Zech. 1:18, 19 — “Then lifted I up mine eyes and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
The prophet saw symbolic four horns, and the angel that talked with him made him to understand that these horns were symbolical of the Gentile nations which had scattered Judah (the two-tribe kingdom), and Israel (the ten-tribe kingdom), and also Jerusalem (the capital city of the two-tribe kingdom — Judah). In other words, in the symbol of the four horns, Zechariah saw those Gentile nations which scattered God’s ancient people and destroyed their kingdom.
Zech. 1:20, 21 — “And the Lord shewed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.”
To reiterate the prophet first saw four horns which perfectly symbolize those Gentile nations which scattered God’s people, for horns are used to push and scatter. Afterwards though, he saw four carpenters, thus lending the impression that they have come to build; for that is the business of carpenters. When the prophet saw the carpenters he wanted to know the purpose of their presence. In his answer, the angel first told him that these carpenters are none other than the same four horns (Gentile nations) which had scattered Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem. And these same horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem have now returned as carpenters to cast out the Gentiles and thus free God’s people. It therefore becomes obvious that the four horns which Zechariah first saw point back to the time when Israel and Judah were scattered, and the symbolism of the four carpenters must point forward, to a time years later in our day when God is to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Briefly, then the symbolism of the horns looks back to the destruction of the kingdom, whereas the other, the carpenters, looks forward to the repairing of it.
The question we ought next to consider is whether the fulfillment of the work of the carpenters took place in the time when the Jews returned from Babylon after their 70 years captivity, or whether it refers to some other time; for you remember that the Jews were scattered, and their land was taken, and they went into captivity under Babylon for the 70 years of Jeremiah’s prophecy, after which they returned and the city was rebuilt.
Zechariah says there were four horns which would include all the nations that had a part in scattering God’s ancient people out of the Holy Land. And, moreover, if this prediction met its fulfillment in Nehemiah and Haggai’s time, all the Gentiles should have been driven out forever. But they were not. Besides, the horns were those nations that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem, and now they have returned to free them and repair the kingdom, and in chapter two of Zechariah’s prophecy, God declared that not only would His people’s kingdom be restored, but many nations would join themselves to the Lord. Since both Israel and Judah did not return, and since other nations did not join themselves to the Lord and His people when the Jews returned from Babylon, we cannot say that this prophecy met its fulfillment in the return of the Jews from Babylon, neither did it take place in 1948 to the present time and since this prophecy has never been fulfilled, it must take place some time in the future.
Zechariah 8 confirms God’s ultimate intention;
Zech. 8: 1- 8 — “Again the word of the LORD of hosts came [to me], saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”
The things that we listen to on the News Media in these days, show that these prophecies are soon to be completely fulfilled.
Through it all we see in Zechariah’s prophecy a prediction that one day Gentile nations would be engaged in rebuilding the Israelitish kingdom in Palestine that was once destroyed. We see also that there is to be a world war in which Gentiles outside of Palestine and the Gentiles within will be involved. In that war God’s faithful multinational people, Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, are to be delivered and made free and the kingdom will be rebuilt. That is as plain as anything we have ever seen.
In Luke 21: 24 we find these words of JESUS referring to the destruction of Jerusalem Rome : “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
Now observe this ; Romans 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 fullness of the Gentiles be come in (read further- Romans 11;1-26).
Clearly ancient Israel stumbled so that time could be allowed for God to engraft the wild olive branch (the gentiles) into the chosen olive root (the seed of Jacob) This grafting period for the gentile is now coming to its end and it is time for Jerusalem to be restored to it’s intended glory, but not through the unbelieving Jews that now occupy the land. In God’s eyes they are just gentiles that need to vacate the land.
IT IS AT THIS TIME WHEN GOD INTENDS TO RESTORE JERUSALEM THAT ALL THESE GENTILE ELEMENTS ARE WARING TO CONTROL IT.
God is about to rise up and manifest his mighty power to the nations. All the parts of the puzzle are coming together.
It is at the time Zechariah’s prophecy is fulfilled — when the four carpenters drive out the Gentiles — that Jerusalem shall no more be trodden by the Gentiles, for their time to occupy the Holy Land shall be brought to its end.
