Q. In Lk 24.39 it says that the Lord had "flesh and bone" after the resurrection. Does that mean he didn't have blood?

A. When the Lord appeared and said he had "flesh and bone" he was contrasting flesh and spirit. He said flesh and bone because that was something they could see and feel. You couldn't see blood so there was no point in saying it. But there is more to this. He is alluding to Gen 2.23 where Adam see's Eve and says that she is now "bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh." Adam was put to sleep and a rib was taken out of his side. Eve was created and Adam knows the significance of it. In the same way, Yeshua was "put to sleep" and a bride was taken from his side as well. And, like Adam, he see's his" bride" (the apostles) and alludes to what Adam said. The Apostle Paul also alludes to this concept in Eph 5.26 where he compares the relationship between Adam and Eve with Messiah and his bride and quotes Gen 2.23. Now, to answer your question more specifically, the resurrection body is NOT lacking anything that a mortal body has but something has been added. In 1 Cor 15. 50-58 it says that the "perishable (carnal body) must put on the imperishable." In v 50 the term "flesh and blood" is a Hebrew idiom referring to the carnal state, the mortal body, subject to death. Something has to happen in order to enter the Kingdom of God. The Bible does not state all the capabilities of the new body nor does it state whether it has blood or not. At times, the physical is not bound by the law of physics. Peter walked on water, Phillip was translated and placed miles away in a twinkling of an eye, the axe head floated to the top of the Jordan. It's the same with the new body. We can function anywhere in the universe with a glorified, physical body. Yeshua and those who were resurrected after him are in Heaven right now and function just fine and we are returning to the capable, functioning, physical bodies God originally had in mind when he first created them. Yeshua appears in a locked room (Jn 20.26) but he will still use doors. The original body, including blood, was very good (Gen 1.31) and there is no reason to believe that the resurrection body will be lacking anything. In the Messianic Kingdom, normal activities will be carried out like farming, fishing, eating and drinking, building and so on. Just because the Lord did not mention blood in Lk 24.39 does not mean he did not have blood. Leviticus 17.11 says that "life is in the blood" and the word for life there is "nephesh" and that is the soulish life, the seat of the appetites and personality. Decision making, emotions, passions, activity of the mind, the "knowing" of the being is seated there. Blood is the "operator" of the computer (brain) and not to mention the RNA and the DNA. There is no reason to believe that resurrection bodies will not have blood based on this verse.

A few weeks ago I went to hear Avi Lipkin speak about Iran and a possible attack and he said some very interesting things. Mr. Lipkin is an Israeli and he speaks in synagogues and churches all over the country on the Middle East and what is going on. In this article I want to present a few things he said and a few things to watch for. The subject of Iran caught my interest because Iran plays a role in the last days and the Tribulation period and I wanted to hear what he had to say. He said there are five reasons why there will be a war with Iran. President Obama's job is to take out the rogue nations like Iran, North Korea and Israel and so the first reason for war with Iran will be to take out their nuclear threat by overthrowing the current regime then hand over control to a U.N. force. They will not attack the reactors but gain control over them. Secondly, they will liberate the Iranians. They like the west and they want liberty. Third, a war which gains control over the oil in Iran will help the economy and bring down oil prices. They have to come down and this can be done by taking Iran, taking control of the oil and bringing the prices down. To help President Obama, this will have to be done soon to save him in the coming elections. He needs a miracle and a victory in Iran could do it. Fourth, there is the Sunni-Shi'ite struggle within Islam. This goes back centuries. After Mohammed died, Islam was ruled by 3 caliphs who were Sunni moslems. They were seen by many as rich and decadent. A blood descendant from Mohammed arose by the name of Ali and he led the Shi'ite faction and fought the Sunni's over control of Islam and who should guard the Qa'aba, or the black box in Mecca. He had two sons, Hassan and Hussein. He united the poor and downtrodden to fight the apostate Sunni's. So, the Sunni's were the rich, decadent wing and the Shi'ites were more of the poor and downtrodden. This battle still goes on today. The United States is allied with Saudi Arabia, who is Sunni (rich), and they are at odds with Iran, who is Shi'ite ( poor). Obama has 2 tasks. First, eliminate the Shi'ite threat (Iran) and then eliminate the Zionist threat (Israel). There is much evidence, according to Lipkin, to suggest that Obama is a Sunni Moslem and that is why he bowed before the King of Saudi Arabia. The king is considered the religious leader of the Sunni's and is obeyed by all Sunni's and it is possible that they see Obama as the saviour of the Sunni's and has a mandate from his religious leader to use his position to "save the Sunni's." The last reason that there may be a war with Iran is the upcoming elections. Obama must have a miracle to save his political career. The United States will not allow a strike on the reactors in Iran but a ground war against the Shi'ites is possibly being planned right now. A helicopter crashed recently in northern Iran killing 6 Israelis who they think were preparing for just a war. What were Israeli's doing there? They were part of a multi-nation coalition that includes the United States, Great Britain and Russia that will participate in this invasion. By securing Iran, they eliminate the nuclear threat, gain control over the oil and the prices and everybody wins. But this will have to be carried out soon for Obama to benefit and so this will be something to watch. What is interesting is how this fits into Bible prophecy, especially Ezekiel 38 and 39 and the coming Russian invasion of Israel. Well, if Russia participates she will have a foot into Iran, and Iran comes with Russia to invade Israel (Ezek 38.5) so this may be how Russia does it. Anyway, it was a very interesting lecture and there are things going on in the world , all according to the plan of God. As believers, we must be aware of what is going on around us and how world politics will shape up. The heart of the king is in the hands of the Lord and what Mr Lipkin says may or may not happen, but it's always good to hear the informed opinions of others. But, we must be diligent and keep watching the signs of the times.

