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APOLOGETICS

Contending

for the

Faith

Dr. Brian J. Bailey



“Contending for the Faith”

Copyright © by Brian J. Bailey

All Rights Reserved

Printed March 2006

Design of Front Cover:

Copyright © 2006 Brian J. Bailey and his licensors

All Rights Reserved

Printed in the United States of America

All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated.

Printed by:

Zion Christian Publishers

P.O. Box 70Waverly, New York 14892

Phone: 607-565-2801

Fax: 607-565-3329

www.zionfellowship.org

ISBN 1-59665-031-1



Acknowledgements

Editorial team: Carla Borges, Mary Humphreys, David Kropf,

Justin Kropf, Caroline Tham, Paul Tham, David Wallis, and

Suzanne Ying.

We wish to extend our thanks to these dear ones for without

their many hours of invaluable assistance, this book wouldnot have been possible. We are truly grateful for their

diligence, creativity, and excellence in the compilation of this

book for the glory of God.





Contents

Preface

Introduction 9

1 Contending for the Faith 13

2 The Authenticity of the Bible 19

3 Inspired Prophecies of Jesus the Christ 494 Inspired Prophecies Concerning Israel 71

5 The Teachings of Moses 91

6 The Teachings of the Prophets 97

7 The Teachings of Jesus 107

8 The Teachings of the Apostle Paul 121

9 The Teachings of Other Notable Apostles 129

10 The Second Coming of Jesus Christ 137

11 The Preparation of the Saints 145

12 Eternal Judgment – Heaven 149

13 Eternal Judgment – Hell 155

Epilogue 165





PREFACE

In examining many other religions in this world, I have found

that most recognise Jesus Christ as a good man or as a prophet.

The difference between Christianity and all other religions is

that we recognise Him as the Son of God and the Saviour of

the world.

Thus the key to discussing our faith with others centres on

the fact that we need to convince others of the deity of Jesus

of Nazareth, and then lead them to accept Him as their own

personal Saviour. To this end is this little book written. It is

the very same reason John wrote his gospel,“…that ye might

believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that

believing, ye might have life through his name” (Jn. 20:31).





9

INTRODUCTION

Vision

Contending for the Faith was birthed by a vision of the End

Times where I saw a young Christian woman verbally enticed

by other women who were of the Muslim persuasion to

apostatise and convert to Islam. So strong was the spirit

emanating from this group of women (who appeared to be

Persian) that this girl in the vision was overcome with their

arguments. Sadly, she did indeed deny the Christian way of

life, and became a Muslim.

Was this just an isolated vision? No, afterwards I was informed

by others that they too have had similar spiritual warnings

always directed towards women. It was a vision that was

confirmed again and again.

Regretfully, I have met notable Christian leaders with tragic

tales to tell of women missionaries in Islamic nations who

have even divorced their husbands to become converts to

Islam. To bring it even closer to home, a girl whom I had

personally dedicated soon after her birth, in later years, left

her husband and followed an Arab of Islamic persuasion to

live with him.

After these experiences, the burden to write this book becameso intense. The purpose of this book is that in reading it,

Christians will realise that the Bible is God’s Book and that

the Lord Jesus Christ alone is the Way, the Truth, and the



10 Contending for the Faith

Life, and that no man comes to the Father but by Him. He is

the Door, and if any man enters in, he shall be saved. Excepta man be born again (which occurs when one asks the Lord

to come into his heart), he cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven.

Therefore, I solemnly plead with you, dear reader, not to

neglect the reading of His Word. Furthermore, I exhort you to

encourage others to so do. I urge you to pass this book on to

others, with the hope that it will also prove to be a blessing to

them, and keep them on the straight and narrow path of the

just until the very end.

This book shows us how to contend with others for the Faith

that was once delivered to the saints and by which and for

which they have fought a good fight, turning many into the

paths of righteousness. May you, too, be a valiant soldier of

Christ, putting the enemy to flight, prying many from Satan’s

deceiving ways and subtle ruses.

One must never forget when presenting the Gospel of the

Lordship of Christ that we cannot convince people without

the action of the Holy Spirit. It is He who convicts of sin,

righteousness, and judgment (Jn. 16:8). The Holy Spirit guides

into all truth and glorifies Jesus. Therefore, we must not strive,

but be gentle unto all men, “in meekness instructing those

that oppose themselves,” for we are our own worst enemy

(2 Tim. 2:24-25).

It is God who gives repentance to the acknowledging of the

truth, for it is the wicked works that a man has committed



11 Introduction

that alienate his mind from the truth (Col. 1:21). Therefore,

God’s gift of repentance is essential to understanding theGospel of Truth.

We can only know who Jesus is by revelation. This is clearly

shown by the Lord Himself when He asked His disciples,

“Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said,

Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah; and

others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them,

But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and

said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And

Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon

Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,

but my Father which is in heaven” (Mt. 16:13-17).

All religions that deny the deity of Christ are not of God.

Moreover their followers are deluded and are walking in

darkness. They are controlled by evil spirits and are without

hope. All that they do is in vain, for they teach the traditions

of men.

Let us make it very clear; Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the

way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.” There is but one way to enter

heaven’s gates of splendour, and that is

by the way of Jesus. The Apostle Peter

stated plainly in Acts 4:12, “Neither isthere salvation in any other: for there is

none other name under heaven given

among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Do not

neglect the

reading of

His Word!




Specifically, we are told in Jeremiah 10:2 that we are not to

learn the ways of the heathen. Learning the tenets of other religions is not helpful; it is actually dangerous to the faith of

a believer.

The Apostle Paul stated clearly in 1 Timothy 1:4-6 that we

are not to “give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which

minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in

faith: so do…” Rather, we are to hold the faith and a good

conscience, which “some having put away concerning faith

have made shipwreck” (1 Tim. 1:19).

I have known of many missionaries who have diligently studied

the heathen religion of the land of their calling. The result has

been that a number have actually lost their faith, whilst others

have experienced a dullness of spiritual perception and

revelation, even when reading their Bibles. Their messages have

lost the anointing and they speak without conviction. They

experience doubts and depression, for they have given heed to

seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (1 Tim. 4:1).

The best defence is attack; the proof of the deity of Christ

that we will now present in the following chapters will be

like a sword piercing the ploys of the enemy. It will cause the

devils who teach such erroneous doctrines to tremble. It will

set every honest heart dancing with joy and expectation, for

they will know the truth of the deity of Christ, which will setthem free (Jn. 8:32).



13

CHAPTER

ONE

Contending for the Faith

As we know, that great Apostle to the Gentiles, the Apostle

Paul, contended much for the faith in the presence of religious

leaders, governors, and kings. His methods and instruction

are therefore of great value to us as we seek to follow in his

footsteps.

Firstly, he warns us in his Ephesian epistle that our battle is

spiritual. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against

principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this world,

and against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12).

We made mention of our vision of those young women being

overcome by the arguments of the Islamic women. Yet it was

not just the arguments—these young women were being

attacked by the very strong spirit of Islam.

In order to fight, we must be equipped; therefore, we have

the admonition to put on the whole armour of God that we

might be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done

all to stand. This is clearly stated in Ephesians 6:13,

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that

ye may be able to withstand in the evil

day, and having done all, to stand.”

We see here the emphasis that theApostle places on standing for he

repeats himself by saying in verse 14,

“Stand therefore…”

In order to

fight, wemust be

equipped.




The Heavenly Armour

Now we have the components of the heavenly armour: “Stand

therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having

on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the

preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield

of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts

of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword

of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:14-17).

Our “loins girt about with truth” —King David declares that

it is the truth of the Word of God that the Lord wishes us to

have in our inward parts (Ps. 51:6), for it is the truth of the

Gospel that sets us free (Jn. 8:32).

Next we have the “breastplate of righteousness.” It was

because of their unrighteousness that the Israelites of old were

given over by God to statutes that would do them no good.

Therefore we must live the life of the Christian in all holiness

with sobriety, for in walking in the Spirit we will indeed fulfil

the righteousness of the law of God (Rom. 8:4).

Thirdly, we are to have our “feet shod with the preparation

of the gospel of peace.” We must realise that our Leader is

the Prince of Peace, and that we are called to follow peace

with all men wherever possible (Heb. 12:14).

We must then take up the “shield of faith” to fend off the

fiery darts of doubt that the adversary seeks to hurl at us

(Eph. 6:16). Words of doubt, if permitted to lodge in our



15Contending for the Faith

hearts, can send their deadly poison throughout our being

and corrupt the pure truth of the Gospel and cause us toquestion, “Hath God said?”

Now comes the “helmet of salvation” we are to put on to

protect us from the enemy who seeks to erect those strongholds

in our mind, which are alien to the ways of God (2 Cor. 10:5).

Oh, that we might have the mind of Christ as the Apostle

Paul possessed.

The above pieces of armour are all protective pieces, and

made to defend us, but as every soldier knows, one does not

win wars on the defensive but through bringing down

the strongholds of the enemy. This we do through offensive

weapons. For the Christian soldier, he is provided with the

“sword of the Spirit,” which is the Word of God.

While on the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle John, when

contemplating our blessed Lord, saw that out of His mouth

went a sharp two-edged sword. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For

the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than

any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder

of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a

discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

It is with this sword of the Spirit that the Lord confounded

the barbs of Satan in the wilderness. With those words, “It iswritten,” Jesus sent the devil away defeated by the eternal

Word of God (Mt. 4). That is the way we, too, may not only

contend for the Faith, but also defeat the enemy through




whichever mouth he chooses to use when he seeks to turn us

from the pathway of righteousness.

I would like to give a personal word of testimony concerning

the power of the Word. I was in the old land of Yugoslavia at

the height of Communism. Walking along a street in Belgrade,

I perceived that there were embassies from Communist nations

on either side of me. Then I started to hear voices that

penetrated my mind eulogising communism, and I was

bewildered. They seemed to be so plausible in their arguments

concerning the so-called good that their brand of socialism

was doing for their people.

As these voices increased, seemingly a dark cloud encompassed

my mind, and I was finding it more and more difficult to argue

with them. Until the Holy Spirit, like a ray of light, penetrated

this cloud. He simply said, “Ask them, ‘Where is the Blood?’”

I then said, “Where is the Blood?” Immediately the darkness

vanished and my mind was again filled with light. Because,

according to the Word of God there is no redemption without

the shedding of blood. The demons have to flee before the

Living Word from the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord consistently quoted from the Old Testament when

arguing with the scribes and Pharisees. For example, in

decrying their way of life, He quoted from Matthew 15:7-9,

“You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts

are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings

are but rules taught by men.’” (NIV)



17Contending for the Faith

The Apostle Paul, likewise, used a quotation from the same

prophet Isaiah (ff. Isa. 6:9) when he decried those to whom hewas ministering in Rome. We read in Acts 28:24-28, “And

some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed

not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they

departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake

the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying,

Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall

not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are

dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should

see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand

with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal

them. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of

God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”

When arguing before King Agrippa, Paul made mention of

the fact that the king believed the prophets (Acts 26:27). Paul

also revealed how he witnessed and contended for the faith,

“Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this

day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other

things than those which the prophets and Moses did say

should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should

be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show

light unto the people, and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:22-23).

Therefore, as did Jesus, the Apostle Paul argued with those

with whom he contended for the Faith from Scripture.

To the Greeks in Athens, and later, on Mars Hill, he preached

of Jesus being raised from the dead for our justification




(cf. Rom. 4:24-25). His sermon is written at the foot of Mars

Hill upon a bronze tablet both in modern and ancient Greek. Wesimply quote Acts 17:31, “Because he hath appointed a day, in

the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man

whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto

all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

To the Roman Governor Felix we read of Paul’s witness in

Acts 24:24-25, “Several days later Felix came with his wife

Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to

him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed

on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix

was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! You may leave.

When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’” (NIV)

Yes, Paul did not always receive a good response, but as he

wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16, “For we are unto God a sweet

savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the

other the savour of life unto life.” He was a savour to some of

life unto life and of others of death unto death. They were prepared

for their eternal destination. All were without excuse.

To those of us who are called to contend for the faith (and in

reality we are all to be witnesses for the faith), let us be very

clear that our purpose is to present the Gospel to all men

everywhere in a manner that they can easily assimilate andunderstand. It is, as Paul states, to lead men and women to

salvation, which is alone found in Jesus Christ, for there is no

other name under heaven whereby we can be saved (Acts 4:12).



19

CHAPTER

TWO

The Authenticity of the Bible

The Bible is referred to as the Sword of the Spirit; as such

it is the greatest weapon in the arsenal of the Christian

soldier. We should never cease to read it! We must have its

contents written upon the fleshly tables of our heart so

that we are ready to give testimony to our beliefs by quoting

from it.

Our Lord Himself did just that when confronting the

arguments of Satan in the wilderness temptations. In the

three temptations of Satan, the Lord simply replied, “It is

written” and quoted a Bible passage. With that, Satan was

forced to abandon the attacks (Mt. 4:1-11).

The Bible completely devastates the Muslim faith.

Originally, Mohammed made reading the first five books

of the Bible (the writings of Moses,

called the Pentateuch) and the four

Gospels a requirement. As a result,

the Imams (or teachers of the Muslim

religion) have been forced into saying

that what we now have is corrupted,

and so they no longer advocate this

reading. However, their assertions arefallacious. Below we quote some

reasons advocated for the textual

accuracy of our Bibles in whatsoever

Today’s Old

Testament is

exactly the

same as it

was when

originallyinspired

by God.




languages they may be written, for they are all taken from

the original languages.

Accuracy in Transmission

The Dead Sea Scrolls prove the accuracy of the

transmission of the Bible. Those scrolls discovered at

Qumran in 1947 were copies of the Book of Isaiah made

in 150 B.C. They were identical with the text in our

modern Bibles.

Therefore, we have undeniable proof that today’s Old

Testament is exactly the same as it was when originally

inspired by God and written by the scribes of old. With

meticulous care, they copied those pages reverently,

knowing that their work was going to be used to instruct

God’s people in future generations.

The accuracy of the Old Testament Scriptures can

likewise be affirmed by the fact that the Lord Himself

quoted extensively from them and never questioned their

textual accuracy.

The New Testament’s accuracy may be verified by the

enormous number of copies that date back to only 100

years after the original copies were written. The Church

fathers have left us enough quotations from the NewTestament so that even if no copy of the New Testament

existed, scholars would be able to reconstruct all of the

books with the exception of perhaps only eleven verses.






by a letter from Pilate to Tiberius (Wesley Center Online,

n.d., The Letter of Pontius Pilate, Which He Wrote to theRoman Emperor, Concerning our Lord Jesus Christ).

Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar the Emperor, greetings.

Upon Jesus Christ, whose case I had dearly set forth to

you in my last, at length by the will of the people a bitter

punishment has been inflicted, myself being in a sort

unwilling and rather afraid. A man, by Hercules, so pious

and strict, no age has ever had nor will have. But

wonderful were the efforts of the people themselves, and

the unanimity of all the scribes and chief men and elders,

to crucify this ambassador of truth, notwithstanding that

their own prophets, and after our manner the sibyls,

warned them against it. And supernatural signs appeared

while he was hanging, and, in the opinion of philosophers,

threatened destruction to the whole world. His disciples

are flourishing, in their work and the regulation of their

lives not belying their master; yea, in his name most

beneficent. Had I not been afraid of the rising of a sedition

among the people, who were just on the point of breaking

out, perhaps this man would still have been alive to us;

although, urged more by fidelity to your dignity than

induced by my own wishes, I did not according to my

strength resist that innocent blood free from the whole

charge brought against it, but unjustly, through the

malignity of men, should be sold and suffer, yet, as theScriptures signify, to their own destruction.

Farewell,

28th March



23The Authenticity of the Bible

• Secular historians such as Josephus speak freely of Him.

We quote passages from his Antiquities of the Jews. Book XVIII, Chapter III, #3:

...Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if

it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of

wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive

the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many

of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the]

Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the

principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the

cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake

him; for he appeared to them alive again the third

day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten

thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And

the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not

extinct at this day.

The Existence of Jesus—Spiritual Sources

There is also overwhelming proof of the existence of Jesus

from spiritual sources, since the Gospels were written a very

short time after the crucifixion of Jesus.

The Apostle Peter spoke thusly: “For we have not followed

cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you

the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but wereeyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the

Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to

him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom




I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven

we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. Wehave also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do

well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark

place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your

hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture

is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not

in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as

they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet. 1:16-21).

The Apostle Paul encountered the resurrected Christ on the

road to Damascus, as we read in Acts 9:3-6: “And as he

journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there

shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to

the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul,

why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord?

And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is

hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling

and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and

it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

The Apostle John writes: “That which was from the beginning,

which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,

which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of

the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have

seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto

us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto

you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our




fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ”

(1 Jn. 1:1-3). The Apostle John had, of course, had personalexperience of walking with Jesus, even being with Him on

the Mount of Transfiguration.

Moreover, some 60 years after Christ’s crucifixion, John was

exiled on the Isle of Patmos, where the Book of Revelation

was entrusted to him, to be published and made known to the

churches of his time.

Now we want at this point to give a very brief understanding

to you, beloved reader, of the contents of the Bible, which

is a compilation of 66 books written over a period from

circa 1400 B.C. to circa A.D. 90.

The Bible is divided into two main sections called the Old

Testament (comprising 39 books) and the New Testament

(with 27 books). These books and their primary message are

as follows:

Old Testament

The first five books of the Old Testament were written by

Moses and are called “the Books of Moses” by the Jews. The

Lord Jesus quoted extensively from Genesis and Deuteronomy

in His teachings.