Let us now go to Zechariah chapter 14 for further light on this conflict in the Promised Land.
Zech. 14:1-3 — “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battle.”
Here is brought to view a war in Jerusalem in which all nations will be involved. In this war Jerusalem is defeated and ravished. We notice too, that a faithful remnant will be spared. Verse 3 then states that after the apparent victory of the nations that fought against Jerusalem, the Lord Himself will fight against those nations.
The destruction of Jerusalem here described in Zechariah 14, cannot be referring to the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, nor Titus of Rome in AD 70, because at no time in the past to the present have the inhabitants of Jerusalem ever dwelt safely. After this war, men will dwell peacefully in the Holy Land. Zechariah is here saying that, just prior to the long looked for restoration of Jerusalem there is to be a major World War about the Holy Land.
Verses 12 and 13 explains how God will miraculously fight against these nations.
Zech. 14:12, 13 — “And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.”
Zech 14: 11 says: And [men] shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
We see here that a flesh consuming plague from the Lord will fall upon these warring factions in the Holy Land and to compound their calamity a tumult of confusion from the Lord shall be among them and they shall slay their own men, similar to the victory of Gideon and his 300 men army. (Judges 7: 11-116)
The cry and search for peace in the Mideast between Jews and Arabs at this time, cannot, and will not be found. In fact, the tensions will worsen until it evolves into a World War. A war in which there will be no winner among the nations.
WAR NO MORE, WHEN?
Joel 3: 9- 17 – “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I [am] strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness [is] great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD [is] near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining . The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD [will be] the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I [am] the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.”
This says it all. The nations are girding themselves for war. The weak countries are challenging the super powers even at the sacrifice of food for weapons. (turning their plowshares into spears). This distress of the nations will bring such fear, instability and financial insecurity that many souls will be brought into the valley of decision concerning their soul’s salvation. Only thus could the spiritual harvest be ripened and the Lord puts in His sickle and gathers in a great harvest of souls. The present distress of nations is a part of the plan of God to bring multitudes to the saving knowledge of God. What a mighty God we serve. Get ready, get ready, surrender your souls to God, He is even at the door. Isaiah 2 verses 2 – 4 describes these warring nations turning to God after the war.
Observe this wonderful arrangement of the Word of God. After the Lord clears the land of the belligerent forces, He miraculously restores the land (see Eze. 36:34-36), and Jerusalem becomes a city of truth. (Zechariah 8:2). It will then become the Mecca of the day for the Jews, Christians, Muslims etc. etc. The new converts to God’s Kingdom church will turn their weapons of war into farming tools whereas before the restoration they were turning their farming tools into weapons.
Isa. 2:2-4 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
God is soon to exalt His mountain (His church) above all powers on earth and nations will eventually turn to God and learn war no more. Better days are ahead of us. This same truth is repeated in Micah 4:2-4. This is God’s Agenda.
To the newly restored land of Israel the nations who come to seek the Lord will bring their wealth. (See Isaiah 60:5; Zechariah 14:14). Not all nations will be drawn to this spectacular event transpiring in Palestine. They too, will be rewarded accordingly.
Zechariah 14:17 – “And it shall be, [that] whoso will not come up of [all] the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.”
PEACE AT LAST IN THE HOLY LAND –THE RESTORATION OF JERUSALEM
Zeph 3:13 — “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”
At what time will the remnant lie down safely and none shall make them afraid? Let us read Hosea 2: 15 & 18.
Hosea 2:15, 18 — “And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt….. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.”
We see here, that after God gives the “Valley of Achor” (Joshua 7:26) as a door of hope for his church, then he makes a covenant of peace with man and beast and allows them to lie down safely. The Valley of Achor is just another way of expressing the Purification of the Church, or, the slaughter of Ezekiel 9.
Jer. 23:5-8 — “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.”
This is one of the text used by the Jews in teaching that when the Messiah comes He would reign as King and deliver them from Roman bondage enabling them to live in peace in the Land of Palestine. Let us examine the following text of Scripture again.
