Behold the Day of the Lord is coming

The climax of the Oracles of Zechariah is placed at the right moment. This is the “Day of the Lord”. This passage has reverberated throughout the centuries. It has definiteness to it. Yet, it has been one of the most illusive conceptual literal and spiritual concepts in the religious world. Ben Joseph may be right though in that the Hebrew does not have a ‘definite article’. As we will later, in review of the major passages in the Old and New Testaments, concerning the coming of Jesus, there appear to be some allusions that the ‘Day of the Lord’ is in two phases, the Second Coming of Jesus and the return of God the Father, the Lord of hosts with the New Jerusalem at the end of the millennium to a “New Heaven and a New Earth”. Our focus on this passage is with the Second Coming of Yahshua (Jesus);

with the restoration of the saints to a glorified body,
the destruction of angelic, demonic forces who are against God and the humans that have allowed themselves to be possessed by those forces at the Battle of Armageddon during their temporary possession of Jerusalem, plus
the full restoration of House of Judah, the House of Israel (Joseph or Ephraim) and a millennial kingdom ruled by Yahshua as King of kings and Lord of lords, who along with the glorified saints, will rule for a thousand years.

Is this the literal picture? Let us look at the evidence.

The Jews

The Jews have since the days of the prophets and the exiles of their two houses, the House of Israel by Assyria in the 8^th century B.C. and the House of Judah by Babylon in the 6^th century B.C., been awaiting the prophetic fulfillment of their prophets in the coming of the two Maschiachs (messiahs), the Moschiach ben Joseph, the Suffering Servant, and the Moschiach ben David, the King of kings, coming to conquer and rule with an iron rod.

With this in consideration, including the vast portions of the prophets committed to the return of the House of Israel (Joseph/Ephraim) and the redemption of Jerusalem from the nations of the world, plus the coming of the Moschiach ben David to set up a kingdom that will be ruled with the rod of iron, states that the current Jewish end times beliefs are Pre-Millennial, that is before the millennium.

The Moslems

The Moslem’s religious roots can be traced back to the remnants of the Jerusalem Nazorean Church in Acts, who fled from Jerusalem as the Roman armies were approaching. The fragments of the Nazorean community were scattered across the Fertile Crescent in the deserts regions of Syria and Arabia. They are found in the Nosarenes and the Nusairiyeh tribes in Arabia and the Syrian Nusairiyeh tribes in the regions of Lebanon. The legends of their father Abraham and Ishmael, and the great lawgiver of the Torah, Moses are accepted by the Moslems except the chosen-ness of the children of Isaac and Jacob. The revelations in the Gospels, except the divinity of Jesus and the Trinity, include the recognition of Jesus as a prophet, one of a long line of prophets, beginning with Adam and ending with their Prophet, the Final Prophet Mohammed, who in essence become the final messiah. These oral tribal traditions were accumulated by the Prophet Mohammed in the Qur’an, their Holy Book.

Surah 98:1-8 - “Those who reject (truth), among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) and among the Polytheists (Pagans) were not going to depart (from their ways) until there should come to them Clear Evidence.

A messenger from Allah, rehearsing scriptures kept pure and holy: wherein are laws right and straight.

Nor did the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) make schisms, until after there came to them Clear Evidence. And they have been commanded no more than this. To worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being True (in faith); to establish regular Prayer; and to practice regular Charity; and that is the Religion Right and Straight.

Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hellfire, to dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst of creatures. Those who have faith and do righteous deeds they are the best of creatures. Their reward is with Allah: Gardens of Eternity, beneath which rivers flow; they will dwell therein forever; Allah well pleased with them and they with Him: all this for such as fear their Lord and Cherisher.”

According to Islamic thought, in the Jewish scriptures, a prophet like Moses was promised to the Jews from amongst their cousins or brethren, the Arabs.

Deuteronomy 18:15 - “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken”

and rise of the Arab Nations were prophesied of in Isaiah 42:11-12,

Isaiah 42:11-12, “Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar (son of Ishmael and the name used for the Arab nation.) doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands.”

To the Christians, according to Islamic thought, Jesus promised them the Comforter to follow him, (John 14:16, 15:26, and 16:7) as described by “Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali, in “The Meaning of The Holy Qur’an”, he states, the ‘comforter’ is actually Muhammad, the Praised One.

“Ahmad” or “Muhammad”, the Praised One, is almost a translation of the Greek word Periclytos. …The word, “Comforter” in the English version is for the Greek word “Paracletos” which means “Advocate”, “one called to the help of another, a kind friend”, rather than “Comforter”. Our doctors contend that Paracletos is a corrupt reading for Periclytos, and that in their original saying of Jesus there was a prophecy of our Holy Prophet Ahmud by name. Even if we read Paracelete, it would apply to the Holy Prophet, who is “a Mercy for all creatures” (21:107) and “most kind and merciful to the Believers” (9:128) (Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali, the Meaning of The Holy Qur’an, Amana Publications Beltsville, MD, pg 1461, comment 5438)

Here he comments also on an earlier passage, Sura 3:81)

Sura 3:81 - “Behold! Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying: “I give you a Book and Wisdom; then comes to you a Messenger, confirming what is with you; do you believe in him and render him help.” Allah said: “Do ye agree, and take this my Covenant as finding on you:” They said: “We agree.” He bears witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.

when he states,

“The future Comforter cannot be the “Holy Spirit” as understood by Christians, because the Holy Spirit already was present, helping and guiding Jesus. The Greek word translated “Comforter” is “Paracletos”, which is an easy corruption from “Periclytos”, which is almost a literal translation of “Muhammad” or “Ahmad”. (Ibid, 148, comment 416)

As such, the Islamic concept of the time of the end is amillennial, or the messiah, the Final Prophet has already come and the millennium is already here.

