mysteries of God." If it had been revealed and written about by the OT prophets it would not have a mystery element.

I am going to wind this post up with these quotes from Paul who wrote Eph in AD 60.

Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past (that would be the time of Ga 4:4) Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

The first gentile got in Christ in AD 40, ten years after the first Jew got in.

18 For through him we both (by context, both Jew and gentile believer) have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye (gentiles as opposed to Jews) are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints (Jewish believers), and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

The building collectively is a temple of God. In 1 Cor 3 each individual member is also a temple of the Spirit. Jews and genytile believers are forming the one temple but they did not begin at the same time.

There are hazards in this world and the Lord tells us about them in Matt 13. I will explain later.

 

Tracking our Lord Jesus in John;

1) Jerusalem - John 2:13 - Jn 3: 21
2) Judea - John 3:21-36
3) Samaria - John 4:1 - 42
4) Galilee of the gentiles - John 4:43-54

Tracking the Holy Spirit in Acts

1) Jerusalem - Acts 2:1 - 7:60
2) Judea - Acts 8:1 - 8:4
3) Samaria - Acts 8: 5: - 8:25
4) The world - Acts 8:26 - Acts 8:39

In the gospels, the last prophet of the world, John the Baptist, called on Israel to repent and be baptized in preparation for the King.
In the Acts, the first prophet of the world, Peter, called on Israel to repent and be baptized in preparation for the Spirit
Baptism, a symbolic act, Israel would be cleansed on the outside and the Lord Jesus Christ would be King corporately "over" them In Jerusalem and they would be cleansed on the inside and Christ would rule individually "in" them in the person of the Holy Ghost..

Isn't that the image of Christ? Clean in the flesh and the Spirit? No sin? The son of God? This is what is meant in Romans 8 where it is said;

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Here is the promise:

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
35 Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name:
36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

If anyone will not allow for God to fulfill his covenant promises to Israel then there is not promise to gentiles because salvation comes through them. Can anyone imagine the loss of the generation that had the privilege of so great salvation only to refuse it and wind up in hell for all eternity? What their refusal did for gentiles is give us the opportunity to fulfill a purpose of God of fashioning a bride from the body of Jesus Christ by stripping unbelieving Israel away from the Olive Tree and grafting us in until he completes the bride. After that, God says, he will cleanse all Israel of a future generation, not just a remnant, and do for her what he intended to do for them in fulness of time when he came. It is a mystery though so don't expect to find it prophesied in the OT. This was given to Paul as one of the mysteries of God and he reports it in Rom 11; Read it here.

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Religious people who teach salvation by infusion will never be able to see these truths and understand why God has reacted to Israel the way he has. God rules over those only who want him to. He gives evidence and testimony of his person and has written 66 books telling of his grace to save sinners because of the sacrifice of his Son. God has chosen to make a way for sinners to be saved but sinners must choose God. This is something that the generation of Israelites we read about in the gospel accounts refused to do My prayer is that men will not be like Israel and refuse this great salvation in favor of a dead religion.

Matthew 13 is about this world (age), front to back,after Israel refused his salvation. I have some things to say about it next.

32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

1 Cor 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; ....

 

Matthew 13 in a pivot point in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The rulers of Israel had accused him of being the arm of Satan and began to plot his death. This was projection because they were guilty of what they accused him of. Israel nationally would not be prepared for the Spirit of God and the outward and physical kingdom of God would not be realized when God sent him from heaven to quicken his people. Jesus had pronounced anathema on these rulers. We know it as the unpardonable sin. He said he would not save them in that world or the world to come. The world to come is a new world (age) It is the age we are in now. Israel's eyes are blinded by the mystery form of the kingdom where only a small remnant of Israel entered in, characterized by the first three parts of the field where the sower sowed his seed. It was the fourth part that produced the harvest and that was the world of gentiles.The house that Jesus is building, the bride the Spirit is forming for the bridegroom is a gentile bride. This is typified in the OT in several places by gentile women who married Jewish men, such as Rahab, Ruth, Tamar, etc, This house framed up on the bedrock of Jesus Christ and built on the foundation of the Jewish apostles and framed in by individual believers from all over the world and in all the years of it's construction would be the habitation of the Spirit of God and would be the arm of the prosecution of his spiritual laws in this world. You have to see this;

Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both (Jew and gentile) unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

(Notice that the reconciliation of the sinner with God and the Jew with the gentile takes place in the body)

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye (gentiles) are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints (Jewish believers), and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

In Matthew 13 Jesus gives us 7 parables that encompasses this entire age that is now about 2000 years old. Each of the parables is the nutshell image of the entire age. The old age ended at "suppertime the marriage feast" etc and certain of the parables in other parts of the scriptures that are not called kingdom of heaven parables will describe it. A temple is where God meets with his people and this is a trinitarian proposition. Jew - gentile - God.

This is a new age and a sowing of seeds is taking place. A growing season is described, and a harvest is anticipated in the future at the end of the world (age).There are still yet ages after this one.Remember, in Hebrews 1:2 Jesus Christ made the ages.