Genesis is the Book of Beginnings, which details the work

of God in His act of creation. Creation is a widely debated

event, but it should be clear to any intelligent individual that




things do not “just happen” as the evolutionists would have

us believe. The basic reason given by Aldous Huxley, one of the leading evolutionists of the nineteenth century, for his

hope that there was no God was:

I had motives for not wanting the world to have a

meaning; consequently assumed that it had none, and

was able without any difficulty to find satisfying

reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who

finds no meaning in the world is not concerned

exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics; he

is also concerned to prove that there is no valid

reason why he personally should not do as he wants

to do, or why his friends should not seize political

power and govern in the way that they find most

advantageous to themselves…For myself as, no

doubt, to most of my contemporaries, the philosophy

of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument

of liberation. The liberation we desired was

simultaneously liberation from a certain political and

economic system and from a certain system of

morality. We objected to the morality because it

interfered with our sexual freedom. (Vol. 3, June,

1966, p. 19)

In response to the question, “Do you believe in God?” Aldous

Huxley, in effect, said, “I do; but I held to a vain hope thatthere was none to assuage my evil conscience and so continue

in my sinful ways.” The Apostle Paul warns that evil works

alienate the mind from God and His ways (Col. 1:21).




Hebrews 11:3 says that it is “through

faith we understand that the worldswere framed by the word of God, so that

things which are seen were not made

of things which do appear.” Those who

do not love righteous living are given over by God to a mind

incapable of sound judgment, incapable of acknowledging

God. They do those things that are not convenient and have

pleasure in them (Rom. 1:28-32).

Scientifically, there are absolutely no facts to support

evolution. In order for evolution to be sustainable, there must

be the transmutation of the different species, both animal and

human; yet there are none. Even those who seek to mate a

horse with a donkey end up with a mule that does not

reproduce itself, and is known for its stubbornness.

All things must have a beginning. What is the beginning of

this universe according to the evolutionist? A big bang! And

then things just started to happen! Any scientist will be forced

to admit that this does not occur in nature.

The act of creation is one of infinite and exquisite order,

something that could not be produced by random selection

nor by random happenings. All creation declares that there is

One who is called God, who is directing and ordaining all

things. Can a big bang produce such exquisite beauty as thecreation we see in, for example, a rose or a lily? The Lord

Himself stated that Solomon in all his beauty was not arrayed

as one of these (Mt. 6:28-29).

All creation

declares that

there is a God




King David stated that he was “fearfully and wonderfully

made” (Ps. 139:14). Even a cursory study of DNA wouldreveal the total complexity of this wonderful body that was

formed in our mother’s womb by the wonderful Christ of

God (cf. Jer. 1:5).

This first book, Genesis, contains also the great subjects

of the creation of Adam and Eve, and their fall, a result of

their disobedience. Thereby sin entered into the world, with

the consequent judgment upon all mankind—namely, the

Flood, in which only Noah and his family were saved.

Genesis goes on to reveal how God chose Abraham, the

Father of the Faithful and also the friend of God, to start

the nation of the chosen people, which eventually became

known as Israel. Furthermore, we see how that nation,

through a famine ordained by God, went down into the

land of Egypt.

The Book of Exodus deals with the deliverance of the

Israelites from Egypt. After 430 years in the land of

Egypt—now in abject slavery and suffering a genocide

directed against their male babies—Moses is sent by God

to be their deliverer. He, through ten mighty plagues, brings

the nation forth from the bondage of Pharaoh into the

wilderness. There, God met them at Mount Sinai and gave

them the basis of the law of mankind—the TenCommandments, and also the pattern for the Tabernacle

of Moses, whereby man can understand how he might

approach unto a holy God.




The Book of Leviticus is essentially the handbook for the Old

Testament priesthood, giving them instruction concerningtheir dress, and the sacrifices that they must offer up to God

on behalf of the people. It also contains the civil and spiritual

laws for the nation.

The Book of Numbers is the book that deals with the 40 years

of wilderness journey of Israel from Mount Sinai unto the

plains of Moab.

The Book of Deuteronomy, meaning “the second reading of

the Law,” repeats the Ten Commandments, and gives prophetic

utterances concerning the future of Israel when they enter the

promised land of Canaan. This land (which is now called Israel)

was given to Abraham, as is recorded in 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.”

Furthermore, concerning Abraham’s seed, Genesis 17:19

says, “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son

indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will

establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant,

and with his seed after him.” It is clear from the preceding

verse that the inheritance comes through Isaac, not Ishmael

as the Muslims claim.

The Book of Joshua deals with the leader who succeeded

Moses. He took the children of Israel across the River Jordan,

but did not complete the occupation of the land.




The Book of Judges is an account of the next 300 plus years

when the Lord raised up judges, or saviours, to deliver thechildren of Israel from the enemies who had overrun them.

There were 13 in all, including Abimelech, the apostate, and

the well-known Samson, the “strong man” of Israel.

The Book of Ruth is a little book containing the history of a

Moabite girl who was widowed and who faithfully followed

her mother-in-law Naomi back to Israel. There, she married

Boaz, who was in the line of David, and became King David’s

great grandmother. Historically, this book is situated at the

time of Gideon (Jdg. 6).

The First Book of Samuel is the history of four men—two

who failed God (Eli the high priest and Saul the king), and

two who replaced them (Samuel the priest and prophet, and

David who became king).

The Second Book of Samuel deals with the reign of David

until his death.

The First Book of Kings details the history of the reign of

Solomon, who was noted for the great wisdom that God gave

him. It also covers the time of the Divided Kingdom, from

the reign of Jeroboam of Israel until Ahaziah (kings of the

northern ten tribes called Israel) and of Rehoboam until

Jehoshaphat (kings of the southern kingdom of Judah).

Examining the characters of these kings is very instructive,

as we see the judgments and unhappiness of those of Israel




who wickedly departed from the Lord. Yet we also find

the faithful ones of Judah, who enjoyed God’s blessingand prosperity when they walked with Him, and who

received His judgments when they walked contrary to

His commandments.

The Second Book of Kings covers historically the

remaining reigns of the Northern Kingdom monarchs from

Ahaziah to Hoshea and the fall of their capital, Samaria,

in 722 B.C. to the Assyrians. During the period when Ahab

and his sons reigned, Elijah, the mighty prophet of the

Lord, ministered to the Northern Kingdom. Elisha, who

took up Elijah’s mantle (after Elijah ascended in a

whirlwind into heaven) ministered to their successors. In

spite of the mighty signs and wonders that these prophets

were permitted to perform, there was no true repentance

on the part of these Northern Kingdom monarchs.

The Southern Kingdom of Judah survived until 586 B.C.,

when it fell to the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar. The

Southern Kingdom was blessed by three pious and righteous

kings—Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah—who had

remarkable revivals during their reigns. These revivals of

righteousness helped to prolong the monarchy and the nation.

However, their heirs were wicked kings—Jehoram, Manasseh,

Jehoiakim, Jehoahaz, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah—who

brought the nation of Judah to ruin by their sinfulness.

The First Book of Chronicles may essentially be divided into

two parts. The first part deals with the genealogy from Adam




until the time when Israel was carried into Babylonian

Captivity. This was compiled by Ezra (see 1 Chr. 1:1–9:1).The second part treats the life of David from another

perspective than that of 1 and 2 Samuel. This section goes

into much detail concerning the preparation that David made

for the temple and its infrastructure, as well as the rest of the

secular administration of the kingdom.

There is no book that recounts all these details of life as does

the Bible. It could have only been inspired by the Lord. No

other religion provides such extensive records concerning life

from the Creation in such a meticulous and careful manner.

It is God’s book written by the inspired writers of bygone

generations. No historian could have written such a book,

for he would not have had such information available to him

from any secular source.

The Second Book of Chronicles continues the historical

account of the kingdom, beginning at the reign of Solomon.

It traces the history of the nation through the times of the

divided monarchy, focusing upon the kingdom of Judah. This

book was composed by the priest and scribe Ezra, that blessed

teacher of the Restoration Period.

Rather than viewing history from a political point of view (as

is narrated in the books of the Kings), Ezra places his focus

upon the spiritual and everlasting effects that the lives of thesekings of Judah had upon the nation. It is worthy of note that

this evaluation of the kings could well form the basis for our

own appraisal of our church and above all, of ourselves. What




influence do our lives have upon those with whom we come

in contact? Is it toward righteousness, or a carelessness of spiritual values?

This book ends with a short statement of the fall of Jerusalem

to the Babylonians and the fact that the Jews were servants to

Nebuchadnezzar until the reign of the kingdom of Persia.

Seventy years were the Jews in captivity according to the

prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer. 25:11).

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word

of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be

accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king

of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his

kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus

king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD

God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build

him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there

among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with

him, and let him go up” (2 Chr. 36:22-23).

The Book of Ezra takes up the history of the nation of Israel

where 2 Chronicles has closed, at the time of the proclamation

of Cyrus. It tells how Zerubbabel the leader of the Jews, and

Joshua the high priest, built the temple of the Lord in

Jerusalem in place of the Temple of Solomon, which had been

destroyed by the Babylonians.

Then the second return of the Jews from Babylonian Captivity

took place in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes I, king




of Persia, under Ezra. Ezra was the teaching priest who compiled

the books of the Old Testament and set them in order, as well asthe writer of some of them. This great man was so esteemed by

the Jews that they venerated him as the “Second Moses.” Ezra

also set in place the worship and ministry of the Temple.

The Book of Nehemiah deals with the building up of the walls

of Jerusalem in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes. Nehemiah

was granted his request to do so by the king. This man was

known for his kindness and generosity towards others, and

God set him in place as governor to oversee His land and care

for His people.

The Book of Esther contains the story of a young Jewish girl

who became queen of the vast Persian Empire, as the wife of

Xerxes, who was the richest of all those Persian kings.

Historically, this book is situated between chapters six and seven

of the Book of Ezra.

The Book of Job tells the story of one of the three most righteous

men of the Old Testament days, who was severely tried by God

and triumphed gloriously. He became therefore, a model for

all who pass through the furnace of affliction to trust in the

Lord, who does all things well.

The Psalms are primarily composed by King David. They are

a source of strength and encouragement to saints of all ages inthe pilgrim path from earth to heaven. We recommend daily

reading in the Psalms to develop your devotional life and

strengthen your inner man.




The Proverbs are a compilation of the teachings of King

Solomon. Reading and meditating upon them will promote wisdom.

The Book of Ecclesiastes is King Solomon’s soliloquy on

the vanity of life, written by one who had not learnt from

his own teachings.

The Song of Songs teaches the believer the way to union

and communion with Christ.

The Book of Isaiah, as we will see later, is a remarkable

book which reveals prophetically the life and sufferings

of our blessed Lord some 800 years before His birth.

The Book of Jeremiah was written by a prophet who

ministered in the closing years of the southern kingdom.

He pleaded with God’s people to return to Him and so

avoid the coming judgment; but Judah would not listen.

The Book of Lamentations expresses, in five different

laments, the sorrow of the people after God’s judgments

have fallen upon them because they did not heed the words

of Jeremiah and turn from their sins.

The Book of Ezekiel was written by a prophet who had been

taken to Babylon in the second captivity with King Jehoiachin.Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel ministered warnings to the Jews in

Jerusalem. After the fall, he spoke of the Temple that shall be

built in the millennial reign of Christ upon earth.




The Book of Daniel was written by a man much beloved.

Daniel was one of the three most righteous men (along with Noah and Job) of the Old Testament times (Ezek. 14:14). He

was taken in the first captivity during the reign of Jehoiakim

and received visions of the days that covered the Babylonian,

Persian, Grecian, and Roman Empires. His prophecies even

extended to the days of the Antichrist (the coming of whom

is prophesied in the Book of Revelation) and the millennial

reign of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ will destroy the

Antichrist and reign victoriously over all the earth.

The Book of Hosea is the first of the so-called “Minor

Prophets,” who number 12 in all. Hosea warned the

backsliding northern kingdom of their ultimate destruction

because of their sinful ways. He also spoke of the ultimate

restoration of Israel in the End Times. Thus the theme of this

book is often termed the “Restoration of the Backslider.”

The Book of Joel promises the outpouring of the Holy Spirit

upon all believers, which was fulfilled on the Day of

Pentecost. This blessed experience is for all those who have

received Christ as their personal Saviour, as the Apostle Peter

declared in Acts 2:38-39, “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. For the promise is unto you, and

to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as manyas the Lord our God shall call.” The blessing is also for

you, dear reader. It builds us up in the most holy faith, as

we see in 1 Corinthians 14:2, “For he that speaketh in an




unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God:

for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.”

The Book of Amos is well known for God’s question, “Can

two walk together unless they be agreed?” It is also known

for the promise to raise up the ruins of David’s Tabernacle.

This promise is quoted by the Apostle James in Acts 15:13-

17. He used this promise as a proof that the Lord would

include the Gentiles in the Age of the Church.

The Book of Obadiah depicts God’s judgments upon Esau,

who rejected his birthright. It is a sombre warning that those

who depart from the path of righteousness, leaving God’s

purposes for their lives, will be made small.

The Book of Jonah is one of the most well known books of

the Old Testament. In it, we have the account of the prophet

who was swallowed by a great fish. This event is

substantiated by the Lord Himself, as

being a type of His own death, burial,

and resurrection (Mt. 12:40). Christ

was three days and three nights in the

earth and then was resurrected. How

can anyone doubt that the Bible is the

Word of God? An event occurring

some 800 to 900 years before the birthof Christ was not only confirmed by

Him before His crucifixion, but was

also fulfilled by Him!

Such

prophetic

accuracy can

only come

from the

Almighty who inspired

such men.




The Book of Micah is well known because of the prophecy

that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. True to this prophecy, the Lord Jesus was born in a manger in

Bethlehem, which means the “House of Bread.” Christ is

the Bread of Life.

The Book of Nahum primarily prophesies the fall of Nineveh

(capital of the Assyrian Empire) some 100 years before the

Babylonians captured it. Nahum even declares that the gates

of the rivers which protected the city like a moat would be

thrown open. Who but God could declare these things that

were as yet afar off?

The Book of Habakkuk declares that God will raise up the

Chaldeans (or Babylonians) against Jerusalem because of the

evil of its inhabitants. Thus again we see that the Bible is

filled with books that declare the future of their period and

beyond. Habakkuk declared that this very small nation of

Chaldea would be the instrument by which God would judge

His people.

The Book of Zephaniah, written by the last of those prophets

who were before the Babylonian Captivity, gives a warning

that is as applicable for us (living in the last days) as it was to

the inhabitants of the southern kingdom in his day: “Gather

yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not

desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day passas the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon

you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you.

Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have




wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it

may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger”(Zeph. 2:1-3).

The Book of Haggai was written at the time of the first return

of the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity. This prophet, along

with his fellow prophet Zechariah, rallied the people to complete

the building of the Temple, in the reign of Darius. It is therefore

contemporary with the events recorded in Ezra chapter six.

The Book of Zechariah reveals the Lord’s love for His people

in that beautiful phrase, “…He that toucheth you toucheth

the apple of his eye” (Zech. 2:8). This book contains many

prophecies concerning the Second Coming of Our Lord. One

such prophecy declares that His feet shall stand on that day

upon the Mount of Olives. This was confirmed by the angels

as the Lord ascended from the Mount of Olives. They said to

some of His disciples who were eyewitnesses of His ascension,

“Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,

shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into

heaven” (Acts 1:11).

The Book of Malachi, written by the last prophet sent of God

before the first coming of the Lord, speaks of His coming

some 400 years before His birth. Malachi also declares that

before His Second Coming, both Moses and Elijah shall againminister. This is confirmed by the Apostle John, who was

shown these two witnesses prophesying in Jerusalem before

the great and terrible day of the Lord (Rev. 11:1-7).




As we have just had but a cursory look at these Old Testament

books, do they not detail, like no other book has ever done,the history of mankind in a manner only the Creator would

be able to do? He inspired men of many generations to write

an account of events, not only of their days, but also of those

to come. Then we read many generations later of those events

that they had prophesied coming to pass. How did they do

so? The prophet declares that he received visions and saw

the very events of which he prophesied being shown him

before his eyes (Isa. 1:1, Jer. 1:11).

Beloved, only the God of the universe could do such things. The

prophet declares that God asks the question, “Who hath wrought

and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the

LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he” (Isa. 41:4).

The Intertestamental Period

Even in the intervening years between the ministry of the last

prophet Malachi and the birth of Jesus, prophecies given by

the prophet Daniel in the mid 5th century B.C. were being

fulfilled. The fact that a Persian king, who would be the richest

of them all, would arise and that he would stir all against the

realm of Greece came to pass in 480 B.C. Then the prophecy

that the first king of Greece, who was Alexander the Great,

would trample underfoot the Persian Empire was fulfilled in

330 B.C. when he defeated Darius III, the last Persian Emperor.

Daniel also prophesied that Alexander’s Empire would be

broken up into four parts and from one of them would come




one who was called the little horn, which would cause great

havoc in Israel. He then declares that the ships of Chittim(Cyprus) would come against this king, who would cause the

sacrifices of the Temple to cease. Of course, all of this came

to pass, just as it was written. There were numerous other

prophecies which delineated, with great accuracy, the political

situation in Israel until 171 B.C.

Such prophetic accuracy can only come from the Almighty

who inspired such men. Can we possibly doubt that the Bible

is the Word of the Living God?

The New Testament

Now let us move on to the New Testament, where so many of

the Old Testament prophecies have their fulfilment. Saint

Augustine made the observation that the New Testament is

in the Old Testament concealed, while the Old Testament is

in the New Testament revealed. How true this is, as we shall

see, when we now look at the New Testament books, 27 in

all. They commence with the four Gospels, which view the

life of our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ from different aspects.

Yet so wondrously do they flow together in harmony!

The prophet Ezekiel had a vision of those four living creatures

that surround the throne. They depict four different aspects

of the nature and ministries of our blessed Lord.

The first creature had the head of a lion, representing Jesus as

the King of Kings, for the lion is king of the animal kingdom.




Matthew portrays Jesus as the King of the Jews and gives his

genealogy through the line of David, the king of Israel.

The next creature had the head of an ox, depicting Jesus as the

priest who offers Himself without spot or blemish unto God.

The Gospel of Mark contains more of the passion of Jesus, as

He offers up His life, than any of the other Gospel writers.

The third head is that of a man. Luke, the beloved physician,

shows forth the humanity of Jesus in all His wondrous facets

as the Son of Man.