The Christians

The Christians, whose spiritual legacy comes from their Hebraic-Judaic roots, accept the coming of Jesus (Yahshua in Hebrew) as the fulfillment of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53. Yet the Christian faith is divided on the literal return of Jesus Christ as King of kings in the clouds of glory and the spiritual return of Christ, which Christ fulfilled when he left while ascending in the cloud on the Mount of Olives and promised to send His Holy Spirit. With the Kingdom of God put within our hearts, Christ was effectively reigning and the kingdom was already here.

Millerism and the Great Awakening

After 160 years, we have returned to the great religious battles that were resurrected in the 1840’s by William Miller, a Baptist minister, who began to preach on the soon and literal coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This does not seem a big issue today, as the evangelical Christians and many other denomination of Christendom including the Seventh-day Adventist are looking for the literal coming of Jesus, called by many ‘the Parousia”, which to many actually means a ‘Secret Rapture’ rather than a visible literal coming. This massive religious movement in the 1830s to 1845 was called the “Great Awakening” and affected all the mainline churches of Christendom, especially in the eastern coast of the United States. Towards the end, close to 50,000 followers were believers in the prophetic chronologies as outlined by William Miller.

Let us look at the Memoirs of William Miller in his published writings, which comprised his Sixteen Lectures on the Prophecies, and his Life and Views, of about three hundred pages each, which was extracted in A Brief History of William Miller, by Joshua V. Himes in Boston, January, 1853.

The Kingdom of God

Daniel 2:4 - “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people. But it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.’

“Much has been said and written on this by different commentators. Different sects and partisans have seized this text, and applied it to their sect, and proved, as they verily believe, that their sect is the true kingdom of god, which will stand forever.

‘The Catholics say it was set up in the days of the Roman Caesars, and thus claim for the Pope St Peter’s chair and the kingdom: that to the Bishop of Rome were the keys of this kingdom given at the demise of St. Peter, and that the popes have been the successor and earthly head of this kingdom ever since. The Baptist writers, many of them say the same, and claim a descent from the apostles for the Baptist Church, - making the church what the Catholics do the pope, --and try to show a regular succession of the church, as the Catholics do their popes. They also claim believers’ baptism (immersion) as an initiatory rite into the kingdom and that none are citizens of this kingdom until they comply with this requisition. The Episcopalians or some of them claim this same kingdom to have been set up in the days of the kings of England, and, therefore, the kings or queens of England are the accredited head of the episcopacy, and rulers over the visible church. The Presbyterians say it was set up in the days of Luther, among the German kings; the Quakers, in the days of Fox, the Methodist, in the days of Wesley; the Shakers, in the days of Ann Lee and the Mormons, by Joseph Smith.

“All writers seemed determined to have an earthly kingdom, and an earthly head to that kingdom. …..This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work.

“And now permit me to show that this kingdom is neither ‘earthly, sensual, nor devilish: (Joseph V. Himes, A Brief History of William Miller, Adventist Christian Publishing Assn, 1853, Review and Herald Publishing Assn, Washington, DC, reprint 1915)

What do we learn from this? None of the major Christian denominations in the 1830’s to 1845 believed in the literal return of Jesus in the clouds of glory in which every eye will see Him. Christianity had created her own illusion that she was the only player representing God in this earth. Forget about an end of times. To be confronted with the idea that Jesus was actually literally coming back to this earth was disturbing a lot ‘religious’ comfort zones. This was a radical and paradigm shift in theological thought. It is also obvious, the idea of the return of the Jews to Israel and the national independence of the Jewish people with a capital at Jerusalem was not a religious concept believed or even considered by the religions of the day, including the Advent movement believers. Why? Because there was no visible movement to restore the Jews much less the peoples of the House of Israel back to the Land of Israel. Jerusalem was a forgotten backward and dusty middle-eastern village with no national or international visibility at all.

The Seventh-day Adventist, a legacy of the Millerite Movement (1860)

The Seventh-day Adventists Church, the largest of some 200 Adventist denominations which grew from the wreckage of the failed return of Jesus on October 23, 1844, continued to believe in the literal return of Jesus, but to this day retain the vestige of the Millerite beliefs. These Millerite beliefs include:

that all prophecies in the Old Testament which allude to the restoration, political preeminence and the conversion of the of the two kingdoms or Houses of Judah and Israel, the latter called the Lost Tribes of Israel, the House of Joseph or the House of Ephraim in scripture, were either fulfilled by the return of the Jews from the Babylonian and Persian captivity or
these were ‘failed prophecies’, because they were ‘conditional prophecies’, on which the chosen people of the House of Jacob failed to live up to their covenant with their God and as such were rejected and exiled.