2) 24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

3) 31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

4) 33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

God always divides the number 7 either into 3 / 4 or 4 / 3. He does it here. The first 4 parables was to the multitude and the next 3 are in private to his disciples.

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

5) 44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

6) 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

7) 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

We learn later that this age is a very treacherous and deceptive age. Paul said this about it;

4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

There is a great penalty for getting the gospel wrong;


Ga 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Everyone preaching Jesus Christ had better be sure they have his gospel right. I have more to say about this later.It would be good to look at some of the parables that encapsulates both ages, the one past and the one present, together.

 

MATT 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Four parables to the multitude

1) The parable of the sower
2) The parable of the wheat and tares
3) The parable of the Mustard Tree
4) The parable of a woman and of the leaven in three measures of meal

Information about these 4 parables - A pivot point.

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

One can hear these things by the seaside but you will need to be in the house to learn their meaning because this is where Jesus is teaching them. These are mysteries and they have been hidden up til now in time. This is not the status quo. Jesus is not describing the current situation or things his disciples are familiar with. This is something new at the fullness of time.He is now, in the same day, talking about sowing a crop in the field when he had been talking about harvest time. He had been speaking of the end of an age and now he is speaking about the beginning of one.He had been speaking to the rulers of Israel in the synagogue but then he left there and moved to the sea side and spoke to the multitude, and from there he went into the house and spoke to his disciples (learners).

A side note here; These disciples had a right to be confused and wonder, but we don't today. This was new to them but we have a complete Bible to draw from, two thousand years of history to match up with the revelation, and the Holy Spirit to teach us, if we are saved. There is no excuse for being ignorant.

1 Cor 3:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

God taught these special men the mysteries and they in turn are teaching us in the words of this magnificent Bible that God has given and preserved for us

Eph 2:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Paul is speaking of just one of the mysteries here that he particularly among the apostles has been charged with. Teaching the mystery of Christ, which is the theme of this epistle.That is, how gentiles who have no promises and no covenants previously and therefore no hope are yet included as partakers with the Jews in the collective body of Christ, which God is forming in this age as a temple of the Holy Ghost. Read the first 3 words of the chapter and go back to chapter 1 to read about the cause. God will complete this body soon and then will snatch the bride away according to chapter 1 of Ephesians, - 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: This is speaking of what is commonly referred to as the rapture of the body of Christ, the glorification of the body. Rapture is not a Bible word but the gathering together of those in Christ is and it takes place in what the scriptures refers to as, not the fullness of times, but the dispensation of the fullness of times. God does not use words by accident. They have meaning. The rapture itself is a mystery according to 1 Cor 15:51.Those who do not understand this might not be in the house where Jesus is teaching it.

The description and the characteristics of this present age we are in now is a result of failure of the harvest in the previous age. Here are the mysteries Jesus gave to his disciples in the house.

44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

This treasure is Israel - They have been dispersed for 2000 years among the nations without a homeland or a national identity until 1948. - Psa 135:4 - For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Christ gave his life for the church that is made up of many members, yet is one body.

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

The furnace of fire is the great tribulation that 15 of the prophets of the scriptures describes as "the day of the Lord." It is pictured as a furnace of fire. The angels of God are bundling these tares together in denominations and cult groups even as we speak for a future burning. Look at the tares and wheat. The wheat is gathered into the barn and the tares are bundled before they are burned.

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers (the angels), Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Matt 13:30

This is about this world (age). There are ages to come.

Next, more parables.

 

Matt 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king (God the Father), which made a marriage for his son (the Lord Jesus Christ),
3 And sent forth his servants (the apostles) to call them that were bidden to the wedding (Israel): and they would not come. (Acts 1-7)
4 Again, he sent forth other servants (Stephen and Phillip and the 70 prophets), saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.(James and Stephen etc)
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies (the Romans), and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.(Jerusalem in 70 AD)
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.(the gentile world)
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

Above is proven by history as being 100% accurate.

The fact that both bad and good guests were brought in is consistent with the end of the growing season at harvest time of the parables in Matt 13. It was then when the bad and good were separated by the only one who could do it. The above 10 verses chronicles the things that transpired from the resurrection until this very day. The guests are still being gathered in but the marriage was postponed. God was not blowing smoke about the marriage being ready back in the day. Those who were bidden, which were Israel, just refused to come. We read about it in Acts 2 through 7. After this his servants went to Samaria and then to the gentiles to bid as many as will to come. Our church is supporting over 80 missionaries at this present time and we have sent them all over the world to bid them to come.

11 And when the king came in to see the guests (the gentiles), (the return of Christ) he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, (hell) there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.(the wedding garment is a robe of righteousness which will determined if he chooses you)

These 4 verses above have not been fulfilled as yet, but they will be, and soon I think.


There are not a handful of people today on the earth who believes that God has outlined his prosecution of the history of this age from the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ unto the end of it so meticulously as he has done in the kingdom of heaven parables, but I believe it. God's revelation of himself and his ways are progressively revealed through unfolding events of history.One must compare what God says with what happens. History is one way he verifies his truths.