Then the fourth and final head is that of an eagle, which

soars into heavenly places. This is so depicted by John, who

reveals Him consistently as the divine Son of God.

Gospel Symbol Christ as:

Matthew Lion The King of Kings

Mark Ox The Sacrifice of God

Luke Man The Son of Man

John Eagle The Son of God

The Gospel of Matthew displays the finest teaching of all times

by Jesus, when he records the Sermon on the Mount. At the end

of His teaching we read, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had

ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the

scribes” (Mt. 7:28-29). There is no teaching that can be compared

to that of the Son of God. Christ is brilliance personified.




The Gospel of Mark is a very fast moving chronological account

of the life of Christ, containing 18 of His miracles, 18 of His parables, and 18 of His discourses.

The Gospel of Luke, written by the beloved physician, records

heart-warming stories like those of the Prodigal Son and the

Good Samaritan, which have entered into the vocabulary of

nations around the world. There is no other storyteller like our

wonderful Lord.

The Gospel of John contains accounts of the seven signs, seven

discourses, and seven parables, that are, for the most part,

unique to this Gospel. It completes the account of His life and

ministry from eternity to eternity.

The Acts of the Apostles reveals the continuing ministry of the

Holy Spirit through the ministries of Peter and Paul, which

spread the Gospel throughout the known world of New

Testament times.

The Epistle to the Romans contains the doctrines of the Christian

faith, and is called the “Masterpiece of the New Testament.”

First and Second Corinthians give excellent teachings

concerning the gifts of the Spirit and love. They also reveal

the compassionate Christ, and the fact that He is the God of

all comfort.

The Epistle to the Galatians is an excellent source of teaching

to show that salvation is only through faith, and the believer’s




consequent, complete assurance of eternal life. This is

something that no Muslim can ever have.

The Epistle to the Ephesians shows forth the depth, height,

length, and the width, of the love of God. Paul shows us how

our life should be governed by three words: (1) Sit in the

presence of God for strength; (2) Walk in the Spirit; and finally

(3) Stand , being clothed with the armour of God to withstand

all the wiles of the enemy.

The Epistle to the Philippians shows forth the way to qualify

for the First Resurrection, and to hit the mark of the high

calling of God for our lives.

There are two resurrections. The First Resurrection at the

Second Coming of Christ for which the following

qualifications are required to know Christ intimately—the

power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings,

and to be made conformable to His death! The Second

Resurrection takes place at the end of the 1000-year reign of

Christ upon earth.

The Epistle to the Colossians presents Jesus as He truly is—

the Magnificent Christ of God, filled with all the power and

wisdom of Almighty God Himself.

First and Second Thessalonians give a brief understandingof some of the events that lead up to the Second Coming, and

the undeniable fact that the Beast (or Antichrist) must first

appear before the Lord comes again.




First and Second Timothy are pastoral epistles, giving

guidance to Paul’s spiritual son and a young pastor, Timothy,who had been entrusted with the task of remaining at Ephesus

to put the Church there in order.

The Epistle to Titus was written to one who had been appointed

the Bishop of Crete. Titus is given instructions concerning the

appointment of elders and the conduct of Christians of all ages.

The Epistle to Philemon, written to the Bishop of the

Colossian Church, is a plea by Paul for this bishop to receive

back his runaway slave. This little epistle is of great comfort

to those who have “Prodigal Sons.”

The Epistle to the Hebrews is an epistle addressed to the

Jewish members of congregations. It is a magnificent exposé

of the fulfilment by Christ of the Old Testament offerings

through the offering of His own body by the power of the

Holy Spirit. Its principal theme is that the New Testament is

so much greater than then the Old Testament by virtue of the

greatness of the sacrifice of Christ, whose blood sealed the

New Covenant. In contrast, the Old Covenant was sealed by

the blood of animals, pointing in type to the more precious

blood that would be poured out to seal the New Covenant.

The Epistle of James compares the wisdom of this world with

that of heaven. Basically it may be said that earthly wisdomis sensual, devilish, envious, and produces confusion.

However, the wisdom which is from above is pure, peaceable,

gentle, merciful, and full of good fruits.




First and Second Peter give warnings concerning those who

have departed from the faith. In Peter’s first epistle he warnsof the enemies from without , and in the second, he warns of

those enemies from within the body of Christ.

First, Second, and Third John contain two principal themes

(1) that God is love, and (2) that we are to have fellowship

with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Apostle John

himself experienced this in his lifetime, and he encourages

us to do likewise. What other religion proclaims such a

message? God is a God of love; and we are to be filled likewise

with His love, that we may manifest it in our daily walk

towards God and towards others.

The Epistle of Jude basically warns us of those who turned

aside, and of the despair of their end. Jude also gives us an

understanding of how Michael the archangel was sent to retrieve

the body of Moses. Moses had been buried by God so that he

could appear with Elijah upon the Mount of Transfiguration.

He also reveals that Enoch prophesied of the Second Coming

of Jesus, before the days of the Flood. Only one who was

inspired by God could look over some 5,000 years and declare

such an event. What other religion can claim such feats of

prophetic understanding and pronouncement?

The Book of Revelation is a phenomenal book, in that it

describes those things that are to come upon the earth, as thecoming of the Lord draws near. Certain judgments, termed the

seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven last vials, will

be poured out upon the earth. Then Moses and Elijah will testify




with great signs and wonders from Jerusalem for 1,260 days.

After this they will be slain by the Antichrist (or the Beast).

The Unholy Trinity, consisting of the Dragon (Satan), the

Antichrist, and the False Prophet, will exercise ascendancy

over the earth and its inhabitants for 1,260 days. The Lord

will come to fight them at the Battle of Armageddon, where

He will defeat them.

The Beast and the False Prophet will be cast into the lake of

fire, and Satan will be put into the bottomless pit. There he

will remain for 1,000 years, after which time he will be

released for a brief season. He will again deceive those that

dwell upon the earth and bring them to fight against the

holy city of Jerusalem. Fire will come down to defend the

beloved city and then Satan will also be cast into the lake of

fire. After that there will be the New Heavens and the New

Earth; and the servants of the Lord shall see His face forever

and ever.

No religion has ever provided such an understanding of events

still to come, for none can. Only God can declare the future,

with the power to bring the declaration to pass.

When contemplating this wonderful book, the Bible, we find

there is no other book like it. It declares the happenings from

Creation until the New Heavens and the New Earth. As theLord says, “Before they spring forth, I do declare them unto

you.” This is the proof that Christianity is the one and only

true religion in which one can place one’s trust for eternal life.




Eternal life comes from faith in the person and sacrifice of

the Lord Jesus Christ, recognising that He died for our sinsupon the cross of Calvary, becoming the acceptable sacrifice

for our sins before the Father. We must, therefore, present

Jesus as the Saviour of mankind to all with whom we come

in contact. We must also encourage them to read the Bible as

God’s Word.

Eternal life comes from faith in the person

and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.



49

CHAPTER

THREE

The Inspired Prophecies of J esus the Christ

None other than the true and living God is able to declare the

future and bring it to pass. That is why it is clearly stated in

Revelation 19:10 that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of

prophecy, “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said

unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of

thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God:

for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Therefore, in this book on apologetics, which we have

entitled Contending for the Faith, our greatest weapon is

the spirit of prophecy that declared the birth, life, ministry,

death, and resurrection of Jesus hundreds of years before

He was born. No other religion can make the claim that

their founder’s birth and life was declared before he was

born. Therefore, we do not need to (and, in fact should

not) study other religions, but rather present the positive

truths of Christianity.

Our situation can be illustrated by the manager who was

training my wife to be a bank teller. It was in the days of

silver coins. He required her to pick up a silver dollar coin

and drop it on the counter a number of times until she had

mastered the ring that it made when it hit the counter. Shesaid, “Why do you not give me forgeries also so that I may

know their ring?” His response was, “Know the real and you

will easily detect the ring of the false.”




Know the Bible and you will immediately detect the

erroneous doctrines of the heathen and be able to refute them by the presentation of the claims of Christ to be the Son of

God. Then expound His teachings, and the other religions

will easily be exposed for what they are—doctrines from

the pit of hell. Thus, to study for ourselves and then to present

to others the irrefutable fact that His whole life was

prophesied before His birth (which no other religion can

claim for their founders) is very convincing.

The Life of Christ from Isaiah

The Book of Isaiah contains the recorded prophecies of the

prophet Isaiah, who lived during the reigns of Uzziah,

Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. He therefore

lived and prophesied from about 750 B.C. until 690 B.C.

The authenticity of Isaiah is remarkably proven by the Dead

Sea Scrolls. These scrolls were discovered by a shepherd in

a cave by the Dead Sea, and they contained approximately

75% of the content of the Book of Isaiah. These scrolls were

copies of the book made in 100 B.C. and are exactly the

same text as those of the English Authorised Version. Thus,

this conclusively proves that Christians have not altered the

original text of the Bible, as some suggest.

This book gives us a clear-cut definition of the one and onlytrue and living God as compared with the religious deities

of the heathens. God says, “To whom then will ye liken me,

or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes






going to examine in detail some of the prophecies

concerning Christ in this beloved book.

His Conception

Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you

a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and

shall call his name Immanuel.” No other religion claims an

immaculate conception of their founder (Mt. 1:18-21).

Immanuel means “God with us,” showing clearly that the

One who was to be born was none other than the Son of God.

He Is Named from the Womb

We read in Isaiah 49:1, “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken,

ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the

womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention

of my name.” Christ was named while in the womb of His

mother Mary by the Archangel Gabriel (Mt. 1:21).

His Birth

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the

government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall

be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The

everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). Again

we see the declaration that the child that is to be born is God.Moreover, in Isaiah 7:15 we have the key to His growth from

“a child” to “a son,” “Butter and honey shall he eat, that

he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.”



53 Inspired Prophecies of Jesus the Christ

Butter is the abundance of milk; and the spiritual sense of

milk is the elementary doctrines of the Word of God. (Pleasesee Hebrews 5:12-6:1-3 and 1 Peter 2:2.) Honey has the

connotation of revelation; and, therefore, refers to the

enlightening by the Holy Spirit,” in this context. (Please see

1 Samuel 14:27 and Ephesians 1:17-18.)

Then Christ becomes the tried, tested, and mature Son of

God, the One who is designated as the Prince of Peace. Here,

therefore, is the nature of Christianity: Christ gives us

peace with God. The peace He gives is the peace of God that

passes all understanding and keeps our minds and hearts in

the love of God. This is something no other religion can give,

although some do make this promise.

We are told in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that

he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in

him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” No other

religion can make that claim.

The Arrow of God

In Isaiah 49:2, the prophet depicts Christ as the Arrow of

God, saying, “And he hath made my mouth like a sharp

sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made

me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me.” Here,

Isaiah portrays the Saviour of the world as having a mouthlike a sharp sword. Paul tells us in Hebrews 4:12, “For the

word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any

twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of




soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a

discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Therefore, the Heavenly Father, in preparing His Beloved Son

for the ministry that He had ordained for Him, taught Him

the knowledge of His Word. Thus, He was as David, who

said, “The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word

was in my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:2). So we see that at the age

of 12 in the temple, the Lord was able to confound the doctors

of the law with His questions and His answers (Lk. 2:46-47).

However, rather than sending Jesus forth to minister at this

stage, it was the Father’s will that He return to Nazareth and

be subject to His parents. Isaiah describes this period in the

formation of Jesus as “in the shadow of his hand hath he hid

me.” There He learnt obedience by the things that He suffered

(Heb. 5:8). During those 18 years of suffering, He became

that polished shaft. He increased in wisdom, in stature, and

in favour with God and man (Lk. 2:52).

Then Christ was placed in the quiver. An arrow that is ready

is so placed until the time that the archer wishes to fire it.

Thus, Jesus was ready to be sent into the ministry before the

time appointed by the Heavenly Father. John the Baptist had

not yet prepared the way for Him through the message of

repentance. He thus had to patiently wait until the Father bid

Him go to meet John at the River Jordan.

John’s ministry is also powerfully portrayed in Isaiah 40, again

hundreds of years before it came to pass, as the voice of one




crying in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,

make His paths straight.” Not only does the Lord God Almightydeclare the coming of Christ, but also He shows the ministry

of the one who will go before the King of Glory and introduce

Him to Israel. Can any other religion make such claims? Can

anyone deny that Jesus is the Son of God?

At the River Jordan, the Arrow was placed, as it were, into

the bow of God and shot toward the mark and destiny for His

life, in the full purpose and pre-determinate will of God—the

cross of Calvary.

The ministry of the Lord is described in this way: “The spirit

of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath

anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath

sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to

the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are

bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord”

(Isa. 61:1). This passage was quoted verbatim by the Lord in

the synagogue of Nazareth, as recorded by Luke in his Gospel

(Lk. 4:16-22).

Isaiah 11:1-5 describes the anointings that covered Jesus:

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem 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






Because of His love for His people throughout all generations,

Jesus gave His back to the smiters.

May we ask which other religion can claim that their founder

paid such a price for our health and healing? Which other

religion can claim that their founder, because of the price He

paid by such physical pain that He bore, could then say that

His followers could lay hands upon the sick and they would

be healed? No, not one, no not one.

Can anyone claim that their founder gave an invitation

(Jn. 16:23), “If you ask anything in My name, My Father in

heaven will do it”? No, not one. He furthermore said, “I will

never leave thee nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5). What founder

could make this statement, signifying that He is omnipresent?

In a vision of the night, the Lord gave me understanding of

this truth. I saw Him standing above the earth, and when one

of His own prayed or called out to Him for help, it was no

angel that was sent, but Christ Himself. He came out of

Himself and stood at their side to meet their needs. He can do

this because He said as He left this earth, “All power is given

unto me in heaven and in earth” (Mt. 28:18).

His Death—the Cross of Calvary

The death of our Saviour was by crucifixion, and this Hesuffered to provide a sacrifice for our sins. Death by

crucifixion was not only demeaning, but was also deemed a

cruel form of punishment. In fact, it could not be inflicted




upon a Roman citizen. It was reserved for subject nations

of Rome, for the slave class of men, and generally only for crimes of sedition.

Christ became obedient to the will of His Father, even the

death of the cross. Which other leader did this for His

followers? That is why there is no other name under heaven

whereby a man may be saved (Acts 4:12).

Isaiah 53:7-8 states, “He was oppressed, and he was

afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a

lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers

is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from

prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his

generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living:

for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Jesus would bear in His body those four wounds in His

hands and feet, as well as the fifth inflicted by the spear of

the Roman soldier at the cross after His death. Those

wounds were prophesied some 400 years before His

crucifixion, by the prophet Zechariah when he recounts

the amazement of the defenders of Jerusalem at His Second

Coming. We read what they say in Zechariah 13:6, “And

one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine

hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was

wounded in the house of my friends.”

With what perfect accuracy this wonderful Heavenly Father

decrees the way that His Beloved Son must suffer to redeem




us from our sins. In fact, we read in Isaiah 53:10, “Yet it

pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall

see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure

of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” Isaiah reveals to

us that, in a sense, it pleased the Heavenly Father to bruise

His Son Jesus for our sakes.

It was extremely painful for the Heavenly Father to so

afflict His Son, for which father would wish to see his

son enduring pain because the father had so decreed? Yet

it was necessary for our salvation. The Father so loved

the world that He gave His only begotten Son to be

crucified for our sins that whosoever believeth in Christ

shall not perish but have everlasting life (Jn. 3:16).

Then too the Son, filled with the love of His Father,

rejoiced to do the will of the Father in submitting to the

death of the cross. Even as it is declared of Him by King

David in about 1000 B.C. in Psalm 40:7-8, “Then said I,

Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within

my heart.”

Quoting from Hebrews 10:5, it says of Jesus, “Wherefore

when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and

offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.” Through the offering of the body of Christ, we have

redemption and forgiveness for our sins, thus saving

mankind from eternal death (Col. 1:13-14).




Not only that, but Christ will prepare for us a place in heaven

where we will dwell with Him forever. What founder can say,“I go to prepare a place for you, for in My Father’s house are

many mansions?” He then follows this by declaring in

John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will

come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am,

there ye may be also.”

From Isaiah whose name means “salvation,” we now turn

to the gleanings from the sayings of Jesus, the Saviour of

the World.

Gleanings from the Sayings of Jesus

In His teachings to that noble soul Nicodemus, a teacher of

religion, Jesus also showed that there is a spiritual requirement

for entering heaven, when He replied to the questions of

Nicodemus. “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” (Jn. 3:3). Then to re-emphasise this

truth, He repeats Himself, “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” (Jn. 3:5). The interpretation

is that “of water” is the natural birth, but “of the Spirit” is to

be born again by receiving Jesus into our hearts by faith.

But all of Christ’s teachings must be examined. We find thata life of righteousness must follow this blessed experience.

He said in Matthew 5:20, “For I say unto you, That except

your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the




scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the

kingdom of heaven.” Which leader can give the instructionto His followers that they must thereafter live a righteous

life? And then give the power to live victoriously over sin

through the blessed experience of “Christ in you the hope of

glory” (Col. 1:27)?

In Christ’s lifetime, not all could believe that He was the Son

of God. His response to this was simple: “But if I do, though

ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and

believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him” (Jn. 10:38). In

other words Jesus was saying that the very miracles that He

was doing proved that He was indeed the Son of God, for He

was doing them in the name of His Father.

Let us look at the seven miracles or signs that are recorded by

His beloved disciple, the Apostle John, in his Gospel.

1. Christ turns water into wine (Jn. 2:1-11). In this epic

miracle, Jesus proves that He is the One who alone can

transform the elements into whatsoever He will. Even in our

day, we know of such happenings through His disciples doing

likewise. No other founder has given such proof of his deity.

2. The healing of the nobleman’s son (Jn. 4:46-54). Jesus

just spoke the word and even though that son was in another

town, he was healed. It confirmed the prophetic wordconcerning the ministry of Jesus, for it is written, “He sent

his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their

destructions” (Ps. 107:20).