Yet, standing alone amongst all mainstream Christian Churches, the Seventh-day Adventists continued to vigorously evangelize the belief that the literal return of Jesus was imminent throughout the 19^th century with or without the Jews or Israel. Even so, they gave up date predicting on the coming of Jesus that it appears to have affected any further prophetic reinterpretation of scriptures. As such the Seventh-day Adventist’s are an amalgamation of believing in the literal Second Coming of Jesus as a pre-millennial event, but accomplishing it in a spiritual manner so that all the saints, or Spiritual Israelites (and all the converted Jews to the messiah Jesus) will be literally and physically raptured to a heavenly abode. A literal return of the Jews and the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel to the Land of Israel was not to be a part of the apocalyptic time of the end.

The Jehovah’s Witness, as a legacy of the Great Awakening (1879)

After the disappointment of 1844, several Advent groups continued to keep the movement alive, under the broad heading of ‘Adventism’. These groups included the Advent Christian Church, the Life and Advent Union, and various Second Adventist groups. The conclusion of the Civil War saw a new date of 1865 set for the coming of Christ, The George Storrs, the publisher of the Bible Examiner, and founder of the Life and Advent Union looked to the date of 1870. It was N.H. Barbour who publicized the dates of 1873 or 1874 in the Herald of the Morning. How did they arrive at this? Well in The Harp of God in 1937, it stated,

Harp of God - “Applying the same rule, then, of a day for a year, 1335 days after 539 A.D. brings us to 1874 A.D., at which time, according to Biblical chronology, the Lord’s second presence is due. (The Harp of God, “5,736,190 Edition, Printed March, 1937,” page 235, as recorded in David A Reed, Answering Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49516, 1996. page 184)

When the Lord did not arrive literally in 1874, Barbour turned to the Diaglott translation of the New Testament by Benjamin Wilson, in which the ‘coming’ of Jesus, was translated the ‘presence’ of Jesus in Matthew. This produced the ability to escape another disappointment in 1874. It was Storrs and Barbour, who were the Adventist leaders who became the religious mentors of the teenager, Charles Taze Russell along with the Advent Christian Church minister George Stetson.

It was the Herald of the Morning which imprinted the belief that Jesus returned invisibly in 1874 and affected Charles Taze Russell and became the imprint of the future Jehovah’s Witness, in which he first published the Zion’s Watch Tower in 1879. Here he publicized the belief in the invisible return of Jesus in 1874. In the November, 1881 issue, he acknowledged his roots to the Millerite and the Advent movement when he wrote;

Zion’s Watch Tower - “For the sake of many new readers of the WATCH TOWER, is may not be amiss to give a general review of the step of faith by which the Lord has been leading us as a people, during the last seven years (1874) and in a general sense during the preceding thirty-five years (since 1839 in the Millerite Movement).” (Zion’s Watch Tower, November, 1881 page 288 Society’s reprints as published in David A Reed, Answering Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49516, 1996.)

Jehovah’s Witnesses fundamental tenet as proclaimed in the theology of the Watchtower today is that Christ returned invisible around October 4 or 5 in 1914. Few Witnesses are aware that their denomination taught that Jesus had returned invisibly forty years earlier in 1874 and was the primary reason for Charles Taze Russell for starting the publication of Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence in 1879. Actually the 1874 and the 1914 date were interchanged back and forth for almost a decade as new dates continued to be set, 1918 and then 1925.

There is great power and control in the belief of an invisible return and presence of Christ. The Jehovah’s Witnesses foundation teaching, that they are authorized to be Christ’s representative on earth, rests or collapses on the belief in the invisible return of Jesus. As such, Jehovah’s Witnesses are amillennialists, and though they came from a literal pre-millennial Advent roots, they have now returned back to the orthodox Roman fold of replacement theology and a spiritual return of Jesus. As Spiritual Israelite’s they believe that they have a right to define their own self-recognized authority and as such are no different than the Catholic Church which has defined its own self authority upon the Apostolic Succession of the Apostle Peter.

Dispensationalism and the Scofield Bible (1909)

It was not until the early 1900s, when a John Darby listening to the testimony of an Edward Irving, was influenced by the dreams of a 14 year old girl named Margaret McDonald describing her views about the end of the ages. As a member of the Plymouth Brethren, Darby, now with other teachers began to popularize the view, Dispensational Theology, or the different dispensations given by the Lord to continue His work on earth. Cyrus I. Scofield became acquainted with John Darby and the teaching of Dispensationalist and in 1909 produced the first Scofield Bible.

According to John Anderson, in an article in the American Free Press, January 28, 2002, called Global Elite promoting ‘End Times’ Myth, he claims that “it was the powerful New York attorney, Samuel Untermyer, who was instrumental in arranging for the Oxford Press, which was controlled by the Rothschild banking family, patrons of the Zionist movement, to publish the Scofield Bible.” It was this same Untermyer, also a “major player in the Zionist movement, who was the one who blackmailed President Woodrow Wilson with love letters that Wilson sent to his mistress, a certain Mrs. Peck” as recorded The Barnes Review (March/April 2000) and Untermeyer’s famous ‘holy war’ speech that helped launch World War II. (American Free Press, Global Elite Promoting ‘End Times’ Myth, January 28, 2002) This same dispensational philosophy is also the basis of the Tim LaHaye end time’s book series, and the movie, Left Behind.