Acts 1:3, 6, 7. — “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking things pertaining to the kingdom of God:… When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”
We see here that even after the resurrection, the disciples were still not too clear about this issue of the restoration of Jerusalem. When they asked Jesus when will He restore the Kingdom of Israel, Jesus did not tell them that they were misinterpreting the Scriptures. He simply said He cannot tell them the time because only the Father knows. They did not know that the Jews had to be scattered among the Gentile nations just as the other ten tribes, before they were to be united and become one nation again. They did not understand that Jerusalem was to be trodden underfoot for another 2000 years until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Luke 21:24). Now the time has come for the Lord to “…perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.” Micah 7:20. God’s church today, instead of longing for, and praying for the Kingdom are relentlessly opposing it. Day by day even through the upheavals in the Middle East, the Lord is making it known that the time has come for the “Lord’s Prayer,” to be answered “Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.”
“The disciples of Christ were looking for the immediate coming of the kingdom of His glory, but in giving them this prayer Jesus taught that the kingdom was not then to be established. They were to pray for its coming as an event yet future. But this petition was also an assurance to them. While they were not to behold the coming of the kingdom in their day, the fact that Jesus bade them pray for it is evidence that in God’s own time it will surely come.” – Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 107.3
What is the time projected, when this King shall reign and Israel shall dwell safely?
Hosea 3:4, 5 — “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.”
Note that the time of the reigning of this king when Israel shall dwell safely is in the latter days. This is surely an unfamiliar thought, but remember what we have been admonished. “New meaning will flash from familiar text.”
Eze. 34:13, 25, 28 — “And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.”
Jeremiah 31: 7- 10 — “For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, [and] with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim [is] my firstborn. Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare [it] in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd [doth] his flock.”
The unbelieving Jews from all over the world who have been migrating to Israel since 1948 think that they are fulfilling these prophecies, but unfortunately they have never been able to lie down safely. This promise is for God’s Christian believing saints – Jews and Gentiles still scattered throughout the whole world. Strange it may sound, just keep reading prayerfully, and it will get clearer and clearer. Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good.
THE ENSIGN
Isaiah 11: 1- 5 — “And there shall come forth a rod out of the steam of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And 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; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”
In this illustration there are three persons brought to view: Jesse (the father of David), the rod (David), and the Branch (Christ). The relationship shows that David (the rod) is not Christ (the Branch), for the “rod” sprang from the stem of Jesse, and the Branch from the rod–a fact which is born out in the cry of the multitude when Christ entered Jerusalem. They shouted: “Hosannah to the son of David.” Matt. 21: 15. Plainly, therefore, the “rod,” coming from the stem of Jesse, is symbolical of David; and the Branch, coming from the rod, is symbolical of the Son of David–Christ.
So though the “ensign” emblematizes the connection of three persons (Jesse, the root; David, the rod; and Christ, the Branch), yet the power and wisdom of Christ is its underlying and controlling force. Wherefore says Christ: “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” (Rev. 22:16), bearing out that He is all and in all.”
No one will deny that verses 1- 5 is a prediction of Christ’s first advent. To connect with the many verses we have previously quoted concerning the peace of Jerusalem, let us continue by reading verses 6- 9.
Isa. 11:6-9 — “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
These verses do sound like the expected peace and tranquility in the earth made new. But after the saints have lived 1,000 years in Heaven, would we expect to have suckling children in the earth made new when there will be no births there?
“There are men today who express their belief that there will be marriages and births in the new earth; but those who believe the Scriptures cannot accept such doctrines. The doctrine that children will be born in the new earth is not a part of the “sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19). The words of Christ are too plain to be misunderstood.” 1 Selected Messages, pg. 172.
With the present controversy over who controls Jerusalem, the world’s attention is now being drawn to the Holy Land. This is the Lord’s doing. This is just a prelude to what the Lord is about to do to bring back his remnant people from the four corners of the earth back to the land of their forefathers.
Furthermore, Isaiah 11: 10 says; “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.”
It is God’s intention to use this peaceful Edenic situation in the promised land to be an ensign to the nations who will in turn seek this ensign and find rest therein; [in probationary time]. This then could not apply to the earth made new. If we continue to read the rest of the chapter, it will be seen that the whole chapter is to be fulfilled before the second return of Christ.
Isa. 11:11-16 “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off, Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.”