3. The healing of the paralytic man (Jn. 5:1-9). This man had

been paralysed for 38 years. The healing of this man caused adeep resentment amongst the Jews, who were offended that he

had been healed on the Sabbath day. Jesus entered into a discourse

with them in which He made this solemn statement, “Verily,

verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth

on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come

into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (Jn. 5:24).

4. The feeding of the five thousand (Jn. 6:1-14). Not only did

the Lord bring healing wonders wherever He went, but He also

met the needs of the hungry. Has any other founder so fed His

followers with but five barley loaves and two small fishes after

having given thanks to the Heavenly Father?

5. Christ walks upon the water (Jn. 6:15-21). Again showing

that He had the power over the elements, Jesus walked on the

water after perceiving that His disciples were experiencing

problems when rowing in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. They

received Him willingly into the boat, which immediately arrived

at shore—two miracles, may we say, in one. The latter miracle

was repeated in the days of the Acts of the Apostles when Philip

was transported by the Spirit from one place to another in an

instant (Acts 8:39).

The point which we wish to make is that the wonders of the

Master are reproduced in the lives of His disciples. Thisconfirmed His prophetic utterance when He said in John 14:12,

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the

works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these




shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” Has any other

founder made such a profound promise? Do we have readilyidentifiable proofs of their fulfilment as we do of the wonders

of Jesus?

6. Christ heals the man born blind (Jn. 9:1-41). So great was

this miracle that the testimony of the man who had his eyes

opened said, “Since the world began was it not heard that any

man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man

were not of God, he could do nothing” (Jn. 9:32-33). The

Pharisees, however, cast him out of the synagogue; knowing

this, Jesus went and found him. The following dialogue ensued:

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had

found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of

God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might

believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen

him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I

believe. And he worshipped him” (Jn. 9:35-38).

Surely such testimony is irrefutable, for Jesus alone performed

such miracles. He also healed Blind Bartimaeus, who was

sitting by the wayside begging. Knowing that it was Jesus

who was passing by, he cried out, “Thou Son of David have

mercy upon me.” Jesus commanded him to be called, and as

we read in Mark 10:51-52, “And Jesus answered and said

unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The

blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made

thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and

followed Jesus in the way.”




This in effect was the message of Jesus, who declared that

He was the Light of the World, substantiating it through thismiracle of the man born blind, and reconfirming it by the

healing of the wayside beggar. Surely all who have invited

the Light of the World into their heart can say with the

man born blind, “One thing I know that, whereas I was

blind, now I see” (Jn. 9:25). Who else can open natural eyes

and also the eyes of our understanding to acknowledge Jesus

to be that Light of the World?

7. Christ raises Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11:1-44). Here is

a miracle that shook the very foundations of religious leaders’

opposition to Jesus. Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha,

was sick. Jesus, upon learning of this, chose to remain at

Jericho so that Lazarus might die. Upon this realisation, He

came with His disciples to Bethany, a village on the Mount

of Olives.

Martha ran to Him and said, “If you had been here, my brother

would not have died.” To this Jesus responded, “Thy brother

shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall

rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto

her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in

me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever

liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou

this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art

the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world”(Jn. 11:23-27). However, Jesus, declaring that He was the

Resurrection and the Life, was foretelling His own

resurrection, of which we shall speak later.




Coming then to the place where Lazarus was buried, Jesus

wept. The Jews said, “How He loved him!” Then theycontinued by saying, “And some of them said, Could not

this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused

that even this man should not have died?” (Jn. 11:37).

The account continues, “Then they took away the stone

from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted

up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast

heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but

because of the people which stand by I said it, that they

may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus

had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come

forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and

foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about

with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let

him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and

had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him”

(Jn. 11:41-45).

Lazarus was not the only one that Jesus raised from the

dead, for He raised up also the son of the widow of Nain

(Lk. 7:11), where the people had great fear and declared

that God had visited His people through a great prophet.

May we ask who else has raised the dead other than Jesus

Christ? No one. Only because of His power that He gaveto His disciples, did the Apostle Peter raised Tabitha (or

Dorcas) from the dead, as we read in Acts 9:36-42. This

proves conclusively that Jesus is alive and that the




vibrancy of His life and power flows through His

Church today. Now let us consider His own resurrectionfrom the dead, which is the fundamental tenet, belief, and

doctrine of the Christian Church.

The Resurrection of Our Lordand Saviour Jesus Christ

As we have already mentioned, the testimony of Jesus is

the spirit of prophecy. For it is written that He will do nothing

except He reveal it to His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).

Thus, the Old Testament prophets had an understanding of

the fact that Jesus would die and be raised again.

After speaking of His death, Isaiah then speaks of Jesus

prolonging His days and seeing the fruits of the travail of

His soul and being satisfied (Isa. 53:11). This would only

be possible if He were resurrected. This is exactly what

the following verse promises will happen, “Thy dead men

shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.

Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as

the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead”

(Isa. 26:19). The fulfilment of this prophecy is recorded in

Matthew 27:52-53: “And the graves were opened; and

many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came

out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the

holy city, and appeared unto many.”

How is it possible for a mortal man like Isaiah to declare an

event 800 years beforehand and then have it come to pass,




unless the Almighty has declared it and brought it to pass

by His wisdom and power?

Long before, in about 1400 B.C., Moses had declared His

resurrection in the following words, “See now that I, even

I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make

alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can

deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven,

and say, I live for ever” (Deut. 32:39-40).

This prophecy will be fulfilled when the Lord stands upon

the Mount of Olives and is spoken to the defenders of

Zion. They respond (and we quote Isaiah 25:9), “And it

shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have

waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD;

we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in

his salvation.”

The physical resurrection of Jesus Christ was attested to

by many who saw Him after that great event:

The Five Appearances on Resurrection Day

• To Mary (Jn. 20:11-18)

• To the other women (Mt. 28:1-10)

• To the two disciples on the road to Emmaus

(Lk. 24:13-24)• To Peter (Lk. 24:34-35)

• To the ten apostles (Jn. 20:19-21)




Five Appearances between the Day of

the Resurrection and Ascension Day

• Eight days later to the eleven including Thomas

(Jn. 20:26-31)

• To the seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (Jn. 21)

• On the mountain in Galilee (Mt. 28:16-20)

• To the 500 brethren (1 Cor. 15:6)

• To James the Lord’s brother (1 Cor. 15:7)

Then followed the ascension of Christ from the Mount of

Olives, which is recorded in Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:9-11.

We know that He appeared to the Apostle Paul on the road to

Damascus at his conversion. Many have seen the Lord at their

conversions throughout the Church Age, including the author.

He also appeared to people at different times during their ministry,

as was the case with the Apostle Paul (Acts 22:18), the Apostle

John on the Isle of Patmos (Rev. 1), and also to the author.

Beloved, Jesus is alive; can others say that of

their founders?

The Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Then, too, Christ is coming again. Other than the Christians,only the followers of the Antichrist and the False Prophet can

make the claim that their founder is coming again. But let us

consider the great difference. The Antichrist and the False




Prophet, we are told, come from below, from the bottomless

pit (Rev. 11:7).

Now let us consider the greatness of the resurrection of Christ.

The Apostle Paul prayed that the Ephesian Church might receive

the spirit of wisdom and revelation to appreciate this event, when

he writes, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;

that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the

riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is

the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,

according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought

in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his

own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality,

and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is

named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the

head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness

of him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:18-23).

Where was our Lord when He was resurrected? The Apostle

Peter states in 1 Peter 3:18-20, “For Christ also hath once

suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring

us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by

the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the

spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when

once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah,

while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” Our Lord was in the centre of

the earth in Satan’s kingdom. His body was in the tomb, but

His spirit was in the earth where hell is located.




Therefore, He was raised by the power of God from the very depths

of hell itself. Yet He was not alone, for the Apostle Paul tells us,“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led

captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended,

what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of

the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up

far above all heavens, that he might fill all things)” (Eph. 4:8-10).

Thus, when resurrected, our Lord brought with Him all the Old

Testament saints from their repose in paradise, which was just

under the surface of the earth, as we understand from Samuel,

who was brought up by the witch of Endor (see 1 Sam. 28:15).

Therefore, the resurrection of Christ was a momentous occasion

worthy of our Almighty God and Heavenly Father. Who else has

been resurrected never again to experience death? Can we not

see that Christ alone is the only way? His empty tomb is forever

a monument to His Resurrection.

The purpose of the resurrection is to show that He was raised

for our justification, that all who believe in Him might have

eternal life. Christ has been accepted as a perfect sacrifice

for our sins.

Thus, in this glorious book, the Bible, the life, ministry, death,

and resurrection, of our Lord Jesus Christ are revealed. As we

study and thoughtfully consider these facts, we must realise that

His life was portrayed by those Old Testament prophets years before His birth. But all that they said faithfully came to pass.

Who else could have inspired such writings but God? Who else

is Jesus but the only begotten Son of God?



71

CHAPTER

FOUR

Inspired Prophecies Concerning Israel

One of the absolute proofs that the Bible is the inspired Word

of God is given in the fact that concerning the history of Israel,

events which were foretold in great detail (years before their

time) have come to pass.

The Promise to Abraham

We start with the Father of the Faith, Abraham, of whom God

declared that, through him, all the nations in the earth would

be blessed. His call was declared in Genesis 12:1-3, “Now

the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country,

and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a

land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great

nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and

thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless

thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all

families of the earth be blessed.”

Abraham obeyed the Lord and went into the Land of

Canaan. There he sojourned; the Lord appeared unto him

and said that He would give the land to the seed of

Abraham. Genesis 15:5-6,13-14 says, “And he brought him

forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said

unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the

LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness...And




he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be

a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them;and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that

nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward

shall they come out with great substance.”

This prophetic utterance was fulfilled when the Israelites went

down into Egypt, and became a great nation, and were brought

up out of Egyptian bondage through the ministry of Moses.

How accurate is our God!

Then Abraham had two sons, as Paul recounts in Galatians 4:22.

The one, Ishmael, was by a bondmaid (Hagar), and the other,

Isaac, by a free woman (Sarah). Moreover, Abraham was told

that the covenant would be established with Isaac. Isaac was the

miracle son of Abraham and Sarah whom they had when both

were past the time of childbearing. This is one of the most

important prophecies of those times, because in this prophecy

the Bible refutes the declaration of Mohammed and his followers

that the covenant was through Ishmael.

Mohammed claimed direct descent from Ishmael through

Kedar, but this could be spurious, since nothing was recorded

of his life until some 150 years after Mohammed’s death.

Although Muslims consider Abraham a prophet, they now

declare the Pentateuch corrupted, for if they did not, it would

demolish their Islamic teaching.

Abraham sent his servant Eliezer to find a bride for Isaac. By

Rebecca, whom Eliezer brought back, Isaac had twins—Esau



73 Inspired Prophecies Concerning Israel

and Jacob. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob; and so it was

through Jacob that the covenant was established. After wrestling with God, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, “a

prince with God.”

Israel had 12 sons who became the heads of the 12 tribes of

the children of Israel. One of these 12 sons was Joseph. Joseph

had the most peerless character of all. He received dreams

when he was only 17 years old. In effect, by these dreams he

understood that he would rule indeed, one day, over his

brethren, and that his father and mother would bow down

before him. He was persecuted by his brethren and sold into

Egyptian captivity.

Captivity in Egypt

Although in Egyptian captivity, Joseph became steward in

the household of Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Falsely

accused by the wife of Potiphar, he was cast into prison where

he again rose to prominence. In prison, the word of the Lord

tried him until he was brought before Pharaoh to interpret his

dreams. As a result of his successful interpretation, Pharaoh

made Joseph the second ruler of the land after himself.

According to the interpretation of the dreams of Pharaoh,

there came the seven years of prosperity with bountiful

harvests, where Joseph amassed enough for the seven yearsof famine that would follow. He was thus able to preserve the

population in the time of famine in the land of Ham. So when

Joseph was 39 years of age, his brothers came bowing down




before him; and he provided a place in the land of Egypt for

them to dwell. Thus, the dreams of Joseph (which he had been given at the tender age of 17) came to fruition.

We are told in the Psalms that it was God who called for this

famine. Its purpose was to bring Jacob and his family down

into Egypt to sojourn and multiply there.

Then there arose a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph, with

the result that he was afraid that the children of Israel would

outnumber the Egyptians. God turned the hearts of the

Egyptians to hate His people (Ps. 105:25), and they oppressed

them. This was to fulfil the prophecy that the Lord had given

to Abraham that his seed would be a stranger in a land that

was not theirs (Egypt), and that they would serve them for

400 years (Gen. 15:13).

Release from Egypt

When Israel cried unto Him, the Lord raised up a saviour in

the person of Moses. Using Moses and his brother Aaron,

God showed His signs and wonders in the land of Ham

(Egypt). This was to further God’s purposes so that He could

get Himself a glorious Name through the manifestations of

His power by the ten plagues.

Through these ten mighty plagues the Lord judged Egypt, asHe had declared to Abraham in Genesis 15:14. True to this

prophetic word to Abraham some 400 years before, the

Egyptians sent forth God’s people with their substance.






At this mountain, the Lord gave Moses the moral and social

law recorded in the book of Leviticus. Among theseteachings was the commandment to love their neighbours

as themselves.

The Plains of Moab

After their 40-year sojourn in the wilderness, they came to

the plains of Moab where God gave the fifth book of Moses,

called Deuteronomy.

This journey is mentioned by the

Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10

as being undertaken for our

instruction, upon whom the end of

the world has come. He also

mentions it frequently in his

epistle to the Hebrews. The

journey from Egypt (a type of this world) to Zion (a type of

spiritual Zion in heaven) is full of truths and illustrates the

journey of a Christian from earth to heaven.

(For further study, please see our book entitled The Journey

of Israel ).

Prophecies to the Twelve Tribes

Both Jacob (Gen. 49) and Moses (Deut. 33), before their

deaths, gave prophecies to the individual tribes. These we

will now consider.

The journey of

Israel illustrates

the journey of aChristian from

earth to heaven.






A sombre story should be inserted before we continue with our

narrative. A certain pastor looked at his children one day withgrief. He saw, so clearly, traits in them that would cause trouble

later on. In agony of spirit, he went before the Lord to enquire

as to why the children had these traits. The Lord responded,

“Consider your spiritual condition at their conception.” Upon

reflection, the pastor realised to his sorrow that they were

manifesting evil tendencies that he had not dealt with in his

own life at the time of their conception. So he repented before

the Lord for the condition of his children. Therefore, seek the

Lord earnestly before conceiving a child, so that there is not

something in us that will bring forth sorrow in another.

Rachel’s envy was costly. Her son Dan is the apostate tribe, in

that he is not mentioned in the book of Revelation 7:5-8 among

the other eleven tribes. He is replaced by Manasseh, the eldest

son of Joseph (who had the double portion). There are two

other groups of 12 leaders in the history of the nation of Israel,

each of which has an apostate. There was an apostate judge

(Abimelech) and an apostate apostle of the Lamb (Judas).

Note how the passage on these tribes in Genesis chapter 49

finishes— “I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD”

(Gen. 49:18). Here it seems that Dan plagues the other

members of the Church. He is a vessel of wrath that God

endures with much longsuffering, and uses to afflict the

righteous until He has accomplished the work of refining.This is so that He might make known the riches of His glory

on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto

glory (Rom. 9:22-23).




A further note on Dan is that while we do not see him in

heaven, he does appear in the list of tribes in the millennial period of Christ’s reign upon earth (Ezek. 48). There is then

strong credence for the belief that Dan will go with the

Antichrist and later with Satan when he is released after 1,000

years to deceive the nations one last time (Rev. 20:1-10).

Naphtali, son of Bilhah (Rachel’s maid), meaning

“wrestling”— He was conceived in a spirit of strong wrestling

with Rachel’s sister Leah. What a miserable household Jacob

created for himself; yet God, in the greatness of His

magnanimity towards men, used even their frailties to bring

forth something beautiful in their lives. The prophecy that is

pronounced over Naphtali is that he is like a hind let loose

(full of energy) who gives goodly words. How sweet and lovely

is this one in spite of Rachel’s condition at his conception!

Then Moses in his prophecy declares, “O Naphtali, satisfied

with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD: possess

thou the west and the south” (Deut. 33:23). This speaks of the

fact that they inherited land to the west of the Sea of Galilee,

going toward the south. It was to them that Isaiah 9:1-2 speaks,

when they are promised a great light, the Lord Jesus. He

performed nearly 70 percent of His miracles in their land and

the land of Zebulun, which adjoins them in the south.

Can we possibly doubt that the Bible is anything less thanthe inspired Word of God? Which other book has been able

to predict happenings here upon earth some 800 years before

the event? No other.




Gad, son of Zilpah (maid of Leah), meaning “troop”— Of

him it is written that he shall execute the justice of the Lord.This was true in the days of Elijah, who was of the tribe of

Gad. He became one of the two Anointed Ones, along with

Moses, who stand before the Lord of the whole earth.

Asher, son of Zilpah, (maid of Leah), meaning “happy” —

He was to be blessed with children, to become acceptable to

his brethren. He received the glorious promise, “…As thy

days, so shall thy strength be.” Also, he would dip his foot in

oil (Deut. 33:25).

Issachar, son of Leah, meaning “to hire” —For the conception

of this son, Leah hired her husband from Rachel with the

mandrakes of her son Reuben (Gen. 30:15). Therefore, his name

means “to hire.” Of him it was said, “Issachar is a strong ass

couching down between two burdens: And he saw that rest was

good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder

to bear, and became a servant unto tribute” (Gen. 49:14-15).

Again, how the scenario at conception forms the character of

the child. Conceived as one who has been hired, when grown

Issachar elected to become a servant. O how we should learn

from such lessons! Their blessing, along with that of Zebulun,

was that they were to rejoice in their tents (theirs was the joy of

those who serve others, as we read in Deuteronomy 33:18).

Zebulun, son of Leah, meaning “dwelling place”— Of him

it was prophesied, “Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the

sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border






On the plains of Moab, Moses declared the future bondage of

Israel to the Babylonians. He said that when they entered theland they would forget the Lord and His commandments. God

would raise up another nation that would besiege them and

overthrow them, taking them into captivity (Deut. 28:47-53).