The dispensational teaching of the secret rapture is but a modification of the invisible return of Jesus by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Though the dispensationalists believe in the literal return of Jesus to the Jews, yet the spiritual Israelite are destined to reign in the millennial kingdom. The fate of the Spiritual Israelite rests in the illusion of being secretly raptured away. They do not need a date for it as it could come any time, but there is one almost universally accepted agreement; it will come before the tribulation. Is this a personal self wish? Why would anyone want to go through a tribulation in which Satan is in full control, when they have an option of being spirited away to a safe other dimension? Besides is this not the purpose of the chosenness of the Jews?

Modern Christendom has three prominent prophetic movements. The majority of churches believe today in Replacement Theology and believe that Christ has already come as a spiritual return and they as Spiritual Israelites now replace the Literal Jews. The Evangelical Christians sector are those who are committed to a dispensational theology and believe that the gentile dispensation will soon be past and they will soon be raptured before the tribulation, while in the new dispensation of the Jews will carry this earth into the tribulation, the Time of Trouble, and the second and literal return of Jesus when he sets up His Millennial Kingdom. Most of these call themselves fundamental Christians.

The third view is the remnant of the Millerite Advent movement, which poses a literal return of Jesus, like the dispensationalist. This literal return is to recover a remnant of the Sabbath keeping saints who as spiritual Israelites, represent the literal Israelites, who are now regrafted into the grape vine because they have faith in the messiah-ship of Jesus. As such, they too believe in Replacement Theology and deny any millennial kingdom, literal and physical rulership of Yahshua, who will rule with the rod in His mouth...

What most Christians fail to recognize is the historical trend of the Protestant reformation. The protestant reformation was literally a protest to the orthodox Roman Catholic Church and the corruption within the Orthodox Church. Each reformer, whether Luther, Tyndale, Calvin, Wesley led their reformation group away from orthodox Christianity. Yet in reality, this is a return of the gentile Christian Church back to the fold of their former parent, the Jerusalem Nazorean, Torah believing, Orthodox Jewish Church.

The original apostasy was with the Roman Christian Church who recognized themselves as being the Orthodox faith. It was the Roman Catholic Church who initially set the stage for Replacement Theology and the idea of a Spiritual Israel that would replace the Literal Hebrew-Judaic faith. It was the Roman Catholic Church who initially set the stage for the Spiritual Return of Jesus to dwell within us in order to destroy any spiritual authority of the Jewish Religion as the keepers of the Torah and the Oracles of God. The spiritual wooing of the Gentile Christian Church, by the Holy Spirit, to return to the fold of the Hebrew faith began in the 1500s with Martin Luther and this historic trend continues today.

Replacement Theology will soon be replaced. The chosen ones of God, the Hebrews, will once again be restored to the pathway they were chosen by God in the days of Abraham. The gentile Christian faith will have historic opportunity that by faith in Jesus, and relying fully in faith that His death and resurrection is truly sufficient to restore us to a glorified Edenic state. This glorification is just like Jesus, in His glorified body as He presented Himself to the apostles after the resurrection.

What is critical is the cry, “Come out of Her my People.” The harlot system is represented by all institutions and systems that replace a complete personal reliance upon listening and following the ‘still small voice’ of God instead of hierarchies of power, greed and control.

The scriptural evidence of the literal and personal return of Jesus is solid. To suggest a spiritual return of Jesus, as most of Christendom still believes in the amillennial beliefs that Christ has already returned, only reverts us back to the original apostasy of the Catholic faith.

Messianic Christians

The new kids on the religious block are the Messianic Churches. Once again, they are one step closer to the faith of the Jerusalem based Apostles. It is they who are diligent in studying the Torah philosophy to find a firm foundation in the life, death and suffering of Jesus. Yahshua as the living Torah, who came to this earth in the flesh, is the fulfillment of the Festival, the sacrificial sin offerings, and can be seen and recognized in the spiritual and mystical dimension of the Jewish sefirot.

Unfortunately, many Messianic Jews still have the arrogance of their mentors; the Christians that the orthodox Torah observing Jews must evangelized and become Christians. It is not Christianity that they need. It is only a faith in Yahshua that He is the literal fulfillment of everything they have been living, praying and worshipping for the past 3500 years. Will we as Christians open their eyes to Yahshua as the living Torah? No, Hashem will do that Himself in His own time. He is the one who has put the scales over their eyes so that they cannot see. He doesn’t ask us to be spiritual lens implant surgeons. All he asks is for us to find our Torah based roots and let them become jealous so that they will also understand. Let us listen to Paul on this subject.

Romans 11:7-8,11-12,25,32 - “God has given them (Israel) a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear to this very day….

“I say them have they stumbled that they should fall. Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

“For I do not desire, brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written;

“The Deliverer (Yahshua) will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins,”… (Isaiah. 59:20-21)

“For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.”

The Lord of host will take responsibility for His acts. The Jews are blind because it is His will for them to be blind. When He opened their eyes, it will be under His own will and authority.

Replacement Theology Churches believing

that Jesus will not literally return to this earth.