Do you think the Rapture is imminent? Part 4

This week we will continue with the topic of the imminent return of Yeshua. We left off talking about the fact that the Lord's return will not happen at any second but will return at an appointed time and that time is Yom Teruah, year 6001 from creation. We established that in the last two articles, but what happens next? The next biblical festival is Yom Kippur and that festival occurs on Tishri 10 and it teaches the second coming of the Messiah to the earth after the tribulation. But let's take first things first and let me try and explain. Let's say the Rapture of the believer happens on Tishri 1. That means there are ten days till Yom Kippur. It will be that Yom Kippur that the final countdown to the second coming of Yeshua begins. If Yeshua returns to the earth on Yom Kippur, that means the Tribulation had to start on a Yom Kippur because there are 2,520 days in the Tribulation. Yeshua said he will return on Yom Kippur in Matt 24.31 when He said He returns at the sound of "the Great Trumpet.". Now the Great Trumpet is a Hebrew idiom for Yom Kippur. So, with that established, let's go back to Tishri 1, year 6001. The Tribulation does not start for ten days, so what's going to happen? First, the United States will be devastated because of the Rapture. Our defenses are vulnerable, key people are missing and the nation will be in chaos, as will many other nations, but I want to concentrate on the United States in particular. I have already established that Temple worship and sacrifices will be reestablished in Israel on Tishri 1. Russia will know of the chaos in the United States and will use this as the chance they have been waiting for and will launch a nuclear strike against the United States and this nation will be destroyed in one day. With the United States out of the way, Europe and Israel are next.This attack is prophesied in Jer 50 and 51. There is no other nation that has ever existed that fits that prophecy except the United States. Now, in prophecy certain ancient nations will stand for nations in the latter days. For instance, Israel will be Israel but Europe will be Egypt, Russia will be Assyria and the United States will be the Land of Babylon. Jeremiah describes the destruction of Babylon but it hasn't been fulfilled yet. This Babylon (United States) has certain characteristics. It has many Jews living in it, it is an economic giant and a powerful army with defenses that reach into the heavens. It is a land of "mingled peoples" and the nations stream into it. It sits on many waters. It is called the "hammer" (policeman) of the whole earth and is described as the "last of the great (gentile) nations" in Jer 50.12. The Sages interpreted this verse as the last of the great nations in the latter days. There is no way that I can go into this teaching here, but I have taught it many times in the past and believe me there is no other nation this prophecy could be referring to. Now, the Rapture occurs on Tishri 1 and around Tishri 8 the United States will be attacked by Russia. Anciently, before Assyria could attack Israel they had to remove Babylon and they did. When the United States is destroyed in one day, Europe will panic. The heads of the European Union will call a meeting on Tishri 9 and the False Messiah will be there in that meeting. He will stand up and say he has a plan to save Europe but they must act now and give him war powers. There will be no time to go back and debate this in their parliaments and legislatures. They turn their power to act over to the man who will be revealed as the False Messiah. The next day, Tishri 10 or Yom Kippur he signs an agreement with Israel to protect them also. All United States military personnel out of the country will automatically come under the leadership of European leaders, in particular the False Messiah and he will use that power he will to his evil advantage. On that Tishri 10, the Tribulation will begin. The major players now will be Israel, Europe (Egypt), Russia (Assyria), the Kings of the East (the Orient) and the kings of the South (African confederation). The False Messiah will be fighting Russia for three years and be losing, Russia will attack Israel around Tishri 1-10 at the beginning of the fourth year of the Tribulation and will be destroyed by the Lord Himself. As a result of this deliverance and the preaching of the two witnesses and 144,000, Israel will accept Yeshua as Messiah. A few months later the False Messiah moves into Israel and on Nisan 10 of the fourth year will sit in the rebuilt Temple of God in Jerusalem and declare himself God and killing the two witnesses. They will rise from the dead on Passover, Nisan 14, around noon. But,the Jews will not accept him and they will flee into the Jordanian wilderness for three and a half years and be protected by the Lord. This last three and a half years is called the Great Tribulation and that is another story. I have said all this to show that the coming of the Lord is not something that will happen "at any moment" but it will happen according to an eschatological plan that is well developed and described in the Scriptures. So, I hope this answers your questions about the imminent return of the Lord and gives you some added insight into biblical prophecy.