This prophecy was given circa 1400 B.C. and was fulfilled in

586 B.C. through the Babylonians, some 800 years later.

How can one say that the nation of Israel is like unto any

other nation? No other nation is governed by such prophetic

sayings. The Bible is filled with prophecy that governs the

history of the children of Israel from their inception as a nation

until the end of the 1000-year reign of Christ upon earth, as

we shall see later in our exposé of their history.

Conquering the Promised Land

Crossing over into the Promised Land, there was another

mighty miracle. The River Jordan, at flood time, rolled back

its waters and Israel crossed over dry shod, even as they had

done some 40 years before at the Red Sea.

The Lord then appeared to Joshua, the new leader who

replaced Moses after his death. He gave him the battle plan

to capture the first city Jericho. The Israelites were to walk

around six days in silence and then on the seventh day to

walk around seven times, at which time the congregation wereto give a mighty shout. This they did; and the Lord caused

the walls to fall down! The Israelites then rushed in and

captured the city and slew the inhabitants.




The Reign of David

It was not until the coming of David that Israel claimed all

of the land which God had promised to Abraham. This

remarkable man of God was in a very real sense a type of

the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

David was a prophet , and through his psalms, of which there

were over 70 in number, he gives encouragement to the saints

of all times, as well as prophesying the sufferings of Jesus,

particularly in Psalm 22. As a priest , he had the revelation

of the true sacrifice that God desires—a man who will

do all His will (Ps. 40:6-8). This was fulfilled by the Lord

Jesus Christ, but is also the goal of all believers. We, too,

should seek to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, wholly

acceptable to the Father. As king , David was a type of Jesus

the King of Kings who, when riding upon the colt into

Jerusalem, was hailed by the multitudes as their King on

Palm Sunday.

After this warrior king had subdued the enemies of Israel, he

brought the nation into the long promised rest of God and

prepared them for the ascent of his son Solomon to the throne.

The Reign of Solomon

Solomon built the temple, which pattern David had receivedfrom the Lord. Solomon ushered in a new dispensation of

God’s dealing with Israel—the Lord raised Israel up to teach

the nations the ways of God in all wisdom.




Israel, a type of the Church, was used especially in this new era

under Solomon to be the nation that taught others the wisdomof God. All nations came to hear the wisdom that God had

given him. The notable Queen of Sheba said to the king, “It

was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and

of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came,

and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told

me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I

heard” (1 Ki. 10:6-7). In like manner, the Church is to do the

same today, as we read in Ephesians 3:10, “To the intent that

now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places

might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”

Solomon’s reign opened auspiciously with the glory of the

Lord filling the temple, but it started to degenerate due to

Solomon’s taking many wives. This was in direct disobedience

to the laws for kings promulgated in Deuteronomy 17:17.

These women turned the heart of Solomon away from God to

worshipping idols. The Lord then decreed that after his death

the kingdom would be divided, and so it was. The descendants

of David reigned over the Southern Kingdom of Judah, while

the kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel were from the

common people, as were their priests.

The Northern Kingdom

From the onset, the Northern Kingdom went into idolatry and

every imaginable sin. Although God rebuked them through

major non-writing prophets (Elijah and Elisha, for example),






The Restoration Era

The next dispensation in the history of the nation of Israel

is called the Restoration Era. Essentially, it is the period

from the return of Israel to Jerusalem in three distinct

migrations back from Babylon to their own land. The first

of these migrations took place in 536 B.C., led by

Zerubbabel. Under his supervision, the temple was

completed in 516 B.C. Chronologically, the Book of Esther

follows, being set during the reign of Xerxes

(486-461 B.C.). Then Ezra led the second return during

the reign of the next king Artaxerxes in 458 B.C. Finally,

the third migration took place under Nehemiah in 445 B.C.,

who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. In our chapters on the

prophets, we will develop the fulfilment of other prophecies

during this time period, which lasted until the time of the

birth of Jesus in 5 B.C.

Successive Powers

The nation of Israel was governed successively by the

Babylonians, the Persians, and then the Greeks under

Alexander. Then followed two of the dynasties of

Alexander’s generals—Seleucid, who reigned from Syria,

and Ptolemy, who reigned from Egypt.

Israel in the Time of Jesus

Afterwards Rome became the dominant power and ruled

Israel through an Edomite king, Herod the Great, who was




the king at the time of the birth of Jesus. This was followed

by the nation’s being divided and ruled by his sons: HerodAntipas, Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea (4 B.C.–A.D. 39), to

whom Pilate sent Jesus (Lk. 23:7-12); and Herod Philip II,

Tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis (4 B.C.–A.D. 34). The

relevant Roman emperors were Octavius Augustus Caesar,

who was emperor at the time of His birth, and Tiberius,

who was Emperor at the time of His crucifixion. Pontus

Pilate was appointed governor of Judea and was such at the

time of the crucifixion of Jesus.

On His last walk from Jerusalem to Golgotha, Jesus

responded to the weeping women in this manner,

“Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for

yourselves, and for your children” (Lk. 23:28). This He

said to confirm His words concerning the fall of Jerusalem

in A.D. 70, which He had prophesied in Luke 21:20-24,

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies,

then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let

them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let

them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not

them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these

be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written

may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child,

and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall

be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall beled away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be

trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles

be fulfilled.”




The Re-Emergence of Israel

The nation of Israel has not been an entity since A.D. 70 when

it was made desolate by Titus. Only in A.D. 1948 did it leave

British mandate and become a sovereign nation again. This

was to fulfil the prophecy of Jeremiah 30:3, “For, lo, the days

come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of

my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause

them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they

shall possess it.” For what reason? It is to be there for Jacob’s

Trouble, or the Great Tribulation (Jer. 30:7).

The days leading up to this event are also clearly given to us

by the prophets, as we read in Joel 3:1-2, “For, behold, in

those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the

captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all

nations, and will bring them down into the valley of

Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people

and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among

the nations, and parted my land.”

So what we are seeing taking place in the beginning of this

21st century—the land of the nation of Israel being divided—

has actually been prophesied of by the prophet Joel some

2,700 years ago. How can such a precise account of modern

events have been foretold except by God Almighty, who can

declare political situations and bring it to pass in His timetableof events? There are other events that have been foretold by

the prophets concerning the days in which we are living, but

we look at these more closely when we come to later chapters.




We will cover chapters on the messages of the prophets and

the Second Coming of the Lord.

The Future of Israel

The history of the nation of Israel in this dispensation of grace

in which we are now living will come to an end with the last

great siege of Jerusalem. Surrounded by the heathen nations,

Jerusalem will be broken into, but Zion will hold out. Then

the Lord Himself shall appear and His feet shall stand upon

the Mount of Olives, as it is written in Zechariah 14:2-4:

“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. And his

feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which

is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives

shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward

the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of

the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it

toward the south.”

Then shall the Lord Jesus reign in Jerusalem and for 1,000

years there shall be His reign of blissful peace upon earth,

with Israel being the most respected nation upon earth. After this shall come the new heavens and the new earth. Even the

Heavenly Jerusalem will have 12 gates upon which are written

the names of the 12 tribes of Israel (Rev. 20-21).




Is there any other nation that has such promises from such a

God as Israel’s? No, not one. Can we not see that the onlytrue God is the God of Israel who only doeth wondrous things?

Let us fall down and worship Him. Is there another book like

unto the Bible? No, not one. So let it be our daily meditation.

Amen, and praise the Lord.



91

CHAPTER

FIVE

The Teachings of Moses

The most revered figures in the mind and heart of the pious

Israelite are those of Abraham and Moses. Possibly, the learned

would include Ezra, who was termed the Second Moses. It

is, however, to the person of Moses that we will turn in order

to understand the foundation that this man, mighty in words

and deeds, accomplished during his earthly sojourn.

The Ten Commandments

Moses, called of God and chosen to be the saviour of his

nation, was faithful in all his house. With mighty signs and

wonders, he brought forth Israel out of Egyptian bondage.

However, he made a far more lasting impression upon the

nation in giving to them the Law. This was based upon the

Ten Commandments that Moses received while he was on

Mount Sinai with God for 40 days and nights. These Ten

Commandments, written by the finger of God upon two tables

of stone, have been the foundation of all Western law. What

are they?

We read in Exodus 20:3-17, “Thou shalt have no other gods

before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,

or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the

earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve

them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting




the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third

and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my

commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD

thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless

that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to

keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in

it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy

daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy

cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six

days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all

that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the

LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour

thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon

the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt

not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not

steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy

neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou

shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant,

nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing

that is thy neighbour’s.” A similar list is given in

Deuteronomy 5:7-21. As we mentioned earlier, Deuteronomy

means the second reading of the Law.

It is worthy of note that all civilisation is founded on these

commandments. The Atheistic French revolution sought tochange the day of rest from the seventh until the tenth day.

They, however, had to return to the original seven days since

neither man nor beast could support a ten-day cycle.



93The Teachings of Moses

The Significance of the Feasts

Moses was called the lawgiver, and as such He laid the

foundation for the civil jurisdiction in the nation of Israel.

However, he not only did that, but gave the spiritual and

ceremonial law as well, as recorded in the Book of

Leviticus (called the “handbook” of the priests). The Book

of Leviticus details the ceremonies that were to be

performed during the year; these included the weekly

Sabbaths and the feasts of the Lord. These feasts also show

us the seven experiences in the life of a Christian. They

are as follows:

1. The Feast of Passover , symbolising salvation,

for Jesus Christ is our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7).

2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread , speaking of

feeding upon the Bread of Life (Christ—the

Word of God). After conversion, we must read

the Word of God every day.

3. The Sheaf of the First Fruits, typifying Christ’s

resurrection (1 Cor. 15:23). It represents water

baptism (being buried with Christ, and then

rising in newness of life to walk with Him).

4. The Feast of Pentecost , which is the feast that

governs the baptism of the Holy Spirit with

its initial sign of speaking in other tongues

(Acts 2:1-4).5. The Blowing of Trumpets (Lev. 23:24), which

signifies that the Lord is going to do a new thing

(cf. Num. 10:1-10). It is a fresh seeking of God.








Here in the very presence of God Himself, Moses spoke face

to face with God, as a friend speaketh to His friend.

Has any leader, through direct contact with God, been able to

give such explicit directions to his nation concerning the laws

and spiritual guidance, as did Moses? Has any leader had

such an intimate relationship with his God, as did Moses?

Has any religion so influenced mankind and been an example

to humanity as that of Israel’s as enunciated in the Bible? Has

any leader manifested the visible glory of God, as did Moses,

such that he had to cover his face when addressing the people?

No, not one. Surely, we need no other proof than that the God

of Israel is the only true God, the Lord Creator of the universe.

Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or

the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Mt. 5:17).

Every jot and tittle of the Ten Commandments, and the spiritual

significance of the ceremonial law was fulfilled by Jesus. The

Tabernacle of Moses, which was a pattern of the Heavenly

Temple, was purged by the blood of animals. However, we are

told in Hebrews 9:23-24 that the Heavenlies are purged by the

blood of Christ Himself.



97

CHAPTER

SIX

The Teachings of the Prophets

Our theme throughout this book is to prove the infallibility

of the Bible as the Word of God, to show that no human

mind could have written or composed it over the centuries

that it covers. Also, we have said that the testimony of the

Lord Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy; therefore, the Bible is

proved infallible by reason of the declarations that we find

therein concerning future events that have already come to

pass. With confidence we can anticipate that those things,

which have not yet had their fulfilment (because of their

timing), will indeed be brought to their fulfilment.

The Old Testament of the Bible is divided into the

following sections:

• The Pentateuch, which comprises the five books of Moses

(the author).

• The Historical Books, written by diverse authors.

• The Psalms, written principally by King David.

• The poetical books of Solomon.

• The Prophets, which are 16 in all, comprise the Major

Prophets (Isaiah; Jeremiah along with his Lamentations;

Ezekiel; and Daniel), and then the 12 Minor Prophets.

We have already resourced material from all these sections, but we do want to look carefully again at the teachings of the

prophets. Essentially we could say that their message revolved

around the fact that Israel did not keep the Law of Moses




(which was supposed to be their wisdom). The prophets

therefore were continually calling the nation back from their sinful ways into the paths of righteousness, which consisted

of keeping those laws.

However, flowing throughout their calls to repentance were

promises that the Lord was making to the nation concerning

their future. We therefore will seek to look at these prophetical

books one by one and glean some of these promises to sustain

the theme of the infallibility of God’s Word.

The Book of Isaiah

We have already quoted extensively from this book to show

that the prophet prophesied the coming of the Lord Jesus and

the future of the nation of Israel. However, there are one or

two prophecies that we can mention which we have not quoted

before. One concerns Cyrus, of whom Isaiah speaks some

150 years before his birth. It says of him that a king will rule

in righteousness. It was the consensus of historians that Cyrus

was the ideal and model leader.

Cyrus was particularly noted for his magnanimity, and as

Isaiah 45:13 states, he will let the prisoners of Israel go, neither

for price nor reward. Just as God had declared, this was exactly

what he did. After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, Cyrus in

the first year of his reign made the decree that the templeshould be rebuilt in 536 B.C. (Ezra 1:1-4). Thus before the

temple was even destroyed, the Lord declared that it would

be rebuilt.






The Book of Jeremiah

The weeping prophet is profuse in his warnings of the fall of

Jerusalem to the Babylonians. These all came to pass. But in

one exceptional prophecy on this subject, he declared that

the captivity would be of 70 years duration (Jer. 25:11). The

beginning of the 70 years was from the time of the first of the

three captivities in the year 606 B.C. This prophecy was read

by Daniel in the first year of Darius, king of the Medes in the

year 539 B.C., after he took Babylon (Dan. 9:1-2). It was

only three years later that Cyrus ascended to the throne in

536 B.C. and issued his decree permitting the Jews to return

to their homeland and rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:1-3). Have

there ever been any prophetic writings that have declared such

happenings with such detailed precision?

The Book of Ezekiel

This book portrays visions of the heavenlies and the throne of

the Almighty surrounded by four living Creatures (Ezek. 1).

Has any other religion been able to provide such detail of the

throne of God? No, not one.

The Book of Daniel

This provides accurate historical data of the events in the

court of King Nebuchadnezzar during the period when hisson Evil Merodach replaced him upon the throne for seven

years. The king had been transformed into a beast but returned

to the throne when his mind became normal again. He then



101The Teachings of the Prophets

imprisoned his son for mismanagement of his affairs. It was

during this imprisonment that Evil Merodach became friendswith Jehoiachin, captive king of Judah, and lifted up his head

when he again became king upon the death of his father

Nebuchadnezzar (2 Ki. 25:27-30).

This book also contains an accurate record of the events in

the court of the last night before the fall of Babylon to Cyrus.

The hand of God wrote upon the wall of the banqueting hall,

“MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN.” By the interpretation

of Daniel, it was a message to the king that he had been

weighed in the balance and found wanting. That night King

Belshazzar was slain by the forces of the Medes and Persians

which captured the city (Dan. 5).

Other remarkable prophecies of Daniel have already been

mentioned in that he declared the world’s kingdoms in order

from Babylon, Persia, Greece until Rome and then on to the

Last Days (Dan. 2). At this time ten kings must arise in the

confines of the Old Roman Empire, followed by the

appearance of the Antichrist from hell. After the reign of the

Antichrist for some three-and-a-half years, the Lord will come

in the clouds and bring in His reign of peace for 1,000 years.

The Book of Hosea

This tender compassionate prophet was ordered by God tomarry an unfaithful wife who later went after other men to

her ultimate degradation. The prophet was then told to buy

her back. This was a sign that Israel had been unfaithful to




God but that He would restore them unto Himself when

He returns to earth. He also promises that He will raise upDavid to be their prince (Hos. 3).

Hosea also warned of the coming destruction (in his days)

of the northern ten tribes because of their wickedness. This

happened in 722 B.C. with the fall of Samaria, their capital

city. Has any other prophet of another religion been such a

sign of things to come? No, not one. In the last chapter of

his book, Hosea calls upon Israel to repent and show the

way whereby a backslider may return to God—by calling

upon Him to be merciful and take away all iniquity from

his life (Hos. 14:1-4).

The Book of Joel

This prophet speaks with great clarity concerning the

outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which was fulfilled upon the

Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4. Joel is quoted by the Apostle

Peter (Acts 2:14-21) as prophesying about the baptism of

the Holy Spirit and the subsequent actions of the disciples.

Joel also warned of the parting of the land of Israel that we

are seeing taking place in our times. Joel 3:1-2 says, “For,

behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring

again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also

gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valleyof Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my

people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered

among the nations, and parted my land.”




Nevertheless, the Lord gives hope and assurance to comfort

His people by stating that He will defend them and destroytheir enemies. In verse 16, He says to His people, “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.”

Can any other religion give such solace to their followers

and declare with such certitude that which is to come

amongst the troublesome nations of the Middle East?

The Book of Amos

Amos was an uneducated man who brought forth such

truth in warnings to his people concerning coming

judgments, and yet also such hope for the ultimate future

of Israel. One prophecy for which he is well remembered

is that God would raise up again the Tabernacle of David,

“In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that

is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will

raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of

old” (Amos 9:11).

This prophecy was quoted in Acts 15 by the Apostle James

to justify the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Church.

Two other well-known verses are: “Can two walk together unless they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) and “God will do

nothing but that He reveals it to His servants the prophets”

(Amos 3:7).




The Book of Obadiah

Dealing primarily with the judgments upon Edom, this book

is of special interest for us today since Edom forms part of

the Kingdom of Jordan. In the end when the Lord returns

Israel will judge Esau (or Edom) (Obad. 1:21). This is to

avenge the terrible anger and violence that Edom has had

against Israel.

The Book of Jonah

This is best known for Jonah’s experience of being in the

belly of the large fish for three days and three nights. This

was quoted by the Lord to justify the fact that He was in

the nether parts of the earth for three days and three nights

(Mt. 12:40). His ministry was to warn Nineveh of

oncoming judgment if they did not repent. On this

occasion, they repented but returned to their wicked ways.