What a dilemma these choices produce. The geo-political players, in western world politics, represent the churches of Replacement Theology. Most of the President Bush’s chief policy and operational staff are church members from the main churches such as the Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic churches, who have taken political positions that Israel does not have a right to the Land as their inheritance of the chosen lineage of Isaac and Jacob. They also are predominately a-millennialists in that they believe that the Lord has already come in the spirit and that there will not be an apocalyptic time of the end and the literal return of the Jesus as the messiah.

They have called for Israel to leave the ‘occupied’ land, a land that is not designated for them by world court opinion and put the blame of the reign of terror upon the Nation of Israel. In essence the churches of Replacement Theology are running the political and foreign policy sector of America’s Middle East affairs. This is what happens when you take replacement theology and return it back to a literal and practical world. A wrong philosophical base leads one to choose wrong decisions.

The battle of ideology is only begun within the Christian Churches on the issue of the literal return of Jesus. Radio Free America, hosted by Tom Valentine on December 16, 2001, recently interviewed John Anderson, the producer of the video, The Last Days. John Anderson made the following statement.

John Anderson - “Television gurus preaching a fraudulent ‘end time; and ‘last days’ theory popularized in the 19^th century (Millerism and Advent theology) are helping lay the groundwork for a world government by corralling good Christians into supporting a doctrine that has no Biblical basis.

True Christian fundamentalism, based on the teachings of the Bible takes the Bible at its word (literal interpretation) and accepts that Christ accomplished all that he intended to do while on Earth and that His kingdom is here and is within you.” (Spiritual interpretation)

Let us analyze this statement. Preachers who espouse the literal return of Jesus, which first came back into modern Christian theology in the Great Awakening of the 19^th century, are now accused of being the responsible agents for fomenting a reactionary movement, which will become a one world government. Is this clear, you and I, who are believers in a literal return of Jesus and a role of for literal Israel at the end of days, are accused of being the cause of the formation of a One World Government.

Now most Christians who believe in the end of days and a literal coming of Jesus consider themselves to be fundamental Christians, believing in the literal word of the Lord. Yet according to John Anderson, this is not Biblical, for the literal word of God states that the Kingdom of Heaven in not in the future, but “is here and is within you.” The walls and barriers are now being erected to pit one Christian denomination against another.

The Day of the Lord is the literal and personal coming of Jesus

The Day of the Lord, both in the prophets and to Yahshua and the apostles was an event that was both immanent but also personal and literal. They expected to see this event in their three dimensional word in a way that would convince all their senses of the literal truths of God word. If the Lord of hosts states that He would do it, then in reality He will do it.

Was it not Jesus on the Mount of Olives, who warned his disciples?

Matthew 24:23-28 - “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!” or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (visible and literal return) For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. (at Jerusalem when the carrions will clean up the carcasses of the slain forces of the Antichrist’s International forces at Armageddon)

Let our mind time-travel and witness a group of followers of Jesus, on the Mount of Olives, now after the resurrection and just a few days before Pentecost, during the forth days of Omer. There was urgency to this gathering, for they realized that the moments with their Master were almost over.

Luke, obviously a part of this gathering, refers to a ‘former account”, he had written when we wrote the Book of Acts to Theophilus. (Acts 1:1) Here in the Gospel of Luke, he wrote;

Acts 1:1-3 - “of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which ‘He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”

The first thing to note is that Jesus was doing things and teaching things until the day He was literally taken up and remove Himself away from the apostles.

These apostles were not just the twelve apostles but according to the literal meaning, all who had witnessed the life, ministry and resurrection of Jesus was an apostle. Yet of the full company of the apostles, where there some apostles in which he had actually chosen? We are led to believe this fact. Was this the twelve or all who had witnessed and believed in his ministry as the Son of God and the Lord Jesus Christ? I am led to believe in the latter. This included Luke not recognized as one of the twelve apostles, but worthy to be the author of both the Gospel of Luke on the life of Jesus and the Book of Acts of the Apostles or as some the Acts of the Holy Spirit.

Included in later historical literature, these apostles not only included Luke, but also women such as Mary Magdalene, recognized in the Book of Thomas as the one closest to the master. Also Joseph of Arimathea, was later recognized in the British Culdee Christian literature as the

Apostle to the British Celtic and Mark, just a young lad at this time was recognized as the Apostle to the Egyptian Copts.

Yes, this was a literal and physical manifestation of being here in this three dimensional planet in ‘flesh and bone’. It was Luke, the physician, who was particularly aware of this physical Christ being in the flesh, yet He also manifested Himself in ways that were obviously other-dimensional. Earlier, when Cleopas and Luke, the other man, met Christ on the road to Emmaus, Jesus accepted their invitation to have supper with them, Luke states;

Luke 24:30 - ‘Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew him; and He vanished from their sight.

Later on in the test it states that “He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” (vs. 35)

While in the process of telling their story to the other apostles, including the eleven, that

Luke 24:36-39 - “as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them. “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself, Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

When in their amazement, they still did not believe, he asked for food and

Luke 24:42-43 - “they gave him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb, and He took it and ate in their presence.”