These verses need no explanation they mean just what they say. There is to be a second Exodus, not just from Egypt, but from the four corners of the earth. Millions and millions of people will then be brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, but not until God manifest His mighty power in the land where they crucified him and where the gospel started and there bring an end to the controversy as to who owns Jerusalem, and at which time there will be only one EMBASSY there, that of the LORD JESUS CHRIST – THE LORD OUR RIGHTIOUSNESS.
“The language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed.” The Great Controversy, p. 599.
“Among earth’s inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law.” Prophets and Kings, pp. 188, 189.
Let us now return to Jeremiah 23: 2- 8 and see how abundantly clearer this subject becomes.
Jer. 23: 2- 8 — “And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.”
Can we now see what is God’s plan for the remnant in these last days? Let us listen to the God of Heaven reiterate this most vital point.
Jer. 16:13-15 — “Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, the Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.”
Zech. 8: 20-23 — “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”
These promises are not for the unbelieving ZIONISTS that have been returning to Palestine. They have never been able to dwell safely since 1948. It is logical to conclude that the ten men who take hold of all the languages of the nations in the time of this great ingathering are figurative of a group of people (the church freed from tares in the harvest time), just as the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1) are figurative of the church while the tares are still commingled with wheat. The ten servants (Luke 19:13), and the ten horns (Rev. 12:3, 17:3) are numbers of universality. These ten men will speak all the languages as did the Apostles on the Pentecost.
Why should God speak so much about the restoration and yet not bring it to pass?
This is the clearest Bible doctrine and is least spoken of. It was so clear to the disciples and in eager anticipation they could not contain themselves, they could not but ask;
Acts 1: 6, 7 – “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”
For two millenniums Christians have been repeating the Lord’s prayer, not knowing what they are praying about. Please give keen attention to the following statement:
“Thy kingdom come.” – Matthew 6:10
1 Peter 3: 9 – “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness.”
PLEASE UNDERSTAND BRETHREN GOD CANNOT LIE!
Mark 13: 30- 31 – “Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
Micah 7:18 – 20 – “Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth [in] mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”
What did God swear to Abraham?
Psalm 105:8-11 “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word [which] he commanded to a thousand generations. Which [covenant] he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, [and] to Israel [for] an everlasting covenant: Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.”
Genesis 15: 18 – “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”
We now see that this Promised Land extends from the river Euphrates to the River of Egypt in the Sinai Peninsula which takes in part of Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and a part of Saudi Arabia.
Strange enough only a hand full of people amidst the multitude of theologians understand these prophecies.
Amos 3: 7 –“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
Luke 10: 21 – “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.”
Let us now quote from the Spirit of Prophecy for a splendid vision of the future evangelistic crusade.
“It is with an earnest longing that I look forward to the time when the events of the day of Pentecost shall be repeated with even greater power than on that occasion, John says, (Revelation 18:1). Then, as at the Pentecostal season, the people will hear the truth spoken to them, every man in his own tongue.” Review and Herald, July 20, 1886.
“There is nothing that Satan fears so much as that the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so that the Lord can pour out His Spirit upon a languishing church and an impenitent congregation. If Satan had his way, there would never be another awakening, great or small, to the end of the time. But we are not ignorant of his devises. It is possible to resist his power. When the way is prepared for the Spirit of God the blessing will come.” Review and Herald, March 22, 1887.
Brethren, this is God’s plan. A great multitude of souls that no one can number from all nations, kindreds and tongues and people just prior to His coming will be saved. 20 million SDAs world wide today is nothing in comparison to he amount God is about to bring into church.
ALL ROADS SOON WILL LEAD TO THE HOLY LAND
Isa. 66: 16 – 20 – “For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one [tree] in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD. For I [know] their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, [to] Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, [to] Tubal, and Javan, [to] the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And they shall bring all your brethren [for] an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.”
Note that after the Lord cleanses His church, (see also Mal. 3:1-4, Isa. 7 : 1-4) those who escape or survive this Judgment of the Living (see GC 483 – 490) — the 144,000 first fruits servants of God, they will be sent as missionaries to all nations to gather the faithful remnant and take them to the Holy Land. This is the time of the LOUD CRY of the Third Angel’s Message. We anticipate that during this time they will be in operation like Philip and the eunuch.