And so later, Nahum pronounced the finality of God’s

judgement upon them.

The Book of Micah

The prophet Micah is best known for his prophecy that Jesus

would be born in Bethlehem Ephratah. Micah 5:2 says, “But

thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the

thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forthunto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth

have been from of old, from everlasting.” This was

understood by the scribes and Pharisees when they so




responded to the question of Herod the Great as to where

the King of the Jews would be born (Mt. 2:5-6).

The Book of Nahum

Here, the prophet is declaring the destruction of Nineveh,

capital of the Assyrian Empire. He is also pleading with

backslidden Israel to keep the seven feasts of the Lord. We

must never forget that, in the midst of judgment, God’s

people must still live a life of holiness.

The Book of Habakkuk

Habakkuk speaks of coming judgments upon Judah from the

Babylonians. This nation was raised up by God to take the

Jews into captivity in Babylon where God would purify them.

The Book of Zephaniah

Zephaniah was a descendant of King Hezekiah, and the only

prophet from the royal line of David. Together with Jeremiah

and King Josiah, he spearheaded the greatest revival that the

nation of Israel had ever experienced.

The Book of Haggai

Prophesying during the Restoration Period, Haggaiencouraged the people to resume the rebuilding of the

Temple that they had commenced some 16 years previously.

He also promised that the Last Day Church would be more




glorious than the New Testament Church was on the Day of

Pentecost (Hag. 2:9).

The Book of Zechariah

Being a man of vision, Zechariah spoke of the last siege of

Jerusalem before the Second Coming of Christ. The Lord will

stand on the Mount of Olives to fight for His beleaguered

people in Jerusalem.

The Book of Malachi

The last of the Old Testament prophets, Malachi prophesied

of the First Coming of Christ. Also, he spoke of the coming

of Moses and Elijah before the great and terrible Day of the

Lord at His Second Coming.

Conclusion

Thus, these prophets all prophesied of the things that would

come, some of which have already been fulfilled and others

that are surely to come to pass. Again we must ask this question:

“Has any other religion produced such manifest proof of its

divine origins as the Bible with all this prophetic flow

throughout the ages?” Should we dare turn to another for our

help in time of need? The prophet Joel promised that whosoever

will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Joel. 2:32). No other name than the name of Jesus can save us. Leave Him

not. Do not let this so great salvation slip away from you like

water from a leaky vessel. Be warned, dear ones.



107

CHAPTER

SEVEN

The Teachings of J esus

In all religions, the founders leave instructions and teachings

for their disciples to follow. Our Lord’s teachings are

encapsulated in the Four Gospels of that part of the Bible called

the New Testament. Jesus commanded tremendous respect for

His teachings, for He was called Rabbi (a term of reverence

and respect), in spite of His relatively young age. Moreover,

those who heard Him bore witness to His teachings. We quote

Matthew 7:28-29, “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended

these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For

he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

A Higher Standard

The greatest of all His teachings are contained in the portion

that is termed “The Sermon on the Mount.” Although parts of

it appear elsewhere in the Gospels, its quintessence is found in

Matthew chapters 5-7. It commences with that which is termed

“The Beatitudes.” These are nine in number and are the very

foundation of New Testament doctrine. They may be compared

to the Ten Commandments, to which Jesus bore witness by

saying, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the

prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Mt. 5:17).

The theme of these teachings is that they are superior

to even those of Moses, who had received the Ten

Commandments from the hand of God Himself. Jesus




would repeatedly say, “For I say unto you...” Then He

would follow with a comparison between some of thoseearlier commandments and His own.

For example, let us take the third commandment: “Thou

shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.” Jesus says,

“But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven;

for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his

footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the

great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because

thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your

communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is

more than these cometh of evil” (Mt. 5:34-37).

The sixth commandment is: “Thou shalt not kill.” Then

Jesus says, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry

with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the

judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca,

shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall

say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Mt. 5:22).

Then we have the seventh commandment: “Thou shalt not

commit adultery.” The teaching of Jesus is: “But I say unto

you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her

hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”

(Mt. 5:28).

Then Jesus continues by quoting diverse commandments

and, as always, giving a higher standard. We quote one of

these from Matthew 5:43-45, “Ye have heard that it hath



109The Teachings of Jesus

been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine

enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless themthat curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for

them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That

ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:

for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good,

and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Maturity

His teachings encompassed all aspects of life here upon earth.

They could be summed up in His own words: “Be ye therefore

perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect”

(Mt. 5:48). The Greek word for perfect, “teleios,” has the

sense of completeness, maturity, and full age. In other words,

this is how a mature Christian should live, by fulfilling the

law of love. An understanding of this is to consider a Golden

Delicious Apple. It is perfect at every stage of its development

yet not fit for the Master’s Table until it is mature.

Giving

In the matter of giving He expects us to: “Take heed that ye

do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise

ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven...But

when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy

right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee

openly” (Mt. 6:1,3,4). It is obviously a far higher standard

to give secretly than openly.




Prayer

Then Jesus tells us how to pray by giving us this wonderful

prayer that has become known as the “Pater Noster,” “After

this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in

heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will

be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our

daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our

debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from

evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

for ever. Amen” (Mt. 6:9-13).

Forgiveness

He gives this warning on forgiveness, “For if ye forgive

men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive

you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will

your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mt. 6:14-15). How

this teaching exudes the perfection of the character of our

God! We are told that He is merciful, gracious, longsuffering,

abundant in goodness and truth (Ex. 34:6).

Faith

Then our Lord turns to the wonders and marvels of creation,

which we see around us. He uses this to increase our faith

and trust in the Heavenly Father to care for our needs. Wequote Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no

thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall

drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the




life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the

fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.

Are ye not much better than they? Therefore take no thought,

saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,

Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things

do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that

ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom

of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be

added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow:

for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Has any founder

of a religion ever given such teachings and promises to His

followers? No, not one.

Eternal Judgment and True Righteousness

Now follows ominous warnings concerning eternal judgment.

Incidentally, Jesus spoke more on the horrors of hell than the

pleasures of heaven. It was this earnest passion for souls that

animated His teaching and preaching. He demonstrates this in

His most famous sermon by saying, “Enter ye in at the strait

gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to

destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because

strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto

life, and few there be that find it” (Mt. 7:13-14).

He follows this with a warning to those who have experienced

salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit: “Not every one

that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom




of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in

heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, havewe not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast

out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart

from me, ye that work iniquity” (Mt. 7:21-23).

The Lord warned against hypocritical religious people. He

has afore said, “For I say unto you, That except your

righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes

and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of

heaven” (Mt. 5:20). This warning is for us, beloved.

He also taught that, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do

men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so

every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree

bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil

fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every

tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and

cast into the fire” (Mt. 7:16-19).

How different the attitude of the compassionate Christ is from

the attitudes of those of other religions, who will often murder

those who do not submit to their views. Truly, as Jesus said,

the false prophets are known by their fruits (Mt. 7:20).

We, as Christians, are to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit of God in our lives, which is: “Love, joy, peace, longsuffering,

gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against

such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).




Upon this subject of fruitfulness in the Christian life He

stated, “I am the true vine, and my Father is thehusbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he

taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth

it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Abide in me, and I in

you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide

in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the

vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in

him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye

can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as

a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast

them into the fire, and they are burned...Herein is my Father

glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my

disciples” (Jn. 15:1-6,8).

The Snare of Riches

Jesus taught concerning uncertain riches and the end of those

who accumulated this world’s goods by saying, “Then said

Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich

man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again

I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye

of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of

God” (Mt. 19:23-24).

The Lord told the following story of a rich man who enjoyed

all the comforts of this life and a beggar named Lazarus, whosat at his gates begging. They both died, and the beggar went

to heaven, while the rich man lay tormented in the flames of

hell. Which other founder speaks with such clarity of vision




concerning the afterlife, warning and demanding a life of true

righteousness from His followers?

On Sexual Purity

While some religions profess to offer their followers an

eternity of sensuality (as well polygamy, here below), the Lord

Jesus taught that the redeemed will, upon resurrection, be

like the angels who do not marry nor are given in marriage.

He also taught on sexual purity here in this life.

His Character

The life of a founder is very revelatory, for by it we may learn

His ways and also examine them to determine the veracity of

His teachings. Here are some of the testimonies to Jesus’ life

by those who lived in His time. Nicodemus, that noble ruler

of the Jews, said this: “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” (Jn. 3:2).

Those sent by the Pharisees to apprehend Him, when asked

why they had not brought Him, replied, “Never man spake

like this man” (Jn. 7:46).

His Righteousness

At Christ’s death on the cross, the centurion gave this testimony,

“Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified




God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man” (Lk. 23:47).

Moreover, we are told that “when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those

things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this

was the Son of God” (Mt. 27:54).

His Mercy

The character of Jesus shows forth in a very important

discourse between Himself and the Pharisees, which we read

of in Matthew 9:10-13, “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at

meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came

and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the

Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth

your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus

heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a

physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what

that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am

not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Christ’s intent is to show forth the mercifulness of God , His

Heavenly Father. He intends for His followers (or disciples) to

do the same. Perhaps we could say that it is highlighted in the

following rebuke that He gave lovingly to His disciples on the

road to Jerusalem from Galilee, “And it came to pass, when

the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly

set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers beforehis face: and they went, and entered into a village of the

Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive

him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.




And when his disciples James and

John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come

down from heaven, and consume them,

even as Elias did? But he turned, and

rebuked them, and said, Ye know not

what manner of spirit ye are of. For

the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to

save them. And they went to another village” (Lk. 9:51-56).

His Meekness

The very nature of Jesus is revealed by His introduction to

Israel, given by John the Baptist, His forerunner, “Behold the

Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world!” Thus,

Isaiah confirms this when describing Jesus. The prophet

declares when describing His death, “He was oppressed, and

he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought

as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers

is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isa. 53:7). We see

this fulfilled when He was before the Roman Governor, “And

[he] went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus,

Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer” (Jn. 19:9).

Furthermore, Jesus (being the only begotten Son of God) could

say of Himself, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are

heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and

ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and

my burden is light” (Mt. 11:28-30).

Christ’s intent

is to show

forth the

mercifulness

of God.






tabernacle of the congregation. Jesus manifested a far more

excellent glory upon the Mount of Transfiguration in the presence of Moses and Elijah as well as the chosen three of

His disciples—Peter, John, and James. Above all, He was

in the presence of His Heavenly Father, who gave this

testimony, “This is My Beloved Son in whom I Am well

pleased; hear ye Him” (see Mt. 17:1-9).

The relationship between Moses and Jesus is described as

follows, “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a

man speaketh unto his friend” (Ex. 33:11). Numbers 12:8

says that Moses beheld the similitude of the Lord.

Another Old Testament saint who had intimate knowledge of

Jesus (he was called the friend of God) was faithful Abraham.

Of Abraham, Jesus said that he rejoiced to see Christ’s day.

This means that Abraham had had the privilege of seeing in

vision form the life and ministry of the Lord and Saviour of

mankind, Jesus Christ. Can any other religion so speak of

such momentous and wondrous things? No, not one.

David the warrior king could say, “I have set the LORD always

before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved”

(Ps. 16:8). How many can echo those words with respect to

their gods? Furthermore, David could say that the Lord was

with him whithersoever he went. Only the omnipresent God

could do according to the declarations of King David.

Later in life when his army days were over, David had further

experiences with God concerning the pattern of the temple




which would be entrusted to his son Solomon to build. David’s

testimony is found in 1 Chronicles 28:19, “All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand

upon me, even all the works of this pattern.” Can any other

god so intimately direct his people?

Then the prophet Isaiah had a remarkable revelation of God.

He testified thusly, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw

also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and

his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each

one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with

twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one

cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD

of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa. 6:1-3).

These saints all saw Jesus before His incarnation as the Son

of Man. Which religion has ever had visions of their founder

before His birth, even some 1,000 years ago? Christ has

been seen before His birth, during His earthly ministry, and

after His resurrection by four of His Old Testament prophets.

Of which person can this be said, besides the only begotten

Son of God?





121

CHAPTER

EIGHT

The Teachings of the Apostle Paul

All great teachers reproduce themselves in their pupils

(who propagate, expound, and explain the teachings of

their masters). This, of course, was true with Jesus,

whose apostles recorded His teachings and then

expounded the doctrines of the New Covenant. None

did so more than Paul, who had special revelation given

to him in the Arabian Desert after his miraculous

conversion (Gal. 1:17).

Paul contended earnestly for the Faith, and through his

spiritual sons having been well trained by him, that zeal

for the truth was passed on to many generations. The

Apostle Paul’s two greatest teachings are encapsulated

in his epistles to the Romans and Hebrews respectively.

They expound, in great detail, the doctrines of the Church.

The Epistle to the Romans

The epistle to the Romans is called “The Masterpiece of

the New Testament.” In it Paul outlines the steps in the

Christian experience and life.

Righteousness by Faith

Firstly, he explains the purpose of the ministry—to bring

people to the obedience of the faith. He points out that




the theme of the Gospel message is “the just shall live by

the faith of the Son of God” (Rom. 1:17).

He then explains that the wrath of God is revealed against all

because there is none righteous, “for all have sinned and

come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). God’s provision

for our need is the sacrifice of Christ, through which we are

counted righteous if we believe that He was delivered for our

offences and raised again for our justification.

He expounds on this truth in Romans 3:21-25 by saying,

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is

manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus

Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is

no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the

glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through

the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath

set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to

declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that

are past, through the forbearance of God.”

The fruit of being justified by faith is the certainty of being

saved from the wrath of God. This brings peace, hope, love,

and joy (Rom. 5:1-5).

Holiness and the Crucified Life

One then progresses to the life of holiness, which comes

through knowing that our old man was crucified with



123The Teachings of the Apostle Paul

Christ. This enables us to reckon that we are dead to sin.

Thereby, we have power not to yield to sin but to yield torighteousness. We are then able to walk in the Spirit and

thus fulfil the law of righteousness (Rom. 6:1-14).

The Church Inherits the Blessings of Israel

Paul turns then to the fact that the nation of Israel, through

their rejection of Christ as their Messiah, forfeited their

privileges. These are given to the Church, the people “which

are not a people,” spoken of by Moses in Deuteronomy 32:21.

All these happenings—the rejection of Israel through her sins

and the raising up of the Church—were declared some 1,400

years before they took place on the Feast of Pentecost in

Acts 2:1-4 and in Acts 10, when the Gentiles were also made

part of the Church through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit

upon those gathered in the house of Cornelius.

Paul specifically mentions the blessings of being the adopted

sons of God—the glory, the covenants, the giving of the

law, and the service of God—blessings which belonged to

the nation of Israel but which the Church now enjoys. In the

end when Christ returns, the nation of Israel will be received

back into the household of God.

The Practical Walk

Paul concludes this epistle by explaining the practical walk

of the Christian in the world, which is a life of humility,

love, and compassion for the needy.




The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Superiority of Christ’s Blood

The Apostle Paul devotes this epistle to showing the superiority

of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant given at Mount

Sinai. He cites the fact that the New Covenant is founded upon

the sacrifice of Christ, whereas the Old Covenant is founded

upon the sacrifice of animals (Heb. 9:11-14).

The Superiority of Christ over Moses

He also proves the greatness of Christ as compared to Moses

(the author of the Old Covenant), whom Christ formed

because He was the Co-Creator of the human race (Heb. 3).

The Superiority of Christ over Angels

The nation of Israel was keenly aware of the ministry of angels,

who have been used numerous times in their history. The

children of Israel were led by an angel throughout their

wilderness journey from Egypt to the River Jordan. When

they were in the Promised Land, angels appeared to Samson’s

mother to announce that she would have a son. Of course,

there were also those dramatic appearances of Gabriel to

Daniel, giving him an understanding of the times that would

befall Israel even unto the Last Days.

Paul addresses the fact that Christ is so much greater then the

angels, for they are all ministering spirits sent forth to minister




to the heirs of salvation, whereas Christ is the Son of God.

When He entered the world, the Father commanded that allthe angels should worship Him. Unto none of the angels, at

anytime, did the Father say, “Sit on my right hand until I

make thine enemies thy footstool” (Heb. 1:4-14).

The Superiority of Christ over the Prophets

In this very beautiful and endearing epistle, the Apostle declares

that Christ is also so much greater than the prophets. They

declared His message, but He was the Message (Heb. 1:1-2).

The Melchizedek Priest and the New Covenant

Another wonderful truth that flows through this epistle is

that Christ is the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek,

which is a royal priesthood (Heb. 7). This is the New

Testament priesthood, which is eternal and is also composed

of born-again believers. We, as such, may go within the veil

that separates the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, into

the very presence of God Himself (Heb. 10:19-23). For when

the Lord was crucified, the veil of the Temple was torn from

top to bottom (Mk. 15:38). The Holy Spirit thus indicating

that by the sacrifice of Christ and His most precious blood,

which was shed for us, the way into the Holy of Holies is

now open.

In the Holy of Holies, there is the Ark of the Covenant

(made of wood covered with gold inside and outside). It

speaks of Christ, the Son of Man (wood) and Son of God




(gold). Within the Ark are the two tables of the Law, which

signify Christ’s fulfilling the Ten Commandments.

For us, it is to have those commandments written upon

the fleshly tables of our hearts; therefore, to delight to do

the will of God. All this was prophesied by the prophet in

Jeremiah 31:33, “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.”

Again, we see how all things that the Heavenly Father

has ordained, He has declared, as He said He would,

through His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7). Is there

another book that can declare such mysteries as the Holy

Bible? Do not these facts encourage us to believe that

Christianity and Christianity alone is the only true and

living way to heaven above?

How can anyone know, as with the case of Jeremiah, that

a new covenant would be ordained by God and brought

into being by the Sacrifice some 600 years later? (This

Sacrifice would open the way into the

Holy of Holies and enable Him to write

His laws upon the fleshly tables of the

hearts of the believers.) No one couldhave recorded these truths except those

who knew and heard the voice of God,

as did the prophet Jeremiah.