Here the apostles were given a lesson in Spirits 101. The risen Christ standing before them was not a spirit. He had flesh and bones, a literal and physical being. They could feel and touch him; He still was able to eat and obviously had a gastric and an alimentary tract. Yet as the same time, He defied the conventional rules of nature and could appear and disappear at will among them. Soon after this lesson, he led them as far a Bethany, on the route over the Mount of Olives, and

Luke 25:50-53 - “And He led them as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

So ends the story of Jesus according to Luke, but the Lucian story does not end, as this is where the Book of Acts of the Apostles begins. Having assembled the apostles together in their favorite place to talk, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sat down with them for the last instructions of his physical life here on earth.

Acts 1:4 - “And being assembled together with them He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the Promise of the father, ‘which’, He said, ‘You have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to the Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Have any of you ever watched a movie running backwards. This is what the two men or witnesses told the disciples to do, reverse the script, for Jesus would return in the same manner as He left. Let us look at this sequence, backwards.

· The two witnesses talk to the disciples, why are you looking up?

· The disciples and followers of Jesus are standing transfixed looking into heaven

· Jesus is in heaven preparing to return to this earth as the King of kings to do battle with the forces at Armageddon.

· Jesus returns enveloped in a cloud

· Jesus is seen in the clouds of glory as the armies of heaven begin to materialize

· Jesus returns to the ground and stands on the Mount of Olives

· The disciples and followers of Jesus crowd around Jesus to ask him when the Kingdom of heaven, asking, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of heaven to Israel?”

The Era of the Two Witnesses

But what about the two witnesses? There is something unusual here.

Let us quickly move almost two thousand years into the future. We return to the city of modern Jerusalem a few years from now and a terrible war and siege is in the process of erupting. We talk to a CNN reporter and he tells us of two witnesses that are in the land and have been playing havoc with the entire international scene.

The International Peace keeping forces have surrounded the city of Jerusalem, and fierce battles with multiple guerilla raids by renegade forces of Jews from the city of Jerusalem have been penetrating the perimeter lines of the armies that have been massing in the Valley of Megiddo. We are now three and one half years after the nominated leader of the World coalition nations marched into the newly built Temple to Yahweh in Jerusalem on the Passover. The world had just gone through an unprecedented era of Pax Unito Nationalis, the peace of the united nations of the world brotherhood. The Nation of Israel had come to recognize this world leader as a savior of their nation, the jihad for the intifada against Israel was now over and the Islamic nations surrounding them were living and worshipping, even in Jerusalem, in an era of unprecedented peace.

Then on the Shabbat (Sabbath) of the Passover, while throngs of Jews and newly assimilated Josephites now living in the Gilead, Basham and the Lebanon regions of Israel throng into the rebuilt City of David and parade toward the temple in celebration of the Passover. This year was to be a high year as the grand deputation of the United Confederation of World Leaders would be in the city to join in the worship of Yahweh. As the Supreme Leader enters the city of Jerusalem, he passes through the outer courts of the Gentiles and suddenly to the horror of the Jewish worshipers, he continues in to the Temple proper and immediately takes possession of the Holy Place with its giant Menorah, Altar of Incense and Tables of Showbread, and then proceeds to enter and place his seat of authority in the Holy of Holiest.

The Nation of Israel rises in arms. They have been betrayed and an unprecedented era of conflict and tribulation by the Antichrist and the world forces and the people of Israel begin. In the midst of this spiritual holocaust, there suddenly arises within the city, two men, so conspicuously different, so native to the historical traditions of the Hebrew people, so true to the convictions of the Torah demands of justice, integrity and respect for all mankind. The Rabbis and the Tzaddiks in the city suddenly recognize that the long awaited return of Elijah the prophet, prophesied in the Book of Malachi has now arrived;

Malachi 4:5-6 - “Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And He will turn the hearts of the father to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, Let I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

Yes it is Passover time and now the fourth cup that has been filled yet not drunk at the thousands of Passover Seders around the world for two and a half millennium. They have been awaiting the coming of Elijah, and are now anticipating the renewed presence of their God because of His presence. They remember now the promise given by Zechariah the prophet, God remembers and God blesses at the appointed Time.

One witness is obviously Elijah; he has been anticipated and awaited for since the era of Malachi. Two thousand years ago, the spiritual image of Elijah arose in the wilderness east of Jerusalem and along the Jordan River valley and called the nation to a new revival anticipating the coming of the messiah, Yahshua, whom he baptized in the Jordan River.

Yet this time, Elijah exhibits his old fiery personality and marches up to the abode of the Antichrist in the Holy of Holiest and pronounced the curses of God with a spirit no different than he did to Ahab about 800 B.C. The powers of this Elijah were like the powers he exhibited in the days of old when as he commanded, fire came down from heaven, a fire so deadly that it devoured his enemies. Also this Elijah had power to halt the jet streams in the heavens and whenever he prophesied drought, no rain would fall. (Rev. 11: 5-6)

The other witness also testified to the displeasure of the Lord of hosts accompanied with the same catastrophic powers that Moses (Moshe) did in the courts of Pharaoh in Egypt. These included ‘powers over water to turn them to blood and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.” (Revelation11:6)

Revelation 11:4-6 - “These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all the plagues, as often as they desire.

We have already seen these two olive trees written about 600 years prior by the prophet Zechariah when he was to see in vision the temple at the end of time.