Acts 8:37 – 39 – “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”
Our sons and daughters in the faith shall come as a storm by air and by sea. They shall come because the Lord will glorify all His people. The call, “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4), shall indeed along with the wealth of the Gentiles bring out “a great multitude which no man can number.” (Rev. 7:9).
“The great work of the Gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close.” The Great Controversy, pp. 611, 612.
The 144,000 being sealed, will be immune to death during this international glorification of the saving grace of God.
“The living saints, 144,000, in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake. When God spake the time, He poured on us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God as Moses’ did when he came down from Mount Sinai. {RH July 21, 1851, Art. B, par. 2}
“The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus’ new name. At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us into prison, when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they would fall helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan knew that God had loved us who could wash one another’s feet and salute the brethren with a holy kiss, and they worshiped at our feet.” – Early Writings p. 15
My dear brethren, God is here declaring that the gospel of the Kingdom is to close at the very same place where it began – in the land of Palestine.
“Different periods in the history of the church have each been marked by the development of some special truth, adapted to the necessities of God’s people at that time. Every new truth has made its way against hatred and opposition; those who were blessed with its light were tempted and tried. The Lord gives a special truth for the people in an emergency. Who dare refuse to publish it? He commands His servants to present the last invitation of mercy to the world. They cannot remain silent, except at the peril of their souls. Christ’s ambassadors have nothing to do with consequences. They must perform their duty and leave results with God.” The Great Controversy pg. 609-610.
Many have claimed that all these promises of the restoration of Israel were conditional upon their obedience. Since Israel failed in their commitment of obedience to God, He has forsaken these promises. Why don’t we hear from God Himself concerning this matter.
UNCONDITIONAL PROMISES
Jer. 31: 7- 10, 35- 37 — “For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
“Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. Thus said 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: 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. Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord.”
Do we need a clearer declaration that God will not disannul His promise of the restoration of Jerusalem because of ancient Israel’s misdeeds. There has just been a delay so that the Gentiles could be grafted in and share in the promised blessings.
“That which God purposed to do for the world through Israel, the chosen nation, He will finally accomplish through His church on earth today.” Prophets & Kings, p. 713.
Romans 11: 24- 28 — “For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 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. 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: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.”
Hosea 1:10 — “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.”
Romans 10: 11, 12 — “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.”
How privileged are we, and how glad ought we to be living when these long anticipated prophecies are to be fulfilled, and to have the grand privilege in partaking of this glory.
Let us examine further evidences:
Eze. 36: 16-23 — “Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them,
These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”
WHERE WILL GOD DO THIS?
Eze. 36:24 — “For I will take you from the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.”
Ezekiel makes it clear that for God to sanctify His Great Name, He must gather His faithful people from the four corners of the earth, take them back to the Promised Land and from there the final call will be made to mankind to return to God. Instead of bringing this world to an abrupt end, Gods’ intension is to sanctify His Great Name that has been profaned (disgraced) among the heathen. He plans to sanctify His name through the remnant (144,000) before the eyes of the heathen. To do this, He says:
Eze. 36: 25- 27, 33- 35 — “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean, from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statues, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.”
As is stated in Isaiah 11 that the lamb and the lion will be feeding together, Ezekiel 36 is describing the same Edenic condition that will exist only in that part of the world when the Lord makes Jerusalem a city of praise.
Unfamiliar as these things may sound, that is the plan of the Lord. These verses need no interpretation or explanation, they mean just what they say.
Counsels to Writers & Editors pg. 37 tells us that we will have many lessons to learn and many many things to unlearn. “We have many lessons to learn, and many, many to unlearn. God and heaven alone are infallible. Those who think that they will never have to give up a cherished view, never have occasion to change an opinion, will be disappointed. As long as we hold to our own ideas and opinions with determined persistency, we cannot have the unity for which Christ prayed.”
Isaiah 11 said the lion will be eating straw like the ox. Ezekiel 36 is now saying that the land of Palestine will miraculously become like the Garden of Eden.
To show that all this takes place in probationary time let us take a look at the following verses of the same chapter.
Eze. 36:36-38 — “Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the Lord.”