The way

into the

Holy of Holies is

now open!




The Heroes of Faith

Then too, the Apostle Paul gives a heart-gripping

recitation of the acts of the heroes of faith throughout

the ages, from Abel who offered a more excellent

sacrifice, to Enoch who was raptured, from Noah who

built an ark to the saving of his house, to Abraham who

left his home town of the Ur of the Chaldees to go to a

land he would one day inherit. Then there is Moses, who

by faith passed through the Red Sea.

Beloved, there is no other religion that can take one back

to the days of Adam, and recount all those wondrous

happenings as proof of the trust that men and women

have had in the Almighty. One can see through the

Biblical accounts that faith in the one and only true and

living God remained vibrant throughout the 6,000 years

of man’s existence upon earth.

Paul concludes this epistle by turning the eyes of his readers

to Christ (who is the Author and Finisher of our faith),

and His splendid example of a life well-lived in fulfilling

the Father’s will. He says in Hebrews 12:1-2, “Wherefore

seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud

of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin

which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience

the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before

him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set

down at the right hand of the throne of God.”




Also, in Hebrews 12:18-24, the Apostle directs us towards

Mount Zion, and the city of the living God—Jerusalem.Symbols of the presence of God and His holiness.

Thus, this epistle solves many theological questions and

explains the Old Testament types in a way that brings forth

clarity of thought and vision to our being. Through this,

our feet are placed upon a sound path of righteousness for

our lives that will bring us to our heavenly home.



129

CHAPTER

NINE

The Teachings of Other Notable Apostles

The Apostle Paul was the most prolific writer of the New

Testament era, nonetheless, other apostles made significant

contributions. Among these we have listed the following:

The Apostle John

Jesus—the Incarnate Word of God

The Apostle John was the nearest and dearest of the Apostles.

In his Gospel and the Book of Revelation (given to him by

the Lord), he gives us an outstanding understanding of those

things that were before the foundation of the world unto the

very end of time.

John reveals to us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the

Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was

in the beginning with God and all things were made by

Him…” (Jn. 1:1-2). Moreover, Christ was the life and light

of men; and He lights (or gives life and conscience to) every

man who comes into the world (Jn. 1:4).

Furthermore, speaking of Jesus, he says, “And the Word wasmade flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory,

the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace

and truth” (Jn. 1:14). Therefore Jesus is the very embodiment




of the Word of God, and in Him we see all the fullness of the

Godhead bodily.

John also tells us that “as many as received him, to them

gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that

believe on his name” (Jn. 1:12). John is confirming that which

was written in Psalm 82:6, “I have said, Ye are gods; and all

of you are children of the most High.” He quotes Jesus, who

said, “… Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If

he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and

the scripture cannot be broken)…” (Jn. 10:34-35).

The above mentioned verses serve to substantiate the fact

that all those who receive Jesus as their Saviour become sons

of God. Likewise, they are also to manifest the truths of the

Living Word in their lives, being living epistles known and

read of all men everywhere (2 Cor. 3:2-3).

Leaving now his Gospel, let us turn to the Book of

Revelation. Here we have a view of the Second Coming of

the Lord Jesus that we will address in more detail when we

come to Chapter 9. Flowing with the revelation in his

Gospel—that Jesus is the incarnate Word of God—John

shows that at His Second Coming, as the heavens open,

Jesus is seated upon a white horse. He is called Faithful and

True, and His name is the Word of God.

There is a consistent theme that tells us that Jesus is the Word

of God incarnate. Therefore, it is logical that a terrible warning

is given at the end of the Bible— To touch the Bible is to



131The Teachings of Other Notable Apostles

touch the very revelation and person of God Himself,

personified by the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begottenSon of God. We quote Revelation 22:18-19, “For I testify

unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of

this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall

add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And

if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this

prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of

life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are

written in this book.”

The Apostle Peter

The Apostle Peter, the first Apostle of the Lamb, writes in his

epistle that we, “being born again, not of corruptible seed,

but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and

abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of

man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the

flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth

for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached

unto you” (1 Pet. 1:23-25).

Here Peter is confirming that the Word of God is none other

than Jesus Christ, “But with the precious blood of Christ,

as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily

was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but

was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Pet. 1:19-20).Which other religion can possibly claim such a truth for its

founder—that He was foreordained before the world was

made? Not one.




To Be Like Jesus

Consider this beautiful description of Jesus Christ our Lord,

of whom Peter had such intimate knowledge, “For even

hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us,

leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who

did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when

he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he

threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth

righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body

on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto

righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were

as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the

Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Pet. 2:21-25).

The standards of the conduct for believers in the Christian

religion are nothing less than to be like Jesus. Has any other

religion such high requirements for its followers? Consider

too these words from the pen of the premier Apostle of the

Lamb, “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion

one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but

contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called,

that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life,

and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and

his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do

good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their

prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do

evil” (1 Pet. 3:8-12).




For the promise of God, as we now read in 1 Peter 5:10 is

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto hiseternal glory by Christ J esus, after that ye have suffered a

while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

Now Peter gives us the simple steps whereby we may attain

this perfection, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add

to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to

knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and

to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness;

and to brotherly kindness charity” (2 Pet. 1:5-7). Love is

the bond of perfection.

Peter is extremely practical in that he shows us not only the

greatness of Christ, but also gives us clear-cut rules on living

a holy life. He speaks of the experience with Christ on the

Mount, when God made known unto him, John, and James,

the power, honour, glory, and majesty of His Son. They heard

the voice of the Father saying, “This is My Beloved Son in

whom I am well pleased” (2 Pet. 1:16-17).

Peter writes on the virtues of humility and sobriety, so that

we no longer live the rest of our time here in the lusts of

the flesh, but in the will of God. He exhorts us therefore to

pay attention to prayer, hospitality, and having a fervent

love one to another because love shall cover a multitude

of sins (1 Pet. 4:7-8). The prayer of King David is very

apropos here, when he cries unto God in Psalm 51:10,“Create in me a clean heart!” As we take up that cry from

the depths of our souls, we shall not be far from the pathway

of holiness.




The Apostle James

The Apostle James, the half-brother of our blessed Lord Jesus,

and pastor of Jerusalem, was called “camel knees” because of

the thick calluses that had formed upon his knees due to his

long hours spent praying in that kneeling posture. He writes in

a fashion very akin to the Lord.

Faith

He tells us to ask in faith for wisdom, saying in James 1:5-7, “If

any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all

men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth

is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let

not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

Furthermore, he declares to us that believing alone is not

sufficient, because we have to practise what we believe—since

faith without works is dead. Our faith is made perfect by works

(Jas. 2:14-26).

Controlling Our Tongues

The one who can control his words manifests Christian

perfection; for the one who can control his tongue is able to

control all the other members of his body. He says, “For inmany things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the

same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body”

(Jas. 3:2).




Patience

Another main theme in James’ epistle is an exhortation to let

patience have her perfect work. He says in James 1:2-4, “My

brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect

and entire, wanting nothing.”

James invokes the prophets and Job as role models of those

who were examples of suffering, afflictions, and of patience.

Thus we are given three distinct aspects of Christian perfection

which come through (1) patience, (2) controlling our tongues,

and (3) practising our faith through good works. Such counsel

one will find in no other religion except that of the true and

living God.

Thus the writings of these premier apostles show forth what

manner of lives we should lead and, of course, the absolute

deity of Jesus Christ. They then point to the Second Coming of

our Lord, a subject that we will take up in the next chapter, the

tenth in our study of apologetics.





137

CHAPTER

TEN

The Second Coming of OurLord and Saviour J esus Christ

Much is written prophetically of the First Coming of

Christ. He was born to a virgin in Bethlehem, Judah,

which had been declared by the prophets (Isa. 7:14,

Mic. 5:2). Yet even more is written of the promise that

He will return again.

Certainly these events are still in the future, yet living in the

commencement of the twenty-first century, we may see these

signs of His Second Coming beginning to unfold before

our very eyes. Let us consider some of them. This is not

necessarily a study of that blessed event, but rather a viewing

in the context of apologetics, wherein we have to give a

testimony of the hope that is within us (1 Pet. 3:15). Then

we are to contend earnestly for the faith that was once

delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3). Thus doctrine of the

Second Advent cannot be omitted!

Just prior to Christ’s crucifixion when He was seated upon

the Mount of Olives, some of His disciples asked the Lord,

“When shall be the sign of Thy coming and the end of the

world?” In precise chronological detail, the Lord Jesus

answered them (see Mt. 24, Lk. 21, Mk. 13).

No other religion can possibly foretell the future in the

manner that the Bible does. We have chosen to combine








of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same

Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall socome in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called

Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.”

Spoken of by Daniel

Now another prophet who spoke of the Second Coming of our

Lord is Daniel. He had remarkable revelations, even to the

declaration of empires that were to arise after the Babylonian

Empire, in which time he was prophesying (Dan. 2).

Daniel also saw that before the Lord returns, a significant

man must first arise who would proclaim himself to be God.

It speaks of this man in Daniel 7:25, “And he shall speak

great words against the most High, and shall wear out the

saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:

and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times

and the dividing of time.” This man is known by several titles,

such as the Beast, the Man of Sin, and the Antichrist.

Furthermore, Daniel tells us of events that must precede the

appearance of the Antichrist; we shall briefly consider them.

Firstly, as we have afore said, Daniel tells us that the empires

of Persia, Greece, and Rome must follow that of Babylon. All

these have done so and passed away. But then in the End Times,ten kings or kingdoms must come forth from that old Roman

Empire; after they have arisen, another comes forth who will

be the Antichrist. Therefore, the events leading up to the Second



141The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

Coming of Christ are well documented, as the one and only

true and living God alone could foretell and establish.

Our Lord, quoting another passage of Daniel, declares that the

Antichrist must erect an image to himself and place it in the

holy place (Dan. 9:27, Mt. 24:15). Thus to do so, the temple at

Jerusalem must be rebuilt in order for this prophecy to be

fulfilled. There are also prophecies in the Book of Revelation

which confirm that the image to the Antichrist will be made,

and that the temple will be rebuilt (Rev. 11:1-2, 13:14-18).

Prophecies in the New Testament

Now let us return to the discourse of our Lord to His disciples

upon the Mount of Olives. His first warning concerned the siege

of Jerusalem, which was fulfilled some 40 years later in A.D. 70.

Of this, the Lord said that Jerusalem would be trodden down of

the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Lk. 21:24).

This is basically the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Romans until

the return of the Jews to their land in A.D. 1948.

The Beginning of Sorrows

He then gives warnings concerning earthquakes, the sea, and

the waves roaring. The Lord said in Matthew 24:7, “For

nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against

kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” We have seen these come to

pass in the year 2004 with the tsunami which shook Indonesia

and neighbouring lands. Earthquakes have shaken peoples




in diverse places around the world very recently too. The Lord

terms these things as “the beginning of sorrows” (Mt. 24:8).

He gives the admonition that he who endures unto the end

shall be saved (Mt. 24:13). Can we contemplate going into

these End Times without the Saviour of the World? Is there

any other religion that has predicted events in the past with

such accuracy? What can declare the future with such

assurance, as the Bible, written by the sovereign Creator?

The Great Tribulation

The Lord continues by warning that when “the image that

makes desolate” (an image of the Antichrist) is placed in the

Holy Place, the Great Tribulation shall begin. The Great

Tribulation is also called “Jacob’s Trouble” in Jeremiah

chapter 30. After the Great Tribulation (which shall be

shortened because of the elect’s sake), there will be signs in

heaven. The sun and moon will darken. This is followed by

the sign of the return of the Lord in the clouds with great

glory, and the armies of heaven with Him (Mt. 24:15-27).

This has been corroborated by the prophet Joel, who spoke

of these events some 800 years prior to the Lord’s discourse

upon the Mount of Olives, “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” (Joel 3:15-16).



143The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

The Final Siege of Jerusalem

Another factor that will occur before His Coming is the final

siege of Jerusalem, when God declares that He will bring all

nations against Jerusalem. At this time He will come upon the

Mount of Olives and fight for His people Israel (Zech. 14:2-9).

The Millennium

Not only does the Bible (through Jesus and the prophets) speak

of Christ’s Second Coming, but it also speaks of the events

that follow this most notable of all events. Namely, that the

Lord Himself will reign for 1000 years upon earth. We are

further told that the overcoming saints will be resurrected.

Revelation 20:4-6 reads, “And I saw thrones, and they sat

upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw

the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus,

and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the

beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon

their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned

with Christ a thousand years. But the

rest of the dead lived not again until

the thousand years were finished. This

is the first resurrection. Blessed and

holy is he that hath part in the first

resurrection: on such the second deathhath no power, but they shall be priests

of God and of Christ, and shall reign

with him a thousand years.”

No book

declares the

past, present,

and futureas does

the Bible.




At this time, King David will be the prince of united Israel

again. This is foretold in Hosea 3:5, “Afterward shall thechildren 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.” It is also confirmed in Jeremiah 30:9,

“But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their

king, whom I will raise up unto them.” Then the prophet

Ezekiel declares, “And I will set up one shepherd over them,

and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed

them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will

be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I

the LORD have spoken it” (Ezek. 34:23-24).

Not only will David be resurrected, but also Jesus will reign

amongst His ancients gloriously, as it is written in

Isaiah 24:23, “Then the moon shall be confounded, and the

sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount

Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.”

The purpose of this book is to affirm your faith in the only

true and living God. These truths are not exegeted in depth,

but only to prove that the spirit of prophecy is the testimony

of Jesus, and that Christ alone is the Way, the Truth, and

the Life. Christ alone is spoken of in the Bible as being

the way to salvation through believing that, by His shed

blood, we have redemption by the grace of God. No

book declares the past, present, and future as does theBible. God alone can be the Author; He magnifies His Son

as the only Way by which we may be received into those

eternal portals of heaven.



145

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

The Preparation of the Saints

We have examined the irrefutable proofs that the Bible

alone is the Word of God and that Jesus is the Word made

flesh. Now we must consider, in view of the terrible times

that are about to break upon the world, the preparation of

the saints.

Who will indeed overcome in the Last Days and enter

heaven’s gates? The Lord Himself warned that because sin

will indeed increase, the love of many shall wax cold

(Mt. 24:12). Only those who endure unto the end shall be

saved. Beloved, be strong in the Lord. How else are we to

be strong in the Lord but through the study of His Word?

It is essential that we realise that wisdom and

knowledge are the stability of our times (Isa. 33:6).

Being Preserved

Yet there are also specific instructions for the saints

concerning these times. Zephaniah 2:2-3 says, “Before

the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff,

before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you,

before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you. Seek

ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which havewrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek

meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the

LORD’S anger.”




Righteousness

Two virtues are emphasised—firstly that of righteousness.

This is very important, for in times of judgment the standards

are considerably higher as we see in Ezekiel 14:14: “Though

these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they

should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness,

saith the Lord GOD.”

Considering these three men as role models, we read that

Noah (who lived in a time of judgment and was the only

one saved of all his generation) found grace in the eyes of

the Lord (Gen. 6:8-9). He was a just man and was perfect in

his generations.

Daniel, living in the days of the Babylonian Empire,

purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with

the meat and wine of the king’s house (Dan. 1:8). During

the days of the Medes and Persian Empire, it is said of

Daniel that an excellent spirit was in him and that he was

faithful; neither was there any error or fault found in him

(Dan. 5:12; 6:3-4).

Job is spoken of by God Himself, “And the LORD said unto

Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is

none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man,

one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8).

These shining men are held up to us as examples of

righteousness. The definition of a righteous man, and the



147The Preparation of the Saints

appropriate 17 qualities are given to us in Ezekiel 18. Some

of these are as follows:

1. He is just, lawful and upright

2. He has not defiled his neighbour’s wife

3. He has done no violence

4. He has walked in the statutes of the Lord

5. He has kept the judgments of the Lord and has

dealt truly

Meekness

Returning now to Zephaniah, we must remember that the

other principal virtue required in order to be hid in the time

of trouble was meekness. Few possess this prime virtue. In

the Bible, only two men are noted for this quality of

character—Moses and the Lord Jesus Himself.

Meekness may be defined through the understanding of the

Greek word “praus.” It is the word that is used for an animal

that is domesticated, or trained and disciplined. The meek

animal is one that obeys commands, and is controlled by

the reins which communicate the will of the master. There

is no reaction to distractions or unpleasant conditions. It

awaits direction and thus has all its own passions under

subjection to a higher power, which for the animal is its

master, and for us is Christ. That disciplined person might be likened to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots,

perfectly trained, and moving only at the behest of Pharaoh’s

charioteer (Song 1:9).




We are commanded to seek meekness. In order to seek that virtue,

we must desire it. When we have a revelation of the true beautyof meekness, we develop a longing for the beauty of meekness

to be revealed in our heart. Then we are on the right path to

being hid in the day of trouble that is coming upon the entire

world. Having a strong hunger and thirst for these two precious

virtues is a long step towards being protected in these last days

of horrendous judgments that are coming upon the earth.

The blessings of the meek are as follows:

1. They will be taught His ways (Ps. 25:9)—the

children of Israel saw His wonders, but Moses

knew His ways (Ps. 103:7).

2. They inherit the earth, and therefore have a

goodly inheritance here on earth and in eternity

(Ps. 37:11).

3. They are greater than those who take a city

(Prov. 16:32).

May we close with those words of the premier apostle in

1 Peter 3:4, “a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of

God of great price.” Jesus manifested this meekness when,

before His shearers, He opened not His mouth (Mt. 27, cf.

Isa. 53:7). This was when He was before Pontius Pilate the

Roman Governor at the judgment hall.

In closing this chapter, may we ask if there are any other religions that teach such qualities of character, and are given

such sparkling demonstrations of such virtues by their founder?

We know of no other one. There is no other.