Zechariah 4:2-4, 11-14 - “Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, ‘What do you see?” So I said, ‘I am looking, and there is a lamp stand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other at its left.

So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, ‘What are these, my lord?’…. ‘What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacle of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?’ When he answered me and said, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my lord.’ So he said, ‘These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.’

Celestial messengers from the throne of God, we are now witnessing? Are these the same two visitors who came to visit Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration, when the celestial glory was witnessed by the three closest disciples to Jesus, Peter, James and John?

For eighteen months, the two witnesses hold the Antichrist accountable for the actions of the World Court upon the people of the world and upon the people of the Lord living in the Land of Israel. For every political and economic pressure that was applied to the Land of Israel, an equal and accountable disaster would occur throughout the world. A time of tribulation began that was unprecedented in the archives of historical man. This tribulation was foretold about in the Book of Revelation in the six seals and though is started in Israel, because of the cause and effect mission of the two witnesses; it spread rapidly throughout all the earth. The inhabitants of every land, every culture were forced to adhere to a life of integrity, honesty, compassion and justice or one of power, greed and control.

The ‘court, which is outside the Temple had been given ever to the gentiles and it says that they ‘tread the Holy City underfoot for forty-two months.’ (Revelation 11:2), yet it does not say that the Temple was given to the Gentiles. Maybe we can assume that the two witnesses took control of the Temple away from the forces of the Antichrist.

The time of Satan’s trouble is now past. God’s wrath now begins. Eighteen months are now over. The sixth seal is has come and gone and now the Time of God’s wrath is about to descend upon the earth. Why the time of God’s wrath? If you carefully study the seven last plagues, one realizes that they are all precipitated by what we would call ‘Acts of God.

Twenty one months (half of 42 months) since the Antichrist entered the Holy of Holiest on the Passover, and now we are nearing December and time for the feast of Hanukkah, the time for cleansing the temple. Where Elijah’s miraculous powers were more prominent during the Time of Satan’s wrath, Moses now becomes the agent, as he did to the Pharaoh of old, when the last plagues are about to fall upon the world. We can use here a little but of spiritual speculation.

First Plague - First Elijah enters the scene and introduces the 1^st Trumpet or vial plague. Fire, hail and blood are hurled to the earth, and malignant sores erupt on the skin of those with the mark of the beast. One-third of the continental land goes up into smoke as the trees and grass is destroyed and the populations destroyed. The earth is enveloped in an atmosphere of soot.

Second Plague - Then Moses enters the scene as he announced to the Antichrist the next two world disasters. A cometary impact lands on the ocean like a blazing mountain. (Revelation 8:8-9, and Revelation 16:3) The sea turns to a soupy blood from the iron oxide and all the marine habitant is destroyed in a third of the oceans. The sea is packed with caked iron oxide and the decayed marine life pile on the surface of the water, foundering all the intercontinental shipping lanes.

Third Plague - Suddenly a second fragment of the same comet lands on a continent as a great star flaming like a torch. (Revelation 8:10-11 and Revelation 16:4-7) The lands, ponds and even the subterranean springs become clogged with iron oxide, forming noxious odors and fumes. A wail goes over the land

Within less than a month, two third of the world have experienced unprecedented disasters and the loss of the majority of their populations.

Fourth Plague - Moses returns to the court of the Antichrist announcing to the world of the fourth trumpet and vial plague. (Revelation 8:12-14, 16:8-9) The sun will go into nova, with sun flares flaming seven times her normal intensity. Volcanoes will begin to erupt while the crust of the earth as the earth rotation slows down from a 24 hours day to a 16 hour day. One third of the daylight is gone, one-third of nighttimes are gone and ash clouds cover the face of the earth as the Circle of Fire in the Pacific Ocean erupts with hundreds of volcanoes spewing ash into the stratosphere. It is now about June, mid-summer, for the eagle with a loud cry is flying in the mid heavens.

Fifth Plague - Once again the antichrist is summoned. In the midst of summer, the 5^th trumpet and vial plague hits. (Revelation 9:1-12, 16:10-11) This time that mysterious demonic abode called the Abyss is hit over the Throne of the beast in Pergamum or maybe a reconstructed Babylon in Iraq, since that nation has been redeveloped like Afghanistan, as a model nation by the United Nations, and now becoming the seat of the Antichrist. Being which look like locusts but act like scorpions erupts by the billions. For five months those marked by the beast are tormented physically and psychically. They gnaw their tongues in agony like one tormented with schizophrenia. Sores erupt on their bodies as the volcanic ash continues to settle over the vast land masses. The first woe is gone.

Sixth Plague – The mighty Euphrates is now visited by the sixth plague. The nations of the world are now in anger and revolt. Righteous anger of the prior War on Terror has now evolved into demonic uncontrolled wrath and hatred. For thirteen months, a massive world coalition of forces is set in place to invade the Land of Israel. Out of this Land, with the two witnesses calling the shots of the timing and extent of the international plagues upon the earth, all the forces on earth prepare to go after them. The Lord of hosts prepares the way with drying up the Euphrates so that the nations of the East led by the red hordes of China and the Islamic countries will have easy entry. Yet the three demons coming from the mouths of the dragon, beast and false prophet stir up the wrath and anger of the nations. One-third of the populations of the nations are killed in this scorch earth destruction as they move towards the Holy Land. Two things beckon the world to Israel, the destructive powers of the two witnesses and the Land of Israel which has remained untouched by the cosmic destruction that is wrecking havoc to the entire world.