Before God brings this world to an end, He will let the heathen acknowledge that He is God. To do this he will manifest a little of His creative powers to defy the evolutionists who have taken over the world. Notice also that when this Edenic state is recreated, probation is not yet closed. It will be the time for the Ingathering of the Great Multitude. All God’s people will be protected and fed when the seven last plagues will be falling. Why do you think that when the 6th plague begins to fall that all the great men are being gathered at Armageddon to fight? The Spirit of Prophecy says that the wicked will blame the saints for the plagues that are falling on them.
GOG AND MAGOG
The nations that shall refuse to be converted to the Lord (Gog and Magog) will become jealous of the saints and shall marshal their forces together to launch an aerial attack (as a cloud) upon the newly established Kingdom, but little will they know that the saints have an invisible impenetrable protection.
Eze. 38:8, 11, 12, 14, 16 — “After many days thou shall be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Therefore, son of man, prophecy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.”
We notice here that when the saints shall have returned to the Holy Land there will be wicked men who will want to launch an aerial attack (as a cloud) upon the place, not knowing that the saints will be under divine protection.
Isa. 31: 5 “As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.”
Zech. 2: 4, 5 “And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”
Further Proof Of The Peaceful Restoration: At the time that these rebellious nations choose to attack the restored Kingdom, God will manifest His power in a way that it will be felt world wide. This will bring us to the time of the plagues just prior to the saints being taken to heaven to spend the millennium (1000 years) with the Lord.
Ezekiel 38: 18- 23 — “And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, [that] my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy [and] in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that [are] upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that [are] with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.”
We notice again that the Lord’s weapon against His enemies is to let them kill themselves as was seen in Gideon’s case and the forthcoming war in Jerusalem. Manifestly clear, He allows all these things to take place, so that the nations can acknowledge that He is the Creator and Redeemer. Wonderful indeed is God’s plan to finally glorify His name. No doubt you may be concluding that these are strange unpopular doctrines. The good news is that it is written in the Holy Scriptures. If we are wrong on these Scriptures, please give us a better explanation.
This is clearly a panoramic view of how the world will end and this is a physical account. Let us now read the events of the 6th and 7th plagues.
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [and] so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, [every stone] about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great”. Rev. 16:12-21
Here we have similar account of how the world will end. So we can safely conclude that the final show down will be in the HOLY LAND. It can be seen that the fate of Gog and Magog is basically being illustrated as the same event as the Battle of Armageddon, just prior to the second coming of Christ.
THE QUARTERLY COMMENTS ON THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET
“First, notice just how symbolic the language is here. Spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, the mouth of the false prophet, and the mouth of the beast (references to the powers of Revelation 13; the “false prophet” here must be a reference to the land beast of Revelation 13:11). The great controversy is seen here, too, as the “spirits of demons” (Rev. 16:14, NKJV) go out to battle on the “great day of God Almighty” (Rev. 16:14). In whatever manner Armageddon will unfold, it’s a worldwide conflict between the forces of Christ and Satan.” Sabbath School Lesson page 99, 2nd Quarter 2018.
In the instituting of the MARK OF THE BEAST system, two particular persons will be involved. The man with the No 666 (called THE BEAST) and a man identified as the False Prophet , who will be working miracles under the guise of religion to deceive the nations that Sunday worship (the mark of the beast) is right. The Beast and the False prophet are not the same. This is inferentially mentioned in Rev 13:
Rev. 13:13, 14. “And he (he the False Prophet) doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
19:20, 21 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh”.
Here we see that the Lord has a special punishment for these two individuals who spear headed the mark of the beast system. It is very important to understand this. This comes out even clearer in Rev. 20
“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever”. Rev. 20:7-10
“There is yet much precious truth to be revealed to the people in this time of peril and darkness, but it is Satan’s determined purpose to prevent the light of truth from shining into the hearts of men. If we would have the light that has been provided for us, we should show our desire for it by diligently searching the word of God. Precious truths that have long been in obscurity are to be revealed in a light that will make manifest their sacred worth; for God will glorify His word, that it may appear in a light in which we have never before beheld it.” — Counsels on Sabbath School Work p. 26