149

CHAPTER

TWELVE

Eternal J udgment – Heaven

To one extent or another, most religions acknowledge the

existence of heaven, and point to it as the desirable eternal

place of repose for the soul. But how many can give a

description of heaven as it really, truly exists? Most religions

give a very nebulous picture of that which awaits the soul of

the redeemed. The Bible, however, gives a very clear

understanding of that which awaits us in our eternal home.

In addition, Christians have been blessed with the accounts

of some of the saints who, during their lifetime, have been

privileged to have visions of heaven. Some have even had

visits to the realms of the blessed in their eternal abodes.

What Heaven Is Like

The Bible speaks of the eternal city called “New Jerusalem,”

which has 12 gates of pearl. The street of the city is “pure

gold, as it were transparent glass” (Rev. 21:21). It has glorious

foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones. The

city is foursquare—the length, breadth, and height, are all equal,

being 1,500 miles in measurement. It is situated upon heavenly

Mount Zion, which is the habitation of the Lord and of the

spirits of just men made perfect (Rev. 21:10-27, Heb. 12:22-23).

The Lord Jesus describes the atmosphere of heaven to be

one of pure joy when He invites the righteous to enter into




the joy of their Lord (Mt. 25:21). He also speaks of going to

prepare a place for His disciples, for in His Father’s houseare many mansions (Jn. 14:2). So in heaven there are the

mansions for the redeemed. Several ladies have described

the beauty of my own dear wife’s heavenly mansion, with it

being one of sheer beauty and delight, bedecked with all

kinds of precious stones.

Describing heaven, certain saints who have had these special

privileges of seeing those vistas of sheer beauty and joy have

remarked that they were so surprised that heaven was so much

like earth. Yet it was of such incredible beauty that no earthly

abode could compare. Not only were there houses, but there

were also fields, valleys, and grassy landscapes.

The saints were also purposefully employed in a manifold

variety of occupations. There were schools for the babies and

the young, where some taught and cared for the little ones.

Seemingly, our earthly occupations prepare us for similar

careers in eternity. Houses were being built and prepared for

the saints that were soon to leave the earth and enter places

that they had earned by their earthly endeavours.

Not All Are Equal

The Apostle Paul stated that as one star differs in glory

from another, so not all are equal in heaven. He says in1 Corinthians 15:41-42, “There is one glory of the sun,

and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the

stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So



151 Eternal Judgment – Heaven

also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in

corruption; it is raised in incorruption.”

The Lord Jesus clearly confirmed this when He declared,

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least

commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called

the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do

and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom

of heaven” (Mt. 5:19).

Rewards of the Overcomers

We are told that those who overcome shall receive

special rewards:

• Rev. 2:7 – eat of the tree of life

• Rev. 2:10 – receive a crown of life

• Rev. 2:17 – receive a white stone with a new name

• Rev. 2:26-28 – be granted rulership over the nations

• Rev. 3:5 – wear white raiment

• Rev. 3:12 – become a pillar in the temple of God

• Rev. 3:21 – sit with the Lord in His throne

The Apostle Paul speaks of anticipating receiving a crown

of righteousness, as will all those who love His appearing

(2 Tim. 4:8).

A vision accorded to a certain lady after her pastor died provides

us with more information concerning the lot of the redeemed

after they enter heaven. The pastor was conducted by an angel




into a large hall in which there were several hundred saints.

These saints came one by one to the pastor and thanked himfor certain blessings that they had received through him. Then

according to the measure of the blessing was the precious jewel

that they gave to the angel, who then put it into a crown.

One thanked the pastor for a certain message that had meant

so much to him; others thanked him for a prophecy, a word

of encouragement, or a pat on the back. Still others thanked

him for having led them to salvation, or other blessings such

as water baptism, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When

they had all passed by, and the angel had put all the jewels

into the crown, he placed it upon the head of the pastor.

At this point we should ponder and consider that our rewards

are going to be commensurate with the good that we have done

to others. As it is written, some works precede the righteous

and others follow. The works that precede us lay up treasures

in heaven, and they that follow us are because of our impact

on our spiritual seed. Let us seek to be rich in good works

towards others, for they will come back upon our own head.

My own dear wife led a life of hospitality and kindness.

Moreover, she ministered the Word unto many. Now the Lord

has graciously given visions to several ladies in various

countries concerning her very beautiful home above.

Heaven is so very lovely, peaceful, and joyful, but it is also

meaningful. It is so fully satisfying to every redeemed soul

who is welcomed there. Let us contemplate this beautiful scene



153 Eternal Judgment – Heaven

shown to the Apostle John, “And he showed me a pure river of

water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on

either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare

twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month:

and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and

of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their

foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no

candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them

light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 22:1-5).

Now we must consider the words of the Lord Jesus Himself

concerning the qualifications for entering heaven, “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...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...Marvel not that I said unto thee,

Ye must be born again...That whosoever believeth in himshould not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved

the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that

whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have

everlasting life” (Jn. 3:3,5,7,15-16).

Therefore, the Bible makes it very clear that we must be bornagain. This experience all may have, if they will confess that

they are sinners and come to Jesus by faith, receiving Him

into their hearts as their Lord and Saviour.





155

CHAPTER

THIRTEEN

Eternal J udgment – Hell

Nearly all religions are agreed concerning the existence of

hell. The Bible declares that it is in the nether parts of the

earth. The Lord Jesus spoke more extensively concerning the

torments of hell than of the joys of heaven. He furthermore

tells us the reason for the creation of hell—that it was for the

devil and his angels who had rebelled against God before the

foundation of the world (Mt. 25:41).

God Is Not Willing That Any Should Perish

Hell is the place to which all who are not admitted to heaven

go eternally. Thus the great desire of the Father, the Son,

and the Holy Spirit is to work together to save souls from

hell. In the eternal wisdom of the Father, before the foundation

of this world, He knew that Adam would sin. Therefore, to

save mankind He knew that He must pay the price of the

death of His only begotten Son. The Son freely gave Himself

as a living sacrifice before the Father to die upon the cross of

Calvary so that all who believe upon Him might not perish

but have eternal life (2 Pet. 3:9). Therefore, the condemnation

is that of unbelief in the Saviour’s love for us.

What Hell Is Like

The torments of hell are very real, and we shall consider them.

A description of hell is “the blackness of darkness forever”




(Jude 1:13). It is living in no light whatsoever; in other words,

perpetual darkness. Then there is the agony of others who areendlessly tortured by the sins that they have committed in

this life. “Whose worm dieth not” (Mk. 9:42-48), means that

those sins are like worms that continually gnaw upon those

souls, adding to their suffering by the constant pain that they

experience through those worms.

Others are constantly chained to their friends with whom they

walked while upon earth (and participated in their sins), but

now they bemoan their fate and accuse each other for their

torments. Some actual testimonies of life in hell, which have

been gleaned from personal experiences, tales of friends, or

other sources, are now pertinent.

Not All Are Equal

There are many compartments or departments in hell; and

not all suffering is alike for the damned. According to their

life lived here upon earth, so are their torments or punishment

evaluated. Those who have had more opportunities here upon

earth to have accepted the Gospel, and yet have refused, have

the greatest grief .

My own grandmother, to whom I had witnessed upon many

occasions, had a most terrible entry into hell. She had

rejected the Gospel. Her last moments upon her deathbedwere filled with murmuring and complaining about events

in her life. I then was in another country, but the Lord showed

me in a vision of the night my grandmother entered into






screaming the very virtue that he had mocked: “MERCY,

MERCY, MERCY, MERCY,” his words becoming fainter and fainter as he fell. On the sides of the pit there were caves

filled with the pitiful cries of the damned as they were in

various stages of being tortured.

The Wages of Covetousness

In another vision of hell, a woman was being force-fed hot

steaming spoonfuls of sulphur. The demon who was

performing this torture (apparently with much glee) said that

in life this woman hoarded gold, living only to gain more,

idolising it. Now she was being fed that gold. The woman

shouted out, “HE LIES, HE LIES! If it were my gold, I could

accept it with joy.” How the character and desires that have

been formed in us upon earth by our actions remain with us

eternally in hell!

The Wages of Compromise

Preachers and ministers of the Gospel should take heed to

this next scenario. It concerns a group of the damned who

were sitting in a circle. In the midst was a preacher who had

been their pastor while on earth. He had preached sermons

on earth that had lulled them into a false sense of security. He

had not preached that unless they were born again they could

not enter into the kingdom of heaven. They, too, had obviously been content, and now they were all in hell. In the vision,

they were mocking this false preacher of the Gospel and

forcing him to stand up and preach to them. Oh, if we would



159 Eternal Judgment – Hell

only realise that we shall be in eternity with those for whom

we are responsible on earth—for good or bad!

Knowing this, how should we live, not only towards the Lord,

but also towards one another? Our prayers for one another

should be considered, as well as our kindnesses, and our words

of exhortation. Above all, if we are called to minister, how

careful must we be to guide people along the pathway of

righteousness. We must always seek to deliver the whole

counsel of truth so that they might enter into all the

experiences that the Lord has for them.

The Wages of Theft

Yet another warning to ministers is the experience of a minister

who died in Nigeria. He was shown many awesome things,

but in one instance he saw the iron gates of hell closing upon a

group of the damned who had just arrived at the gates of death.

Among them was a pastor whom he knew. Seeing him, this

backslidden pastor cried out in agony of soul. He had stolen

from the offering box, and his plea was, “Oh, please pay back

that money for me!” The anguish of his theft was already starting

to torment him. In his error, he thought that if another person

paid back his debt, it would remove that anguish and gnawing

that his soul was already beginning to feel.

The Wages of Lack of Compassion

The Lord gave a parable concerning the rich man and the

beggar Lazarus. When both had died, Lazarus was in




Abraham’s bosom, but the rich man was in the torments of

hell. He, looking up and seeing Abraham, pleaded with himto send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool his tongue,

for he was tormented in the flame (Lk. 16:20-31). There

was a pastor of whom I knew who had a vision of this rich

man; and he declared that every time the rich man opened

his mouth, a flame would come out of his mouth with an

awesome intensity of heat, which nonetheless did not

consume this rich man.

The Wages of Turning Away

Another case of the torment of those who knew the way and

turned from it is illustrated by an orphan who was taken

into a good man’s orphanage. There he made friends with

another orphan. As the years went on, this orphan decided

to leave the orphanage and go into the world. He did so,

and entered the world of drug smuggling. One day he stepped

into the road, not observing an oncoming car, which hit and

killed him instantly.

Some time later, a godly pastor went to the orphanage and

there was a precious move of God. Visions were given to

the orphans of heaven and hell. This friend of the orphan

who had left was taken in the spirit to hell. There he heard

ear-splitting shrieks coming from a dark cave. Being

bidden to enter by the angel who was conducting him, hesaw a ferocious demon with a terrible metal whip beating

the back of a young man. The young man, in his torment,

turned his head and there, the orphan who was being




granted the vision saw it was his friend who had left the

orphanage. His friend had left the ways of righteousness,and had gone into deep sin and was now paying eternally

for his lusts.

Hopelessness in Hell

For myself, I had been writing one of my books, and had

been thinking to illustrate the Lord’s life by a certain English

king. Then one night I was literally transported into “the

blackness of darkness forever,” a part of hell (Jude 1:13).

This is how the Apostle Jude describes the eternal abode of

some of the damned.

There was a terrible sense of being lost forever, and the

anguish of hopelessness. Out of that impenetrable darkness

came that English king, who in the gracious tone of a monarch

said, “Kind sir, can you show me the way to the light?” To

this I had to respond, “It is given unto man once to die and

then the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). There is no hopefor those

confined to the chambers of hell’s misery. Thus by that

experience, I knew the Lord did not want me to use that king

to illustrate the life of the King of Kings.

Lady Astor, a friend of the playwright George Bernard Shaw,

described her last visit to him. Upon his deathbed he said,

“Nancy, it is getting darker and darker and darker.” In contrast,Victor Hugo, the noted French author of Les Miserables, who

was a Christian gave the testimony, “As I get older, it gets

lighter, and lighter, and lighter.”




Eternal Fire in Hell

Other sombre accounts of hell follow. A French-Canadian

acquaintance of mine recounted the case of a relative who

was a backslider and a hypocrite. He read the Bible avidly,

but did not live the life. As he was dying, his moans and cries

became more and more pitiful. He kept saying, “Oh it is

getting warmer and warmer, and now hotter and hotter!” As

his life ebbed away, he started to describe the flames of hell

to which he was going. Yes, a part of hell does consist of a

furnace called “the lake of fire.” Into this fire the damned are

consigned (Rev. 20:15).

We can repeat the account of one saint who observed the

eternal agony of one group of young people who were friends

on earth and were constantly exposed to the Gospel but

rejected it. They suffered a multiple car crash and were all

killed together. This saint, who had known them upon earth,

was shown in a vision their eternal destiny.

He was brought to the edge of the lake of fire, and there saw

the carcases of those in the lake swished up to the surface

only to be plunged down again in to the swirling mass of

the other lost souls. Then to his

horror he saw the group of these

young people together come to the

surface; and they, like the others before them, could only through

parched and burning lips cry,

“WATER , WATER, WA…” Their

There is no

hope for those

confined to thechambers of

hell’s misery.




cries became fainter as they were plunged below again into

that burning caldron.

Where Is Hell?

Hell, we are told in the Bible, is in the nether parts of the

earth (Ezek. 31:18). It is also called the pit (Isa. 14:9,15) and

the “abyss” (Rev. 9:2). The Birmingham News, April 10, 1987

had an article entitled, “Earth’s Centre Hotter Than Sun’s

Surface, Scientists Say.” The article stated that scientists had

discovered that the earth’s inner core has a temperature of

over 12,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lessons Learnt

We can give so many accounts of hell and those who are

confined there, but we pause to consider what one’s attitude

should be towards hell. Is it going to be like Ted Turner, the

millionaire, who said in an interview , “I’m looking forward to

dying and being cast into hell. That’s where I belong”? (Ott,

Daniel, n.d.) These are the words of a very foolish man who

will eternally regret saying this. For by our words we shall be

justified or condemned.

Do not wait, like the thief on the cross, to have a last-minute

repentance. Do not be like the son of a friend of mine, who

coming back to the Lord on his deathbed, confessed to his father that the Lord had forgiven him, but there was no inheritance

awaiting him. Why not live a life of righteousness and so enjoy

those rewards forever and forever, as does my dear wife?





165

EPILOGUE

This little book has been written for one purpose—that those

of you who read it may be encouraged and strengthened,

knowing that the Bible alone is the Book of Truth that God has

given to His people to guide them safely from earth to heaven.

We are admonished to believe that salvation is only through

believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour.

The Bible defends itself, and proves itself through its prophetic

content. It is like no other book written. Holy men of old

were moved upon by the Holy Spirit to write it. As the Apostle

Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “Knowing this first, that no

prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:

but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy

Ghost.” God alone, the All-knowing One, could have inspired

its content, which was written from generation to generation

for our enlightenment.

We trust that you will not only read the Bible daily, but also

make it your daily meditation. It will be like a lamp unto your

feet, and a light unto your path. It will bring you comfort and

consolation in times of sorrow and grief. The pages contain

answers for all of your life’s problems and will be your guide

throughout your earthly sojourn. Through its pages the Lord

will speak to you, encouraging and admonishing you.

This life-giving Book will, through obedience to its teachings,

transform you and bring joy and happiness to you, so that




you will become more and more like the blessed Author—

Our Lord Jesus Christ. Ask Him to reveal Himself to youthrough studying chapter after chapter, and He will do so.

You will find Him to be a friend who sticks closer than a

brother. Although others may forsake you during life’s trials,

you will find Him true to His Word. He will never leave or

forsake you. Then you may boldly declare, “I will not fear

what men might do; in God do I put my trust, for the Lord is

my helper.” Amen!



167

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Holy Bible, King James Version. (1998). First Electronic

Edition STEP Files. Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Parsons

Technology, Inc.

Huxley, Aldous. “Confessions of a Professed Atheist,” Report:

Perspective on the News, Vol. 3, June, 1966, p. 19.

Josephus, Flavius. (1974). Antiquities of the Jews, translated

by William Whiston, A.M. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book

House.

O’Neill, Ernest. Is There A God? (n.d.)

Retrieved November 15, 2005 from:http://www.worldinvisible.com/apologet/god.htm#ft3rt

Ott, Daniel. Hellpage.com (n.d.)

Retrieved February 22, 2006 from:

http://www.hellpage.com/index1.htm

St. Augustine. Lifeoftheworld.com (n.d.)Retrieved November 15, 2005 from:

http://lifeoftheworld.com/lotw/02-03/02-03-01.php

Wesley Center Online. (n.d.). The Letter of Pontius Pilate,

Which He Wrote to the Roman Emperor, Concerning our

Lord Jesus Christ

Retrieved November 15, 2005 from:http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0810.htm



Books by Dr. Brian J. Bailey:

Commentaries on Books of the Bible

Genesis Minor Prophets 2

Feasts and Offerings (Joel - Zephaniah)

(Leviticus) Minor Prophets 3

The Book of Judges (Haggai - Malachi)The Gentile Bride of Christ The Gospel of Matthew

(Ruth) The Gospel of Mark

The Restoration Era The Gospel of Luke

The Three Houses of Esther The Gospel of John

Psalm I More than Conquerors

Psalm II (Romans)

Psalm III Soldiers for Christ

Wisdom Literature (Ephesians)

(Proverbs and Ecclesiastes) Hitting the Mark

The Bride (Philippians)

(Song of Solomon) Colossians & Philemon

Isaiah Within the Veil

Jeremiah (Hebrews)

The Book of Lamentations The Two Wisdoms

The Chariot Throne of God (James)

(Ezekiel) The Epistles of John

Daniel The Revelation of Jesus ChristMinor Prophets 1 (Revelation)

(Hosea)



Topical Studies

The Journey of Israel The Tabernacle of Moses

David and Solomon The Kings of Judah

Leadership The Kings of Israel

The Cross and Resurrection Names of GodThe Life of Christ Pillars of Faith

The Ministry of the Prophet Teachers of Righteousness

The Comforter The Second Coming

(The Holy Spirit) Know Your Bible

Contending for the Faith

Documents

Contending for the Faith.pdf