Here we meet the forces of Armageddon on the perimeters of the city of Jerusalem. The mental and cosmic forces of the two witnesses have held them at bay, but the time of their witness is about over. The forces of the Antichrist invade in a mighty thrust and the perimeters of the city were overtaken and the two witnesses are captures and killed

In the meantime, the international peacekeeping forces are dancing over their bodies in demonic and dervish rhythm, while the political leaders, economic gurus are sending notes of congratulations to the restoration forces that are seeking to reclaim the last hold-out in opposing the restoration of what is called world order. The world that which remains, are preparing for the disasters of nature to settle, for the two witnesses are now dead. The national forces of the World coalition government are now in full control of the city of Jerusalem. Chaos had been rampant throughout all the land and peace has now once again been apparently restored

Suddenly a loud celestial shout or voice comes down from the heavenly dimensions while the troops of the Antichrist’s forces and the demonic inhabitants who controlled the city of Jerusalem at the last days before Christ were shouting, ranting, having revelries over the bodies of the two witnesses of Moses and Elijah. This reminds us of recent scenes of shouting, stomping and vile oaths of Arafat’s Palestinian terrorists and sympathizers over bodies of Israelis captured, abused and dismembered during the Intifada. What a visible imagery of Moses and Elijah, slain and lying on the streets of Jerusalem.

The voice shouts “Come up here” and suddenly they arise from the streets to the horror and shock of the peacekeeping forces. The international reports beam images around the world, a dual resurrection occurring before the eyes of the billions of people, those that are left living after the catastrophes of the past twenty-one months.

Revelation 11:7-14 - “When they (the two witnesses) finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit (Abyss) will make war against them, overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodied will lie in the street of the great city (Jerusalem) which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations (Multi-national forces of the One-World Government) will see their dead bodies for three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth (satellite telecommunication to all the earth) will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, (resurrection of the two witnesses) and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. (all the people’s of the earth via satellite TV) And they heard a loud voice from heaven (was this the Archangel/) saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, (like Jesus did from the Mount of Olives) and their enemies saw them. In the same hour there was a great earthquake and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

The two witnesses now send a message through the international reporters to all the inhabitants of the world, “Look up and gaze into the heavens. An omen is coming and the era of your restoration or destruction is at hand.” For those with ears to hear, will turn their eager eyes in anticipation. Jerusalem, Hashem’s capital city in this solar system, is now under the control of the Antichrist. With total control of the whole earth, the Antichrist now prepares the forces of Armageddon to battle against Yahshua.

Suddenly the two witnesses are lifted up and levitated in the air, until they are enveloped by a cloud. These were former prisoners of war, killed in battle with the invading forces on Jerusalem and the whole earth gasping in glee, horror or wonder as they watch them lie dead on the streets for 3 ½ days. Jerusalem, Hashem’s capital city in this solar system, is now under the control of the Antichrist. With total control of the whole earth, the Antichrist now prepares the forces of Armageddon to battle against Yahshua. Within hours, the coming of Christ will appear.

At this same time, deep seismic forces beneath the Temple of Hashem begin to rumble. This earth shifting will come from the same faults that shook on the death of Yahshua about 30 CE. Seven thousand are killed in this local quake. (Revelation 11:13)

The Two Witnesses will Return in the same manner

as the Ascension of Christ

Looking over the lives of these two witnesses, we also see a replay of the final drama of the life of Yahshua in His death and resurrection and ascension. Look at this sequence.

· Jesus was in the final battle with the satanic forces which envelope the Sadducean leadership of the Sanhedrin. His sentence was finalized by the leader of the national forces that control the land

· Jesus was 'overcomed' and killed.

· His dead body lay in state while the leadership rejoiced and congratulated each other of ridden themselves of this prophet who was causing so much chaos in the land.

· When the three and a half days were over, the breath of life from God entered Jesus and he stands up on his feet.

· A great fear swept over the Roman and the Jewish leadership and upon those who witnessed his resurrection, the guards at the tomb.

· A loud voice was heard, Come up here.

· In the same hour, a great earthquake shook the foundations of the city of Jerusalem. Tombs were opened and foundations fell in the city.

· Several thousand were raised from the dead; no record is made of how many were killed for it was on the great feast of Passover.

· The disciples were afraid yet gave glory to the God of heaven.

And so the cycle of dramas on the life of Yahshua continues.

Continue to Part Two - The Coming of the Messiah (Moschiach)

Topics

A Model of the Oracles of Zechariah approaching the Great Day of the Lord

The Literal Coming of Jesus is with a literal resurrection, and a literal destruction of the wicked.

Michael, the Archangel, the Prince of God’s People

The Day of the Lord is heralded by the Seventh Trumpet of the Archangel.

The Day of the Lord, Yahshua will begin His rule with a Rod of Iron

The Day of the Lord demands an active preparation by his servants (saints) for

He will come as a thief. (Secret Rapture or Unexpected Rapture?)

After the Day of the Lord, Yahshua will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords

until Death (the wages of sin) is conquered and destroyed.

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